Times Advocate, 1995-02-22, Page 12•
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Legion donates to Stephen firefighters
STEPHEN TORN
F 3E13.1,
(ST,ED,, � SI fop.
A donation of $1,300 has been made to the Stephen township fire department by the Ex-
eter branch of the Royal Canadian Legion for their participation with the Exeter fire de-
partment in last year's Canada Day fireworks display. Above, from the !eft Legion pres-
ident Bill Wilds presents two of the 28 sets of coveralls purchased with the donation to
Stephen Firemen's Association president Doug Lightfoot and deputy chief Don Clarke.
One Foot in the Furrow
By Bob Trotter
Ethanol plant to proceed immediately
The green light for green fuel
in Canada came down from
above at the end of the year with
the pronouncement that the fed-
eral government has finally --
after two years of procrastina-
tion -- out lined a national etha-
nol policy.
Investors have been patiently
waiting.
"This program is exactly what
we need to move ahead for
Commercial Alcohols in the
Chatham project," said Doug
MacKenzie (no, not that Doug
MacKenzie, butt head), presi-
dent of the company.
Essentially, the policy contin-
ues the existing tax exemption
of 8.5 cents a litre on ethanol
with a line of credit as a fall-
back plan if that tax is re-
imposed any time in the next 15
years. Commercial Alcohols
had been given assurance that
the 8.5 cents would continue but
was waiting for a long-term
commitment by the government.
The company will proceed im-
mediately with plans to build
the plant in Chatham and things
look rosy indeed for the area.
The province gave its assu-
rance last March that the 14.7
cents -a -litre gasoline tax would
not apply to ethanol. In addition,
the Rae government pledged $5
million to help build the plant.
Hundreds -- perhaps even
more, dozens -- of jobs hang in
the balance. Construction jobs,
of course, will be available to
build the plant. But it could
mean much more for farmers
because it is expected that the
plant will use as least 20 million
bushels of corn every year to
manufacture the ethanol. This
total is about 15 to 16 percent of
the entire provincial corn crop.
Producers are hoping that the
slumping price for their corn
crop will improve becauselhe
age-old law of supply and de-
mand will rear its lovely head.
Until recently, corn was the
biggest grain crop in Ontario.
I've been told that more acres
were planted to soybeans in On-
tario last year than to corn. i
find this difficult to believe but
the statistics are there to prove
it.
Maybe that trend will change
now that the politicians have
given the stamp of approval to
ethanol.
Already, Commercial Alco-
hols has announced that the
original plans for the plant have
been enlarged. Instead of a plant
geared to produce 200 million
litris a year, the plans now are
to produce 300 million litres a
year. The company will spend
$250 million on the facility.
That shovis faith, doesn't it?
MacKenzie has also made
some fascinating promises about
his company. It will be a model
citizen in that an environmental
assessment will be done before
construction begins in June so
that investigations on future air
emissions, waste management,
truck traffic noise and possible
odors will be carried out with
community groups and other in-
dividuals who may be con-
cerned.
Right now, there are more
than 400 retail outlets in Canada
selling ethanol -blended gaso-
line. Most of the ethanol is im-
ported. The Chatham plant
should make Canada self-
sufficient although that could
change as more retail outlets
come on line. Blended with gas-
oline, the fuel burns cleaner and
is much friendlier for the envi-
ronment.
I was afraid last fall that the
big oil companies in Canada
would use their political clout to
stop Ottawa from giving ethanol
that needed tax break. But the
Chretien government has done
the right thing here and the
thousands of corn producers in
Ontario, I'm sure, will boost
corn production to supply the
demand.
First price Increase
MISSISSAUGA - For the first
time in more than three years, On-
tario dairy farmers will receive an
increase in the price they are paid
for milk produced for the fluid
market.
The increase will take place
March 1, and will be one and a
half cents per litre. This is equal to
an annual rate of increase of .8
percent over the period since the
last increase in 1992.
This is also only the second fluid
milk price increase for Ontario's
8,300 dairy farmers since 1990.
the average price per litre paid to
the farmers for milk sold in the
range of fluid milk products avail-
able to consumers wilt be about 53
cents following this increase.
The 2.4 percent increase is less
than the rise in the Ontario general
consumer price index (CPI) of
three percent and less than the rise
in the Ontario CPI for food of 4.2
Brea kventu re
intrigues
Exeter 4-H
members
By Melinda
Nethercott
EXETER - Our
Breadventure was
off to a twisted and
entangled start for our fifth meet-
ing with soft bread pretzels. We
then moved on to experimenting
with microwave cheese bread and
microwave whole wheat bread.
Everyone was captivated by the
speed of rising in the microwave
and was thrilled with the unique
moistness of this bread.
We then learned about new and
strange forms of bread entering
the world of bread making and
about how to make intriguing
shapes to suit everyone's tastes
and preferences. Some really far
out forms include Flowerpot Po-
tato Bread, Teddy Bear Bread
and Pita Crisps. The group also
'investigated novel ideas about us-
ing bread for dough art.
HAVE US PREPARE YOUR 1994
PERSONAL TAX RETURN
RECEIVE YOUR
REFUND FROM
REVENUE
CANADA IN AS
LITTLE AS
2 WEEKS
by Wig
electronically with
us
Accurately and Efficiently
Serving individuals and farmers
Call for an appointment at our
office located in Hensall.
262-3111 or 1-800-567-0844
W.H. MacGregor
FARM ACCOUNTING SERVICE
114 King St., 17 years experience Hensel)
"PREMIUM DOLLARS"
to be t growing
NMINIMSNIe
Varieties include Certified Marathon, Cer ified Apache
• Certified Sundance
Premium of 1 bushel
WA.Thompson Henseltboard price
if export quality
Call W.G. Thompson• -•
, Hensall
262-2527 for details"A family owned Canadian company"
Seatorth Henson Mitchell Ailsa Craig Granton Pt. Albert
345-2545 262-2527 348-8433 293-3223 1 1
n three years
percent over the same period, sai}ts
the Ontario Milk Marketing Board.
The fluid milk price increase
only relates directly to the price
paid to dairy farmers. The retail
price of milk is determined by the
marketplace and is not regulated in
Ontario.
Fluid milk products include
those sold as standard homoge-
nized milk, two percent, one per-
cent and skim milk. The increase
of 1.5 cents per litre would mean
an increase of about six cents on
the common four -litre pouch pack
of milk if there are no other in-
creases at the retail or wholesale
levels.
Ontario milk drinkers consumed
more than one billion litres of fluid
milk products in 1994 up 1.3 per-
cent over 1993.
FREE FARM SEMINAR
"Succession Planning for the Family Farm"
WHERE: International College in Huron Park,
Middlesex Hall
DATE: Tuesday, February 28
TIME: 9:00 a.m.
SPEAKERS: Noble Villeneuve, MPP
Progressive Conservative
Farm Critic
Dianne Cunningham, MPP
James McNeil, C.A. and
Trish Barbato, C.A.
McNeil and Johnston,
Chartered Accountants
Ralph Earle, CLU
Sponsored by a Sun Life
...: Fin.:; ifri3i{:='.•i:{yiii.% {..:
Conservation Authority
Attention Farmers and Homeowners!
Water Quality Improvement Grants
The Clean Up Rural Beaches Program (CURB) is offering
financial assistance to farmers and homeowners for specific
projects to improve water qu in rivers and streams.
Grants are available for the rair or rebuilding of private
septic systems, construction of manure storages, milkhouse
waste water disposal systems, and to fence livestock frorn
watercourses.
Eligible Items
Manure Storage
Milkhouse Waste Disposal Systems
Fencing Livestock From Rivers
Private Septic Systems
Grant Grant
Rate Ceiling
50% $12,000
50% $ 5,000
75% $10,000
50% $ 2,000
This program is targeted at agricultural and rural residential
areas located upstream of swimming beaches. Financial
assistance is limited to those applicants who are polluting
watercourses. Proposed projects with the greatest potential
for improving water quality will be considered first for funding.
The CURB Program is funded by the Ministry of Environment
and Energy and the Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority.
A message from your local environmental partner
telephone 519-235-2610 fax 519-235-1963
n
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