The Rural Voice, 1983-02, Page 4RELENTLESS PURSUIT
OF AGGREGATE
Included in the resolutions carried at
the July and Sept. OFA board meetings
were two (Renfrew & Prince Edward
Counties) expressing serious concern
regarding the strategy of Ministry of
Natural Resources and its disregard for
foodland guide lines when compiling &
mapping mineral aggregate (sand &
gravel) deposits at the local level.
In their relentless pursuit of aggre-
gate reserves, no matter where, and
with absolute disregard for any moral
obligations to those generations who
will follow, they plan, and prepare maps
for the mining of aggregate and the
eventual exploitation of large areas of
Class 1 to 5 farm land, virgin bush,
provincial forests, and wet lands that
are the sources of such large rivers as
the Saugeen, & Rocky Saugeen, plus
many other large creeks, & water
courses, & resources which, if allowed
to materialize will relegate the imme-
diate area to a backwater moonscape. It
would also pose incalculable, environ-
mental & irreparable damage to the
thousands of acres of prime food
producing land to the west which forms
the basin leading to the estuaries of
Southhampton and other points in Lake
Huron.
LETTERS
Alternate supplies of aggregate do
exist in Ontario (Sudbury & Thunder
Bay) with rail track already in place and
where minimal damage to people, agri-
culture & the environment would be
incurred.
The protection afforded to the citi-
zens of Grey county by an impact study
of the whole watershed area no longer
exists.
William Hodges
R.R.2 Mount Forest
PROPERTY TAXES
A PRIVILEGE
I am concerned about the lack of
response to the provincial government's
plan to eliminate property tax on farm
land and farm buildings in 1984.
(1) Property tax makes up less than 1%
of a farmer's input costs in any given
year. It is an insult to farmers for the
present provincial minister of agricul-
ture to be claiming that it will be a
great benefit to farmers not to have to
pay their property taxes. Is this not
going to lead urban people to believe
that they are subsidizing our farm
taxes? If they are left with this impres-
sion, will they then feel that they are
part owners of our farm land?
(2) I am concerned about my relation-
ship with my suppliers who are also
Farm and Commercial Buildings
KASE VANDEN HEUVEL
CONST. CO. LTD.
R.R. 2 Goderich or
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PG. 4 THE RURAL VOICE, FEBRUARY 1983
business people like myself. Are their
business taxes going to be subsidized
also? Is the supplier going to feel that
because he is helping to subsidize my
taxes, then he's not going to feel
obliged to sharpen his pencil when
doing business with me? I would be
reluctant to ask him.
(3) As a farmer I freely use the roads
and other facilities provided by our
municipalities and believe it is my
responsibility to contribute to their
upkeep in the same way as other
residents of the community.
(4) And what about the mineral rights
on my property for oil. gas and aggre-
gates? Who would these belong to? I'd
say that if the government is paying the
taxes on my land, then the mineral
rights would belong to the government,
who can do with these as they see fit.
(5) Is this plan going to further erode
the power of our local municipal gov-
ernments and lead us closer to another
state-controlled system of regional gov-
ernment. At the present time our muni-
cipal governments can borrow money
from the banks using as collateral the
tax base. Without this formal tax base,
have they lost their bargaining position?
(6) The 500/o subsidy we have been
receiving for the last few years has
been returned to us in recognition of
the fact that education costs should not
be taxed against the land, but is a
people tax. I am in agreement with this
philosophy, but perhaps a better me-
thod of raising money for education
would be to add to our present sales
tax. This method of collecting money
for education would not add to our
bureaucracy as the system is already in
place to collect sales tax. This system
would also remove from our munici-
palities the responsibility for collecting
education taxes.
Personally, I am pleased to have the
privilege of paying my fair share of
property taxes on my land. If anyone
supports my concerns, please contact
me at 357-1651.
Jim Armstrong
R.R. 4, Wingham
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