The Huron Expositor, 1979-02-15, Page 1414 — 'THE, HURON EXPOSITO
P,EEIRUARYY' `f , 1Otel
BY ALICE OW! '
The issue of absentee' :fereig>teaWilted
farm land is still matter of
cce a. to the
Huron County, Federation of • Agriculture,
accordingp to a: brief •resentedte MPP s Jack
FRiddell and Murray Gaunt and MP Bob
McKinley at the federation's: annual
membersof parliament dinner.
Gerry Fortune, .of Wingham, first AM'
president
.or of the anization, • told the three
g
± ,olitician$ that the organization's .concern IS
,about land owned by people who don't live iii•
province.
"Enough non-resident foreign tier ership
in any one area can affect the whole social
structure of a community." Mrs. Fortune
• said, and mentioned decreased population
• for use of community schools and hospirals
and lack of buying support for local
businesses as some of the results of
absentee ownership.
She told the members of parliament that
"local residents simply cannot compete with
foreign capital under the present economic
circumstances, The dev'al'ued dollar and
lower interest rates offered in other
countries put Ontario buyers at a distinct
disadvantage."
She said the danger is that the Canadian:
agricultural industry could, eventually ,be -
mime foreign -controlled and farmers would
end' up growing erops totally unsuited to
Canadian needs, but entirely suitable tow
• foreign interest" for their osn export per
poses.
In her 'brief, Gerry Fortune ..said one
township in. Huron County already has just
slightly less than 2,000acres of farmland
owned by people living outside the country.
To protect farmers -from having to
compete with foreign .investors, . Mrs.
Fortune said. "We need legislation in place
'now, while we still have a chance to control a
situation which could escalate faster thanthe
gdvernment could move on short notice.'.!
Jack Riddell, MPP for,Huron-Middlesex,
Liberal agriculture critic in the Ontario
legislature said he had already raised the
question ' of foreign ownership .:in the
Post bill
(Continued from Page' 15)
minister of agriculture
promised that before the
house resumed he ' would
announce where he stood on
the issue of off-track betting,
'But on Tuesday the minister.
had still not made a decision
and:. the government itself—
was
tself
was; divided.. Instead, t ".
minister- announced.' under'
questioning, that he will ask
the senate to undertake ' a
committee investigation of
the question. If nothing else,
the sight of a liberal: govern-
ment asking. the senate to
help it make up. its mind may
raise the hopes of those who
favour our present
constitution, which
maintains the senate.
Speaking personally, I do
not favour the idea of wide -
speed off-track' betting. be-
cause I fear it. would
jeopardize the operation of
the class- B racetracks in
southwestern "•Ontario, re-
moving from our.midst one• of
the oldest, aspects' of our
locally created culture and at
the same time draining
money out of the ' region•
needlessly.'
NEEDLES DRAINS
And. speaking of needless
drains of money, one
question that has been al-
lowed to slumber during the
recess concerns the recent
disastrous. Loto-Canada
wil
so : he ,Prov "al :mi to
legislature. Hes d t p.r. itict., nts "
of ;agriculture said his department tiad,n t
bete,"n, monitoring the Situ*tien Since , 19'3`
e 0
`tb
oto ...rt
r .. t.
t • found only one tet f , a
dr l
sit..
p
land was owned by foreiseers.
t fr. Riddell said; the Land Transfer Tax,
passed in 1914, .hasn't been art effective tool
in, preventing foreign ownership sinv-e�
p r y a ` ,.laic ,
'fort±gn buy,erS sitnpl, fsartii. Staid .
company' to get around the leg,isletiotl,
He said William'Nee•man, the minister of
agriculture. 'has agreed to study the question
of absentee foreign -ownership •in two
Qniario counties.
Mr. Riddell said his party '.has asked that
Huron acidtambton counties be .the tsr•o•
counties where the foreign ownership.
question is studied. He added his own party
would have trouble following up the issue
since "researchers ate spread pretty thinly
in the opposition parties'.•
Murray Gaunt Said. he had.heard: land 'in
many, parts of Germany was ;tow soling for
So,000, an acre so 'German buyers .are
purchasing land in Canada. as an investment -
Jack Riddell told the federation members,
he had recently been v istted. hs, a London
•
realtor who Wanted tetknow which farms.in
Mr.',Riddell`s area might be ay'aitable. The
realtorwas.reprisenting German money, Mr
Riddell said.
The 'member of parliament said some
-farmers don't see... the foreign• tie nersh
question as a bad thing;. They sad that the
Onlywad roan er farmers can get started,
y g
ti,day is to rent land; froni foreign ci�t•ncrs;.
!Gerry Fortune respeeded to 'M'r:
Riddell's eomment .about his party's
research department by saying. `'it you"s'e
ever seen our (the OFA's) research. depart-
ment. you'll knovv what stretched is .
Bev Brown, of Bluevale, a federation
director, asked if the provincial government
is looking at rt;hat. provinces like
Saskatchewan are doing to limit foreign
ownership.
Mr. Riddell said again that the provincial
minister of" agriculture didn't seem to think.
I:oked at
Scheme Leto -Canada was
originally set"up to help.
reduce Quebec's olympics
deficit, and the Governement'
. gave a commitment at the
that time that it would not be
extended: - beyonnd 1979.
without parliamentary
_ approval.'
Yet last June cabinet
approved an extension
without consulting
parliament, and promptly
spent S23 millionon com-
puter equipment from an
Amercian;. firm though it
could have been supplied by
Canadian firms. It also hired
50 staff and then • cancelled
the whole project, granting
lay-off pay to people who in
some cases had . not even
reported to work. The total
stupendous bill for losses is.
trot know, but the effect of
bypassing parliamentary
scrutiny is obvious. It looks
as though at least half of the
S23 million will be right down
the drain'.
GOOD NEWS
Good news for ` farmers
comes from,, the agricultural
stabilization board. We Were
advised, last week that
Ontario wheat producers will
be receiving a stabilization
payment -on' -the 1977 Wheat
Crop of 87 cents a bushel. In
1977 the Ontario Wheat
Crop was .: 30.2' million
bushels, but crop prices here
NNUAL MEETING
howick
Farmers` Mutual.
Fire Insurance Company
Wroxeter,Ontario.
The i06th.Annual Meeting of the Company will be
held at the Company Head,OUlce, Wroxeter,
Ontario on
TUESDAY FEB. 27
at '1:30 -p.m
1 PURPOSE: •
To receive the •A etinal Statement and Auditor's
Report.
2, To elect two Directors to 'replace Lloyd Michie.
and Jim Mair, wheat tents of °Mee' expires. Both
teddy* Directors are eligible for re-elkction.r
S. To approve the adoption of the following byl.t+t
#30 - Meetingel, #61 & 62.Ho1d Hattmleitis
Agtreeattent,
4. T6 appolet an Auditor 14 1979.
S. To Transact any Other balkiest whli h May rtglttly , ,
come before the Meeting.
IRON McMlICHAEL RANDY HUTCHINSON
President Manager
the; :Mae wsS. a Seriious problem. ,
Ms. am s f responded; ""Woine it make a.
l3 ,; p ��.•
t ifference. if we ,eovldprose it was..
(r
.rrFortune said.
sheunderstood!
the
province of Quebec was also discussing the
foreign ovvnership issue. She added, "Y:,u
eitherd'sas.4tntething now whett yourhave the
hani:e nor you admit you're willing to altos,. '
our natural ro$oprces, to be sold.'"
Frank Falconer, :of Tuckersmith Township
one, of the guests at the dinner, said he
objected to the, foreign ownership issue;
g
-since half the farriers here :in Hureir
(; aunty are foreigners." Mrs. Fortune
for your information
were depressed because of a.1
large crop . in the Unita
States. Growers returns..
averaged S2:17::a bushel,
well below previous levels: No
reason was., given why ail 87
cent subsidy was set instead
of the 90 'cents .;previously
suggested.;inspeeches by the
;Minister of Agriculture. It is
.etcpected"that application
forms for the payment will be
sent directly to producers,.
using names on file with the
Ontario Wheat Producers
Marketing Board.
The big event of last eveek
was of course the installation
of our new :governor-general,
Edward Schreyer. Sitting in
the Senate Gallery, I was
particularly :pleased to
witness the installation
because Mr. Schreyer and. I
took our seats together in the
House of Commons back in
1965, both newly elected for
the first time 4
explained the :federat on as.n ,
t,
about pc*laple ltrrirtl�,in. the county, , . bu t rather
e
g
about a o t fore; n investors buying the land; attd
be•tett senteee landlords.
o
cn
R ab
Frank Wall, a member of the OFA
executive. "said the result of foreign invest -
meats is ''increased land ;prices for X411 of ps,
who•`are here." •
He said farmers have ;to increase their.
price to compete with the large blocks of foreign ntt,ine)" and this.e Cntually ,w ill mean,
increased prices to the censumet:•
Ile said the federation doesn't nand farm
,people coming in fro' other.Fountries and
Employment rights
These questions and
answers based on Canadian:
Law are intended to inform
and not to, advise. No one
shoinci try to apply or inter-
pret the law asitheut the aid
.and advice of a trained,
expert who knows the facts•
of an individual case and the
law applicable.
E51PI.OY:;MIENT RIGHTS
ti%'ltat rules .and regu-
lations has the government
ettbl•ishcd dealing with
employ nlent
The Employment ` Start,
dards Act applies to'employ-
ers and employees in the
Province of Ontario, ' How-
ever, it dries not applyto
certain categories of workers
some examples:of which arc:
- personsemployed in
industries 'under_ the juris,-
diction 'of the Federal
Government '
-. policemen employed by
the municipality'
- doctors
tethers
• lawyers
dt+ntesries
How many hours must air
enlpleye.e work' per• day? •
An. .employee shall not
ta'ork 'Wore than eight `i8)
hours per davor .48hours a.
we k Where the employer
0,6employees'''tigrec.'.the
Director of Ole 1 iiployment
Standards Branch` of the
Ontario Ministry 'of Labour.
may approve a regular work:•
day of more than eight hours.
but not ip excess of twelve.
(12) hours.
It is important to note, that
even if an employer has a
permit allowing estra hours
art, employee cannot be
required to tort .over eight
hours in a day or 48 hours in
a week, without the consent
01 the employee or the
employee's ag,etu, except in.
the case of an emergency.
Also, a permit does It
relieve the employer from.
the requirementto pay over-
tire pay as required by the
Act, and 'Regulations,
I work, in an office as •x
filing clerk. The pay ,isn't
great but it's not bad either.
But 'what really bother me is
that there is a' man in the
same office doing exactly the
sa'ntc job but he gets ,thirty-
five cents (3 c) more per
hour • than i do. Ho hasn't
been working :'thereany
longer than '1 have inei he's
no better at his job than I am.
is there anythidg.I can do
about -.the sitirit otr:
It is illegal under the
�`. Employment Standards Act
for, an employer to discrim-.
irate against female employ-
- ees by paying "Ilett wages,
for substantially the Same
work perforated in the sante
establishment, the perform
ince of which requires
substantially the `same .skill.
Is fitness Important
Ask any body.; -
R. K. PECK
APPLIANCES
'`In (he heart of doge mown Vatita'."
'i%C1IM CLEANERS'- < tial("~.incl sers'ikc rtt'n.it»t utttke,:.
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.t; . SPEED•QCELN APPI IANCES: •
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x INSECT LIGHTS AND I:Lt° ltIU.INC UNITS
HAND CRAI:TED GIFTS
Varna, Ont.
482-7'] 03
ATIVE
Seaforth 345-2007
Spring seeding is fast approaching.
Now .is an; excellent' time to discuss
and order your seed & chemical needs!'
We can, .supply at COMPETITIVE PRICES
• Seed Barley
• Seed Oats
• Mixed' Grains
• Pride Seed Corn
• Seed White Beans
• Seed Soybeans
r Complete Line of Chemicals
NOTE, THAT EARLY MATURING SOYBEANS W1tL BE IN
SHOAT SUPPLY SO PLAN EARLY,
ONTARIO BEAN GROWERS
CO-OPERATIVE
5a,(t„( 0
1$'(.1 ', '7`f')P9,
effort and responsibility and
which, IS performed under
similar avorking conditions.
This applies unless the sage.
differential is based on:
a, a se niority system
b, a merit system
c. a system that measures
earnings by •quantity or
quality of production or;
d. a differential based on
any factor other than sex.
• " If you, feel you are being
discrinunttted against get ,in
touch with your local office of
the Ontario Ministry of
Labour.. They can investigg ate
;Ind can order your employer
p ,.
tolt. av' the difference for as
long as you have been
discriminated against.
farming, the and Since "all .of .ttS were
imports, at one titre."
If the 'federation researeh, does find a
surge of foreign, ownership: in Ontario
however, Mr. Wall said, then".' we can go tq.
the p royincial and federal government and
ask theta, what are you going :tpt.clo to put a
lid on it?"
t � fore; n- wn . i
He said the_aftseinee Rsh.p
g. ta,....e
issue has ,also Surfacedin both Gey and •
Bruce counties recently,
Still' on the issue of •land .use, John
Van.Beers, of RJ .i, :Blyth the regional
,director of Huron East Central' for the
federation,' told the ;three members that
farmersare reluctant to rant anyone access
'. ,.,.
to their property until changes have been, -
made to the Petty Trepass Act.
�:
landowners 'Sire
t
llnd ..,.tire ; .rest,t art.
mliable fors, inw-hojury toare' upeoplesingtheSuir chlanasdl: J-acSnpN.wlt,
obilerf
Riddell; told federation; members a private
.�41a� '�
e e,rs ll by change •ilii:act was .lost en
ttt
the second reading.
Murray Gaunt said the private trespaSF$:
bill is coming before the resources develop-
Chairs, 'in .the
meat mnaittee, Which he chi �
near futureco, "
EXCHANGING VIEWPOINTS—Robert McKinley: left MP for Huron-
and(right) Jack Riddell MPF, for Huron-MiddleSex andurray Gaunt
,
views on . farm issues with Merle:
MPP': for Huron Bruce -exchange e a m.
Gunby, .president of the Huron. County Federation of Agriculture, at the F `.
of A's annual members ofparliament meetin in Clinton on Saturday.
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