The Goderich Signal-Star, 1974-03-21, Page 17rr"
„
Farmer's opinion
cm Hydro plans
in rural areas
The following article ts
written,=- by Elbert van
. Donkersgoed, svretary-
manager of the Chriltian
FarmersFederation. Mr.
Donkersgoed'ebiather-in-
• law, •Martin' fndhoven
prepared the, accom-
ponyip:g cartoon.;:
• :This iteM is 'reprinted
in ,the Signal:Sidr for the
formation and the con-
sideration of those
readers wh,ose concern is
the takeover of Ontario's
prime agricultural land
by Hydro.
, This article is on
opinion only and ghou10
not be considdred as this
• newspapers official
stand in this controver-
sial matter.
desperately looking for, a glim-
mer of hope that Hydro can be
turned away from this area.
for one, think, that outbat-
tle is already lost. And yet
there are•tm6 glimmers of hope.
THE BETTER TO SNOW
YOU WITH
Ontario Hydro's public par;-
ticiPation approach was not
conceived in the interest of the
rural agricultural' community. I
' submit that it was conceived by
Hydro strategists when they sat
down to decide how best to do
..-. a snow lob on our plovincial
government r You see, sometime
'after Phase 111 will come
Phase 1V by the end of May,
so says Hydro. That will be the,
report that Hydro will submit,
to ' Cabinet', with •the polite
request: "Flew give us an Or-
der in Council to build a tran-
amission line through( prime
agricultural land.t!
I can imagine that • report
already: "The public has con-
tributed 'extensiVely in helping
us choose this as our best
possible route. Since it is im-
perative that we ,begin con- t
struction as soon as possible,
please sive uS your„ rubber mission to build pieces - often
stamp on the clotted line." assuming' that others will be
• by ELBERT VAN
DONKERSGOED
(Christian Farmers'.
Federation)
Ouragricultural com-
munity is up in arms, and
rightly so. Ontario, Hydro is
going to cut a. huge swath
through some , of our best
agricultural land for its new
bulk transmission lines. pAkt
there's little .hope - if any - of
stopping them.* - ••" There's something phOny built -when- in fact it ddernot
Hydro plans call for a new - about tliTs whole public par- have perrnission to build the
500,000,Volt bulk transmissiontieipation thing. Our par - 'whole grid. An excellent case in
grid across Ontario. As part or ticipation was first asked for in 'point is the expropriation, of,
Y that plan they need a narrow what , Hydro called , Phase 1. land from Bradley to Winghani
• bulk linet front Bradley- to , But was it really haSe.11? Not tor -the -lines-from-Bradley -to--
Milton and a -major bulk line at all! Hydro aline to us with Kitchener on the basis of the -
from Wingham to the Kit- some decisions already made Bruce Generating Station to
chener-Waterloo area and Then about this area. We have Only Seafortb study tirea. This will
onto Milton. been asked to assIst them in preclude that the Bradley -
We in the rural community deciding' which good.. Kitchener , line must go over
have been 'given the oppOr- agricultural land should be Wingharn. „
tunity' of participating .in taken. , At the heart of our concern
• deciding where to Pia these For example, were we ever lies the taking of prime
• lines. •. asked for our thoughts about agiicultural. land.' *Hydro has
A year ago, Phase 1 meetings this bulk grid concept that ap- '':underestimated its impact on
throughout the Bradley-, pears so central . to all Of our farm _enterprises*. But an,
Georgetown study area infor- Hydro's.proposals? No. Hydro 'independent' study can norbe
,eipected to Corre0 this error.
• I have nG reason to believe
that an independent study will •
.give agriculture, a fairer deal.
Take for example the„ reportd
just made public by pip.
Limited, Environmental COn-
sultants, on the best route for
Hydro's Middlevort .to
Pickering transmission line
coitidor. This 'independent'
study mill now be used by the
Solandt Commission to melte
recOmmendations to Cabinet.
Agriculture has. not been given
any fairer consideration -in that
§tudy than Hydro has done in
their work fof this area.
Or take for ex -ample Com-
montvealth Associates, the con-
sultanis hired by Hydro to do
the Lennox -Oshawa study.
'-•Their,.aPproach to, agriculture
is definitely worse than Hydro
itself.
No,an independent study'
• NOW that the taking of.pur will not ercre, •igriculture its
• should be included in the study
-4 land Is right at our doorstep we 9 •- • rightful place in the fabric of,
GOMRICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, MAR61, 21, 1974,440E m
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med us about Hydro's' heeds presented ,us with that concept
andtheir new public par- as unchallengeable.
ticipation approach. They'' •
-A•GLIMMER OF HOPE
•
asked us about our are and
'• gave us questionnaires to fill
out. . .
Last fall, Phase 11 meetings
showed us the results of 'much
• study'. .alfernate corridbrs, that
Hydro was willing to consider
for possible rights-of-way. They
- • asked us forany items in these
corridors that would be
seriously affected by a tran-
s.mission line.,,
Now Phase 111 is upon ns
and they have prelented us
with ,sorritthing cal,Ced a
'preferred route' through the
° townships of Turnberry,
Howick, Wallace,
Maryboyougli, Peel. and
probably farther east. They are
.asking ,us whether we want
, them to take -20 acres from our
farm or from our neighbour's.
Yet here hes one 'of our glim-
mers of hope. Hydro does; in
fact, not•yet have the authority
to build this whole grid system.
Hydro must prove. to Cabinet'
not only that their preferred
rOute is definitely the best one
• but also that the proposed lines
are essential to Ontario's elec-
trical system. •„
• A major political decision
„must still be -made: "Is this grid
essential?” and ".Ig ' a
Wingham-Kitchen.er line
, through prime land' essential?"
Like opponents .of the 'essen-
tial' Spadina Expressway we
can hope that ,the whole grid
will be re-examined as a result
of a bold political decision..
Another question one might
, ask - id. we get to participate
in deciding what townships
des.,
-have taken Liction. Committees area
the province. In HydrO'S study,
Hydro's approach has been
‘ have been formed in the toWn-r they used a questionnaire to
to ask for approval of one •
.ships. Letters-itie being written determine, the relative impor-
gment of. the proposed grid at
not only to Ontario Hydro but setance ortfie various concerns
a time. I find it passing strange'
'also to government officials that their lines will affect. On a
•that Hydro should be given per -
and newspapers. We are • . scale of 4, agriculture was
Sunset Circle
gives prizes
'to three
The annual birthday party of
the Sunset Circle Housewife
Club of Goderich was held
March 11 in the Legion Hall
with a good attendance.
The 'club's president, Mrs.
Retta Arnold :welcomed
evexyone and thanked them for
coming..
— Euchre, 600 and crokinole
was played and prizes given for
" high and lbw scores,
Lucky draws were made and
winners as followst
Sunburst clock, 'Mr. Robt.
Schultz, AR 2, Clinton; money
tree; Mrs. Myrtle Good,
Goderich; door prize, Mrs.
Lenora Ashton, Goderich.
Lunch W#8 served to com-
plete an enyiyable evening:.
HAT 17-P.V
placed at 2.83 just above the
2.81 ' ranking tpf visual impact•
Those figures say that
agriculture is just a little More
important than the 'cultural eX-
perience of driving ,down High.,
waV.86' "(their words). I have
-bee-n- given a 125' page'
document backing up the
-cultural experience rating. I
have y4 to see any documen-
tation or the agricultural
rating.,„
Giving agilairtiii-e" its proper
place is essentially a political
decision - not the result of a
computer program. We Must
convince our government that
these consultants are not aware
of the true value Of agricultural
land. and do not realizethelm-
pact that Hydro corridors will
have on farm enterprises.
Failing this our land will dbon
be taken.
It is time to Write every
politician' whose nam,e you can
!Xemernber and letthem know
that food does not grow on con-
- ductors •and steel pole.
6011611:VAIRTIZA .
PED"1'
FilEENER'S
ME RENOVATIONS LTD.
EXPERTS
IN
HOME REMODELING
AND
INTERIOR and EXTERIOR -S4,-"
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St. John Ambulance Association
are sponsoring a
FIRST AID -cpp-RsE
Wednesda)", March 27, at 8 p.m.
at the MacKay Hall in Goderich
,
For information please call -
D. HARMON
---- OR
524-6289
J. WILSON
524-24114'
'
opeti 'SATURDAY
How to
MAKE HA
on your.
NOTICE
1974 INTERIM TAXES
DUE' MARCH 3ist, 1974
Interim tax bilis are being mailed this week and are due
March 31sj 1974
Interim bill is payable in one installment at all Char-
tered Banks and Victoria & Grei Tiust Co., Goderich
The,interiM tax -rate is 40 -mills 'and interim taxes of
• A10.00 or. less are i3xenipt from this billing.
Final fax billing will follow at a later date, due dates
June'30th and October 31st. The bill will reflect the ,
total rate, lesp-interim levy Of --40 mills.
,
• J. Harold Walls;,.A.M.C.T., C.M.C.
, ...
•
. Clerk -Treasurer '-
There's always ,hay 'making
at your nearby BLOCK of-
ficd. Trained tax men take COMPLETE.
your data and bale it up
RETURNS. '
fast so you tiove evpry fax
cleauctipn you've got c.orn- * Individuals
ing. Make-41,er .novVeyt * Farms
& R BLOCK: * Businesses. ,
—
GUARANTEE
if ,,. .il'is..i., 1,,, .,,,,, nieni;atione you, lost'return t.hat costs yOu any
[
'..0,.....0 '..',:r.iis,.., i., .id.niiiinai tAske,d0e, while we do not aSsuthe thf nobility
AV 4.0 Las that iniciest and Oe.pallY ..
'
UP
1
11131LCOCIIHEtg'").
Canadat-Liiiqest Tdic Service Vtiull Over 6000 Qfficesia.North America
GODERICH
• (HIGHWAY 21; &tilde Presbyterian •Churdh)
Weekdays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays 9 am. to 5 p.m.
PHONE 524-8658
NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY
memismossesameseeememb.
•
•
'e
It's -aCtually quite simple.
All you do is accumulate fifteen
demerit points and losyour
licence for losyour.ligence for six
thirty days. Do it again
e
(months:. - -
In this province, it definiteluays
a driver to score a big fat zero.
- •
Ontario's demerit point system
'deigned to convince the poor
driver to drive properly. Drivers:
who do not irnprove are *then
taken from the road because , •
they're a menace topedestrians
and`to other drivers.
But the system is not at all unjust.
It's aimed al telling the driver
where he's gone wrong and
giving him plenty of time lo cor-,
-rect his faults. •
For instance. When you've
• „accumulated six points, 'you'll be
• nOilfied and urged'to improve
your driving.
When you've got nine,-yOu'll prpb-
ably be asked•to attend a priva.te
interview and re -do your driving
test.
At fifteen points, you'll -lose your
licence for thirty day's and drop
• back to seven points. Get fifteen
againtth
noanndsy. ou on't driVe for
six
Howelter, your record won't be
J-
.
iqielib—IY:friarked. ifyQiirive for
two years without a traffia con-
viction yptir points, are erased and
your Slate is clean.
How Demerit %lints Accumulate:
7 points Failing to rexon..at scene ,)f an ao'cident
• (Highway Ratfic A'on
points Careless cinving • Excee img speed limit
Raring.• "tv 30 m p 0 t more
5 points Driver of bus failing to Stop at ill:protected
• railway crossings
• • _
4 roints Exceeding the speed limit by 20 14' 29 m p h,
-Falling to stop for school bus.
' Following too
,
3 points Exceeding speed limit
by 11 to 19.m p'h.
' ,Dnying through, around
'tpr under railway crossing
barrier
1 Failing to'yield nght
I way
Failing to obey a stop
• sign, signal light or• •
railway crossing signal
2 points
Failing to lower
• headlamp beam
Improper opemitg of
vehicle door
Prohibited Rims
Towingof persons. ,
en toboggans bicycles,
skis etc prohibited'
Failing to obey duet).
nons of police officer:
Failing to report an •
accident to a police, ,
Kficer
Improper passing.
Crowding driver's seat.
Wrong way on one, -way
street or highway
- •
ratInt to obey tc.jns
ottiot than those
thentioned above
Potiostnah crciss•over.
Failmg to share road
Improper right' turn.
Improper left tum.
railinc to signal
Unnecessary slow
dnving
• The whole point is to score ritthing,
keep your record c.le.an and drive
happily ever after.
Ministry of Transportation
tft Oommunications
A IC McNab
Deputy Minister
Hon Johri N. Rhodes
Minister
•
t
frs