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Home My WebLink AboutLucknow Sentinel, 2009-03-04, Page 8a a.+i► • •w ••I.-W.�!'.�4 •:,_ki* ya. ....�e�• r-t'y .:�.. :•,r ;+yr..r �...• �Sair gH'_iiltis-.w-.: wa-.-.�. • Page 8 - Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, March 4, 2009 See us on the Web www.lucknowsentinel.com Cosmetic Pesticide Ban effective this April BY CHERYL HEATH Clinton News Record Staff . One man's "slip- pery slope" is another person's "quantum leap." Those were among the terms used, Saturday, during the Huron County Federation of Agriculture's annual MP/MPP luncheon, which saw the Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Act, effective this April, a hot topic of debate. Crop specialist Mery Erb was among several ag- industry stakehold- ers that took to the microphone in order to speak out against the ban, which already allows for an exemption for farmers. Part of the prob- lem, says Erb, is BOWL for r—.— ..... — r am um am um mg on an ow— .. 1 1 1 Arena Calendar Lucknow & District Sports Complex ' March4toMarchll 1 1 1 Wednesday, March 4 i 1 9:OOam - Adults and Tots r 1 4:30pm Novice LL practice 16:45pm 18:00pm 10 1 1 1.. 19 008M 14:30pm 5:30pm r 6:45pm 18:15pm 1 9:45prn 1 9:30am - 1 p 14:00 m - 16:OOpm - 7:OOpm 8:OOpm - i 8:OOam - 16:OOpm - �8:OOpm- r1 O:OOam 11:30am 1:OOpm - 12:30pm- 14:0opm5:3Opm - - i 6:30pm - 7.30pm - i 8:301n1 8.3- 9:30pm - 19:OOam - 1 4:OOpm - 6:OOpm - 7:00pm - 18:30pm- r 4:30pm 5:30pm 6:30pm 7:30pm 8:30pm 9:OOam - 4:30pm - 6:45pm 8:00pm - 9:30pm - This arena calendar 'Atom Rep game PeeWee LL #2 vs Hanover No League Holyrood vs L ER AND BASEBALL REGI 6-9PM-ARENA Thursday, March 5 Adult and Tot & Leisure Skate - Atom LL practice - Midget Girls practice - Midget LL #1 vs T eswater - Midget LL #2 vs Kincardine - Rec League Lanes vs Eagles Friday, March 6 Lucknow Central PubNc Spool Tyke practice Atom Rep practice Bantam Rep practice Midget Girls Game Saturday, March 7 Ron Alton Tyke Tournament Pee Wee # 1 vs Kincardine Lancers vs Ripley (Game 4) Sunday, March 8 - River. Rats vs Ripley -Novice LL Novice Rep vs Mount Forest Intermediate Ladies vs Howick Midget Girls vs Walkerton Midget LL 11 practice Midget LL #2 practice Atom LL vs Kincardine Bad Apples Cliff's Sunday Night Shinny Monday, March 9 Adults and Tots Skate Club Jr/Sr Canskate Pee Wee LL vs Durham Bantam LL vs Drayton Tuesday, March 10 Tyke practice Pee Wee Girls practice Novice Rep practice Bantam LL vs Ripley Lancers practice Wednesday, March 11 Adults and Tots $SAK meae Youth groups, businesses and organizations are encouraged to register a team. Have fun and make a difference in a child's life. Pledge forms are: available at Lucknow Bowl, or* call Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Huron office at 519-5244361. public perception. Erb expressed particular displeas- ure with the province's willing- ness to bend to the pesticide -ban sug- gestion since it was put forth by the Ontario Medical Association, which is not a regulatory body. Erb says if Health Canada. says pesticides are OK when used according to (guide- lines, then it does- n't ` make a lot *of sense for the province to "trump" the feds' findings. Noting ( Health Canada is staffed by highly educated scientists and med- ical professionals, Erb expressed "shock" thepush. by medical doctors is supercedvng research.medical Arguing : the province's ban is little more than bowing to public pressure, Erb said once in place, the ban will eventually impact agriculture since the public will be questioning why one sector is allowed to use something it can- not. "The new law is popular to a vocal minority," says Erb. "The Premier is posing -as a white knight protecting children from evil chemicals." Further, argues Erb, Canada allows the import of foods 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 The Lucknow Sentinel will publish its annual tribute to winter sports on April 22. Please ensure you provide the Sentine with a team photo and identification. Deadline: April 8 For more information, call Garit. 519-528-2822 me Lucknow Novice LL practice Atom Rep game PeeWee LL #2 vs Mount Forest Rec League Holyrood vs Amberley Ls sponsored by: 1 1 i11s--•-- o WWW. huronteI.on.ca �.61......._-- 60 Queen St. Ripley 395-2625 4. .. ,iii Lucknow Minor HoCkeyReglstratlon for 2009/2010 "NEW" EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION AVAILABLE • Register your kids for next season before April 27 and payTyke j128; AN other levels: $250 for 1 player, $465 for 2 players, $665 for 3 players, $850 for 4 players. • Register your kids after April 27 and pay: Tyke $160; All other levels: $285 for 1 player; $500 for 2 players, $700 for 3 players, $885 for 4 players. • Please noteaihat this reg(sqallon Is to Identify total number of kids in the program which helps organize teams and schedules. pest dated cheques for Sept. 1, 2009 will be accepted4 • Lucknow Minor Hockey is looking for Volunteer Coaches/Managers/Trainers for all levels next season. If you are interested please contact the Recreation Department for more information 519-528-3002. All training for cards and certificates is paid for through. minor hockey. • The registration forms can be picked up at the arena and dropped off at the arena, or tourism office, with any staff working who will gladly provide a receipt If needed. Further information is available at 519-528-3002. • Please note that registration fees remain the same as last year. from countries that use chemicals banned here. Its okay to have (pesticides) on food but not on lawns?" he asked. In short, says Erb, banning pesti- cides in urban areas while allow- ing their use in farm settings will Only lead to a fur• • ther.out cry. The govern meet seems all willing to jump the -public-hysteria he says. I-uron-Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell told Erb that by his 1. own logic, the provi should move for- ward with a. com- plete ban on pesti- cides, including one. for the :agricul- ture sector. "That's what you just said,"she says. Further, says Mitchell, the [ province is moving forward with the ban because doc- tors have identified pesticides. as one of the potential trig-. gers of cancer, which is something that is becomingly increasingly prob- lematic for. Ontarians. "What we're addressing today is one in four families has cancer," says Mitchell. Mitchell says the province cannot look at the ban as an either or ques- tion. Rather, it must enact the legisla- tion in a method that is the most logical. She also notes the ban was part of the party's plat- form and, there- fore, has support. Erb, however, says there were a number of plat., forms In the Liberal campaign, any number of which could be . pointed to as a rea- son for the party's success at the polls. "This thing is a slippery slope for agriculture," he says. "This is a very dangerous thing we're headed for here, and I'm not too happy about it." Varna -area farmer Bev Hill also spoke out against the legisla- tion. "Clearly the- OMA has been too able to trump the on science -based fed- eralria research," he says. "Your gov- ernment has clearly demonstrated that they lack confi- dence in one of those organiza-tions." Bluewater Mayor Bill Dowson, mean- while, notes that farmers must, by legislation, regu- larly take courses on proper pesticide application, which is : something the general. public is not required to do. "Farmers are not slack. They have a strict rule to fol- low," he says. Mitchell stood firm to the province's findings on the issue, "The OMA has looked at all the factors affecting health. This is an item that can be addressed in bat- tling cancer," she says. Meanwhile, soy- bean farmer Bob Hallam also spoke out against the ban. "Mery is trying to present some of it isn't science based," • said Hallam. "It's your spin doctors that • are causing the grief." Hallam says Erb is likely right that • agriculture will eventually be forced to forego the use of pesti- cides, something Plat would be a major blow to grain and oilseed farmers, among others. 1