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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1995-12-06, Page 3News and. Views Foodgrains members tackle tough questions BY DAVID SCOTT Expositor Editor Why don't we help the hun- gry in Canada first before sending food to Third World countries? That was one of several tough questions that members of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank grappled with during u day -long annual meeting of Huron and Perth representa- tives at the Egmondville United Church on Friday. Jim Papple, of RR 4, Seaforth, Ontario Co-ordinator of Canadian Foodgrains Bank, chaired the event. A similar meeting in Ingersoll the previ- ous day. In the past, only one Foodgrains Bank annual meet- ing was held for the enure province. This year, he is try- ing to hold four or live meet- ings in the various regions. Ile day started off with discussion on the philosophies and prin- ciples of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. Participants heard Mary Dennis speak about her food study tour of Ethiopian and Kenya, just two of 25 countries aided by the Foodgrains bank. The meeting was a chance for members to share stories on their projects and special events. Participants dealt with 11 "most asked" tough questions that were circulated. A lot of the issues brought up had to do with public miscon- ception about not only the foodgrains bank but other relief organizations. Seaforth Council Town wants input on proposed truck parking bylaw Seaforth Council decided to advertise for public input into a proposed bylaw restricting vehicles more than 5,000 kg from using town roads, except for deliveries, at Monday night's regular meeting. Seaforth is considering the move because of the cost of repairing local streets that weren't designed for such heavy traffic or overnight parking of the big rigs. Administrator Jim Crocker suggested that perhaps some streets, those properly reconstructed, might be exempt. Works Superintendent John Forrest thought this would lead, to problems policing the bylaw, and that restricting them all might be wiser. "I won't even be able to go home for lunch now," one local trucker commented to a coun- cillor on the proposal, which surfaced at November's meetings of council. What these people don't understand, Deputy -Reeve Bill Teall said, is that other people end up paying for their "right" to drive home for lur,:h. • Seaforth recently established an official truck -parking arca on the initiative of a local trucker who was concerned about the safety aspects of parking his rig in front of his residence. Deputy -Reeve Teall added that if exceptions were made on the proposed bylaw for restricting heavy traffic in town it might be "penalizing" those that arc using the new truck park, and "abiding by the law." Nov.29 Expositor Exposed! The Ex -Files: Spotted mistakes: 1) Pg. 4 "reported" instead of "reporter" - Judy Lamont 2) Pg. 2 "think" instead of "thing" - Jean Bernard (Editor's note: We saved one Loonie this week. Either we're being more careful or you're slipping. P.S. Remember to come in to the office in person to collect your dollar - no phone calls please!) "Our mandate is to help developing countries but it doesn't rule out helping Canadians." In answer to why the organ- ization doesn't help the hungry in Canada first, many partici- pants agreed it was because we haven't reached the extreme situations of other countries. "I don't think there's any com- parison of hunger and suffering (of the Third World) in Canada," said one participant. Some of the countries being aided also have to contend with war and mass outbreaks of disease. "Canada is considered the best country in the world to live in," said Milton Dietz, of RR 4, Seaforth. "What would happen if you took a bushel of grain down to London (to a food bank). Do you think people would use it?" Papple said "we need to help all hungry people." "Our mandate is . to help developing countries but it doesn't rule out helping Cana- dians." In answer to a question about whether food aid creates dependency, someone answered that the food -growing systems created by Canadian Foodgrains Bank in foreign countries are far more valuable than the food donations. Dietz mentioned the negative stories you hear about rotten food on docks in developing countries. „ This is a reason people use to 'not donate," says Papple. But this docs not happen in the case of the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. The food gets to the people who need it. "Does the food get there? Is it stolen by foreign armies?" These were questions dealt with. "It was a learning day so participants feel comfortable and confident answering the public's questions: It'was a good meeting," said Papple. "I'tn impressed with the knowledge of the people involved in the foodgrains bank." Every project is different, he says, and the information session was a chance for each participant to learn from others and support each other. Papple is the only staff per- son in Ontario for the organiz- ation. It spends less than three pet cent of its proceeds on administration, something that enables them to be more effec- tive. "We rely on volunteers to do a lot of work. That's why it's successful," says Papple. There are 65 foodgrains projects in Ontario. That's up from 35 last year, says Papple. Although the organization has most of its projects in the southern half of Ontario; there are a few north of Collingwood County eliminates overnight winter road maintenance BY BLAKE PA'I"I'ERSON SSP News Staff County Council has eliminat- ed the winter maintenance of county roads between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. in light of the funding cuts from the province. At the Nov. 30 council meet- ing, county engineer Dennis Merrall said the reduction in services is needed to cut costs so his department can focus their resources on high -traffic periods when clear roads are most important. , "People are going to have to use good judgement if they are going to be on the road after midnight," he said. He said the plan is to have the roads open each day in time for the 7 a.m. shift. Colborne Reeve Bill Vanstone voted against the , motion. He said the blank looks he has seen on the faces of people in the ditch on the road to Lucknow says it all. "I would far sooner see a mile of construction cut back than somebody dead on the side of the road," said Vanstone. "That's what's going to happen, believe me." In slushy conditions, Vanstone said drivers have no more control over their vehicles than ducks do over their bow- els. Hullett Twp. Coun. Thomas Cunningham supported the motion because he understands the plows on the road between midnight and 5 a.m. eat 'up money in overtime, but he asked why the plows could not be called out when they are needed. He suggested the driver's nine -hour shift could begin when the call was made and overtime could be avoided. Merrall replied the Roads Department is open to any sug- gestions council may have regarding cost cutting, and said he can juggle things to do what- ever council wants, but he warned council may not under- stand the severity of the cuts municipal governments are fac- ing. "I don't know if you know the , full magnitude of the cuts," he said. He said if the current level of combined unconditional provin- cial grants for 1995 was divided by two, that would be the money available for roads in 1997. "We are caught in a difficult situation," said Merrall. "But we are going to do the best we can with what we have." and Barrie and Papple has received inquiries from as far away as Sault Ste. Marie. Two of the crops regularly sent overseas are corn and wheat although other crops are grown. In Seaforth's case, the project has grown soybeans in the past just to rotate crops. Another group planted oats. In these cases, the product would be sold and the cash proceeds or equivalent in other grains would be used, says Papple. Presently, Ontario grows about 1,300 acres for the foodgrains bank. Individual donations from farmers arc also increasing. Farmers have the option of planting a designated crop for the organization or going to their local elevator and making a donation from whatever crop they're bringing in. The goal for 1995-96 is 2,500 metric tonnes of grain. The work of the Foodgrains Bank is supported by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) which shares the cost of most shipments at a ratio of four to one. Local projects include: Seaforth, Blyth/Londesboro, South Huron, Exeter, Mitchell, Monkton, Goderich and St. Marys. The Canadian Foodgrains Bank started with six churches as members in 1983. The membership has grown to 12 different churches. The man- date of the organization is "a Christian response to hunger." Kincardine accepts new OPP contract Kincardine's Council has accepted, the recommendation of that town's Police Services Board and accepted a $928,883 contract for Ontario Provincial Police Service next year, an increase of about $3,000 from this year's contract. 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