Hall of Fame grade
newsroom@eap.on.ca
S T
-I SIDORE
A St-Isidore egg farmer considered to
be a pioneer in the field of disease control
Freedom from the tent
will be honoured this fall when he is
inducted into the Canadian Agricultural
There aremanyways to judge a society.
candidates from all parties tell voters,” said
Hall of Fame.
Some say a civilization can be judged by
association president Dave Bryans.
“Laurent Souligny’s legacy inCanadian
the manner in which it cares for the
“It’s time Ontario’s alcohol retailing
agriculture will continue to growwell into
vulnerable, the elderly, children, pets, and
system was expanded beyond the LCBO
the future,” reads a biography of the
HarryPotterfanatics.Theincidenceofhigh-
and The Beer Store and we’re asking
producer who has been an Egg Farmers of
tech stuff, newcorn silos, three-car garages
everyone over 19 to visit freeourbeer.ca to
Canadadirectorformorethantwodecades.
andadult toys, suchasboats andall-terrain
register their support.”
One of his most important
vehicles, also reveal much about a specific
The association adds that a separate
accomplishments is the result of his work
demographic group.
independent study conducted earlier this
on disease mitigation that led to the Start
While those are valid gauges, there is
year found that a great many convenience
Clean-Stay Clean program, the egg
alsoanother, oftenoverlooked,measure—
stores are ready for the responsibility of
industry’s HACCP-based on-farm food
how your booze is handled.
selling beer andwine. “Convenience stores
safety system, considered to be among the
Seriously.
do a better job than either the government-
bestintheworld. Soulignyhelpedestablish
Consider thewaybeer andwineare sold
run LCBO or foreign-owned Beer Store at
Egg Farmers of Canada as a leader in
in Ontario and Québec.
keeping age-restricted products from
traceability. He was also instrumental in
On the Québec side, the liquor laws
minors, “said Bryans. ”When tested with
ensuringthat eggproducersareadequately
have always been more relaxed than those
underage secret shoppers (age 15-18),
compensated when disease does strike, a
insmall-cconservativeOntario. Itisindeed
convenience stores scored the highest with
fact that will benefit generations to come.
convenient to be able to pick up a bottle of
an 87.3%pass rate, The Beer Store next with
Souligny reached out to international
wineor asixpackat the sameplaceyoubuy
80.7% and LCBO last with 74.6% - meaning
bodies suchas theUnitedEggProducers to
your groceries. People in eastern Ontario
1 in 4 minors successfully purchased age-
help promote scientific research on the
border communities knowhowhandy it is
restricted products from LCBO, and 1 in 5
nutritional benefits of eggs. In 2010 he
to be able to zip across the border and pick
fromThe Beer Store - compared to 1 in 8 for
oversaw the creation of a special research
up some alcoholic refreshments at a
convenience stores.”
chair at the Université Laval that focuses
dépanneur or grocery store.
The association notes that many
on the economics of egg production. The
We are not about to suggest thatQuébec
convenience stores, including several in the
chair helps explore issues such as the
people are just more fun than their Ontario
FarEastofOntario,alreadyhavebeenselling
benefits of improved disease control, the
neighbours. However, La Belle Province
alcohol, at special LCBO retail outlets.
potential impacts of international trade
has traditionally adopted a more mature,
Many are unaware that the Beer Store,
agreements and the costs and benefits
perhaps European, attitude towards
which sells about 80 per cent of all the suds
associated with reducing the carbon
alcohol.
consumed inOntario, isnot apublicagency.
footprint of the egg industry. A research
Laurent Souligny
The trouble is that while Ontarians are
The chain is owned by Labatt, Molson and
chair focused on nutrition is soon to be
Work will produce long-term
as fun-loving and as responsible as Les
Sleeman, which are in turn owned by
establishedbecauseofhisfocusonresearch.
Québécois and Québécoises, their
massive corporations.
benefits for egg industry.
Theformalinductionceremonywilltake
governments have often treated them as if
The times, and tastes, are changing.
placeNovember6at theRoyalAgricultural
they were minors, or in some cases, cattle.
While beer is still the most popular
Winter Fair in Toronto.
But, good news — it seems that the
More,
alcoholicrefreshment,winecontinuestogain
TheCanadianAgriculturalHall ofFame
people who control how alcohol is sold in
converts. In 1997, beer accounted for 52 per
Association honours and celebrates
Ontario are loosening up a little bit.
cent of alcoholic beverage sales in Canada,
Canadians for outstanding contributions
Beer drinkers, you are being freed from
according to Statistics Canada. Spirits
to the agriculture and food industry.
satisfied
the beer tent this summer. The province is
represented27per cent of sales, andwine 21
Laurent Souligny has spent most of his
changing rules so that adultswill be able to
per cent. Since then, beer has fallen to 47 per
life directly involved in agriculture, much
wander around festivals and events with
cent, spirits to 25 per cent and wine jumped
of it based in St-Isidore, where he and his
patients
an alcoholic drink in hand.
to 28 per cent.
wife Hélène still reside.
In the past, organizers of activities such
TheaverageCanadianconsumes77 litres
After he started farming in 1964, in 1973
as fairs have been obliged to set up beer
of beer per year, alongwith 15 litres ofwine,
newsroom@eap.on.ca
he joined the Ontario Federation of
tents, which ensure that drinkers are safely
seven litres of spirits and 79.4 litres of tea.
Agriculture. His advocacy on behalf of
H AWKESBURY
corralled, ostensibly to ensure that they do
The number 1 beverage, afterwater, is – you
Canadian farmers continued, ultimately
not go berserk and disturb teetotallers.
guessed it – coffee. Peopledown106 litres of
leading to Souligny becoming the Chair of
Nowtheeventorganizerswillhavemore
that caffeine-laced elixir per year.
Although the caseload at the
Egg Farmers of Canada, a position he held
latitude in designating the areas where
Anyway, you can use those figures to
Hawkesbury and District General
for 11 years. He served as a member of the
booze can be consumed. Some are
impress friends and family, as you relax on
Hospital is on the rise, so is the level of
board of Egg Farmers of Canada for 24
understandablyworriedthatflexibilitywill
ahot summerday, andconsider thatOntario
satisfaction among patients.
years.
lead to problems, but alcohol is not the
is growing up and beer drinkers are no
That diagnosis is provided in figures
Souligny’s goal as Chairman of Egg
prime attraction at fairs. People attend
longer being treated like livestock.
contained in the HGH’s annual report.
Farmers of Canada was to ensure a strong
agricultural exhibitions to enjoy the
The number of people treated at the
future for every part of the egg industry in
Letter to The Editor
traditional draws — the livestock shows
emergency department increased from
Canada. He represented egg producers
and the demolition derby.
31,214 in 2009-2010 to 34,586 in 2010-2011.
both in Canada as well as internationally,
Educate animal
Another reason to raise a glass in
At the same time, a survey showed that
frequently travelling abroad to defend the
celebrationisfurtherconfirmationthatmost
89.5 per cent of patientswere satisfiedwith
interests of the sector. Souligny’s tireless
Ontarians believe Ontario dépanneur
the emergency ward’s level of care, and
work on behalf of his industry led to his
owners
owners ought to be able to sell beer and
97.2 per cent were satisfied with the in-
selection as chair of the organization
wine, as their counterparts inQuébec have
patient care at the HGH.
representing the five supply-managed
The Editor,
been doing for decades.
Those positive comments are more
industries.
Re: Town eyes animal lover curbs
A newly released Angus Reid Public
favourable than the feedback the hospital
(Tribune-Express, July 29);
Opinion study, conducted for the Ontario
received a year earlier when 78 per cent of
Interesting that the town is considering
ConvenienceStoresAssociation,showsthat
Happier campers
patients said they were satisfied with the
cracking down on feeding “pests” but to
60 per cent of Ontario residents support
amountoftimetheyspentintheEmergency
include feral cats, I would hope they’d
expanding the alcohol retailing system to
Department and93per cent of patients said
newsroom@eap.on.ca
encourage people to neuter/spay their pets
allow beer and wine to be sold by more
theyappreciatedthequalityofcarereceived
G RENVILLE
- SUR
- LA
-R OUGE
to cut down on the feral situation.
types of retailers.
during their stay.
A friend will go without in order to
In a survey of 803 consumers, and
The NRC Picker Patient Surveys are
neuter/spay any feral cats that come onto
potential voters as the association notes,
The people at Camp Amy Molson in
mandated by the Ministry of Health and
her property, humane traps are set and
67 per cent of respondents support private
Grenville-sur-la-Rouge have good reason
Long-Term Care of Ontario and sent
presently she is treating themwith feralstat,
retailers, like convenience stores, selling
to be happy.
randomly to patients.
a formof birth control not harmful tomales,
alcohol like beer and wine. A majority of
The organizationwill receive $122,997 in
Fewer staff
pregnant females or kittens, it’s simply
Ontarians across all regions also support
funds fromtheQuébec government under a
The HGH is operating with fewer
added to their food in a controlled set-
the idea, with Eastern Ontarians showing
employees thanayear ago– 467 employees
program that helps make summer vacation
up. This way she can carry them through
the highest level of support (71%). (Yea for
comparedto480in2009-2010,andanursing
camps more accessible to those in need.
until there is a clinic for sterilization.
us!)
staff of 213, compared to 219 a year ago.
In Argenteuil, nine organizations will
Unfortunately, Québec seems willing
”Ontario voters are simply asking for
Here are some more numbers, with the
benefit from a total of $448,198 in funding,
to subsidize people to pay these costs,
more convenience - like being able to pick-
previous year figures in brackets.
MNA David Whissell has announced.
more than locally.
upsomebeer for theirBBQonCanadaDay.
Obstetrics: 432 births (449)
We need to be encouraged to care for the
In supporting these non-profit groups,
That’s not a lot to ask. When as many as
Day Surgery: 3 595 (3,310)
existingferalcatsbutatthesametimereduce
theprovince isalsohelpingensure thatmore
two out of every three adults in Ontario
Medical/SurgicalClinics:15 591(14,600)
their numbers by educating the public.
needy and handicapped people can attend
support beer and wine in convenience
Mental Health: 8 461 (10,498)
summer camps.
stores, it will be interesting to see what
N ANCY M OISAN , D ALKEITH
Diabetes Clinic: 2 008 (3,910).
Made with FlippingBook HTML5