Times Advocate, 1989-07-12, Page 31Demonstration - Lionel Wilder (right) demonstrated safe and un-
safe, drawpins at a farm safety media day at Hill and Hill Farms,
Varna, last year. Looking on are Huron County ag rep Don Pullen
and John Underwood, 1988 president of the Huron County Farm
and Home Safety Association.
Farm safety week
By Lionel Wilder
As president of the Huron Coun-
ty Farm and Home Safety Associa-
tion, and a farmer, I ampleased to
report on the activities of the Asso-
ciation in promoting safety aware-
ness on the farm and in the home.
There were no fatalities in Huron
County in 1988. This record, at
least in part, is due to the efforts of
the local Association. Our motto
is Huron County is "If ye can save
one life or prevent one serious in-
jury our efforts are worthwhile.
We sponsor an annual safety pos-
ter contest in area schools which is
very effective. Over 500 posters
were entered by students through-
out the county this year. A list of
winners may be obtained from As-
sociation secretary Don Young.
Each year pto safety shields and
controls are repaired or replaced at
clinics organized by the Associa-
tion and held on the premises of
various dealers around the county.
Thefarmer pays only for the parts;
no charge is made for labour.
Farm women workshops provide
teaching on safety and action-
emergency situations.- Topics in-
clude how to shut off equipment,
how to put out a fire, what to do if
the first person on the scene of an
accident, and how to give informa-
tion in an emergency situation. -
We also sponsor a media day for
the local press, radio and tv. This
has been a great success.
Warning signs such as
"Dangerous gas" and "Children at
play" are available from the Huron
Association at minimal cost.
Safety decals pointing out hazard-
ous details on farm equipment - no
riders, or the arm ending in a hook
instead of a hand - can be picked up
free at area farm equipment dealers.
Farm Safety Week, which runs
from July 25 to 31 this year, is an-
other way to make the public aware
of safety on the farm. This year's
Ontario Association slogan is
Children on the farm: keep them
safe".
Local associations periodically
forward to the Ontario Association
resolutions pertaining to farm safe-
ty promotions.
The Huron County Farm and
Home Safety Association is grate-
ful and extends thanks to all area
municipalities who assist and sup-
port our organization in our efforts
to promote farm safety.
Do it our way. It won't
hurt.
brae foot Jn the
Getting a straight answer from
some politicians is akin to trying
to nail Jello to a wall.
The farming sector in Canada has
been trying to get straight answers
from the federal government for -
years on just what free trade will
mean for agriculture. Those an-
swers do not seem to be forthcom-
ing. I have been trying to find out
for months but I have yet to see a
straightforward, clear cut, "this -is -
what -will -happen" paper on the
subject.
It is interesting to note that Brig-
id Pyke, the president of the Onta-
rio Federation of Agriculture, feels
the same way. She spoke last
month at the annual meeting of the
Ontario Broiler Egg and Chick
Commission.
The dairy and poultry farmers no
longer trust the federal government,
she said, especially when those
politicians say they support supply
management marketing board yet
the free trade deal with the U.S.
threatens to undermine the whole
system.
The trade negotiators for Canada
had advisorycommittees to help m
their deliberations of the free trade
agreement. One of those commit-
°"– bi=nr-farmers and food nrn�
CCSSors.
.room ere -
not supposed to reveal anything
P„ that went on in their meetings with
the negotiators. However, June
Menzies, the chairman of the agri-
culture advisory committee, wrote
a letter warning that if t4ariffs are
eliminated, the supply management.
be hung -out -
PnlitirinnZ•have been nromisinr
that supply management will be
protected and Canadian farmers will
not have to worry. Some of us,
both farmers and agricultural writ-
ers, have doubted this protection
statement. Brigid is right to insist
that a knock -down, drag -'cm -out
,t'ith rpflerll noliticinns
Ib dUJVnun, y'Liw
Farmers have a right to know
how much agriculture will be af-
fected by both the General Agree-
ment on Tariffs and Trade and the
free trade agreement.
• "These problems have never been
addressed;' she said.
Processing companies - those
who buy from farmers - arc already
telling marketing boards that they
must develop a two=price system so
companies here can buy at the same
price as American processing firms.
Under free trade, Canadian and U.S.
firms will be in direct competition.
If Canadian meat packers, for in:
`*`+u.^"'•.R-,--•.-+r'�S,i: JGL.'.)'L`.iu:.::.i.-iA�:.�..>.sat..":.1,
4
brtoot
o';
'MUM wl,aw,yaN Mw..Mot. bore Ad ., o•. MI 7ti o/
stance, have to pay higher prices
because of the supply management
system, they will not be able to
compete and will soon go out of
business leaving Canadian farmers
with no buyers for their products.
I have always admired Brigid
Pyke. She is a straight shooter and
expects others to be as honest as
she is. But she has not been able to
get answers and her fears are well-
grounded.
Canadian agriculture cannot com-
pete with imports from all over the
world. We live in a different econo-
my where agriculture has a long
history of government support. To
knock down all the work so many
people have done. in Canada to
bring some semblance of orderly
marketing to agriculture would, I
believe, be a grave mistake.
Farming would die in Canada. We
would become- dependent on im-
ports for all our food and that would
be a disgrace. If, for instance, we
had to buy all our grain, beef, pork,
chicken and dairy products from the
U.S.A., and a major drought cur-
tailed production, the Americans
would feed themselves first.
We would all he left out to dry
and that should not haRr_–:—
__l-- ars►1l igid's concerns.
Times -Advocate, July 12, 1989 Page 27
Jack's Jottings
Jack Riddell
MPP Huron
From Queen's Park
Ontario improves emergency health .
and trauma services
Emergency and trauma services in health care facilities across On-
tario have been given an $18 million boost to enhance the quality
and accessibility of emergency services.
Announced last month by Health Minister Elinor Caplan, this ad-
ditional funding is part .of the government's province -wide action
plan for specialty health care introduced in the recent Speech from
the Throne.
Mrs. Caplan told a conference of the Trauma Association of Cana-
da that the $18 million will ensure that quality care and necessary
services are accessible to everyone throughout the province.
"This additional funding," the Minister said, "will improve the co-
ordination of services - from the time a patient is picked up by am-
bulance, arrives at a hospital emergency department and, when ne-
cessary, is transferred to a critical care or trauma unit."
$9 million of the funding increase is to be allocated for additions
to ambulance services in 26 communities that have experienced in-
creased workloads because of population increases.•
The remaining $9 million will be used to:
* implement guidelines to help hospitals improve efficiency in
their emergency wards; -
* designate seven new regional trauma networks to co-ordinate re-
gional hospital bcds and services to ensure severely injured patients
get prompt access to the type of specialized health care they require;
* establish a central provincial critical care hotline for doctors in
each region, provii ce-wide. Hotlines will eliminate the need for doc-
tors to call several hospitals in search of more specialized services
by establishing a co-ordinator at a regional hotline centre who will
have an inventory of services available. This will improve accessi-
bility to services. The first of these hotlines will open in Metro To-
rontoonJuly 1. -
* expand province -wide standardized emergency patient informa-
tion registry
* establish a trauma paticnt registry to provide data on type of in-
juries and treaunent methods
The emergency department guideline is perhaps the most far reach-
ing of these initiatives, and the Ministry will soon be sending these
guidelines to hospital boards of governors.
It is expected that implementation of the guidelines, will ensure
emergency care is available at all times and that emergency patients
get priority over elective cases, both in emergency rooms and upon
admission to hospital.
"There is little doubt," the Minister said, "the guidelines will help
hospitals improve the quality of emergency cane as well as eliminate
unnecessary backup in their emergency rooms."
In announcing the $18 million funding increase, Mrs. Caplan said
that emergency and trauma services, are part of several specialty
health care areas where her ministry is concentrating resources.
Other health care initiatives announced in this legislative session
include a province -wide breast -screening prograin for cancer, new
funding for cardiovascular care, AIDS treatment and education, kid-
ney disease treatment and care tor mothers and Inc newborn.
Mandate extended for transition crop team
I have recently announced the Transition Crop Team established in
1986 will continue its work beyond its original three-year mandate.
The team was to investigate the commercial potential of new, re-
placement or alternative crops for the province, and has had notable
success in identifying both alternative crops and market opportuni-
ties.
The team explores potential markets for replacement crops, espe-
cially opportunities for "industrial crops" such as essential and aro-
matic oils, fragrances, fibres and alternative fuel sources. They work
with farmers and growers wishing to pool resources to develop joint
venture marketing operations. They will also investigate ways to
encourage innovators and entrepreneurs to adopt new technology and
business practices.
A recent study by Woods Gordon commissioned by the team has
identified bosc pears and plums as possible alternatives for land
which is being converted from grapes.
In its experience over the past three years, the team has identified
the major problem in finding new crops is in the marketing end.
Farmers and growers alike must bear in mind their product must. be
"market-driven", and learn to subscribe to the theory of customer de-
mand. This will necessitate growers developing skills such as identi-
fying and exploring market opportunities; developing clout in the
marketplace by employment of professional marketers, improved
collection of market information, development of superior grade
standards and brand names; and dealing directly with major buyers.
The Transition Crop Team, under manager Arthur Loughton, may
be reached by calling (519) 426-7120.
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