The Rural Voice, 2002-06, Page 70People
Stan Ebg a `Friend of OFAC'
All the world seems to want to
honour Stan Eby lately. In recent
weeks he has not only been named
vice-president of the Canadian
Cattlemen's Association, but made
an honorary life member of the
Ontario Institute of Agrologists and
given an award as "Friend of
OFAC".
The Ontario Farm Animal
Council's award was a surprise for
the Kincardine -area beef producer,
who was honoured for his work as
spokesman for the agricultural
industry during the Walkerton water
crisis. Bruce Christie, OFAC chair,
said Eby was honoured because of
his "accurate, thoughtful and
articulate responses" during the
crisis. Eby travelled to farms in the
Walkerton area to assure farmers that
the Ontario Cattlemen's Association
would stand up for them. Among
those he assisted was Dr. David
Biesenthal, the Walkerton
veterinarian and farmer whose farm
was identified in some reports as the
source of the E. coli that infected the
town's water supply.
"There was no doubt in our minds
that the Biesenthals were innocent of
any wrongdoing," Eby said in his
acceptance speech, "and the
(O'Connor) commission made that
finding. My concern is part two of
the report. It will take an effort on all
Stan Eby
Flood of honours for Kincardine
cattleman's work
our parts." That report will present
the commission's recommendations.
Eby, who had been asked to
OFAC's annual meeting to discuss
endangered species legislation,
quickly got over his surprise at the
award and shared the credit for the
work done. The OCA's Kelly
Daynard, he said "made me look
good a number of times." Also
deserving credit were Mike Cooper
and Gordon Coukell of OFAC and
David Armitage of the Ontario
Federation of Agriculture, he said.
"Nothing happens by one person's
movements alone."0
Daynard steps aside at OCPA
A man often thought of as the
voice of corn producers has left the
organization.
Terry Daynard, who was the first
chief of staff for the Ontario Corn
Producers Association and more
recently served as the organization's
chief policy advisor, left because, he
told Ontario Farmer, "I could see
they were headed in a different
direction than I was."
OCPA President Dennis Jack
praised Daynard. "His leadership and
dedication in agriculture has been
widely recognized, most recently
through his receipt of the Order of
Ontario award. OCPA wishes Terry
all the best in his future endeavours
and thanks him for his years of
valuable service to corn producers."
Another voice of corn producers
has also left the OCPA offices with
the resignation of Terry Boland as
communications director after 13
years. Boland, who said "it's time for
me to try something new", also did
media relations for coalitions such as
the Renewable Fuels Association,
AgCare, the Ontario Farm
Environmental Coalition and other
groups. He'll be succeeded by
Brenda Cassidy, who was executive
director of AgCare.
Meanwhile Brian Doidge will
become OCPA's full-time economist
and market analyst.0i
Well-known trapper
honoured
posthumously
The late and well-known Huron
County trapper Elmer Trick was
called "a legend in the trapping
industry" in a tribute in the winter
issue of the magazine for the
Ontario Fur Managers Federation.
"Elmer Trick is a man who
deserved our admiration. He was
an active trapper until he was 93
years old" said the magazine in its
tribute to Trick, who died on May
1, 2001.
Trick continued to cut his own
firewood until he was 91.
Trick was a conservationist. He
passed on his extensive knowledge
of nature to many people he
encountered during his active
lifetime, always ready and
extremely capable of professionally
defending and promoting wise
conservation practices, the
magazine said. He spoke to groups
from children in schoolrooms to
people in convention halls,
sometimes dealing with strident
objections to his profession. The
tribute said he responded to
criticism in the media by taking
time to write letters to present,
"logically and clearly, the facts as
he knew them."
Trick spent his early life running
the farm and gristmill on the family
farm between Clinton and
Bayfield. He joined the Huron
County Trappers Association in
1947 and was later granted a
lifetime membership for his service
in many offices. He also served as
a Director of the Ontario Trappers
Association for 18 years, serving as
chairman of the finance committee
during periods of rapid expansion
of the North Bay Fur Auction
facilities;
To encourage proper taking and
handling of furs in order to create
the highest quality furs, an area of
Trick's greatest concern, the
Trappers Association created the
Elmer Trick Raccoon Award that
was granted annually at the North
Bay Fur Convention.°