The Rural Voice, 1992-08, Page 62People
This could be the start
of something big
It was the opening of one building, but a hope that
it was just the beginning of something big when Tom
Hockin, Minister of State for Small Business and
Tourism opened the Bruce Energy Centre's new
24,000 square foot office complex June 25.
Hockin was one of 500 guests, including
international bankers, politicians and business people,
who attended the opening. Archie Leach, president of
Agra Developers said eight new businesses had
undertaken feasibility studies and planning for the
possibility of locating at the Energy Centre. Those
businesses could have big spinoffs for area farmers
because they're involved in specialty food production,
vegetable and fruit processing, cereal grain
processing, a canola crushing plant and an integrated
livestock industry.
Two of these have reached the planning stage,
including Canadian Agra's proposal for a second
ethanol plant at the Energy Centre (Commercial
Alcohols currently operates a plant providing UCO
with its ethanol for gasoline sales). The plant, says
Trevor Clark, Canadian Agra vice-president, is "still
on the planning board". Doug Fletcher, Canadian
Agra Group president, said businesses locating at the
Energy Centre will have "a significant impact on the
local economy."0
Regional rider, horse off
ff
to world championship
A Clinton woman and her horse will be going to
quarter horse country this month when they take part
in the 21st annual American Junior Quarter Horse
Association World Championship in Forth Worth,
Texas.
Jackie Wildfong, R.R.1, Clinton will take Call Me
Colt, her eight-year-old sorrel gelding to Fort Worth
August 8-15. She'll be one of 1600 youths 19 years of
age or younger to take part in the competition from all
over the U.S. and seven other countries. It's an
invitational event that serves as a showcase for top
Quarter Horse exhibitors.°
Amy Thomas (left) and brother Jamie: winning in the family.
Winning becomes a family tradition
There was no surprise in the ring announcer's voice at the
Ontario Pork Congress in Stratford in June when he announced
the winner of the annual Feeder Pig Contest. It was old hat to
give the Grand Championship to Amy Thomas, the 14 -year-old
from Ethel in Huron County. It was the third year in a row she
had taken home the prize against mostly adult breeders.
This time her toughest competition was from close to
home...well right at home. Brother Jamie, 13, took the Reserve
Championship. There had been surprise a year ago when Amy
won the championship for the second straight year. There had
never been anyone win back-to-back championships in the long
history of the Pork Congress. But by this year....who could be
surprised any more.
It's hard work for the young farmers preparing for the show,
their mother Debbie says. Pigs have to be sorted and kept
separate for days in advance to make sure none get marked up.
The day before the competition Amy still had 15 pigs from
which to choose the six for her entry. The pigs get washed twice
a day for the last week to have them ready. For Amy, however,
the work has resulted in top marks three years running.°
Sorry k.d., beef country doesn't want you
The biggest name in Country and
Western music in Canada today is k.d.
lang but when it was announced that
the controversial singer was to appear
in Owen Sound, Grey county farmers
didn't exactly line up for tickets. It was
fear of a different kind of line-up that
prompted the show's sponsor, CIXK
radio in Owen Sound, to reconsider the
concert. Grey County cattlemen didn't
forget k.d.'s "Meat Stinks" campaign
and let the station know. "I felt very
disappointed that they would bring her
up here to the heart of beef country
after she had so much derogatory
comment about the beef industry," said
Carl Spencer, the Tara beef farmer who
took the issue to the Bruce County
Cattlemen's Association. Beef prod-
ucers started calling the station and
those calls worried station management
there might be a protest. When ticket
sales were also low, k.d.'s management
decided to cancel the June concert.°