Wingham Advance-Times, 1981-02-18, Page 10•
ern Advent:te4l:1mM February le, 1981
posed agri. protection act
kilned at f seration m ing
r--
11,
By Alice Gibb
time farmers had con-
i( their indeetre, Huron
• County Federation of Agri-
culture members were told
during a meeting at Bruce -
field. recently. The man de-
livering this message was
George Kloster, chairman of
the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture (OFA) environ-
ment committee and an Ox-
foid County farmer.
Before Mr. KlTiler started
speaking dif-the need for
safeguards for the farming
industry, federation mem-
bers were handed a copy of
the OFA's proposed Agricul-
tural Development and Pro-
tection Act, which the
federation piens to present to
the provincial government.
The act, which now has the
status of a working paper, is
currently under discussion
by county federations
around the province.
One of its major proposals
is provincial agricultural
zoning, to be implemented in
any municipal ty with agri-
cultural land and which
would, in effect, result in
agricultural reserves.
The act recommends a re-
serve could be established on
agricultural areas presently
designated in existing offi-
cial plans and could include
any farmland 1,000 feet out-
side the perimeter of urban,
commercial or industrial
ones.
An agricultural, zone de-
signation would be con-
sidered by the Ontario
Ministry cf Agtieulture and
Food (OMAF) only "when a
petition is filed with the
ministry ... containing the
names of at least 20 per cent
of the landowners eligible to
receive the farm tax re-
bate."
A referendum on the
zoning could be held in the
municipality within three
months by voters receiving
the farm rebate.
"A majority vote would be
sufficient to accept or defeat
Howick Twp. sets
donation ceiling
GORRIE — At the regular
meeting off the Howick
Township Council on Feb. 4,
council members approved a
budget of $1,500 to be used
for contributions to the
various social agencies that
request assistance through-
out the year.
-Howlett Clerk -treasurer
Wes Ball said a large chunk
of this money will be allotted
to the Howick Fall Fair
Board and the Federation of
Agriculture, leaving only a
few hundred dollars for the
other agencies that normally
approach council for funds.
He said councillors felt
there was some duplication
With the agencies ap-
proaching council and then
canvassing the township for
funds as well, and council
felt it should treat the issue
"according to its priorities".
Howick Township has
graMed,its employees
per cent increase in pay for
the year 1981, but the
councilore themselves opted
to take no increase in their
remuneration for the year.
At its November meeting,
council granted its members
a $100 per year pay hike for
1980 'and decided that in-
crease would' be sufficient
for 1981 as well. That means
the reeve will continue to
draw an annual income of
$1,500 from the township
while councillors draw $1,300
per annum.
Councillors' expenses
were reviewed and it was,
decided that council
members who are appointed
to serve on a committee and
who must travel outside the
township on township
business will be reimbursed
25 cents per mile travelled.
In addition, township
employees who must travel
to conventions or seminars
will be given the same 25
cents per mile plus $25 per
day for food expenses. .
In other business, council
granted the Gorrie Com-
munity Hall Board the sum
of $2,250 for renovations to
accommodate the Gorrie
branch of the Huron County
Library.
Council accepted -a motion
appointing ' Mrs. Eldred
- Cathers and Mrs. Jasper
Farrish to the Gorrie
Community Hall Board and
Andy Kulus to the Wroxeter
Parks Board for 'the. year
1981.
Council accepted a motion
that bylaw number 5-81, a
bylaw which provides for
drain repairs and cost ad-
justments be passed.
The township's accounts
were adopted for payment
which amounted to
$55,537.69. Of this total
$10,087.96 went to -the
treasurer of Ontario with
regards to bylaw number 19-
75, while $15,478.96 was- for
the road account.
The next meeting of the
Howick Township Council
will be on March 5.
the question. A decision for
pr against -the referendum
would be binding for a period
of five years at which time
another referendum would
beheld, if petitioned."
Under the proposed act,
once an area is designated as
an agricultural -reserve, no
severances would be allowed
on the land, no land could be
converted from farridand to
non-agricultural uses, ab-
sentee fore,ign holdings of
farmland exceeaing 25 acres
would have to be divested
within three years, and con-
versions to other approved
uses, such as using the land
to remove aggregate
(gravel), would require
OMAF approval.
Also, in the case *of mul-
tiple zone designations of the
land, agriculture would take
precedence over other de-
signated uses.
Other proposals outlined in
the act, include the develop-
ment of an agricultural de-
velopment agency, "to pro-
vide technical and -or finan-
cial assistance in the areas
of pollution abatement and
Conservation." Also, the act,
calls for an agricultural pro-
motion agency, to serve as a
voice for farmers in Ontario
and to show the public the
diversity and complexity of
the farming industry.
"Problems of contact be-
tween non-farm and farm
residents would be shown in
the hope that the public
would become aware that
agriculture is a commercial
activity which is often
characterized by annoy-
ances not commonly found in
urban areas."
Finally, the act also calls
for the eransfer of the farm
pollution advisory com-
mittee, now operating under
the Ministry of Environment
and ruling on complaints of
animal waste disposal and
other farm pollution, to the
Ministry: of Agriculture and
Food.
The working paper states,
"The board would be for-
malized and empowered to
investigate the wider range
of complaints including
noise, waste and odour."
Also, the 'board would re-
commend what action should
be taken on complaints and,
in the case where a farmer
doesn't cooperate with re-
commendations, whether he
should be fined or taken to
court.
George Kloster told the au-
dience that in his opinion the
proposed act "leaves a lot to
be desired". He was parti-
cularly critical off the idea
that agricultural reserve
land zonings could be the
FANCY DRESS—Cory Weber (left), Kendra Statialcentre) and Tracy Johnson
took the eye Of the (Lodges In the fenct dress category at the Howick skating carni-
val Saturday night. (Staff Photo)
subject of a vote every five,
years. He said already in
some areas where farmers
want to expand their opera-
tions they're being pre-
vented from doing so, since
urban expansion means the
and will be zoned differently
within the next two or three
years.
Also Mr. Klosler asked
why the OFA couldn't use a
document already in exis-
tence, the government's
Strategy for the Preserva-
tion of Agricultural Land, to
draw up its own land use
guidelines.
,The speaker called for a
uniform land use policy right
across the province., While
he said the Agricultural De-
velopment and Protection.
Act working paper, prepared
by a member of the OFA
staff, was good "in theory",
he said he believes it will be
some time before it's refined
for presentation to the Minis-
ter of Agriculture.
Before discussion on the
document concluded, Merle
Gunby, an Ashfield Town-
ship farmer and past presi-
dent of the Huron federation,.
said he believed the county
federation's land use policy
plan is more comprehersive
than the provincial organi-
zation's document.
The proposed act will be
,discussed by other county
organizations, and then
taken back to the OFA for re-
vision.
Bait
your
by cafling
357Z42O
tediyI
THE EASTER BUNNY got a hand from Miss Valentine at the Belgrave HI -C
skating carnival. Debbie Taylor, Angela Taylor and Tricia' Daer were among the
many costumed characters at the carnival.
Chairman urges legislation
to protect farming community
By Alice Gibb
George Kloster, chairman
of the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture (OFA) environ-
ment doirunittee, warned 40
area farmers that "if far-
mers of all people can't
support the preservation of
good- agricultueal land, who
can?" -
The oxford county farmer
was addressing Huron
County Federation of Agri-
culture members at Bruce -
field as part of the OFA's
push for new legislation to
protect the farming com-
munity from urban en-
croachment.
The chairman said his
committee concluded "the
thrust of the policy must be
the preservation of good
agricultural land." He said
unfortunately, there's' divi-
sion within the farming
community some farmers
feel the provincial govern-
ment won't accept a string
land use policy, and many
fanners want farm sever-
ances and the option of
selling their land for non-
farm uses.
He pointed out full-time
farmers, are now, in the
minority among those who
farm and have been replaced
by part-time farmers, hobby
farmers, corporate farmers
and speculative investors
buying up farmland..
He advised farmers to
start selling the need for pro-
tection of farmland on an
economic basis. He said
agriculture must be a per-
manent, ' secure and
economically viable indus-
try, since Ontario's, farmers
"have a responsibility, not
just to Canadiaifs, but to
millions of people less for-
tunate than us."
That responsibility, ac-
cording to Mr. Klosler, is to
grow food for world markets.
He warned that one of
Canada's natural resources,
good agricultural latid, is
getting scarce. He added
that in solving world prob-
lems, "I would rather see the
use of food power than bullet
power."
He warned the audience
prqblems between farmers
and their urban, indus-
trialized neighbors won't
dimish in the future, and that
peaceful coexistence be-
tween the two groups must
be established.
RURAL -URBAN CLASH
He said the province's five-
year-old agricultural code of
practice has failed to come
to grips with the clash be-
tween farmers and their
urban neighbors. For
example, he said, many
applications to expand
existing farm livestock
operations are denied if non-
farm residents are living
nearby.
When problems arise, Mr.
Kloster said, the onus is
always on the farmer to
change his practices, rather
than , urban neighbors to
accept the noise and odors
which inevitably result from
farm operatiqns.•
Mr. Kloslef said tougher
land use ,guidelines, to pre-
serve farmland , would re-
move the existing problem of
land use guidelines being
policed by urban -oriented
municipal councils and give
farmers more input into
planning decisions.
Some of , the solutions the
environmental committee
recommended to the OFA
were improved and uniform
'agricultural land zoning, dis-
tinctions between agricul-
tural land and buffer areas,
adequate compensation
when a farmer is refused
permission to expand and
thus ' zoned out of business
and planning guidelines..
which allow farmers to plan
for their, operations on a
long-term basis.
Also Mr. Kloster said, "a
fanner must be able to keep
any kind and quantity of
livestock he wants in an
agriculturally -zoned area."
DEFINING A FARMER
He told the audience his
committee recommended it
was high time the govern-
ment defined what con-
stitutes a farm and acted on
the implementation of- a
Farmers' Bill of Rights,
written guidelines for siting,
renovation and expansion of
farm buildings and a far-
mers' committee which
could deal with harassment
of farmers and complaints
from non-farm encroach-
ment into agricultural areas.
He said his committee's
recommendations were re-
placed by the Agricultual
Development and Protection
Act, drawn up by an OFA
staff member. "To me, that
document leaves a lot to be
desired," Mr. Klesler said.
He said farmers cam-
paigning for better land use
guidelines, most capitalize
on their economic position.
Also, he warned, "the big
argumegt is going to be
amongst us, since we are 50
different." He said OFA
'must come out with a strong
land use policy to present -to
the provincial government.
In the discussion following
the speech, Lucknow-area
farmer Tony McQuail asked
how a farmer could be de-
fined. The speaker said the
problem is the Ontario
Municipal Board has its idea
of what a farmer is, the On-
tario Ministry of Agriculture
has another, the Ministry of
Housing yet ,another and
"well, the tax people, they're
off by themselves when it
comes to what a farmer is." •
Mr. McQuail replied it was
his suspicion if is easier "to
say- we need a definition of a
, farmer than to have one".
Mr. KlOsler responded his
environment committee felt,
' "we need a uniform defini-
tion (of a farmer)" which
. could be used byall goveni-
tient minlitriet, e` . :
'.AdriatiVes et,Blyth.aaked
if the environment coni
rnittee had given any thought
to the rights of animals in
drawing up guidelines for a
Farmers' Bill of Rights.
Mr. Klosler said there's no
question farmers today are
getting criticized for their
livestock practice. He said
the technology of the live-
stock industry is "putting
animals under tremendous
pressure to get production
out of them".
Before discussion on the
OFA's working paper con-
cluded, Mr. Kloster againee-
conunended working with
the government and its
Strategy for. the, Preserva-
tion of Agricultural Land'
paper; "take what we al-
ready have in existence, take
the \ government's commit-
ment." He told Huron
federation members he sees
a long refinement period be-
fore the federation's working
,,,paper is ready to be pre-
f'sented to the provincial
government.
Following the discussion
on the paper, Hullett Town-
ship farmer Larry Dillon
raised, the issue of fire in- ,
surance for farm buildings.
• Mr. ,Dillon said he believes
farmers presently are being
discouraged from -safe
managementPeiteticiby
-
iniuranee 'cornpani'..'.
said. in the Western pre-
vinces; insurance companies
offer lower rates for farm
buildings which are less
likely to burn, a policy that
doesn't seem to be followed
here.
The farmer said he has'
approached insurance corn -
panics about the matter as,
an individual, but felt per-
haps the federation would
like to investigate the
matter.
On the Suggestion of John
Van Beers, who,was chairing --
the Meeting, Mr. Dillon
agreed to meet with 'John ,
Nesbitt and his insurance ,
Committee to investigate the
matter of fire insurance
further and draw up a re-
solution for presentation at a
future meeting.
Federation members were
'informed the members of
parliament. dinner, sche-
duled for Feb. 21 in Clinton,
will be re -scheduled for a
date following the March 19
provincial election.
What's new at
Huronview?
The congregation enjoyed
a violin and organ duet by
Cecil Skinner and Elsie
Henderson. Mt. Skinner and
Mrs. Henderson conducted
the Sunday evening service
in the abseriee of Mrs.
Luther.
Huronview missed Marie
Flynn at the piano on Mon-
day afternoon when Old
Tyme Music was held. Mrs.
Henderson filled in for her.
Lorne Lawson, Wilson
McCartney, Ken Dale, Stan
Hillen, Warren Whitmore
and Jim Ruddock provided
the musical hour.
There was a very good
turnout to ceramics on Tues-
day afternoon; some of the,
ladies came for the first
time. Anglican communion
was held in the chapel that
afternoon in spite of the
stormy weather, however
the service was shortened a
bit.
Day care had to cancel its
99cent movie because of the
weather and it was shown
Thursday afternoon instead.
Resident Council held a
Meeting in the chapel Thum
dav morning. The council
would like the residents to
know that a suggestion box is
at the tuck shop and those
with ideas must sign their
name on the bottom of their
suggestions.
The Clinton Beavers
visited Huronview Thursday
evening and distributed
valentines to the residents.
Clark .Ball has really been
appreciated this past week.
Mr. Ball is always available
to spread sand on the slip-
pery road and get us unstuck
from the snow drifts.
Although he probably has
some private thoughts on
women drivers, he never
expresses them verbally.
Huronview would like to
welcome Edna Mote and
Harry Philips. These new
residents are no strangers to
the hdme as they have been
going to day care for some
time. Residents and staff are
happy to have them living at
the home.
Sympathy is expressed to
the families of Tom Yearly,
Ames Andrews and Verna
Elliott. Verna was a fiord
worker for the craft room
and sh will be missed.
•
WINGH
AUCTION CENTRE ---
Will receive household furniture and
= estate effects as usual, but due to
inclement weather sales will not be held
until further notice.
JACK ALEXANDER - AUCTIONEER
TEL. 357-1011
DIEMEIRTDALE ACRES
HOLSTEIN DISPERSAL.
Owned by
Roy & Agnes Diemert and
Family
Ayton, Ontario At
WALTON SALE ARENA
2 Miles West of Durham on Hwy. No. 4
FRIDAY, February 27, 1981
11 a.m.
Due to barn fire, Roy Diemert has been forced id
disperse his well established herd of 22 years.
Selling are 65 Registered Cows and 100 NIP Grades with
D,H.LA. records to 10,208 kg milk, 334 Fat, BCA
183M•168F with Herd Average 128-128 of
Sellina GP 'daughter of Edgeware Wayne Achilles
(VG -EX), BCA 191M -183F due May to Moch Four; her
volikocA loppf; 3rd and 4th Dam - with
hqtu prOcluctigp...1400irtn,used •$,gro .AcresMarq
kied(Eifei); Roybrook Starlite (EX -EXTRA); Bendliaven
Royal Star (G -EXTRA):, A Woodbine Milkman (EX -SP).
Herd sires used - Langstote Advancer; Langstate Jim
Bob; Franro Texal„Mark; Service sire was Romandale
Marquis Jodi.
25 Cows are fresh within the last 60 days; 40 due Feb.,
March and April. Balance are selling in various stages
of lactation.
As a Sales Manager, I feel this is one of the best
managed herds of Grey County. It is with great regret
of Roy Diemert and family to have to _disperse of this
herd.
Plan now to be with us Friday, Feb. 27th - 11 a.m. listed
Herd.
Donald E. Walton
SalesManager 4 Auctioneer
[519] 3694804.
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W1NGHAM SALES ARENA
BIG NEWS
AT THE
Wingham Sales
Arena
680 Josephine Street,
North End of Wingham
In appreciation of the patronage that the
people of Wingham and surrounding areas
hove given us in the past 2 years, the Man-
agement .and Staff of the %gingham Sales
Arena are proud to present a fine selection
of new merchandise In their expanded retail
division. This new retail outlet will remain
open on a dolly basis from 9:00 a.m. until
6:00 p.m. and Friday nights til 0:00 -p.m. We
will be specializing in a fine selection of new
furniture such as living room suites, dining
room suites and bedroom suites, round oak
tables, bow front cnbinets, press back chairs,
brass beds, tea wagons, box springs and
mattresses, kitchen units, carpet and lino-
leum, etc. Also a rod supply of men's and
women's clothing such as blue jeans, cover-
alls, jackets, shirts, sweaters, cords, 'socks,
dress pants and children's clothing. Also -
bedding, linens, giftware items, heind tools,
plus a large selection of sporting goods, guns
(new and used) fishing equipment, ammuni-
tion, etc.
P.S. The Management of the Wingham Sales
Arena will guarantee every day low discount
prices to be among, the lowest in Ontario.
Plan a visit to the Wingham Soles Arena. You
will be glad you did.
TERMS • To suit you.
Cash, Cheques, Viso, Master Charge.
NOTE • Top prices paid for antiques,
good clean used furniture and appliances.
Coll Wingham Sales Aron
' 357-1730
W1NGIHAM SALES ARENA
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