HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2017-04-05, Page 22 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, April 5. 2017
Protesters come to Seaforth for 500 pigs killed in barn fire
Shaun Gregory
Huron Expositor
When the London Pig
Save heard news of the 500
pigs killed in a barn fire near
Seaforth within 72 hours
they were on the scene
protesting.
A group of 11 animal activ-
ists from London Pig Save
accompanied by an OPP
officer for safety precautions
marched from Tim Hortons
to the town's only set of
stoplights.
On Goderich Street and
Main Street holding signs
with the words "pigs are not
property," printed across
them, the group conversed
with locals about the tragic
farming incident.
LPS member, Abby
McCuaig enticed vehicles
passing by to be involved
with a "honk to show mercy
for pigs,' sign.
They titled the event on
Facebook the "Emergency
Vigil for Seaforth Pigs -500
Perished in Barn Fire."
"We are there for the ani-
mals who have lost their
lives," was stated in the Face -
book group.
McCuaig told the Exposi-
tor March 29 in a phone con-
versation that the primary
objective of the LPG is W cre-
ate awareness in the com-
munity concerning unneces-
sary suffering and death to
animals and said they voice
their opinions in a non -
intrusive approach.
"We're not trying to be in
anybody's face about it,"
McCuaig stated about her
organization that is currently
sitting at about 450 members
in and around the London
region.
"We understand that a lot
of these people are closely
tied with these industries, it's
their livelihood and their
jobs."
Before the protesters met
in the town's core, they
travelled to the specific
farm on 1 iydro Line Road in
the municipality of Huron
East. "I'o honour the 500
pigs that died in the barn
fire, which was suspected
to be caused by an electri-
cal fault, they had a
moment of silence.
According to the Ministry
of Agriculture Food and
Rural Affairs, barn fires are
currently a key concern and
electrical causes are at the
top of the list.
London Pig Save animal activist group went to Seaforth to protest in honour of the 500 pigs killed in
a barn fire last week in Huron East. They posted out front of the farm where it happened protesting
holding signs with animal cruelty quotes.
Seaforth drug treatment centre says they are seeing numerous drugs, even heroin
Shaun Gregory
Huron Expositor
From what they are seeing
lately, the organization
Choices For Change says Sea -
forth deals with the same drug
problems as all the other
towns in Huron County.
Numerous drugs are being
used here they say, this
includes heroin occasionally.
Choices For Change pro-
vides the community with
treatment for people battling
substance abuse. Their main
office in the area is located in
Seaforth and open to any-
body 12 years old and up.
Whether it's providing
counselling, helping women
who are pregnant/parenting
while previously using nar-
cotics or people with the will
to quit opiates, the treatment
facility has its hands in
numerous methods attempt-
ing to stop addiction.
The most dangerous drug
local addicts are using is fen-
tanyl, Catherine Hardman,
executive director for Choices
For Change said last Friday.
"Seaforth is not different than
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Hardman said the most
common drugs surfacing are
opiates, methamphetamines
with marijuana and alcohol
always in the mix.
With the increase of opi-
ates in the province, Hard-
man is sure this is causing
the slight surge in heroin use
around the region.
Currently, Dr. Jason
Datema in Seaforth is part-
nered with the Choices for
Change in a medication
assisted treatment program
for substance dependence.
Through the program,
individuals who are opiate
dependent can receive
methadone and suboxone to
decrease cravings.
The facility is also desig-
nated as a needle exchange
program, which is an
approach for harm reduc-
tion to prevent transmission
of HIV hepatitis B, hepatitis
C and other blood-borne
infections and diseases.
The Huron County Health
Unit is affiliated with the
Choices For Change, like-
wise to the Seaforth location
they distribute needles
monthly to injection drug
users from the County but by
thousands.
In addition, due to the
presence of crack cocaine in
the area, harm reduction kits
are now offered by the
Health Unit and readily
obtainable in Seaforth and
numerous destinations in
the county.
"It's about skin integrity -
when the pipes become hot
it causes burns and if some-
one has hepatitis for exam-
ple, if they shared that, they
could transmit the disease,"
explained Michelle Carter,
public health nurse at the
Huron County Health Unit.
The crack cocaine -smok-
ing kits lessens the risk for
people who share pipes or
use damaged ones.
Carter said these harm
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reduction clinics have been
up and running for the last
year -and -a -half.
She does not condone
this equipment for other
drug consumption.
They do not give out
many, Carter stated by
phone March 31, and they
are not advertising the inha-
lation kits either.
"We didn't really have a
media release to say, 'hey,
we have a harm reduction
clinic,'" said Carter, adding
that this can be a politically -
charged issue; meaning peo-
ple might see this as the
Health Unit promoting use
of illegal substances.
The police are dealing with
their own dilemma on drugs,
they are coming across numer-
ous types in recent seizures
with fentanyl on the radar here
and there, however metham-
phetamine is the more fre-
quently seen drug, said Huron
OPP Const Jamie Stanley.
"There is no disputing
that, we see it on a fairly reg-
ular basis," Stanley stated
through emails.
With such a small popula-
tion of 60,000-62,000 in
Huron County, Hardman
said it's hard for locals in
rural spaces to grasp that
drugs are being abused.
To create awareness on drugs
in the region, there will be
"Community Drug Forum"
scheduled for May 16 in Exeter
"It's not maybe as visible
at times as you see in the
larger centres," she said.
"Obviously our numbers are
not as large, it doesn't mean
it's not happening.'