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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2006-03-08, Page 3r DOMINION DRIVER TRAINING & CAROL BLAKE, COURSE PROVIDER are offering you a Ministry Approved Driver Education 4 DAY COURSE beginning March 13/06 to be held in Clinton Classroom at the Betty Cardno Centre Highway #8, West of Clinton Call Early To Book Space 1-800-665-3027 or 519-527-1891 or www.dominiondrivertraining.on.ca J News Area snowmobilers gather to discuss trail closures Cheryl Heath GICEDMIIMEIMMID Area snowmobilers are hop- ing their chosen path will lead to a renewed relation- ship with farmers following a Thursday night informational meeting that drew about 100. sled owners to the Huron Fish and Game Club in Clinton. Sled owners gathered to discuss a strategy to both aid farmers and encourage them to reopen trails after a grass- roots protest launched last week led to the outright clo- sure of sled routes by the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs (OFSC) due partly to insurance con- cerns. Though the Huron County Federation of Agriculture (HCFA) did not lead the charge for trail closures, five of its .representatives came out to the club to explain the dire financial situation faced by grain and oilseed, beef and pork producers. HCFA president Nick Whyte said the issue is not cut and dried as some farm- ers are choosing not to close their land to snowmobilers while others have remained on the fence. Part of the problem from a farmer's standpoint, said Whyte, is there are so many conflicting emotions about the decision to close the prop- erty to snowmobilers since, in many cases, trail users are friends and neighbours. Whyte said he is a grain and oilseed farmer - which is the hardest hit sector of the agricultural industry - as well as a snowmobiler and trail host. "There are a lot of farmers in very desperate straits," he said, noting he has personally not endorsed the movement to cut access to snowmobilers. "We are frustrated with our politicians at the provincial level, at the federal level," he said. Ultimately, said Whyte, the hope is snowmobilers will endorse the grassroots effort by signing a resolution put forward at a Monday night HCFA meeting that was attended by representatives of districts five and nine of the OFSC. That meeting, said Whyte, proved productive. He report- ed farm groups are asking people to step forward and contact Huron -Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and Ontario Agriculture Minister Leona Dombrowsky to express support for farmers. He also noted the March 9 annual general meeting for the Ontario Soybean Growers Association is one reason for the extra push to draw media attention. Karen Buratynski, opera- tions manager for the OFSC, said there have been a num- ber of misconceptions about trail use by snowmobilers. One of those is that farmers are in some way compensated for land use, which is untrue. Rather, said Buratynski, trail permit fees paid by members are used by clubs for things such as trail main- tenance. In short, farmers allow snowmobilers to use their land as a courtesy. When the OFSC was asked why it had not expressed sup- port for the farmers' plight earlier, Buratynski noted the body is not a lobbying group. Harry Reinink, a farmer and snowmobiler, said the club should not be 'asking members to lobby politicians to. support farmers and that it instead shduld be taking the bull by the horns. "Inform the public," he said. "Don't wait for the shown up for a simple meet- ing without the threat of a trail closure," she said. "The bottom line is they were try- ing to get some recog- nition and, _it worked." At the meet- ing's end, nearly 100 club members signed a petition in support of area farmers. ' North Huron club secretary Adrian Salverda noted he called nearly 200 mem- bers to call the informational meeting to order in a short time period. The OFSC's board is not scheduled to meet again until April so it is unlikely it will be redressing the situation, reported District No. 9 Governor Marilyn Streeter. She added the organization views the protest as a "local situation" and is unlikely to wade into the fray. Jeff Wairaven, an OPP con- stable at the meeting, said the OFSC should have a strategy in place to assist the district. "Obviously, it's going to trickle effect to other farm- ers," he said. "If you sit and wait, nothing will get done. The window of opportunity is closing." As of Friday, the protest had grown to include Perth trail system. The club is advising users to check with the • OFSC web site, www.ofsc.on.ca, for updates before venturing out. `I question how many people would have shown up for a simple meeting without the threat of a trail closure,'— Pura phone to ring. The time is now." Buratynski argued that though the farm- ers' decision to close their properties to snowmobilers is not popular, it is nonethe- less effective. "Could they have done this differently? Maybe," she said, adding, however, that she was "embarrassed" to admit she didn't real- ize how bad the farm - income crisis was until now. "I question how many people would have SEED ProRich Seeds Inc. MT. ELGIN, ONT. NOJ 1NO - CERTIFIED SEEDS - NEW VARIETIES - AND OUR ROYALTY BRAND ALFALFAS Specialists In - FORAGE MIXTURES - PASTURE MIXTURES - PLOWDOWN CLOVERS - PEAS and TRITICALLEY MIXTURES • Custom mixes available at no extra charge For All Your Forage Requirements Please Call Gilbert Van Steelandt 522-0648 The Huron Expositor. • March 8, 2006_ Fogg 3 VINGENT ARM EQUIPMENT SEAFORTH 527-0120 EXETER 235-2121w www.teamvincent.com f7� CASE Ii • 422 Queen St., Blyth, ON Tel.: 523-9381. 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