HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1989-04-12, Page 29Wilson Hodgins honoured
LUCAN - Friday night at the Lu -
can Community Centre belonged
exclusively to Wilson Hodgins.
The veteran Biddulph township
politician was honoured for 37 con-
secutive years of service to his mu-
nicipality.
Hodgins who was defeated in the
November , 1988 election by
present reeve Earl French made it
clear Friday's celebration was not a
Retirement Night, but an Apprecia-
tion Night. He addcd, "You never
know what the future holds for
us".
Representatives of all aspects of
government heaped words of praise
on Hodgins for his many years of
public service beginning as a
school board trustee in 1951 to the
just relinquished position of reeve
in Biddulph.
Middlesex MPP Doug Reycraft
said , " No memories of my time
in Middlesex county politics are
more vivid than those of Wilson
Hodgins".
Reycraft added; " Wilson was
very much his own man. He had
all the facts before making any de-
cision".
Agriculture Minister Jack Riddell
echoed Reycraft's sentiments say-
ing, " Wilson was a valuable part
of his township and Middlesex
county. He' -was always a strong
Grit. He never wavered and I don't
know how he strayed from the other
Hodgin's".
Lucan reeve Norm Steeper said,
"Wilson always personified sinceri-
ty, honesty, frankness and has a
great knack of recollection".
Present Middlesex warden Charlie
Corbett pointed out three special at-
tributes of Wilson Hodgins. They
were kindness, a tremendous memo-
ry and the ability to remain unflap-
pable under all circumstances".
Corbett added, " He never had an
unkind word for anyone".
Recently Hodgins received a
plaque for serving 25 consecutive
years on Middlesex county council.
That's a record equalled by no one.
Reeve of London township Alan
Johnson congratulated Hodgins and
said, " It's nice to have one neigh-
bour not trying to annex us".
London -Middlesex MP Terry
Clifford called Hodgins, " A legend
in his .own time".
In his own humble way, Hodgins
responded to the accolades with, ."
You have blown this all out of pro-
portion. I don't deserve this kind of
hospitality"
He said the highlight of his polit-
ical career was -1971 when he was
elected warden of Middlesex and was
the first warden to wear the new
chain of office which was introduced
that year.
In addition to 25 years on county
council, Hodgins served 28 years on
the Lucan-Biddulph fire area board
and is still a representative on the
Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Au-
thority for Biddulph and Lucan.
Along with many other gifts, he
received a rocking chair from Wray
Ramsay of Spriet Associates engi-
neering firm.
Assisting reeve Earl French in the
program and presentations were Bid-
dulph deputy reeve Jim Shipley and
councillor Jim Barker. Also promi-
nent in planning the event were
clerk -treasurer Ray Hands and office
sec . Joan Goddard.
Times -*mate, April 12, 1989
Page 29
Fireman appreciation - Lucan-Biddulph fire chief Wes Hickson
presents a picture to Wilson Hodgins.
Time to observe
soil conservation
TORONTO - As farmers prepare
for spring planting, Canadians are
being urged to appreciate the deli-
cate environmental balance that
keeps our land productive.
Markrng.April 10=16 as the fifth
annual National Soil Conservation
Week, federal Agriculture Minister
Don Mazankowski and Ontario Ag-
riculture and Food Minister Jack
Riddell stressed the theme, soil
Conservation is Everybody's Busi-
ness.
"Canadians are concerned about
environmental problems like declin-
ing soil quality and erosion, and
how urban development and indus-
trialization affect the productivity of
our farmland," Mr. Mazankowski
said.
The Senate Agriculture Commit-
tee's 1984 report, Soil at Risk,
notes that erosion, degradation and
loss of soil fertility cost Canadian
farmers more than S1 billion each
year. Winds and water carry off mil-
lions of tonnes of topsoil each year.
Streams, lakes and groundwater are
in danger of contamination by ni-
trates and pesticides.
"The stakes are particularly high
in Ontario because this province
contains some of Canada's most fer-
tile farmland with a favorable grow-
ing climate," Mr. Riddell said.
in Ontario, the Soil and Water
Environmental Enhancement Pro-
gram (SWEEP) js designed to im-
prove soil and water quality in
southwestern Ontario. A media tour
of several farms is being organized
during Soil Conservation Week to
show the perils of erosion and bene-
fits of conservation.
"The aim of the province's soil
conservation incentive is to reduce
losses in farm productivity amount-
ing to a staggering $90 million
each ear from soil erosion and up
to $100 million from soil compac-
tion," Mr. Riddell said.
Negotiations are underway with
each of the provinces on federal -
provincial soil conservation agree-
ments. As least one agreement has
been signed and others are expected
to be announced this spring.
The federal and provincial govern-
ments co-operate on a wide range of
soil conservation projects. Pro-
grams tailored for each province are
helping to build public awareness
of the problem, and gain support
for long-term solutions.
"Today's farmlands are our chil-
dren's heritage and we owe it to the
future generations to be wise ste-
wards -of this renewable resource,"
Mr. Mazankowski said.
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A county
plaque to
council.
record - Middlesex warden Charlie Corbett presents a
Wilson Hodgins for 25 consecutive years on county
Township thanks - Wilson Hodgins at the left accepts a gift from
Biddulph deputy reeve Jim Shipley, reeve Earl French and council-
lor Jim Barker.
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