Loading...
Huron Expositor, 2006-04-19, Page 3News Huron County farmers help slow traffic at food terminal Susan H u n d e r t m a r k imagmin Huron County farmers were driving some of the 150 tractors and pick-up trucks that slowed traffic at the National Grocers' food termi- nal in Cambridge last weeks And, while organizer Bev Hill, of Varna, says participa- tion by farmers across Ontario from all com- modity groups was "simply amazing," he's not so thrilled about the promise that the farm income crisis will be addressed in the upcoming federal budget. "Because of the way we were misled provin- cially, we're going to hold judgement until we see the document," says Hill of the federal budget. He adds that provincial Agriculture Minister Leona Dombrowsky had advised farmers they'd like what they saw in the provincial budget but such was not the case. "If, as politicians say, less is more, that's the only way we'd have liked that budget," he says. Hill attended both the protest in Cambridge Wednesday and Thursday and the protest at two food terminals in Ottawa on Saturday. He says it was illuminating talking to truckers all night, finding out that many were actually farmers driving trucks to bring in enough income to keep their farms. "We never had one truck driver approach us who was angry," he says. The many tractors and trucks drove slowly around the area of the food terminal in Cambridge, trying to con- trol the number •of trucks entering and exiting the ter- minal, slowing them to one truck every 15 minutes. "One ,hundred and fifty vehicles take up a lot of road," he says. But, he says, farmers learned that far fewer farm vehicles are necessary to slow or block traffic, if as hap- pened in Whitby, six tractors circle inside an intersection, stopping occasionally to allow traffic to flow. "It was a learning experi- ence. We know now if we have to, we can shut off the supply of food. We do not want to do that but we advised the gov- ernment that would be our next step," ,says Hill. "If it comes to that, it will have been the gov- ernment's decision," he says. At a • .} news con- ference in Ottawa Saturday, farm- ers were told by federal Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl's assis- tant deputy minister that details about fed- eral aid to farmers would be worked out over Easter weekend. Hill says farmers have made clear that they need $550 million or $100 an acre in aid for the 2005 crop along with a risk manage- ment program that will address losses in 2006 and beyond. He says both the Teamsters and the Canadian Auto Workers have advised farmers in the Grassroots Movement that if farmers need to slow or stop the move- ment of food again, they will regard the protest as a picket line and will not cross it. "The unions seem well aware of the num- ber of jobs that agricul- ture produces," he says. But, adds Hill, "we are so hopeful that common sense will I*e- vail," and the govern- ment soon announces both provincial and fed- eral aid to farmers. Huron County Federation of Agriculture president Nick Whyte says sever- al members of the fed - 'One hundred and fifty vehicles takes up a lot of road,' -- Bev Hill, Varna farmer eration attended the Cambridge protest. "The federation supports any level of protesting that doesn't break the law," says Whyte. The Huron Expositor • April 19,20045- Page 3 ZWEULGLICif- FARM EQUIPMENT SEAFORTH 527-0120 EXETER 235-2121 www.teamvincent.com CASE Win cash with the Mortgage Millions Giveaway. Over X2,000,000 available to be won • Every eligible mortgage gives you a chance to win 1 of 60 cash prizes of S10,000 • Swatch & Win prizes also available Visit a branch today - over $2 Right now TD Canada TFust has an offer that will really make you feel at home. All you have to do is apply for a mortgage before May 26, 2006. Every eligible mortgage' will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win 1 of 60 cash prizes of $10,000. And that's not all. There's also one and a half million dollars in scratch and win cash prizes available to be won for Visit your nearest TD Canada Trust branch for contest information or www.tdcanadatrust.com/mortgages/contest million available to be won.' anyone who's interested in just talking to us. Visit a branch for your chance to win. Whether you're looking for security with a fixed rate mortgage or flexibility with a variable rate, we have the mortgage that's right for you. Simply visit your nearest TD Canada Trust branch or call 1-866-884-5261 to book an appointment with a Mobile Mortgage Specialist. MORTGAGE MILLION, GiveaW Canada Trust Banking can be this comfortable 1. 2,300 Sankt' and Wm prizes ranging from $500 to $2,000 (total value CONS1,500,000) ore available to be won. Odds of winning a prize ore approximately 1 in 1,115. No puchase required for Scratch and Win. Suutch and Win prizes must be darned by May 26, 2006, 60 Sweepstakes Draw prizes of $10,000 each (total value $600,000) ore available to be won, are h each of 60 Nadi &tins. Odds of winning depend on the number of eigible entries received within that &strict. New mortgages of $50,000 a more outstaring by August 31, 2006 ore eighlle for the Sweepstakes NOW. Open to Canton residents over age of majority. Ski -testing question required. Contest ends 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time on August 31, 2006. Full Rules ore available at www.tdcanadatrustcom/malgages/contest or in branch 2. To be eigitle for the Sweepstakes Draw, a new TD Canada Trust residential mortgage must be appied fa between Mardi 13, 2006, and May 26, 2006, inclusive and must result in $50,000 of new funds being advanced/released and outstanding by August 31, 2006. An eipible mortgage can not be a renewal a a refinancing of an existing mortgage, unless on additional $50,000 is advanced and outstonding. An eligible mortgage can be either a regdar mortgage a a Name Equity line Croat.