HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2001-03-21, Page 1March 21, 2001
Si
In brief
Hospital
gets
$177,340
from
•
province
Seaforth Community
Hospital received a
$177,340 provincial grant
from Associate Minister of
Health Helen Johns on
Friday.
The money is
specifically directed to go
toward upgrading and
modernizing medical
equipment and was part of
$189.5 million made
available to hospitals
across the province.
The money was
awarded last week and
needs to be used by March
31.
"The government is
very clear what we can use
it for," said hospital
administrator, Andrew
Williams.
"It's not to allow
hospitals to introduce new
services," he said, '
About $60,000 will go
toward a sigmoidoscope
and .a gastroscope, both
used for diagnosis and
treatment of intestinal
problems. ,
"It goes a long way to.
helping us address our
equipment needs here for
the community," said
Williams.
The hospital had no
trouble finding ways toy
use the funds with such a
tight deadline.
Some of the money will
go toward upgrading the
ultrasound unit, an
improvement that
wouldn't have happened
until next year's budget.
"It gives us a good leg
up for next year," said
Williams, adding they will
be able to look at funding
other areas next year with
some of their forecasted
needs already met through
the grant.
A second grant will be
made next year but
Williams said they have
been told the bulk of the
funding available has been
issued now.
Locally, Clinton Public
Hospital received
$186,272, Alexandra
Marine. and General
Hospital in Goderich
received $233,454 and
Wingham and District
Hospital received
$210,413.
By Scott Hilgendorf
Inside...
Toys being
sanitized..
Po9* $
Paws
Atpiaydurtgihe
Mardi Back.
Pads 7
Farmers won't get $90o million
Steckle
warns only
$5�o million
will be given
to help
struggling
farmers
By Clint Haggart
Clinton News Record Staff
Area farmers were warned
Saturday they won't get as
much government help as
they are expecting.
"I do not think you will
see $900 million," said Paul
Steckle, Huron Bruce MP, to
members of the Huron
County Federation of
Agriculture.
Farmers will be receiving
$500 million from the federal
government, but they were
asking for $900 million.
Ontario farmers want
funding equal to the funds
given to American farmers or
farmers from Quebec. In
2000, Ontario farmers were
given an average of $60 an
acre. Farmers in the United
States received over $120 an
acre and Quebec farmers
received about $110 an acre.
This funding shortfall,
farmers say, put them at a
real disadvantage.
Steckle and Helen Johns,
MPP, met with the federation
on March 17 to discuss
issues that affect farmers in
this area at the annual
meeting held in Central
Huron.
Farmers are still
concerned about the $400
million shortfall in
government funding they
requested.
Peter Heinrich, a
representative for the Heron
• County Wheat farmers, said
he appreciated the $500
million Lyle Vanclief,
minister of agriculture and
agri-food Canada, said
farmers would be receiving,
but that it is not a solution.
Farmers receive 60 per
cent of their additional
funding from the federal
government and 40 per cent
from the province. Johns said
Clint Haggart photo
Stephen Thompson poses behind his truck. Thompson is a past -president and an executive memberof the Huron County
Federation of Agriculture. Farmers met with Paul Steckle, MP, and Helen Johns, MPP, at the federation's annual MP luncheon.
the provincial govenunent is been a member of the rural
giving additional money to
farmers. "We are trying to
drive the numbers up, to
make the feds pay more."
Steckle said $900 million
was asked for and the
minister went forward with
$900 million on the agenda.
He said he doesn't know
where the other $400 million
went, but added, "There has
never, in my seven years,
caucus who rose and said
'We're giving too much to
farmers.' "
The federal government
won't match funding given to
American farmers or Quebec
farmers.
"We did everything we
could do. We could get
nothing more," said Steckle,
adding, "You've [farmers]
done all that you can do."
Farmers can obtain
.interest free loans of up to
$50,000, formerly $20,000,
but, said Heinrich, "it is a
Band-Aid solution."
Wayne Hamilton, Ontario
Federation of Agriculture
regional director for Huron
County South, said farmers
who have a poor yield may
not be able to pay back the
loan. Evert Ridder, chair of
the Huron Federation
Environment Committee,
added the loans are late. He
said if the farmers had
received the loans in January
they could buy seed at a
cheaper price. It ismore
expensive in April.
Johns said, "We'd like to
start flowing the funds by
March 31."
Bob Hellam, of the
SN LOW, Pogo 2
Area farmers join day ofprotest
By Susan Hund.rtmark
Expositor Staff
While Jim Cooper, of RR 3 Kippen, says he's
never gotten too involved in farm politics
before, he felt compelled to join last
Wednesday's day of protest in Guelph.
"We're all feeling the pinch pretty badly right
now. This is the third year of being caught in an
inflationary cycle with machinery and fuel
costs going up and returns being down. And,
while you can mosey through the first two
years of this, the third year gets a lot harder,"
he says.
Cooper says he knew at least 40 farmers from
the Seaforth and Clinton area at the Guelph
protest, which attracted 700 farmers from
across the province.
Cooper tracked down rubber masks of
Canada's Prime Minister Jean Chretien and
former U.S. President Bill Clinton for local
farmers to wear during the protest.
"One of the boys was calling all over Ontario
looking for masks but I got them from a woman
in Seaforth. I didn't wear the mask but I got to
hold the noose around Chretien's neck. We
were trying to add a little humour
to the protest," he says.
Jim McIntosh, of RR 4
Seaforth, also attended the
Guelph protest and says he's
happy with the public's positive
response to the parade of trucks
and machinery through the city of
Guelph.
"It took one and three quarter
hours for us to make what would
be a 10 -minute drive through
Guelph and people were tooting
and waving at us. The mood was
good. Even the police seemed to
be enjoying it," he says.
McIntosh says a particularly
effective statement was made by a
mock funeral for the Ontario
farmer staged at the rally when a
Quoted
'I got to hold
the noose
around
Chretien's neck.
We were trying
to add a little
humour to the
protest,'--
Jirrttn Coops.,
a .o farms,
huge coffin on a farm wagon was
filled with grain and farm produce.
"The food was given to the Guelph food
bank, showing that the farmer will always help
if he can, even when times are tough," says
Cooper.
Cooper says he hopes members
of the general public understood
how important their message was
of farmers needing a level
playing field with U.S. farmers.
"It's food, it's the sustainability
of life we're talking about," he
says.
Paul Nairn, of the Huron
County Federation of
Agriculture, says about 125
farmers from Huron County
participated both in Gdelph and
on the 401.
He says the protest on' Highway
401 was "pretty impressive"
with farmers who codldn't join
the convoy gathring at
overpasses with signs of support
along the way.
"I was happy with the local
support and participation," says Nairn.
He says the Huron pork producers, who
attended an annual meeting in T9ronto last
Wednesday, took enough green ribbons for 250
people to wear in support of the day of protest.
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