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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1979-02-01, Page 15• •,,,• • • Littets at* tdopfltc,sted byldbliettot Mete Rd 'Itotted 044 N38 2C7 • - - , „,, It takes perseverance.to beat the biggies It takes peraeverance and intelligence to beat the big Porations, And Palience.:lotS Of It,„ But three ruggedindividualiSta, two in particular, in Middlesex County near London i Ont., have done it. • Peter Lewington, Stuart O'Neill and Irwin Lunn are the three. -men who reught for more than four years against In- terprovincial Pipe Line Ltd, of Edmonton. The company took farmland or the 520 -mile pipeline to carry oil from Sarnia to Montreal. The me, Lewington and O'Neill primarily, produced more than 150 photographs to prove the big cornpanycaused: great problems on. their land. Many observers of the farm ' scene, including me, thought the farmers were engaged in a losing, battle from day one. ' The last time I saw Peter Lewington at the annual mar- keting seminar in Hespeler sponsored by the Rural Learn- ing Association;he talked to anyone who would listen about the_reparations he was seeking. Some listeners were bored. Some even laughed at him for taking his ase to court. Peter is an Englishman by birth, sometimes a bit Pom- pous in his approach, But he's a smart farmer and one -of the most knowledgeable farm writers in Canada, Most farmers would have knuckled under, In fact, many did. They accepted the compensation handed out by the company with, a shrug .of their shoulders feeling they got as much as they could. They put up with, the problems. But not Lewirigton„ He didn't worry about the David -vs, - Goliath contest: Interprovincial Pipe -Line Ltd. is controlled by the giant Imperial Oil' of Canada which is owned by the multi -national company, Exxon Corporation. You don't put on boxing gloves with those guys:;without counting the cost. And it was costly. Each hearing, each , legal consultation cost money. And it took time. Lewington took the time and spent the money to fight the • giants., He on. 4,- •• • . • It could become one of the most significant judgements for farmers in the last 50 years. The money spent by Lewington and O'Neill Will now come back to them because costs were awarded in their favor. ' They ,also have caused a precedent to be set which could become of inestimable aid to agriculture for many Years All in all, compensation for the three farmers came to $10.000 an acrefSounds like a lot of money but County Court Judge Gordon Keelen went into the question more thorough- ly than any other senior judge in recent history. He wanted the truth. Topsoil to the farmer is worth a let of money and Judge Keelen figured replacement costs for topsoil at $6,000 an acre for 12 inches. Load restoration with manure and fertilizer he figured at $480' an acre plus a tag of $10 an hour for the farmer who has to spend time discussing expropria- tion details with pipeline officials. These figures will, no &MM. be kept in mind by ail farmers in Ontario when expropriating bodies suell as On- tario Hydro, Bell Telephone, natural gas pipeline oifiCials and highways officials cone knocking at farm doors to buy land Or to run utility cm:rick:ors through farmland. Ferturiately, .Lewington is an excellent photographer. He had the pictorial prpof to back up what he felt was shoddy workmanship. If any farmer is suspicions -of -what is happen-- ing, he'd be wise to back up accusations with pictures, just in case the Keelen judgement does not set a precedent. • I hope it does become,a piecedent, if not in Canada, then certainly for Ontario, , Fm sure Lewington is overjoyed, not just for himself but for all other farmers. Some of the neighbors near his Ilder- toil farm settled,' resignedly, for compensation of $600 an acre, a Paltry Sum, compared to the actual damage done on some. farms. • Whether happens the decisions will certainly make for improved pipeline construction procedures in the future. And I hereby publicly apologize for thinkieg Peter Lew. ington was fighting against insurmountable odds when he launched his Campaign four years ago. More power to him and others like him. long aOntario has farmers like him, agriculture will remain strong. • . , • • '1 • • , • . • • . . • . • , • . . • . . • ” , • . p • Glen .MeN0.11, R.R44 Of:40kb,, was elected pre- aideOt of the tflaron, 'COunty 4.} 1ub Leadere AssOeiation at their annual meeting 1a, Oa Wednesday. He succeeds Albert Vah PYheit of R4R-I Exeter, the past presidentOf the association. The other members of the 1979 ti MUler, R.K.-3, • Exeter, the first vice-president Beth: Co- oper,. R4R-3, KiPPen, the second vicepresident and MaiCe Hallahan, R.R.1, Belgrave, again elected aecretarPtreasuret. Mr. Hallahan has served. in this position for the 27 years the • executive are Barry • THg‘'.11.PRQICEXPOSITOk. IFERAPARV he�ds Hurcn •Clubs, or buster a groups and "a pa safety PIO, .* :,10 1978, tbe4Yer#84 *Si 44 club members was 14.5 yeari old and most members spent. 3.2 years involved with 4,1f1 work. Mr, MacGregor als0 reported! that 87 per cent of the members completed a In'tal, of 572 projects lin 1978. The 400 club members '111Cluded .131 girls and 269 boys across the county. Following, the noon ban- quet, Simon Hallaban of tilYth, who has been a 4-11 club leader for 38 years,. announced he was retiring due to his dutieS on county ceuntil. 'Mr: Hallahan said the first, club be led was a swine club.' in Blyth and he joked that an elderly member of the com- munity criticized him fo, butnhloirldoin.Bglyt' thehs young Conunerciapg Hotel. • In his remarks to :clu leaders, Don Pullen, Huro County ag rep, praised M Hallahan's contribution t 4-H work and said, "you'r going to have to go for tha 40th year (as a club leader). Tony McQuail a directo • association has been in existence,' The 1979 directors for the leaders' association are Brian Oldfield, R.R,4, Seaforth, 4-H calf club John Clark, 11.11,5, Goderich. Sod - busters club;; • Robyn, Theedom, Clinton, 4.h Horse club; Ray Hanna, R.R,2, Auburn, 4 -ft Rabbit Club; Ross 'Eedy, Dungan- non, 4-H calf club,; Milke Rogers, R.R.5, Goderich, 4 - sheep club; Don, Dodds, R,R.1, Seaforth, 4-}1 swine club; Neil Vincent of Bel - grave, 4-11 beef cal clot) and Sam Bradshaw, n on, 4-11 tractor club, in MacGregor, extension, assistant with the Clinton OMF office, told the club leaders that 400 young • , people are now taking part in agricultur.al clubs in Huron County. The 33 clubs include calf, $wine, sheep and horse THENEW DIRECTORS -- The 1979 directors of the 4-H Club Leaders Association for Huron Covnty are (front row, left to right) Brian Oldfield, R.R.4, Seaforth; John Clark, R.R.5, Goderich; Robyn Theedom, Clinton; and Ray Hanna, R.R.2, Auburn and (back row) Ross .Eedy, R.R.1,' Dungannon; Sam. Bradshaw. • R.R.2, Baxfield; -Mike Rogers, R.R, 6 • Goderich; Don Dodds, R.R.1,,Seaforth and Neil Vincent of Belgrave. (Expositor Photo) Jack's Jottings Pension raise 'BY JACK 1RIDDELL, M.P.P The Minister of Revenue, the Honourable Lorne Maeck announced Gains Level Increases. In January, single pen= i loners who receive the federal Old. Age Security pension and Guaranteed In- come Suppplement (G1S),Will receive an additional $20 and married couples. if each spouse qualifies for GIS. will each receive. $10 in their fedetal cheques. In response to these increases in the federal payments,. Ontario has raised the monthly Gains income levels to S343 ($4,120 annually; for single recipients and $66 (58,000 annually) for qualified mar- ried couples. . • Please note that this is the first time that the married rate cannot be calculated as double the guarantee kir q single pensioner. This' is a result of the difference in the increases of GIS by the federal ,government. The following calculations indicate the maximum Gains payments to single and quill. fied married pensioners: Old Age stcurity for Single, $167.21. for Married, SI67.21; Guaranteed laconic Supplement - for Single, II37.28, for kilhfricd SI14.15 Ontario Gains - for Single. $38,88. for Married, $52-011._ The total, for Single is 55333433:3377., for Married is • Pensioners who do not qualify for the federal Old Age Security peosion because of the residency requirements. but do qualify for Gains payments, will receive the full amount of the • $10 and $20-oincrease direct- ly. Payments for single pensioners will increase to $343,37 and to 5333.37 for qualified married couples. If you have any questions about the new rates or if you would like to receive add- itional copies of these tables. please do not hesitate to telephone our multillingual Information Centre free of charge at one of the following numbers: In Toronto, 965- 84704 In area code 807, ask the Operator for Zenith 8-2000; All other areas, dial direct I-800-268-7121, DRYWALL " KNOWN FOR HIGH QUALITY Peter Bakos Drywall COMPLETE D RYWALL SERVICE 527-1398 or 527-0606 incentive for members. to eater 4 Oa • Competitors who biing three ,OPmore animals to the fair receive financial as- sistance frgirt the .Seaforth A gricalturat SOcietY with, 4 r'mlilleea, gfelogwreavnetr°, c200mpecentitstoraa for paying their OWtt tratip swp9ithnaletisosnthcoanst*thr. three enhrialS in the show are respoesible fair, they are eligible only for . difficult to, increase prize grants Mr. A member so much !Miley in the form of said the society would find it money since as a Class "0" of the forth Ag Society, • Mr. Papple'said the fair wili• again be held on .Sept,, zo, 24 this year, • _, --- . RIVALRY golog tO ahowa, flurtM County, and Vaid this PrOgram.' Ititiat he "'rept op Calves are usually vac, - 1 leaden at Serattob sly* encourage 4-.H members ft° teat all their calves before Years. The egnais spesSaises wW visit Hum Co, 404NMee and the *44 41 members travel tQ Plitiois in *9�O Mr, f.,4aregor has also: ..contwd 4-H leaders Elaekford County,Indiana • setting op a two-r*,r . exchange Write for Dent • summer, Leaders, aiso voted' to buy Canadian made 4-11 T-shirts ront a Stratford businew PO,aidrts will, "be (Ccintieued on Page 20) ' cillittett for brucellosia be- tween three and four mend?* • Of age - LUMBER Len MacGregor reported there was a large amouat, of lumber left over from the 4-0 display at last Fall's Inter- national Plowing Match. The leaders appointed a commit- tee made up of Albert Van Dyken, Ray Hanna. Bob }fern Ray Rasenbur and youth members, who will be appointed later, to vestigate the possibility of building a permanentdisplay to be 1140: on floats and for fairs and Achievement Days, Ron Shelley, leader of the Hawick Swine Club, reported . the 'Howick and Brussels, groups would like to come up with a uniform course of study and exams..In the past, the two clubs have studied • different material. - Len MacGregor reported there will be an exchange with 4-H'ers in MacOupih County of southwestern Illinois over the next two r • Neil. Vincent suggested s trying to create a "friendly I rivalry" at the fair encour- age competition between o clubs, n Bob Hearn suggested r trying to work a promotion o through the "friends of 4-H e • fiind", and 'in agricultural t industry promotion to stimulate competition, at he r of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture, invited club leaders to attend the federation's annual members orparliament din- ner, held in Clinton•on Feb, 10. Mn Mcgoail said the dinner is a chance for the club leaders' association to present bricfs or recom- mendations to the local mein - fair. Len MacGregor suggested the declining competition in the dairy section could be.. discussed with the Seaforth Ag Society and their junior fair competition Leaders also discussed the brucellosis testing regulations for animals being shown at the fall fairs. In the past, members have been encouraged to vac- cinate their calves, or to present certificates showing • the animals have been tested for brucellosis before they are allowed to show the animals. Glen McNeil said the bers of parliament. The leaders appointed Glen McNeil and Maurice Hallahan to attend the dinner as their representatives, The club leaders decided to continue to put on their annual show at the Blue. water Centre for the Developmentally Handicap - GAIN MORE Bob Hearn, one of the leaders, said- he felt 4-11 . members gained even more from the experience titan the : centre residents. Gien McNeil said the day's pro -- gram at the. centre offered the 4-11 members an excel- ' lent opportunity- to exhibit their produce and displays before competing at the fairs and Aehievement Days. A committee of club directors will be established to plan the activities. The farmstead and home improvement committee of 'the International Plowing Match donated $1.50 left from their campaign to the 4-11 fund. This" money will be • used to funcl prizes in the • gate sign competition across the county. • Club leaders then discus- sed the problem of a de- clining interest in the dairy championship show at the • 1978Seaforth Fall Fair, One leader -suggested that the S5 prize offered for winners may • not have provided enough t TX90 corms through again TX90 showed again in 1978 its ability to perform consistently year after year. Look at the results of the T.S.T. plot located on the farm of John Simpson, R.R.1, Kirkton. • PLANTING DATE: HARVEST DATE: SOIL TYPE: HERBICIDE: INSECTICIDE: ROW WIDTH: FERTILIZER: 'May 19, 1918 October 26, 1978 Cloy Loam Loss'o',9nd Biadex N-50 P20-64 (plus Manure K20-32 VARIETY % BROKEN STALKS TX90 1 TXS94 Plot Average 2 (Ye HARVEST MOISTURE YIELD AT 15.5% 26.8 30,0 26.6 For complete details, about this ind other tests and what the results dOuld mean to you, contact your local Trojan dealer. • 139.0 141.7 128.0 • --Tracto,rs F.W.D—: Abetter traction all year round - boo.m. Available in 2 and 4 wheel drive. ATTENTION... 1 BUY NOW Before March 1st and WIN a trip to France .and Romania in March 1979. ALL EXPENSES PAID! Quolity-Purobility-Versatility-Efficiency E Phone 482-986 B ruce • Charlie Fra!!!: 2 f. Id FARM SUPPLY • '• ONUS IT'S COMING FROM Monsanto For Further information, °WIa t your loccrt dealer MILTON LIMITED i 1 Purina Chow—. Sanitation Products — Seed Corn— Provimi Ventilation ,(WhOlesaie & Pesticides — Spraying Equipment SEAFORTH, ONTARIO NOK IWO Phone 519-527-0608