HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2006-04-26, Page 5Opinion
The Huron Expositor • April 26, 2006 Page 5
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Prime Minister needs to act immediately to take
Canada's food supply. out of jeopardy
The following is an open letter to Rt. Hon.
Stephen Harper Prime Minister of Canada
Dear Prime Minister,
On April 5, Canada's farmers stood shoulder
to shoulder on Parliament Hill to demon-
strate to all Canadians that our country's food
supply is in seriousjeopardy.
It is in jeopardy because Canada's farmers
can no longer afford to pay higher and rising
costsof producing food for Canadians.
It is in jeopardy because Canadian farm
income is showing the three worst years in
history.
It is in jeopardy because Canada can no
longer attract or keep its young farmers
because they cannot afford to farm.
Prime Minister, it is disgraceful that a
-wealthy, progressive. and socially just society
like Canada shows disregard for its farmers
and its food production supply.
Farmers and food production are taken for
granted in this country. _ This uniquely
Canadian situation is unacceptable.
Other developed, and even less developed,
nations demonstrate that theyvalue domestic
food production and its contribution to their
nation's economy. They support their farmers.
Canada's farmers and Canadians of all
walks of life deserve better.
It is imperative that Canada immediately
recognizes the importance of food production
and the importance of sustaining a diverse,
productive and profitable domestic food sup-
ply.
Shortly after farmers left Parliament Hill
last week you stood in the House of Commons
and said: "Nothin is more important than
the family farm. The farm has been a critical
element m the formation of our nation."
Prime Minister, we submit the family farm
will continue to e critical to the development
and well being of our nation:
And yet, our farmers are struggling to plant
crops and raise livestock, are working in a
stressful and uncertain business environment
and are losing money. Farmers and our farm
families are being forced out of production.
Action is needed now - immediately. Your
government needs to act now to recognize the
additional programs developed by farmers to
address the farm income crisis.
Your government needs to act now, in col-
laboration with the provinces, to provide ade-
quate funding to these programs to ensure
the survival _ of Canada's farms that are so
important to our nation.
Your government needs to act now on farm
income and critical trade issues to provide
stability and predictability so our innovative
Canadian farmers can grow and develop our
industry to its full potential.
We took you at your word when you told the
House of Commons that "we cannot really
talk about sovereignty as a nation if we do not
have a strong role in the production of our
food."
Prime Minister, the time to take a strong
role in the production of our food is right now.
Canada's farmers and the Canadians who
depend on them cannot wait.
Sincerely
behalfyo,f Canada's farmers,
Bob Friesen, President,
Canadian Federation of Agriculture
Laurent Pellerin,President
L'Union des Producteus Agricoles
Dick Klein Geltink, President, British
Columbia Agriculture Council
Bill Dobson, President, Wild Rose
Agricultural Producers
Ken McBride, President, Agricultural
Producers Association of Saskatchewan
David Rolfe, President, Keystone
Agricultural Producers
Ron Bonnett, President, Ontario
Federation of Agriculture
Frazer Hunter, President, Nova Scotia
Federation of Agriculture
Vince Kilfoil, President, Agricultural
Producers Association of New
Brunswick
Eddy Dykerman, President? Prince
Edward Island Federation of Agriculture
Mery Weisman President
Newfoundland & Labrador Federation of
Agriculture
Jacques LaForge, President, Dairy
Farmers of Canada
and others
Shoe factory proposal expected to be
addressed by Seaforth
APRIL 22, 1881
The dust which arises from Main
Street is becoming very offensive,
and the council should have the
street watered.
We notice that J.M. McGregor,
formerly of this town, and son of
Daniel McGregor of Harpurhey,
has let the contract for the erection
of a $10,000 brick building in
Winnipeg.
John Ward who has moved into
his new residence on Goderich
Street, Seaforth came pretty near
having a fire on Good Friday. The
children had been playing in the
stable with matches and set fire to
some straw. When noticed, there
was a lively blaze, but a few pails
of water quenched the flames, and
no serious damage was done.
APRIL 27, 1906
It is quite probable that in a very
short time the ratepayers of
Seaforth will have an important
manufacturing proposition submit-
ted to them for their approval. The
proposition, in an informal way,
has been in the hands of the mem-
bers of the council for some time,
and will shortly be laid before
them in a formal manner. The
proposition is -for the establish-
ment of a shoe factory here.
George Baldwin has disposed of
his musical instrument business in
Seaforth to Richard Peck and this
week removed to St. Thomas
where he has embarked in a much
larger business.
Charles Wright, formerly of
McKillop, who rented the farm of
Henry Monteith on the 3rd conces-
sion has got comfortably settled in
his new home and is busily' at work
getting in his spring crop and
putting things in general in order.
APRIL 24, 1931
The barns on the farm of Joseph
Hugill, 5th concession of McKillop
township, Town Line, were com-
pletely destroyed by fire on
Monday evening last. The barns
consisted of two buildings and a
large poultry house and their con-
tents, which included a fine cow,
two yearlings, two sheep, four
lambs, 100 hens and some turkeys
council in 1906
besides a large amount of feed and
some implements.
Thomas Farquharson, of
Hamilton, and formerly of Hensall,
is spending the summer months
here and will be caretaker for the
bowlers' green.
We believe George Armstong of
Hensall intends erecting as soon as
possible, a new bank barn to take
the place of the one destroyed by
fire on Sunday.
J.0 Kelly, son of Mrs. R. Kelly of
Seaforth, has been appointed post-
master at Windsor, pro tem, follow-
ing the retirement of the postmas-
ter Mr. Casgrain. Mr. Kelly was a
former assistant in the Seaforth
post office.
APRIL 27, 1956
No decisions were reached with
respect to solving the accommoda-
tion problem that exists at
Egmondville school when a joint
meeting of Tuckersmith council
and Tuckersmith area School
Board was held this week.
Huron farmers are faced with
substantial losses if inclement
weather continues much longer,
Huron County Federation of
Agriculture Representative Jerry
Montgomery said Wednesday.
Billie Cook, Port Credit, visited
with Mr. and Mrs. George Coyne of
Dublin.
APRIL 22, 1981
Erin Carnochan, 11 -month-old
daughter of Brad and Sharon
Carnochan of R.R. 4 Seaforth, may
have expressed it best. "Oh -oh, oh -
oh," were her words, according to
her mother, as she watched a
Saturday night fire destroy her
father's barn and 500 pigs.
Seaforth merchants are planning
a series of Main Street promotions
for the next year, and will if there's
enough interest, name a Business
Improvement Area board of man-
agement.
Tuckersmith council is well on
the way to passing an animal con-
trol bylaw limiting the number of
pets and livestock kept in residen-
tial areas of the township.