Loading...
The Citizen, 2006-02-16, Page 1Getting an earful Ontario Federation of Agriculture president Ron Bonnett, left at table, and vice-president Paul Mistele, right, along with Nick Whyte, president of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture, listen to speakers at a meeting at Blyth and District Community Centre, Friday. Many speakers were critical of OFA for being too polite with governments. (Keith Roulston photo) OFA told, 'Stop being Mr. Niceguy' r NORTH HURON PUBLISHING COMPANY INC Inside this week Pg Big plans for • u conservation park Pg. 7 Pg. 8 Country girl hopes to be country doe Lightning plays in Silver Stick pg. u Broomball teams in tournament in Country crooner rg.. 17 comes to Brussels Clubs • The Citizen Serving the communities of Blyth and Brussels and northern Huron County Volume 22 No. 7 Thursday, Feb. 16, 2006 $1 (93c + 7c GST) raise cash for kids Snowmobilers will have an opportunity this weekend, provided the weather holds, to enjoy their sport while contributing to a great cause. . • For the - second year, the. North Huron Snowaraha for Easter Seals Kids, organized 'by the Blyth Snowtravellers, St. Helen's, Colborne, Clinton and District and Wingham and District Snowmobile Clubs, is being held. Last—year's event raised over $8,000 for Easter Seals Kids. Since its first year in 1975 Snowarama has raised more than $15.2 million for kids with physical disabilities. The local event is Feb. 18, with registration from 9 a.m. until noon at the Huron Fish and Game Club, 278 Alma St.; Clinton. An OFSC trail permit is required. Drivers are invited to raise pledges in support of children, -youth and young adults with physical disabilities. -1 Pledge sheets are available by -calling 519-482-9113 or 1-888-278,-7797, ext. 225. Ninety-five per cent of the monies raised goes to programs, services and research. The remaining five per cent covers administrative support and management. Also money raised locally, stays local. Every dollar raised will directly benefit the 52 kids in Huron County who depend upon Easter Seals support. • The route covers 130 miles of North Huron trails from Clinton to Wingham, Lucknow, St. Helen's and Blyth. Begin your day with breakfast at the Fish and Game Club before heading out. There will be a barbecue dinner that evening, as well as a 50/50 draw and numerous incentive prizes. Kevin Armstrong, a Clinton businessperson is holding a silent auction at the event for a kidssnowmobile, valued at $1,000. By Keith Roulson Citizen publisher From the moment the floor was opened for questions when Ontario Fedeiation of Agriculture President Ron Bonnett and vice-president Paul Mistele met local farmers in Blyth, Friday, the message was' clear: stop being Mr. Niceguy. Bev Hill of Varna, organizer of a demonstration at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs's Guelph headquarters, Tuesday, drew attention to all the white hair among the 30-40 farmers present saying there's a 20-year gap in - the farm population. Unless something is done immediately to improve farm incomes, he said, "this industry is going to die! Your organization (OFA) is going to die!" Hill suggested there would have been more farmers at the meeting but so many have to take off-farm jobs to keep going. "It's disgusting so many farmers have to work off the farm," he said. Grains and oilseeds farmers need at least $100 per acre support from the government immediately in order to get the spring crop in the ground, Hill said. If the warm weather arrives and the OFA hasn't been able to achieve that funding, he said, "then my organization will have failed me and my neighbours. The time for quiet diplomacy is gone." He warned Bonnett and Mistele that all the-government had to do was stall on funding until farmers were busy planting and the momentum will be lost. "We need sound, decisive action now," he said. But Mistele argued that OFA has been getting action from the provincial government with a quieter approach. At the premier's summit on agriculture, he said, Premier McGuinty set aside his agenda to discuss the farm crisis and what he intends to do about it. With the exception of a short time to attend to other business in the middle of the day, the premier spent the entire day at the summit, Mistele said. Mistele said the biggest change in the attitude of the provincial government was brought about by the number of formerly Liberal rural ridings that-went Conservative in the Jan. 23 federal election, perhaps because of farmers unhappy with farm policies. Stephen Thompson of Clinton told the leaders that the provincial and federal governments need to be given one simple message: give Ontario farmers equity with U.S. farmers. "Quiet lobbying makes no sense," Thompson. "Just say equity with U.S. farmers. Anything longer than four words gets them confused." Thompson, who also operates- a farm accounting business, warned Bonnett_ his 85 farm clients were asking what their OFA membership is buying. "I've never seen before what r'm seeing now," he said. "People are saying they want to pull their (membership) money back." But Mistele said he was tired of people saying their farm organizations don't do anything for them. He pointed to funding gained after the United Voice march on Queens Park last spring to more money for nutrient management programs and other initiatives as proof that farm organizations are working together for the betterment of farmers: Mistele argued that when he gets abusive phone calls he isn't likely to listen to what is being said and if farm leaders humiliate politicians in public, they're not likely to listen to farm leadership either. He assured thse present that when OFA leaders met government officials face-to- face behind closed doors, there was harsh criticism of the government. He said the grassroots movements like Hill's can be helpful in allowing farm leaders to say their members are pressing for action but OFA has had trouble getting farmers to turn out in support of protests in the past, he said. Leadership needed to know it had the members backing, Mistele said. But Les Falconer of Clinton asked what had happened to a resolution sent from the Huron County Federation of Agriculture to OFA, a year ago which was passed by the provincial directors. That resolution called on OFA to organize withholding of property taxes by farmers if the government did not come up with adequate funding by January 2006. "Why didn't you do anything?" Falconer asked. Mistele said the OFA's finance committee looked at the resolution but then dozens of letters began arriving from municipalities supporting a call for federal and provincial funding. Three other municipalities including Huron East allowed farmers to delay paying their property tax until fall harvest. With all this support OFA leadership didn't think it was wise to hurt municipalities with a property tax strike, he said. Mason Bailey of Blyth, who had proposed the tax strike, recalled the similar effort in 1970 which was led , by the Huron Federation that_ withheld property taxes until the 'provincial government came up with a plan to take the school portion of property taxes off farm land. It took a lot of work to get province-wide support for the plan, Bailey said. "I personally made about 200 calls. We got what we wanted." It was proof that if enough farmers work together they can get the government to act, he said. Bailey said farmers need to be like bees: bees can be peaceful but if you start messing with them, they sting. Bonnett and Mistele promised to take the opinions of those attending the meeting, plus other meetings in Huron and Perth during their two-day visit, back to the OFA for consideration. Beaven MVCA chair By Heather Crawford Citizen staff Huron East councillor Mark Beaven was elected chair of the board at the Maitland Valley Conservation Authority during a meeting held in Wroxeter on Feb. 8. "I think the. reason why they gave me this position is because traditionally the chair is not supposed to speak so much at meetings," he joked. "That should cut the meetings by about an hour." Beaven, a resident of the Grey ward said he was honoured to accept the position. "If I could sum up what I would like to do [in this position] in one word, that word would be awareness," he said. "We have to raise awareness of the good story the conservation authority has to tell, the reputable staff here and everything it has to offer." „. Local municipal councils need to be aware of what the conservation authority can do for-them, he said. "1 am confident between the exemplary staff, the board of directors, and friends of the conservation authority that we will be able to meet this goal of awareness in 2006." Stepping down from the position of chair was Alison Lobb of Central Huron. Lobb was chair during the conservation authority's 50th anniversary in 2001, as well as when the authority received the award for planning excellence from the Ontario Professional Planners Institute, and when the two millionth tree was planted in 2001. Lobb said one of the highlights of her time as chair was having the opportunity to take local municipal councillors on an air tour of the lower Maitland River between Auburn and Goderich and also being a part of the Maitland Watershed Partnership, a forum for community, provincial and federal organizations to co-ordinate their efforts for conservation. "My kids tell me I have big feet," Beaven said. "Burthey'll have to grow quite a bit more to fill out the shoes Alison is leaving behind." Lobb served as chair for the full five-year maximum that is allowed. Before stepping down she presented nine of the 13 staff members at the Maitland' Valley Conservation Authority with recognition of service awards. Julie .Behrns of North Perth was elected as vice-chair. In addition to Beaven and Behms, the MVCA board of directors and the municipalities they represent are-John Bowen of Wellington North, Mapleton and Minto, Jim Campbell of North Huron, Wilf Gamble of Huron-Kinloss and South •Bruce, Alison Lobb of Central Huron, Jim Nelemans of Morris-Turnberry, Rosemary Rognvaldson of Howick, Deb Shewfelt of Goderich, Arnold Story of West Perth and Perth East, and Ben Van Diepenbeck of Ashfield- Colborne-Wawanosh.