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The Huron Expositor, 1994-12-14, Page 1Emo 70 cents plus 5 cents G.S.T. (75 cents) AGRICULTURE Environmental farm plans aren't the enemy, meeting told see page two. Briefly Children turn off heat at St. James On Monday morning the staff at SL James School arrived to find the heat was off in the school. It appears that young people had climbed onto the roof and turned off all the roof furnaces, according to Seaforth Police Chief Hal Claus. "Fortunately the temperature in the school did not drop down to the point where pipes would freeze," said Chief Claus. "In addition to shutting off the furnaces the plumbing vent pipes were packed with snow. This type of behaviours can have disastrous consequences." Thousands of dollars worth of damage could have resulted from this action and children could have been seriously hurt by climbing onto the school roof, said Chief Claus. "I urge all parents to instruct their children to play safe and stay off roofs," he said. "I would encourage anyone to call police at —527- 1500 should you see anyone trespassing onto the roof of the school...You must be our eyes and ears." Health Council to meet in Seaforth The Huron -Perth District Health Council will hold its December meeting at the Seaforth Community Hospital at 6:30 p.m. The council is in the practice of holding the meetings in vari- ous communities within the district, said Jeff Wilbee, Chair of the Health Council. The selection of a host site was an issue of some contention when a selection committee chose Mitchell as first choice, followed by Dublin and Stratford. Seaforth, which had made an application to host the site, expressed dissatisfaction with the process. Huron Plowmen elect officers The Fluron County Plowmen's Association annual meeting was held at the OMAFRA office in Clinton on Dec. 8. Officers for the coming year are past Pres. Robert Bell, RR 1 Kippen; Pres. Paul Betties, RR 3 Kippen; 1st V.P. George Townsend, RR 4 Seaforth; 2nd V.P. Paul Pentland, RR 6 Goderich; Prov. Director Neil McGavin, RR 4 Walton; , Sec. Treas. Marie Hicknell, RR 5 Seaforth. Huron County will be making a bid for the International Ploughing Match (IPM) for 1999. Charlene Townsend of Seaforth won the $2500 scholar- ship at the '94 Match held in Renfrew County. The next meeting of the direc- tors is on Jan. 12 at the OMAFRA office in Clinton at 8 p.m. INDEX Entertainment... pages 18, 19. Sports...pages 13, 20. Rec Preview...page 19. "Your community newspaper since 1860...serving Seaforth,.__ Dublin, Hensall, Walton, Brussels and surrounding communities." The Huron Expositor, Seaforth, Ontario, December 14, 1994 MILTON J. DIETZ LIMITED SEAFORTH 522-0608 •Pesticides & Custom Spraying • Spraying Equipment & Parts • Nutrite Premium Fertilizer • Ventilation & Livestock Equipment PURINA FEEDS & PET FOODS MUNICIPAL Huron County has new Warden in Reeve of Wingham, Bruce Machan. see page eight. Huron reagruzet success of 4-1-1 members with away see pages 2, Law change saves landfill board thousands BY TIM CUMMING Expositor Editor Municipalities in this area may save huge cash when it comes to local trash. The Mid -Huron Landfill Site board recently learned it will be spared the expense of a costly hear- ing under the Environmental Protec- tion Act. Bill Carnochan, Tuckersmith Reeve and board member, greeted the news by saying "that's the biggest thing that's happened in five years." The Mid -Huron landfill site had already met the technical require- ments of the Ministry for proper waste management. However, not all municipalities were officially on the certificate of approval for the service area. An emergency certifi- cate of approval was to run out at the end of this year. If a hearing had been required for the service area it could have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, said board secretary Larry McCabe. The cost would have been absorbed by the landfill site board. "In our opinion it's never needed a (hearing)," said McCabe. The requirement for a hearing has now been lifted thanks to a change in Ontario law called Regulation 299/'94 amending Regulation 347 regarding service areas under the Environmental Protection Act. The change was made in May of this TTM CUKMINo PHOTO SANTA COMES TO WALTON - This picture depicts Andrew McDonald, Janine Fischer and Katie Williamson, students at Walton Public School, performing in the school Christmas Concert held at Duff's United Church in Walton on Thursday. Company changing agriculture BY TIM CUMMING Expositor Editor A former Saskatchewan agricul- ture minister, now President of Canadian Agra Corporation, acknowledged "them is a fair amount of mystery and mystique associated with Canadian Agra." Lome Hepworth tried to dispel some of that mystique with an elaborate presentation to a crowd of more than 130 at the Stanley Town- ship complex near Varna on Thurs- day evening. The senior executive gave some little-known details about the massive enterprise which is described as a "family-owned private company started in 1981." Hepworth told members of the Huron Soil and Crop Improvement Association that his company is convinced that agriculture will flourish as the world's population balloons. "We're confident about the agrifood business over the long- term," he said. According to Hepworth, modest estimates suggest the world's population will double to 10 billion by the middle of the next century. Canadian Agra employs the 'integrated' agricultural concept emphasizing 'value-added' agricul- tural production. "Historically Canadian farmers are very good on the production side, raw materials," said Hepworth. "Too often we sold that raw com- modity rather than adding value through further processing and then selling onto the world marketplace." The corporate spokesperson says the company expects to make at least 10 times the cost of the raw material when production is com- pleted on each product. if Canada is to deal with its debt and deficit, said Hepworth, "we've got to make the pie h;ggcr." TUI CUMMING PHOTO INNOVATIViE AGRICULTURE - Lome Hepworth, President of Canadian Agra, spoke on Thursday to the Huron Soll & Crop Improvement Association annual meeting. The Kincardine -area conglomerate is sometimes a target of curiosity or suspicion because of its anonymous backers, large land purchases, factory - style farming operations and mammoth size. It may, however, be the leading edge of agricultural Industry. measures such as franchises of crop consulting businesses. "This business of farming is so very sophisticated today," said the guest speaker. "More and more will have to rely on the advice of these professionals just as we rely on accountants and lawyers." The high-tech agricultural com- pany is beginning to use computer sensors in the soil and sub -surface water control systems. The technol- ogy can create such items as very straight carrots desired by the con- sumer. Hepworth said the various enter- prises attached to Canadian Agra are integrated to be complementary and environmentally -sound. "Waste from one plant becomes fend stock for another." see Former pg. 2 Canadian Agra has various agri- culture -related enterprises, signifi- cantly including its alfalfa produc- tion. The company has completed an engineering study on an ethanol plant which could produce millions of litres of ethanol. Other endeavours include research and training facilities, a vineyard, an irrigation project, a wind energy, experimental program, Canada's only apple concentrate plant and a canola crushing plant. Many of the projects involve international investors and partner- ships. "All our subsidiaries act as indi- vidual profit centres." Other projects include innovative year. "Regulation 299 does apply to (the Mid -Huron Landfill Site)," confirmed John Gasbarri, review coordinator with the waste sites and systems unit of the Ministry of Environment and Energy approvals branch. "They can expand the ser- vice area for use by their board member municipalities." Gasbarri said the Ministry is not amending certificates of approval because lawyers have suggested it's not necessary. He said, however, that there appears to be s4We,r- cerns expresssed ard"an amend- ment may be warranted." The Mid -Huron Landfill Site originally consisted of Goderich, Colborne Township, Goderich Township, Clinton and part of Tuckersmith Township. Lueknow and Bayfield later joined the service area, followed by Seaforth and the remaining half of Tuckersmith Township. Huron bids for IPM BY TIM CUMMING Expositor Editor The International Ploughing Match (IPM) may return to Huron County for the fourth time if the Huron Plowmen's Association gets its way. At a meeting in Clinton on Thurs- day the group announced it would seek to host the prestigious event in 1999. Members of the Huron association Accomnnidation f originally . contemplated a, bid .foe... "1riYRtk of 'itsitothlit if u the IPM in the year 2000 but a a concern, said McGavin, but trailer the Ontario Plowmen's Association (OPA). The site of the IPM must have a minimum of 600 acres. The 'tented city' built at the IPM can cover 100 acres. The facility must also have three-phase Hydro. Land owners in the area are wet- come to approach the Huron Plowmen if they are interested in hosting the event. "We would sooner somebody would volunteer," said McGavin. 1 6•.1II 11 is 6 — county is already making an appli- cation. The 1999 date marks the 75th anniversary of the Huron County Ploughing Match. Financial support from the county is essential to the success of the bid, said Paul Betties, new president of the Huron Plowmen's Associ- ation. The application to host the 'Big Match' must be approved by the Ontario Plowmen s Association (OPA). The OPA will also select the site for the event. The Huron Plowmen's group must now find three sites which would be suitable for hosting the large-scale event. Hydro, the size of the farm and availability of water are key concerns in the selection of a site. "It's a big venture," notes Neil McGavin, a provincial director of iisGi�lN s;r`�' areas can house many people. Huron County first hosted the International Ploughing Match in 1946. It was dubbed the 'Victory Match' as it followed the victory of the Allied Forces in World War II. There were no International Plough- ing Matches held during the war years in Ashfield Twp. • The IPM returned to. Huron in 1966 when it was held at Scott Poultry Farms in Seaforth where it rained for days. "It was the greatest place for mud I've ever seen," recalls Simon Hallahan, of RR 3 Blyth. Huron hosted the event for the third time in 1978 at the Armstrong farm in Wingham where a visit by Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon's surface, drew record crowds to the opening day. ',Big Matches' remembered The International Ploughing Match (IPM) is an event which pulls people together. Just ask Simon Hallahan, of RR 3 Blyth. He has helped to organize every IPM held in Huron County. "It's the most wonderful get- together for a community that you could get anyplace," he said. "Urban and rural people work together, talk together." The 95 -year-old retired dairy farmer is a lifelong resident of the Blyth area, having been born on Lot 40, Concession 5 of East Wawanosh Township. Although he has never competed at the 'Big Match', Mr. Hallahan is well -aware of the importance of a straight furrow. "I was always interested in ploughing, I started when I was 11 years old," he recalled. "I wanted to be tidy, I like to see a nice job done." He recalls the IPM of 1946 when the ploughing was just as likely to be done by horses as by tractors. His memories of early ploughing matches include recollections of good meals and an exciting trip in a plane. During the IPM at the Scott farm near Seaforth in the mid -60's he served on the special events com- mittee. The long-time dairy farmer said a Ploughing Match is an excelknt way for people to have fun and to learn from each other. "I learned more than anybody who went to university; he said of his involvement in the hotting of iPM's in Huron. - Mr. Hallahan has attended several county and international ploughing matches. He says the event near Wingham in 1978 was one of the best-plaiiiicu REMEMBERING PAST PLOUGHING MATCHES - Simon Hallahan, of RR 3 Blyth, remembers more than his fair share of International Ploughing Matches, matches he can remember. The Seaforth-area match was also good, he said. "From Scaforth the principal thing we learned was working together, planning together and beautifying the community." The long-time member of the Plowmen's Association has no doubts the Huron group is capable of hosting the 1999 match. He has high praise for the mem- bers, saying "I don't think you could get any better in Western Ontario." Although he =fiat; -=seen many IPM's over the years he says the spirit has not been lost. "i don't think the principle of the ploughing match has chanced. wings have just got bigger."