The Times Advocate, 2008-04-16, Page 44
Times—Advocate
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
OC
Editorial Opinion
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Doug Rowe -General Manager, Southwestern Ontario Division
EDITORIAL
An economic
setback
There's no getting around the fact that the
impending closure of Exeter's CanGro
plant is a serious blow to the local econo-
my.
While the company isn't talking (vice-president David
Hoyle was not returning phone calls, then was said to
be unavailable until April 17), workers were told last
week that the plant will close at month's end. This
comes a few months after the company announced it
would close or sell the Exeter canner by March 31.
That date came and went without the plant closing and
rumours swirled about a possible sale to another com-
pany.
The canner has been a major part of Exeter's econo-
my for decades. It didn't matter who owned it —
Nabisco, Kraft, CanGro; locals simply called it "the can-
ners," and everybody knew what they were talking
about.
Of course, the most immediate and unfortunate
impact of the plant's closure will be felt by the approxi-
mately 150 employees who are losing their jobs — this
is a difficult time for them and their families.
But the impact of CanGro's closure will be felt beyond
those who worked there — the plant had numerous
spinoff benefits to the local economy and farmers and
other companies in the area will feel the hit.
This is not good news for the municipality, either. The
plant was a major water customer and its closure will
impact water rates in Exeter.
In the best -case scenario, a buyer will be found for
the massive plant and it will re -open in the near future;
but we don't know what's going to happen other than
the fact the plant will close at the end of the month.
In a press release last week, the municipality called
on the provincial and federal governments to revive the
former Centralia College in Huron Park to be used as a
training centre for those in the county seeking employ-
ment. That sounds like a good idea — we aren't holding
our breath.
CanGro's closure makes local efforts to improve eco-
nomic development even that more crucial. Exeter cer-
tainly isn't alone in seeing a major plant close, but it's
up to all of us, including our community leaders, to
ensure the local economy remains strong and can
recover from this setback.
- AND IN
RELATED NEWS,
A YORLD RECORD
WAS SET IN
hIE MARATHON
TOPAY,,.
Distributed by Canadian Artists Bynntcate
Small steps will pay off
Trading old tables and used kids' clothes may
not have the glamour of big government -imposed
solutions to pollutuion problems but some people
in Huron County and a few million more around
the world are quietly trying to change their habits
to help the environment, one small step at a time.
Ian and Cindy Palmatier are part of a group of
over 600 people in Huron County who are
members of Huron County Freecycle, which
is a part of the larger world wide Freecycle
network that now has almost five million
people.
The Freecycle Network describes itself as
a grassroots and non-profit movement of
people who are giving and getting stuff for
free in their own towns that is about
reusing and keeping material out of land-
fills.
What the Palmatiers and their fellow
Freecycle members across the globe have
realized is that keeping the planet clean, as
opposed to "saving it", isn't about feel -good
meaningless stunts, such as turning out the lights
for an hour. It isn't about blow -hard hypocritical
celebrities living the rock star life style while lec-
turing everyone else. It isn't about vote -seeking
politicians, or finger wagging neighbours peeking
in windows and telling others how they should
live.
What a clean environment takes, as shown by
groups who take responsibility to clean up sec-
tions of highway, is a bottom-up approach of a
series of realistic ideas, most of which were prac-
ticed by earlier generations.
It is about old fashioned ideas such as bringing
a thermos of coffee to work to avoid the
morning coffee stop and the garbage it
creates, drinking tap water instead of
carrying bottled water and spending
extra to have an appliance repaired
instead of tossing it and buying a new
one.
It is about making do with products
longer, buying used more often and
passing up on the latest consumer hype,
like the `Walkman.'
It will be about creative companies
coming up with innovative solutions at
affordable prices for repairable products, less
packaging and degradable materials to replace
plastics and styrofoam.
And the hardest lesson of all will be that being
environmental isn't about getting noticed or
preaching to others. Like charity and religion,
true environmentalism is about what you do
when no one is watching.
PAT
BACK
VIEW
BOLEN
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