The Rural Voice, 2002-01, Page 50BRUCE
Emawebs brwww of a on ca 519-364-3050 or 1-800-275-9551
website. www.ofa.on.cabruce
446 10th St., Hanover, Ontario N4N 1P9
Count1 Federation o Agriculture NEWSLETTER 'TheRCountl iFace rms rsbytheed Bruce
f f � County Farmers by the BCFA.
OFA: Major success on the key issues
Retail Sales Tax
• Lobbied to reduce the RST Ontario
farmers pay by approximately $I0
million per year. RST on farm building
materials is now exempt at point-of-
sale. Also exempt are lubricants,
grease, anti -freeze, etc. for farm
machinery. (OFA continues to work on
broader at -source RST exemptions.)
• Assisted hundreds of members
make RST rebate claims for past
purchases, with claims ranging in size
from $25 to more than $6,000.
Safety Nets
• Lobbied for and received "equity" -
based formula for federal safety net
funding distribution, resulting in an
increase in Ontario core safety net
funding from approximately $106
million in 1998-99 to $137 millino per
year under the new federal -provincial
safety net agreement.
Total funding for safety nets,
including the provincial contribution of
40 per cent will be $228 million per
year. Continue to lobby for more.
• Achieved a three-year commitment
from both the federal and provincial
governments to continue with a disaster
relief program, with additional funding
secured. Continue to lobby for
enhanced funding.
Electricity
• Saved Ontario farmers more than
$5 million per year by correcting the
OEB rate order, which would have
raised rural power rates by three per
cent.
• OFA argued effectively to have
electricity distribution rates reduced,
thereby saving about $30 per farm.
• Launched phase one of a stray
voltage research program with
Ridgetown College and the University
of Guelph, with funding from Dairy
Farmers of Ontario, Ontario Pork and
Ontario Cattlemen's Association.
• Saved members an estimated 20
per cent on power cost portions of
hydro bills by promoting a "go slow"
approach when signing up for
electricity suppliers.
Transportation
• Persuaded the government not to
ban the use of lift axles on trucks.
(Work continues on this issue.)
• Worked with Ministry of
Transportation to compile a new
guidebook called, Farm Vehicles and
Equipment and the Highway Traffic
Act.
Drainage
• Received government commitment
to maintain grant rates under the
Municipal Outlet Drainage Program for
2000 and 2001.
• Worked with the Federal
Department of Fisheries and Oceans
and Conservation Authorities on
implementation of Class Authorization
for Agricultural Drain Maintenance.
Labour Issues
• Intervened at the Supreme Court of
Canada to provide a farm employer
perspective on the United Food and
Commercial Workers court challenge
BRUCE COUNTY FEDERATION OF AGRICULTURE
DIRECTORS' MEETING
MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2002 - 8:00 P.M.
Sprucedale Agromart
R.R. #2, Walkerton
25th sideroad Brant (north off of former Hwy.#4 - east of
Walkerton)
MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND
46 THE RURAL VOICE
to the repeal of the Agricultural Labour
Relations Act.
• Working to improve the
employment insurance system for farm
family members.
Farm Family
• Initiated Task Force on Rural
Child Care. Continue to work with
provincial and municipal agencies to
improve the delivery of child care
services for farm families.
• Provided support for the
development of the "Farm Line," a new
counseling and referral service for
Ontario farmers and their families.
Environment
• Committed significant resources to
Walkerton Inquiry to ensure farmer
interests are well -represented and
understood. (Agriculture has not been
identified as a major contributor to the
Walkerton tragedy to date.)
• Intluencing OMAFRA's drafting
of Agricultural Operations Act to keep
legislation narrowly focused.
• Completed a Pilot Project testing
ISO 14000 as an Environmental
Management System which concluded
that the ISO approach is cost -
prohibitive, but a made -in -Ontario (or
Canada) EMS is worth investigating.
• Involved in developing and
administrating the Agricultural
Environmental Stewardship Initiative
(CARD funds flowed through the
AAC).
• Continue to work to secure
funding for the Environmental Farm
Plan program.
• Received government commitment
to maintain grant rates under the
Municipal Outlet Drainage Program for
2000 and 2001.
• Applied to Healthy Futures for
funding to support well upgrades and
decommissioning.
Elections
• Compiled a Municipal Election Kit
for members to help them assess
municipal candidates on agricultural
issues.
• Compiled comprehensive federal
party platform information for
members, prior to the federal election.e