The Rural Voice, 1981-07, Page 18Still an issue
While discussions of the problem of
foreigner ownership of farmland have
been muted in Ontario recently the
governments of Saskatchewan and
Manitoba are worried.
In Manitoba foreigners, not residing in
Canada, are not allowed to own more
than 20 acres of foodland.
The non-resident buyers got around
that regulation by buying shares in a
Canadian company with a majority of
Canadians as shareholders, and by
having that Canadian company buy the
land.
The Manitoba government decided to
introduce legislation forcing corporations
to prove they are not foreign controlled.
(Note: Not necessarily majority owned). If
they cannot do this, a fine can be as high
as $50,000 plus 10 per cent of the value of
the sale.
Corporations now must file an annual
statement with the "lands protection
board." If the corporatation can't comply
with the regulation it will have to sell off
the land, Saskatchewan is still closing
loopholes in its Farm Ownership Act.
In that province any non-resident of the
province is considered an absentee
landowner and cannot own more that 10
acres in one parcel. The total may not
exceed 160 acres. Anyone residing within
20 miles of the border is treated the same
as a resident.
The new tougher regulations include
all non-residents, and maximum land
holding will be limited to a total of 10
acres.
In some cases a resident acted as
trustee for a non-resident. That is not
allowed anymore.
All land transactions are monitored by
the Farm Ownership Board.
The annual report of the board showed
it had reviewed 61 corporate land
transactions. 12 were violations of the act
and 29 asked for exemptions. Five of
these requests were turned down.
To protect land prices from the results
of a sudden dumping of land by foreign
companies. they have till 1994 to bring
their holdings back to the specified 10
acres.
Since the law came into effect in 1974.
around 102,500 acres have been sold. out
of 538,700 acres that must be sold.
— Adrian Vos
Agricrew available
Once again Agricrew is being offered
throughout the province as an Experience
'81 program and plans are well under way
for another successful year in the
Huron -Perth region.
FIOWITON
2 powerful models - feature 120 watts of fly
attracting black Tight which attract flies and
other light sensitive insects to a 5000 volt killing
grill where they are instantly destroyed.
Indoor/Outdoor
Model FC8500
wall mounted
or
ceiling suspended
Indoor only
Model FC7000
Please send literature
I am interested in the FC -7000 ❑ FC8500 ❑
Name Postal Code.
Address
Town
Agra -Distributors Ltd.
547 -19th Ave. Hanover N4N 3S4
PG. 16 THE RURAL VOICE/JULY 1981
Agricrew, in its fourth year is going to
be run much the same way as last year
with three crews in the Huron -Perth
region, each crew consisting of one
foreman and three crew members. The
four person team will be made up of
students between the ages of 15 and 21,
all of whom have had some previous farm
experience.
What can Agricrew do for you? Well
the objective of the program is to aid
farmers who need help with harvesting or
have jobs to be done but can't find the
time due to seasonal harvest. Agricrews
are capable of pretty well any job and in
previous years have worked at painting,
fencing. haying, picking stones. piling
wood, general clean-up. and some first
storey construction to mention a few.
Agricultural societies may also hire
Agricrew to help set up for a local fair.
Our mistake
In the News Briefs of the June Issue of
the Rural Voice, under an article entitled
"Women attend conference," Kay Elder,
of R.R. 2. Hensall was referred to as the
Queen of the Ontario Swine Farmers,"
when she is in fact, "Queen of the
Ontario Flying Farmers." We apologize
for any inconvenience this might have
caused.
GODERICH TIRE
SALES
24 Hour Road Service
TRUCK
and
FARM
Dealer for
Seiberling
Michelin
M.D.G.
CaII us DAY or NIGHT
for prompt SERVICE
Bus. 524-4116 Res. 524-4258