CouncilBriefs

Few,orveryfew,peoplewouldarguethat anything good came out of the Corona Virus pandemic. But, well, forgive me if I show my optimisticside for a moment and say that one of the thingsthe pandemicdid was force us to look aroundusandseetheeverydaythingsandpeople inourlivesfromadifferentperspective.Andyou know what? Looking at things from a different perspectiveoftenprovestobeenlightening.

For sure, the pandemic provided us with an opportunity to consider who our unsung heroes arethatwecountoneveryday.However,Iknowit surprised most of us when we realized the importanceofnotonlyourhealthcareworkersbut a boatload of others, such as grocery store workers, delivery people, transport drivers and those in food processing, handling and will not be allowed to occur close to a personal dwelling. This makes it almost impossible for a farmer to operate his business where maybe he and his ancestors have lived and made a living feedingtheworldforgenerations.

This week I had the privilege of meeting with Manitoulin-North Shore Federation of Agriculture members. They requested a meeting tosharesomeurgentconcernsaboutthedirection Premier Ford is taking this province, which will prove to be to the extreme detriment of the farmingcommunity.Andifthefarmcommunityis aggrieved,thedamagewillquicklybefeltbythe restofuswhocountonfarmerstofeedtheworld.

OBITUARY ROBINSON, Lillian Barbara (nee Crozier)

Passed away peacefully at the Chapleau HealthCentre,onSundayMay28,2023in her90thyear.Belovedanddevotedwifeof the late Orville Robinson for 66 years. Loving mother of Cheryl Tessier (Daniel) and Janice Simpson (Tim Schmidt, late Peter Simpson). Proud grandmother of Cary, Robin (Kris), Thane (Petrina), Lindsay and Jessica (Clay). Great grandmother of Brody, Steven, Reese, Everett, Linden, Wesley and Ryann. Survived by herbrotherThaneCrozier(Helen)ofElliotLake,Ontario. She ispredeceasedbyhersiblingsandtheirspousesClairCrozier (Audrey), Leigh Crozier (June), Dorothy Thrasher (Cecil), ShirleyCouling(Richard)andalsoaninfantsisterEsther.She willbemissedbyhermanynieces,nephewsandfriends.Lillian wasborninDarnley,PrinceEdwardIsland,daughterofthelate William Bruce and Beatrice White (Campbell) Crozier. Following the death of her young mother, her family moved to Chapleau,aboomingrailwaytowninNorthernOntario.Thisis where she met Orville, her future husband. After graduating fromChapleauHighSchool,LillianenteredTeachersCollegein NorthBay.ReturningtoChapleau,sheembarkedonacareerin education of over three decades teaching every grade in the Public School.Along the way with many weekend studies and summerschools,sheobtainedthreeuniversitydegrees.Lillian was a very caring person for family, friends and students. In retirement,shewasanactivevolunteerandleaderintheUnited Church and the Chapleau Hospital Board. Longing for her roots, Lillian and Orville built a cottage (Beatrice Bluffs) on Darnley Bay, P.E.I, just across from her birthplace farm. Many enjoyablesummerswerespenttherewithfamilyandfriends.At Lillian'srequest,nofuneralserviceswilltakeplace.Cremation will take place at River's Edge Cremation Centre, Sault Ste. Marie.AcelebrationofherlifewillbeheldinP.E.I.atalaterdate. (Arrangements entrusted to Kerry Funeral Home, Wawa, 1800-439-4937).www.kerryfuneralhome.ca

The OFA and many other agricultural federations and groups are extremely worried about Bill 97, the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023. The farmers are watchingBill97withbatedbreathasitisalready in Committee in the legislature and will soon be presented for third and final reading and becoming law. So little time is left to get the government to amend the bill before the industry is permanently and irreversibly damaged. And if the farming industrysuffers,sodoesourfood supplyandenvironment.

For decades there has been a noticeable trend for urbaniteswhowanttorelocateto more rural settings in agricultural communities. Developers purchase land and sell it to urbanites looking forward to picturesque, quieter natural surroundings. Unfortunately, the newcomers aresometimesnotaccustomedto the standard and necessary practices that farmers must follow,anddisputesoccur.

Inaddressingtheneedfor housing development, the governmentistakingstepsinthe form of Bill 97. In effect, the government plans to permit subdividingentire farms into up tothreesectionsonwhichhomes can be built. Until now, there were rules to limit severing lots designated as farmland drastically. Bill 97 will change the Provincial Policy Statement andremovesafeguardsintended to protect agricultural land for the next generation of farmers. Therefore, if one of these new lots is turned into a residential property, it will limit a farmer's abilitytodotheirjob.Necessary farm activities and structures

Let'sfaceit,weallknowthatagricultural landisdisappearingatanalarmingrate.Infact,on June 18, 2022, CBC News reported that 2021 census data shows that already Ontario alone is losing 319 acres of farmland…DAILY! This is equivalent to losing one average family farm –EVERY DAY! Picture in your mind how much farmlandweloseinaweek,amonth,…ayear. Thisisalreadyunsustainable.AndBill97 isgoingtoexacerbatethisgrowingtrend.

Leaders of Ontario's farming associations outlinedinajointstatementonMay18,2023,that "Ontario's productive farmland is a scarce resource, making up less than five percent of all the land in the province. It is our unwavering position that agricultural production is the most valuedandbestuseofthisland."

One must also remember that once arable, foodproducing land is developed and paved over, it cannot be restored. That land is lost forever for agricultural use, even if the roads and structures areremoved.

As I stated at the beginning, Ontarians haveaburgeoninglistofunsungheroeswecount ondaily.Weowethemavoteofthanksandneedto remember to acknowledge them. And I remind youtoincludeOntariofarmersandfarmworkers inthatlist.Theirsuccessistoourbenefitinevery way. Yet, no matter how hard they work, their successandlivelihoodcountonsomanyvariable factorsthatareoutofanyone'scontrol,including weather, pestilence, disease, transportation costs andmarketrates,tonamebutafew.

Ontarioisonthefast tracktoirreversible environmental ruin. All of us should be concerned. By way of example, Doug Ford was responsible for commissioning new gas-fired powerplantsand tearingup wind turbines.He is also creating what can be called a "pay-to-slay" system which developers can utilize when developing areas known to be habitats for endangered species. He is building unnecessary and unwanted highways and destroying the environmentalprotectionsofOntario'sGreenbelt and wetlands. Premier Ford's political agenda focuses almost solely on one thing – lining the pocketsofhiswealthyfriendsandsupporters. ThepeopleofAlgoma-Manitoulincanbe assuredthattheirvoiceswillbeheardinQueen's Park.

As always,pleasefeelfreeto contactmy office about these issues or any other provincial matters.Youcanreachmyconstituencyofficeby emailatmynewaddress,mmantha-co@ola.orgor byphoneToll-freeat1-800-831-1899.