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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1988-07-27, Page 33Times -Advocate, August 3, 1988 HYDRO MANAGER RETIRES - Jim Freeman who retired Friday after 22 years as manager of Lucan Hydro was surprised by his fellow employees on return from having an early morning coffee. Sitting on the truck from the left are works employees Bev Hirtzel, superintendent Doug Johnston and John Riddell. In front are Hydro Commis- sioner Joanne Trudgen, Hydro "secretary Jane McPherson and Linda Hackney of the village office staff. Need permission to construct in areas over watercourses EXETER - Planning to do any construction or placing of fill near a watercourse? If you are and your property is within the jurisdiction of the Ausable Bayfield Conserva- tion Authority (ABCA), you must obtain permission from the ABCA before you start any such undertak- ings. The ABCA has jurisdiction over the areas drained by the Ausa- ble River, Bayfield River, Parkhill Creek and the lands draining directly into Lake Huron. Lands adjacent to watercourses are subject to the Fill, Construction and Alteration to Waterways Regu- Who is Audrey II? Iation, Ontario Regulation 544,84. These regulations arc in effect to protect people from flooding and erosion problems and encourage sound land and water management practices. The process of obtaining permis- sion starts when a landowner con- tacts the ABCA. ABCA staff will tell the landowner of his/her prop- erty is within a regulated area. If so, the landowner must apply for permission. Once approval has been granted by the Authority, the landowner may carry out the pro- posed work. A two hundred dollar administration fee must accompany the application. After the application, plans and fee have been received, the staff will survey the site to determine FORD NEW HOLLAND QUALITY PARTS DELIVERED DIRECT TO YOUR FARM Shipped by U.P.S. Call Us Today Versatile Ove ru m EWHC D (31-35) LOGAN FORD TRACTOR SALES VISA St. Marys 349-2180 or 284-1778 Mitchell 348-8467 —AFTER HOUR SALES— Wayne 348-8467 Gord 229-8811 Charlie 348-8546 Gerald 625.8941 ^vw r4,1*.. - WEST i We're perfectly located to handle your crop When it's time to market your crop, you'll find all the services, facilities and expertise you ne are 'close -by at Cook's. We go out of our way t�give you the best possible prices, terms and options to make all your hard work pay off. When it's time to deliver your crop make Cook's your destination. "Where you can trade with confidence" ONMion c G.rbro (1067) Inc. Hensoll 262-2410 Centralia Kirfoon - 228-6661 229-8986 Walton 527-1540 887-9261 whether or not the property is sub- ject to slope instability and/or sus- ceptible to flooding. For example, if a house is planned for a property susceptible to flooding, a minimum elevation for openings in the foundation will be set. Based on this and other available information, the ABCA passes on one of three decisions: a. approve the application; b. not ap- prove the application; c. approve the application with conditions which must be met by the land- owner. This proves takes generally four to six weeks. Unortunatcly, not everyone ap- plies for permission before they begin their work. There have been 12 such violations in 1988. The emphasis at the ABCA is to work with those people who have violat- ed the regulation in order to reach an amiable solution. When an agreement can not be reached between the landowner and the ABCA, the court system must be used. Each violator who has been taken to court by thc ABCA has been found guilty of the viola- tion and fined. The fine is normal- ly $500 with a maximuni fine of $1000. Planning to do work near a wa- tercourse? Find out right away if your property is regulated. Call the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Au- thority at 235-2610. Nobody stems to have the an- swers. For more than 30 years, land ste- wards in Canada -- and especially in Ontario -- have been warning the nation that land in this vast country is precious. Arable farmland is the most precious of all that land, yet we have abandoned any attempt to keep much of that land in produc- tion. It disappears under miles of as- phalt, parking lots, ticky-tacky houses. supermarkets, strip plazas and subdivisions. In a cavalier man- ner, we just let it go. Ontario land is the most produc- tive in Canada. It has been said that 37 percent of the best farm land in the entire country can be seen from the top of the CN Tower on a clear day. And that is exactly where the great growth is taking place. In Southern Ontario, according to StatsCan, 800,000 acres of prime farm land has disappeared in the last 55 years. That is more than a quar- ter of it. Unfortunately, the land when it is gone is not renewable. You can't grow grain in asphalt jungles. Cattle will not graze on concrete. The provincial government esta- blished food land guidelines in 1978 in a pallid effort to slow the loss of land. The guidelines were supposed to be applied by counties and mu- nicipal governments simply be- cause the province was too wishy- washy to make thc guidelines into legislation. Although the effort has not been unsuccessful, the guidelines seem to be ignored in many instances. From 1981 to 1986 -- just five years -- the Niagara Peninsula lost almost 14,000 acres of land, six percent of the total available. There is no act, now law, to keep the land in place. Four golf courses are planned in the St. Chatarines arca, all of 'em on good land. The same loss is apparent in the rest of the province. From 1976 to 1981, 3,700 acres of land was lost to urban sprawl from Oshawa to St. Catharines. In the Halton Hills arca during the same period, 1,2000 acres were lost no matter how peo- ple tried to prevent it. This rape of the land has been go- ing on for 50 years. Towns and cities must be allowed to grow, the planners and demoera- List fair crop winners EXETER - Exeter Fall Fair di- rectors Alan Powe and Roy Pepper have announced the results of judg- ing of field crops in the winter wheat and barley dvisions. Pete Tuckey was the winner in winter wheat with an almost per- fect 99 points and the barley win-. ncr was Clifford Ilicks with an ac- cumulation of 93 points. Ncxt in the wheat competition Were Bob Down and Wayne 'tern 97, Miller Farris and Alan Powe 95, Gerald Dearing and Rene Van Bruwacnc 94, Ken Oke and Herta Farms 93, Alan Rundle and Earl French 92, Clifford Hicks 91, Mur- ray Dawson and Passmore Farms 90, Eric Devlacminck 89 and Tom Tricbncr 87. Next to Hicks in the barley classi- fication were Bob Down 92, Alan Rundle 90, Rene Van Bruwacnc 89, Miller Farms 88, Gordon Jones 87, Pete Tuckey 85, Wayne llern 83, John Thomson 82, Larry Ballantync 80 and Bruce Shapton 72. We're FuIIyEquipped for any Job 1 1 • • Farm ponds • Gravel Bailing 410 - Q • trwf- • J .t 0 . 4,1 Oragline St • Trucking • Gravel, Sand & Stone • Bulldozing • Excavating • Top Soil • Septic Systems "No lob is too big or too small" Res. 482-9212 Trucking • Excavating Clinton Shop 482-9926 Page 5A t�trat a•r pp.K r+rJ or •oo ironer far, Ra f+".., Un+ -•31 IC phers tell us. Municipalities --Cit- ies and towns -- have just as much right to grow, to have jobs and in- dustry, as do farmers have a right to farm. I heard a 'self-styled "futurist" say recently that farmers should cut the crap about saving the family farm ... the fact is, there arc too many farmers, he said. In my hum- ble opinion, he is the one who should cut the crap. He has proba- bly never been close enough to a farm yard to get manure on his $200 Dacks. His name is Frank Feather of the Toronto-based Glo- bal Management Bureau. He suggested that family grocery stores, now gone the way of all flesh, were the same as family farms. Which suggests to me that he knows nothing about farmers and a way of life. It is these urban dwellers spout- ing drivel that threaten agriculture in this country. I do not profess to know the an- swers to preserving farm land. I am not an expert in the arca. I do know that something must be done such as having the provinces act as land brokers. The province could buy the land at a fair price from farmers and lease or sell it to other farmers. Sounds socialistic, doesn't it? Drastic, perhaps, but drastic problems require drastic solutions. If something is not done soon, there will not be enough arable land left to product enough food to feed our people. CHAPARAL FENCING R.R. Lucan Ontario NOM 2J0 ALLTYPES FREE ESTIMATES Back Yard Fence, Patio & Chain Link, Farm & industrial Phone Bob Hard 227-4160 Division of 6.rbro (1997) Ino. Head Office Hensall, Ontario NOM 1X0 (519) 262-2410 Telex 064-7251 Fax (519) 262-3126 Announcement BRAD FORD DERWYN HODGINS MERCHANDISING MANAGER: BRADLEY FORD, currently Walton Branch Manager will become Merchandising Manager, effective August 1, 1988. His major responsibilities will be the planning and development of all Crop Input programs, including Feed Merchandising, as well as the supervision of the Compa- ny's Agri -Sales Staff. WALTON BRANCH MANAGER: DERWYN HODGINS, pres- ently Agri -Salesman at Centralia Branch will become Waltcn Branch Manager, effective August 1, 1988. In his new position, - he will be responsible for the successful operation of the Walton Branch, but more particularly, ensuring a continuation of a high level of Customer Service in the Walton Area. These appointments reflect a continuation of Cook's desire to promote from within the Company, while at the same time, meet- ing the needs of agriculture in our trading area. CARGILL GRAIN COMPANY LTD. GREENWAY - 1-800-265-7059 * 238-8423 * 294-0014 - RECEIVERS OF - Wheat * White Beans * Soybeans * Corn - ALSO AVAILABLE - Custom Blended Fertilizer * Air Flow Application * Delivery Unit * Soil Testing * Tissue Analysis CA\ asgrow oin us for Field Day Wed., August 17 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tours of the plot every half hour Lunch and Refreshments Provided a.\\ asgrow Order Your Seed Wheat Now!