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Times Advocate, 1984-09-19, Page 5The readers write Truek parklng and farm/and issues Dear Sir: With regards to your article in September 5th edition of the newspaper on "Move to Oust Trucks", we would like to respond. We are owner -operators who have lived in Exeter for 12 years. We have always parked our truck in our driveway with no complaints, formal or otherwise, from our neighbours. We therefore feel very negative toward Exeter council's 'campaign' to pre- vent all commercial trucks from parking on their property. Their suggestion to park or store these vehicles away from our property would be very inconvenient and expen- sive to say the least. Most owner can not afford to buy or rent land or facilities to park their trucks. These trucks are valued at between 30-100 thou- sand dollars, containing several hundred dollars worth of tools, C.B., radio and other equipment, and could not be parked in unprotected or isolated areas outside of town. Drivers usually leave and return home at odd hours, and in order to get to and from the trucks, someone would have to drive them there and pick them up, or have another vehicle sit most of the week at the parking area. Although most major ser- vice work is done in commer- cial shops, the weekly service and cleaning is done by the owner at his residence. AH Targe trucks must be plugged into a hydro receptacle in cold months to facilitate starting, or they have to install pre - heaters. lf, as councillor Rose sug- gested. the truck owners may have to find an area out of town so they would not be an annoyance to their neighbours, perhaps they should also patronize businesses outside of town in which to buy their parts, tires, fuel and other equipment. Being that Exeter has a truck terminal operated by Laidlaw Transport, there are several owner -operators liv- ing in town. The company and other businesses with trucks in the area help to service the town of Exeter, bringing food and supplies for many of the stores and businesses in town, also picking up and delivering goods. Many residents of the town work in or are associated with the trucking industry. If these same trucks that are annoy- ing so many people were not doing their jobs, these people would not have clothes to wear, or food to eat, and businesses could not receive or ship their goods. The newspaper neglected to state what the complaints were about. The tractors are no heavier than the town snowplows or garbage trucks, and when parked in their driveways, they are on private property. Most of the trucks are well kept and therefore not an eyesore for the neighbours. In most cases, we are sure that the drivers corning and going attempt to keep the noise to a minimum. It seems to us that any pro- blems that arise could be worked out with out waging a compaign against every driver in town. We feel that we are as much a part of this community as every other citizen and would like to feel that there is no pre- judice being waged against one group of people, who, like ever other responsible person in this town, is just trying to make a living. We hope we have shown a truck owner's point of view and feel that this 'problem' has been blown out of proportion. Sincerely Weir and Marg Taylor Dear Bill: I thought you might be in- terested in the enclosed arti- cle written by Morton Shulman, which appeared in the Toronto Sun, September 11. Mr. Shulman is a former Member of the Ontario Legislature and apart from books which he has written on business ventures he writes in the Toronto Sun and he has a program on City TV. With the help of the newsmedia the Ontario Government may start to TASTY -NU BREAD so,r e ALWAYS FRESH TOP QUALITY NO Artificial Preservatives up to 7 varieties! Bran, Blueberry Oatmeal, etc. Buy 6 (S1.80) get one FREE Delicous and nutritious Sot Muffins Maple Leaf Processed Cheese Slices (great for sandwiches) $2.89 Ib. Try our fresh Crusty Rolls Harvest Cakes & Brownies ( fiery (? Cheese House Exeter 235-0332 Winning Windows • Sheers & Draperies • Swags & Cascades • Romans & bolloons • Venetians & verticals • Woods & rollups "The simple & the ornate'" 1 \. Free shop -at-home service Graham's Interiors 262-2112 (G. Cottrell) 83 King St., Hensall view with alarm the crisis that is indeed developing in Ontario's farm community. Yours truly, Jack Riddell, MPP Huron -Middlesex Making hay from Ontario farms by Morton Shulman A terrible crisis is develop- ing in Ontario's farm com- munity as more and more agricultural land is being bought up by non-resident foreigners and is being par- tially dropped out of production. Last week a group of con- cerned farmers from Bruce County asked me to sound a warning, for not only is farmland being lost and farm buildings torn down but it has reached the point that township tax rates are going to have to be raised because of the shrinking tax base. In addition to this, township grants from the province are being cut because the size of these grants depends on the number of householder, which is going down steadily I checked with the ministry of agriculture and according to its most recent figures 165,000 acres of farmland in Ontario are owned by nun - residents. However, the true number is much higher for the ministry's figures are over a year old and many more thousands of acres have been purchased by one particular landed immigrant under the name of numbered com- panies, which are nominally Canadian but which in fact are owned in Europe. The fact is that much of the most productive agricultural land in this province has been purchased for speculation by foreigners, the extent of these purchases has never been in- vestigated by the government and the names of the pur- chasers are unknown. One man at Queen's Park, Liberal MPP Jack Riddell has been fighting a lonely bat- tle for six years to alert the Tory government to the.pro- blem, but the Conservatives just do not seem to care. Since 1978, Riddell has been begging the government to do something to restrict foreign land ownership similar to what has been done by other provinces and in the U.S., but no action has been taken. In response to his warnings the Tories set up a committee and promised to issue a final report on the extent of foreign ownership in Ontario which was to be released no later th n Dec. 1, 1981 but that report never did appear. On May 24, 1983, Riddell reveal- ed to the Legislature that non- resident agricultural land ownership had gone up by over 100,000 acres in less than a year. PRECISION REGISTRATION — Michelle Moore and Robin Poole register Saturday with the Exeter precision figure skating club. Taking the registrations are Susan Moore and Barbara Poole. T -A photo Rhinoceros Party plans Ailsa Craig nomination The Rhinoceros Party of Ontario has announced plans for Canada's largest -ever pro- vincial nomination conven- tion. That mammoth and fun - filled event is scheduled for Ailsa Craig this Friday at 8:00 p.m. in the Legion Hall. Provincial headquarters have been established in Ailsa Craig, primarily due to the party's involvement in back- ing some members of the tur- tle races who face charges over that event from last summer. But. let's let the party ex- plain in it from the following communique sent out to the news media this week: The oppressed minions of the Big Blue Dinosaur party of Ontario have the last slaw laid on their swayed backs, and four decades of patronage -rife mismanage- ment faces the heave-ho as soon as the provincial ruler announces the date for his next intended coronation. The debt -ridden proletariat of Ontario said "Enough'" when Progressive - Conservatives. the office of the Attorney -General and the Ontario Provincial Police conspired to pour heavily - chlorinated water on the one weekend of joy permitted the residents of Ailsa Craig. where the down -trodden exist from year to year, buoyed by the certain knowledge that each July they will be lx'rinit ted a weekend of celebration, highlighted by feats of skill. speed and stamina by their pet turtles This year. the over -taxed wretches had hoped for even greater excitement during King William's Roman-slyle circus, Bi -Centennial Year This cunningly -calculated celebration was designed to have the peons forget their state of penury, and anter a state of euphoria after which they would. out of gratitude. invite King Willie hack to his throne But glee and joy were not to he The peasants dared at- tempt to keep a sliver of the turtle race proceeds to benefit their own tiny village instead of dutifully lining King Billie's baseball excursion coffers. Even a mouse will threaten when it has been cornered, but the normally gentle Rhino -- when affronted -- will charge. And the Rhinos are charging! Buoyed with their almost unanimous acceptance in the September 4 Canadian federal election, the Rhinos are stampeding into the arena of pr#incial politics. In Ontario they have established a bastion of power in Ailsa Craig, the very hamlet Premier William Davis seeks to grind under his heavy heel. The Rhinos have chosen Ailsa Craig because it is the very hub of the provin- cial riding of Iluron-Middle- Sex...and Sex is one of the platforms of the Rhino Party of Ontario, along with Gambl- ing. Booze and Country and Western Music. So profound is the despera- tion of Ontarians, and so in- tense the dedication of the On- tario !torn of the Rhino Par- ty. that a number of can- didates. unprecedented in the history of Canada. have of- fered their services to the Rhino Party and the tradi- tionally forelock -tugging elec- torate of Ontario At an all -Rhino candidates meeting last week, it was determined that at least 311 Onlarurns will seriously court the Partys provincial leader- ship. and a like number will be seeking the nomination for the riding of Iluron-Middle- Scx Their moments of truth will come on the weekend of September 21 - 23 at Ailsa Craig where Ontario's first Rhinoceros Party Nomina- tion Convention will be held. commencing at 8 p m . F'n day, at the Legion Hall The convention will be chaired by Party Rhinoceros National Campaign Director Charlie McKenzie of Mon- treal. Party Whipietlei Dominique Langevin, of the Party's Ethics Committee, also of Montreal, will scrutinize the scrutineers. All candidates, prior to the first ballot, will be permitted to espouse their platforms in deliverances which may not exceed either four minutes, or the attention span of the registered voting delegates. Press facilities will be available: the hall is licensed. Complete details will be provided at noon, Thursday, September 20, at a press con- ference at London City Press ('tub. The Rhinoceros Party of Ontario will be represented by Charlie McKenzie, Dominique Langevin, front- runner candidates for the position of Premier -In - Waiting of Ontario, and Huron -Middle -Sex candidates. Accredited media represen- tatives, prepared to capitalize the word Rhinoceros in their copy -- and spell it correctly -- may look forward to having even their most poignant and probing ques- tions . considered. Fitness Fare project started Ky I.aura McCann The first 4-11 meeting for Crediton Club V was held on September 10. The project is Fitness Fare. it deals main- ly with, food, nutrition, and fitness At the meeting we discuss- ed fitness, heartrate, and reasons why we shouldn't skip breakfast Our club leaders are Mrs. Diane Kaak, and Mrs. Linda O'Rourke. The members are as follows: Mary Fleming, president Angela Fleming, vice president Christine Nir- ta. secretary Laura McCann, press reporter ,leanett Kaak, Connie Kaak. Rosanne Dietrich. Irene Dietrich, Deb O'Rourke, Leanne Dietrich, and Sandra Hullebusch. �QDIIEbVS! The situation has now become so bad because of the poor estate market that when a farmer dies or wishes to sell his farm, there are no Cana- dian buyers and literally every farm that is sold is pur- chased by a non-resident. Foreigners are now pur- chasing the equivalent of a 120 -acre farm every single day in Ontario. Ontario has become their province of op- portunity and land bargains are universal because our farmers have fallen on hard times. In some areas of agricultural Ontario, foreign ownership has now reached 20 percent of the land. As Riddell put it, "I hope the government comes to its senses before we find the last primary resource we own in this country has been sold in large measure to foreignin- terests. Ontario has pretty well given up the shop in con- nection with most of the other resource sectors, surely agricultural land will not be allowed to go the same way. "We in the opposition are concerned not only about the loss of our agricultural land to foreign interest, but also about the long-term effects on rural communities resulting from increasing non-resident concentration. "I would encourage the minister to take a trip through rural Ontario to see first-hand the effect that a declining population has on local businesses, schools, churches and other farmers who are unable to compete with the prices foreign buyers are will- ing to offer for land." 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