HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1986-07-23, Page 42Daae 24 A
Ancestor was a
When Phil Durand wrote about french set-
tlement in Stanley Township for the Stanley
Township History, Book, he was writing
about his roots.
His great-grandfather, Basile Durand,
was among the first settlers to come to
Huron County. "One of my ancestors was a
runner of the woods," Mr. Durand said. "He
was one of the first white men in Huron
County."
This ancestor, and a group of others, were
responsible for bringing groups of people
from Quebec to make the french §ettlement
area.
They were also involved in other areas of
settlement he said. "They were lumber-
jacks, they helped build the first roads in the
area."
Mr. Durand, who is also co-chairman of
the sesquicentennial events, said his love of
history assisted him in writing the sections
in the book about French settlement and the
french settlement church history.
Aside from his love of history, Mr. Durand
is a strong supporter of bilingualism for
Ontario.
"Canada is fortunate to have two official
languages which are international," he
said. "A big problem in the world is com-
munication. If you can speak othe other
man's language, that i,s very important."
Mr. Durand has turned his love of
languages and bilingualism into a plus when
working with farming organizations.
"Asa young farmer when I attended
meetings I was elected for a number of
organzations," he said. "I would go to
meetings on the national level because I
could communicate."
This communication put him in the posi-
tion of helping to organize marketing boards
4,
Profiles
"runner of the woods"
over the years in Ontario, and he was chair-
man of the White Bean Marketing Board.
"When I was chairman of the White Bean
Marketing B3ard I was sent all over the
world because I could speak French," he
said.
With his wish for a bilingual Canada in
mind, Mr. Durand helped organize the
Ethanol is
By David Emslie
Through witnessing the gas line-ups of the
late 1970s, Phil Durand decided it was time
to come up with alternative for using
straight gas.
This alternative is ethanol. "I beganicon-
sidering ethanol when I saw the gas line-
ups," Mr. Durand said. "I did- research on
the production of ethanol because I w•as con-
cerned there would not be sufficient gas to
keep the farm machines running."
"The oil companies with their hungries
forced us to look at other forms of energy,"
he said.
Ethanol, Mr. Durand explained, is simply
alcohol. "It's the same product Hiram
Walker uses to make rum, gin and
whiskey," he said.
Made out of any product that has sugar
starch such as any fruit, vegetable, grain or
raw sugar, ethanol can be used as a replace-
ment for lead in gas.
The reason for using lead as an anti -knock
or octane booster is because straight
gasoline would blow a car's • motor apart.
Therefore, ethanol, like lead, slows the ex-
plosion down.
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school Ecole St. Marie.
He is disappointed the school is being clos-
ed down now due to a lack of students, but he
said, "I am pleased that St. Boniface is
enlarging their French courses."
"I am also very pleased that Huron Coun-
ty and Perth County have established
French immersion programs in Goderich
and Stratford," he said. "I am pleased with
French immersion, it is a real asset to
Canadians."
"I think our province should make the
step and become officially bilingual.
Language is a really important tool," he
said. "If you can't communicate, how can
you sell? Languages are most important."
an alternative to gas
"It is important that ethanol can be used
as a replacement for lead as an octane
booster because it is clean burning, and
doesn't poison the environment or people
like lead," Mr. Daurand said.
One way in which lead is harmful was
revealed in a study on children who live
close to super highways. "They had a lead
content in their blood that was higher than
that of children who lived six blocks away,"
he explained. "These children were also a
grade or two behind those who lived farther
away, as it affects ,children's mental
ability."
According to Mr. Durand, ethanol has
another large benefit over lead. "We
(farmers) can use the ,huge surplus of corn
and feed grain. for making ethanol.
Therefore, we are killing two birds with one
stone; we are getting rid of the poison and
using the surplus."
He feels this would be beneficial to Cana-
dians, because farmers will need less sub-
sidies, and it will help the balance of
payments with other countries. "This will
mean less imports, and more work in
Canada, so we will be assisting the
To the people of
Stanley
Township
who are celebrating
their...
150th Anniversary
We, at Agricultural
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farming community by providing
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482-9331
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Regional Representative
482-3120
unemployed."
A final boons in ethanol is cost. "We would
be able to produce alcohol at 32 cents a litre
if we made it on a continuos basis, and that
is cheaper than lead," Mr. Durand said.
With the threat of a gas shortage hanging
over his head, Mr. Durand began gathering
information on ethanol from the United
States Gas-a-hol Commission, and buying
information from differet companies in the
late 1970s and early 1980s.
His production of ethanol began in 1982,
and he was fortunate to have his sons living
close by, as they were of great assistance in
building the equipment.
As he has sons who were competent
welders, a son who is an electrician -
plumber, a son who is a carpenter and
another son with construction equipment
such as trucks and bulldozers, they were
able to build all of the methanol making
equipment themselves.
Complicated Process
Although the process is a complicated
one, Mr. Durand explained the basics of
Turn to page 27
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