ACTUALITÉ / NEWS
GPR Liberals help grow new party policy on family farms
Ontario’s family farm tradition received some special attention during the Liberal’s national policy convention thanks to the efforts of the Glengarry- Prescott-Russell riding association. “The main focus was to protect small family farms,” said Connor Quinn, GPR Liberal riding association president, during a phone interview. Part of that focus was to prevent Ontario’s traditional family farm culture from becoming swallowed up in the agri- business maw of international and multi-national corporations. The recent national policy convention held in Ottawa this spring saw the GPR proposal diluted a bit but Quinn expressed satisfaction with the overall result. “We’re excited that it (GPR proposal) did get to this level,” he said. The policy review submission process leadinguptothenationalconventionlasted almost a year and began prior to last year’s gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca Ottawa Everyone is working on squeezing as much use out of tight budgets as possible thisyear.Thatapplieseventotheregion’s biggest conservation group. The South Nation Conservation Authority (SNC) has a $7.6 million budget for 2012. Last year the SNC worked with a $7.57 million budget. Out of the $7.6 million budgeted for this year’s conservation management work in the South Nation River watershed, about $2.6 million will come through municipal
next Liberal government to ensure that Canadian farmers maintain sovereignty over their farm lands and food systems. Be it further resolved that the next Liberal government will ensure farmlands, or incorporated farming operations, are owned by individuals who reside in the province in which the land is located and are not under the control of corporations and investors.” The final policy agreed on during the national convention moved the focus towards developing a sustainable food supply system for Canada and sustainable income for farmers. “Be it resolved that a Liberal government create a partnership between Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture to develop a na- tional food strategy for Canada that will address food supply, sustainable farm income for farmers, agricultural employment, environmental sustainability, and a secure food supply for Canadians.” Both the original GPR proposal and the final version accepted during the national convention note that costs to keep up with technological improvements, market chan- ges, and regular maintenance, and inflation have created a financial debt si- tuation that is driving many long-time farmers to sell out and preventing young farmers from entering the field.
spring federal election. Each riding asso- ciation submitted their policy proposals to a regional review committee which then created a final list of 10 priority items from the region. That list went to the provincial review committee, which created a top 10 list of policy issues out of all the regional lists it received and reviewed. Each provincial association then presented its priority list during the national convention for review, debate, and consideration as part of the party’s future policy guide. The party’s new policy on family farms is the result of revisions to the original GPR proposal to accommodate concerns from other regions. The original proposal dealt with concerns about farm land ownership. “Whereas today the family farm is experiencing a financial crisis that has provided an opportunity for investors, cor- porations and foreign entities to exploit the family farm model. Be it therefore resolved that the Liberal Party of Canada urges the levies collected from the 15 communities that are members of the SNC. That works out to $5.67 in property tax for every $100,000 assessed value of a property. Last year the municipal contribution to the SNC budgetthroughthelevyworkedoutto$5.53 per $100,000 assessed value. The SNC is responsible for conservation and water quality and protection programs and flood control protection in the South Nation River watershed region. More details about this year’s SNC bud- get program will be available at the annual general meeting March 22.
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Ontario Energy Board Commission de l’énergie de l’Ontario
NOTICE OF APPLICATION ENBRIDGE GAS DISTRIBUTION INC. RATES FOR 2013
EB-2011-0354
Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. (“Enbridge”) filed an application on January 31, 2012 with the Ontario Energy Board under section 36 of the Ontario Energy Board Act, 1998, S.O. c.15, Schedule B, for an order of the Board approving or fixing rates for the sale, distribution, transmission and storage of natural gas, commencing January 1, 2013. The Board’s decision on this application may have an effect on all of Enbridge’s customers. The Board has assigned the application File No. EB-2011-0354. Enbridge has applied to the Board for new rates for 2013 to be set on a cost of service basis using a forecast of 2013 costs. If the application is approved as filed, the total bill for a typical residential customer consuming 3,064 m 3 per year would increase by $34 per year, or 3.2%. For a typical commercial customer consuming 22,606 m 3 per year, the total bill would increase by $186 per year, or 2.8%. How to see Enbridge’s Application To see a copy of the application, go to the Consumer page of the Board’s website and enter the case number EB-2011-0354 in the “Find an Application” box. A copy can also be seen at the Board’s office and at Enbridge’s office at the address indicated below or on its website http://www.enbridgegas.com/ratecase/. Comment If you wish to give your opinion on the proceeding to the Board members hearing the application, you are invited to send a written letter of comment to the Board no later than 30 days after the publication or service date of this notice. A complete copy of your letter of comment, including your name, contact information, and the content of the letter, will be provided to the applicant and the Hearing Panel. All letters of comment will be placed on the public record, which means that the letters can be seen at the Board’s offices and will be available on the Board’s website. Before placing the letter of comment on the public record, the Board will remove any personal (i.e., not business) contact information from the letter of comment (i.e., the address, fax number, phone number, and e-mail address of the individual). However, the name of the individual and the content of the letter of comment will become part of the public record. Please address your letter of comment to the Board Secretary at the address below, and reference file number EB-2011-0354 at the top of your letter. Observe If you do not wish to actively participate in the proceeding but you do wish to receive documents issued by the Board, you may request observer status. Your written request must be received by the Board no later than 10 days from the publication or service date of this notice. All letters requesting observer status will become part of the public record, which means that the letters can be seen at the Board’s offices and will be placed on the Board’s website. Before placing the request for observer status on the public record, the Board will How to Participate
remove any personal (i.e., not business) contact information from the request (i.e., the address, fax number, phone number, and e-mail address of an individual). However, the name of the individual and the content of the request for observer status will become part of the public record. Intervene If you wish to actively participate in the proceeding (e.g. submit questions, file argument), you may request intervenor status from the Board, no later than 10 days after the publication or service date of this notice. Instructions for requesting intervenor status are available on the Board’s website at www.ontarioenergyboard.ca/participate. Everything an intervenor files with the Board, including the intervenor’s name and contact information, will be placed on the public record, which can be seen at the Board’s offices and on the Board’s website. If you do not have internet access, please call 1-888-632-2727 to receive information about this proceeding and how to participate. IMPORTANT IF YOU DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE HEARING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS NOTICE, THE BOARD MAY PROCEED WITHOUT YOUR PARTICIPATION AND YOU WILL NOT BE ENTITLED TO ANY FURTHER NOTICE IN THE PROCEEDING.
ADDRESSES
THE BOARD: Ontario Energy Board P.O. Box 2319 27th Floor 2300 Yonge Street Toronto, ON M4P 1E4 Attention: Board Secretary Filings: https://www.errr.ontarioenergyboard.ca E-mail: boardsec@ontarioenergyboard.ca Tel: 1-888-632-6273 (Toll-free) Fax: 416-440-7656
THE APPLICANT: Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc.
500 Consumers Road Toronto, ON M2J 1P8
Attention: Norm Ryckman, Director, Regulatory Affairs E-mail: EGDRegulatoryProceedings@Enbridge.com
Tel: 416-495-5499 Fax: 416-495-6072
ONTARIO ENERGY BOARD Original Signed By
DATED at Toronto, March 2, 2012
Kirsten Walli Board Secretary
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