HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 2015-07-08, Page 5Wednesday, July 8, 2015 • Lucknow Sentinel 5
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letters to the editor
Questions
Dear Editor,
Well, May 15 has come
and gone without a
response to my questions
from either the government
agencies or the wind com-
pany. This whole project has
generated lots of questions
but not many answers.
One of the questions that I
have is why do the rules and
standards of behaviour differ
when wind companies are
involved? For example, in
ACW the wind companyvan-
dalized one neighbouring
non -participating farm by
driving into the field and
using it as a parking lot and
driveway, creating extensive
damage and compaction. So
if K2 can use non -participat-
ing farms, can residents use
the K2 driveways to park their
vehicles and store equip-
ment? Do we need a parking
pass?
Another ongoing question
about the K2 project is who is
in charge and willing to take
responsibility for problems? I
had another encounter a few
weeks ago with the project
manager for K2 and some of
the K2 contractors. The most
recent issue is the appalling
and dangerous state that my
laneway and the adjacent
ditches were left in by their
construction activities with
holes left on the side of the
laneway that could easily over-
turn farm equipment. I have
had other issues with sand
and dirt left in the ditches after
K2 construction activity. This
dirt ran into a nearby catch
basin with each rain and then
into my field tiles. There have
also been problems with water
diverted onto our fields.
Despite repeated complaints
made since last fall, only lim-
ited action was taken to fill in
the most dangerous hole on
one laneway and problems
with damaged fencing, dirt
clogging tiles, water running
onto the fields and other
laneway damage have still not
been corrected.
The gist of the K2 position
when confronted with a
complaint about construc-
tion activity seems to be that
while they may admit that
there is a problem, it is not
their responsibility, it's the
fault of the incompetent
workers. Well, it is a poor
captain who blames his
crew for shoddy manage-
ment of the ship. And as we
saw in the Italian ship disas-
ter, ultimately the captain is
responsible. So responsibil-
ity for these projects rests
with the wind company and
its representatives. Period.
This blaming of hired work-
ers for all the problems
seems to be the mantra for
K2 management but it's get-
ting to be quite tiresome.
Hired workers follow the
directions they are given (or
not given) and it is the
responsibility of the man-
agement team to put proper
procedures in place and
solve construction prob-
lems. One has to wonder
Canada Day reflection
Dear Editor,
Canada Day is always a spe-
cial day to reflect on the good-
ness that is bestowed upon
those of us, who, either by
birthright or by choice, are
most fortunate to be able to
say, "I am a Canadian: I have
been a Canadian since 1975,
and I regularly count my bless-
ings on becoming a Cana-
dian. Being a Canadian is not
something that we should
ever take for granted. As our
national anthem states,
"We stand on guard for
thee." As I watched the Canada
Day celebrations on CBC
unfold, I savoured the words
of Canada's Govemor General,
David Johnston, when he said,
"The countrywe dream
of won't build itself' There
are a myriad of ways, big and
small, whereby each and every
one of us can help to build
the Canada of which we
dream.
The prime minister of Can-
ada has one of the most pow-
erful and most responsible
building roles that any Cana-
dian could ever apply
for. As our governor general
addressed the joyous gather-
ing of thousands on parlia-
ment hill, I pon-
dered whether Mr. Harper
was having any misgivings
about the most radical ways
in which he has changed
Canada's values in the nine
years of his iron -fisted rule.
His silencing and firing of
federal scientists, his abdica-
tion of responsibility as the
why the province approves
these projects in the first
place if the owners cannot
competently oversee the
construction and resolve
issues as they arise.
A few final thoughts keep
occurring to me when I think
about the situation in the
Township. When did we end
up in a dictatorship where we
get to pay taxes and higher
hydro rates while wind com-
panies run amok over our
land and rights? Where will
this trampling of rights end
and where will it go next?
Where is the federal govem-
ment when it comes to pro-
tecting our constitutional
rights? (Maybe they are too
busy with the Senate these
days to worry about what has
happened to people's rights.)
Our national anthem speaks
about the true north strong
and free but one has to won-
der. When people in my com-
munity - people I have known
for years - are no longer free
to enjoy their own homes
without shadow flicker, noise,
sleep deprivation and other
issues, and are thinking about
hanging up a For Sale sign,
just how free are we? At the
end of the day, what kind of a
communitywill we have?
Maybe we should all just bury
our heads in the sand - it
might be a bit quieter
underground.
Yours truly,
George Alton
Kenruth Farms Ltd.
R.R. #7, Lucknow, ON
chief custodian of the water
we drink, the air that we
breathe and the earth which
grows our food, together
with his disregard and disre-
spect for democracy, are but
three of the many deep scars
that he has forced upon tra-
ditional Canadian val-
ues, scars which will take
years or decades for future
politicians to remove. Before
we go to the polls in Octo-
ber, it is important that Cana-
dians reflect on the damage
that Mr. Harper has inflicted
upon our Canadian culture
and values during his term as
prime minister of one of the
most amazing countries in
the world.
Yours sincerely,
Jim Hollingworth, Goderich
Noenic ban — the only science being used is
Political Science
On July 1 the new regula-
tion banning the use of the
neonicotinoid (neonic) pesti-
cide on 80 per cent of corn and
soybean acreage will come
into effect across Ontario. The
ban, introduced by the Liberal
govemment back in the fall of
2014 has farmers from across
the province nervous for their
next growing season in 2016.
Neonicotinoids are the
most commonly used type
insecticide in the United States
and Australia and until this
week Europe. They have been
in used in Canada, and
Ontario, since the early 1990s.
The use of neonics, applied to
the seed, has replaced earlier
more toxic products that had
to be sprayed on leaves at up
to 20 times the neonic applica-
tion rate. As a seed treatment,
the product first addresses
pests in the soil and then
moves up through the seed-
ling providing protection for
up to 28 days before dissipat-
ing. Virtually none of the prod-
uct makes it to the flower.
The new Liberal regulation
dictates those who sell neonic-
treated seeds must obtain a
license, submit annual sales
reports to the province and be
responsible for ensuring that
farmers meet the requirements
to use treated seeds. The new
regulation also includes that by
2017 farmers will no longer be
able to use neonics at all unless
they can prove they have a pest
problem. Once they can prove
they have aproblem, theywill
need to sign a declaration and
participate in a pest manage-
ment course. In other words,
this is essentially an outright
ban unless a need for use can
be proven. The government
implemented this regulation
citing there was aproblem with
bee health. However, science
would disagree. Since noticing
more bee deaths in 2013, farm-
ers have dealt with dust drift at
planting by developing and
using deflectors and seed fluid-
ity agents. Farmers have
applied these best practices
successfully, in fact Health
Canada's Pest Management
RegulatoryAgency (PMRA)
reports that "during planting
period there was a 70%
decrease in the number of
reported bee yards affected in
2014 compared to 2013, and in
2015 the reduction was 80%
compared to 2013': Itis clear
that industry has been proac-
tively solving the problem
themselves and didn't need
heavy regulation from govem-
ment to fix the problem.
The Ontario Pollinator
Health Blueprint has been
recently released by a task
force of certified crop advisors,
ag retailers, the seed trade,
farmers and beekeepers. Rec-
ommendations range from
increased communication
between farmers and bee-
keepers, to work on bee nutri-
tion and habitat, to managea-
ble and reasonable limits on
insecticide use. The Minister
of Agriculture, Food and Rural
Affairs asked the cash crop
and beekeeper community to
meet OMAFRA half way, and
they have. Yet, despite this,
govemment remains adamant
on its 80 per cent neonicoti-
noid ban by 2017.
Instead, unfortunately the
political and activist agenda
coming from this Liberal gov-
emment
ovemment trumped science. In
order to have good policy, we
must use good science. We are
not seeing this with the direc-
tion of this Liberal govemment.
Itis dear that Kathleen Wynne
and the Liberals have their own
agenda and they just aren't in it
for Rural Ontario anymore.
Office of MPP Lisa Thompson
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