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Home My WebLink AboutThe Times Advocate, 2008-05-07, Page 1MES ADVOCATE Exeter, Ontario, Canada Wednesday, May 7, 2008 $ 1.25 (includes GST) HURON TRACTOR EXETER 519-235-1115 0 # # www.hurontractor.com JOHN DEERE /1.1ATIS INSIDE Trac Graphs Inc L. Printing Company ■ ■ ■ Inline "E"` ORDERING 519.237.3838 www.track2l .ca Running man Precious Blood teacher competes in Boston Marathon PAGE 12 Crokinole tourney Crokinole players gather at SHDHS for annual event PAGE 18 INDEX Editorial 4 Sports I 0 Announcements 22 Classifieds 25 TIMES -ADVOCATE 424 MAIN ST. Box 850 EXETER, ONTARIO NOM I S6 TEL: 519-235-1331 FAX: 519-235-0766 WWW.SOUTHHURON.COM Fundraising walk — Giselle Mcllhargy (left) and Camille Baker -Lennon were two of the walkers who took part in the fifth annual VON Hike for Hospice on Sunday at MacNaughtonTrail.The walk for the VON Palliative Care Volunteer program raised close to $1,700. (photo/Pat Bolen) WATERCRAFT INSURANCE QUOTES Gaiser Kneale 519-235-2420 Insurance 1-888-235-2420 Brokers Serving Exeter, Grand Bend, Cli CanGro negotiations tough, says union By Pat Bolen TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF EXETER — "If people don't wake up and smell the roses soon about supporting the farmers, we won't have any food to eat. And the slogan 'good things grow in Ontario,' we're going to have to take that off the TV pretty soon." That is the message from Wendy Absolom, union representative for United Food and Commercial 175 about the closing of CanGro in Exeter and the loss of food processing capacity in Ontario. Absolom said the negotiations with CanGro were the hardest she has seen in 16 years. She said the union's collective agreement was expiring when the announcement was made that the plant would close if a buyer wasn't found. Absolom said in five negotiation sessions, the union was trying to secure its collective agreement that would be in place if a new buyer was found. "We had pared our proposals down to six main proposals...severance issues, benefits, retention bonuses and labour adjustment committees were on our list. And in all my 16 years of bargaining, I haven't met a company that was so adamant that they weren't going to give us any- thing." Absolom said CanGro kept saying in correspondence and announce- ments at the plant that a "new employer was in the wings" and that the union asked for the potential buyer to be brought into the negotiations. "They wouldn't identify the employer. They kept sending me letters to say, 'the ink's not dry yet,' and they made an announcement in the plant that the plant was 95 percent sold." But Absolom said CanGro called her April 9 and said the sale had fallen through. "I was in shock because we were convinced that the plant was going to be sold. I don't know if it was just smoke and mirrors but the potential buyer was supposedly Bonduelle, and they identified that after." Absolom said the buyer would have been a good fit since Bonduelle is a frozen food company that processes fruits and vegetables. "But we were never contacted by Bonduelle and we were never told by CanGro why the deal fell through. We were just left in the dark." After the announcement, Absolom said the union met with CanGro April See UNION page 2 Exeter flood project to move forward Patio proposed in Lucan By Nina Van Lieshout TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF LUCAN BIDDULPH — The Royal Canadian Legion, Branch #540 in Lucan hopes to expand with an outdoor patio, as an addition to their existing licensed area. The letter was brought for- ward at the Lucan Biddulph council meeting Monday night, with a proposed 316 person extended capacity licensed area. Lucan Biddulph administra- tive -clerk Ron Reymer says, "I'd like to think this won't be a problem, but I'm a little ner- vous." The Royal Canadian Legion See Pitch -in page 2 By Scott Nixon TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF SOUTH HURON — An inability to come to an agreement with landown- ers on the east end of Exeter has led the municipality to go through the Drainage Act process to move forward with a flood control project. As chief administrative officer Roy Hardy explained at South Huron's Monday night council meeting, the municipality has tried for years to find a solution for the flooding problem in the east part of town. He told the Times -Advocate after the meeting that the municipality couldn't reach an agreement with landowners to move forward with the project — electing to go through the Drainage Act and appoint a drainage superintendent to See SH page 2 lose. weug greatfor summer. t 4 REASONS to choose Herbal Magic Visit us at www.herbolmagic.com • As our clients vary so cJo their results. • Developed by licensed Health Care Professionals • Exclusive WM-2000TH Quick-LossTM Plus formula • 91 % customer satisfaction • No prepackaged foods to buy 1110 Christine lost 47 lbs. 394 Huron Rd. Goderich 519-524-5555 8 Wellington St., Exeter 519-235-3088 www.herba1magic.ca www.herb aliWagic.com Hethditi . Dor WEIGHT LOSS & NUTRITION CENTRES