ACTUALITÉ / NEWS
Agriculture minister promotes Ontario-grown campaign
animal health more than the farmers who
engagedeverysingleday,sometimesthree
gregg.chamberlain@eap.on.ca
earntheirlivingfromtheanimals.Weshould
or four sessions a day, talking to
B OURGET
takeourcuefromthe99.9percentoffarmers
stakeholders, listening to them and
who treat their animals with respect and
working collaboratively to grow together
IfTedMcMeekinhadhiswaythewords
love, and recognize that they are the key
what I believe is the best industry in the
“Grown in Ontario” would be on
component to making their livelihood.”
world. By the way, the number one
billboards in every farming community in
As Ontario’s new agriculture minister,
economic driver in all Ontario is
the province and in at least one part of
McMeekin described himself as an :”old
agriculture and food processing.
every grocery store. Helping look after the
school” type of manager.
“None of us is as strong as all of us,” he
interests of the province’s farming sector
“I believe in management by walking
said. “That’s what partnerships are all
as the agriculture minister starts with
around, which is why, since being
about.”
promoting what farmers, ranchers, and
appointedasministerI’vebeento163events
Heexpressedoptimismforthefutureof
others produce in their fields and barns.
in the last five months, talking directly to
farming in Ontario, but warned that it will
McMeekin spent Thursday in Prescott-
people on the ground,” he said.
require constant work and vigilance.
Russell meeting with local farmers and
He noted that it is not just a job for the
“It’s an ongoing process. We have some
representatives of regional agriculture
provincial government or the federal
challenges. Some of those challenges will
groups in Bourget in themorning and then
government but for everyone.
relate, potentially, to the global
visiting the St-Albert Cheese Factory in the
“Aristotleoncesaid,‘Ifyouwanttoknow
competition. We’re in a global economy.
afternoon. During his talks he mentioned
if the shoe fits, you have to ask the person
There are some concerns that are
a recent survey of householders in Ontario
that wears it, not the person that made it.’ I
expressedfromtimetotimeaboutpotential
stated that 92 per cent preferred to buy
have 57,112 ‘professors’ called farmers all
trade regulations existing and those of
meat, fruit and vegetables that come from
across Ontario who are prepared to give
potential.We’reworking very very closely
Ontario farms over imported produce and
this good minister a lecture on any one of a
with Minister Ritz in the federal
meats at their local stores.
number of topics at the drop of a hat. So I’m
government to ensure that the supply-
“They said that Ontario produce is the
trying to take advantage of that, to learn as
management side of agriculture is kept
most nutritious, the best-tasting, and the
much as I can, because if you have good
strong, and that those areas of agriculture
safest in the world,” he said. “Ninety-two
Photo Gregg Chamberlain
information, guess what? You tend tomake
per cent of Ontario says that. That is the
that aren’t currently supply-managed are
good decisions. If you don’t know what
Ted McMeekin: Making a
biggest advantage we have when we look
givenwhateveradvantageswecantomake
you’re talking about, guess what? You tend
pitch for local production.
at exporting.”
to make bad decisions. So I’m out there,
sure our farm families do well.”
McMeekin agreed with suggestions
from the farming community that more
work is needed to educate the general
Info
public, both in Ontario and outside of the
province,ontheimportanceofagriculture.
“The farmers have been saying to me
and my staff team here that we need to
centres
continue to tell our story,” he said during
a Vision interview, “because it’s a good
story, that the Ontario Foodland brand is
agoodbrand,thatit’sastrongspringboard
open for
for us to do more on the education front,
and to have more people understand that
we produce the best-tasting, most
nutritious, safest food in the world.”
tourists
He described the proposed Ontario
Food Act as a key factor in that effort, and
is one of the main discussion items on his
newsroom@eap.on.ca
tour agenda throughout the province and
Area tourist information centres are
alsowith federal government officials. The
open for the new season, Tourisme
legislation is a joint effort by McMeekin’s
Prescott-Russell
Tourism
has
ministry and also the health ministry.
announced.
“The Ontario Food Act is something
With a mandate to promote local
that we’ve been talking about for a while,”
business in Prescott-Russell, students
hesaid.“It’sourhopethatwecanarticulate
a vision for agriculture and the importance
have followed an intensive orientation
of food to those we represent in Ontario. It
program by visiting more than 70 tourist
would have a lot to do with nutrition,
attractions.
health, economic viability, how we work
“The training allowed me to learn so
together to grow the sector, and how,
much more about my region to the point
essentially we get more Ontario produce
where I realized that it is an outstanding
Submitted photo
on Ontario tables, and continue to spread
place! It’s going to be much easier for me
KevinCharlebois,manageroftheLCBOstoreinHawkesbury,withmembersof
our brand around the world. So it has an
to explain the attractions of the regions to
economic development component, it has
theRegionalActionCommitteeforSafety.
visitors and encourage them to extend
an education component, it has a support
their stay,” said one employee.
component. We basically want to get more
Added another: “While working at the
people eating Ontario produce.”
Pupils help
recreational trail, I meet countless cyclists.
During his Bourget stop, McMeekin
I can now accurately answer their
heard comments from several farmers
questions and invite them to spend more
expressing concerns about the impact that
time in the region.”
educate drivers
animal rights groups like People for the
The information centres are located at
Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and
the Long Sault Bridge inHawkesbury, the
the Society for the Prevent of Cruelty to
newsroom@eap.on.ca
Vankleek Hill Museum and the
Animals (SPCA) have now on farming
H AWKESBURY
Casselman Train Station.
practices and their potential impact on the
Everyone is invited to visit the centres
market for farm produce, especially meat,
to obtain a copy of the regional tourist
milk, and cheese.
Area pupils are helping the Regional Action Committee for Safety spread the
guide, a map and cyclist map.
“There are some folks out there who
word about the dangers of impaired driving.
An innovation this year: Limoges’
have concerns about a number of different
During the Victoria Day weekend, drawings by local students were given to LCBO
tourist information kiosque will now be
issues,” McMeekin said. “Often they don’t
clients in Hawkesbury, Alfred, L’Orignal, Vankleek Hill and St-Eugène. Each drawing
located in the Calypso waterpark and it
have a clue about what’s going on on the
contained a message warning motorists about drunk driving.
will be exclusively available to the park’s
farm or the importance of what farming is
The contests winners of each participating schools are: École St-Grégoire , Vankleek
all about, but we need to take whatever
visitors.
Hill, Mélissa Séguin, and Cara; École Paul VI, Hawkesbury, Nicolas Farrah, Sabrina
concerns they do have seriously, and find
The tourist information centres will be
Barnes; St-Jude‘s Catholic School, Valerie, Amanda Bechamp, École Le Sommet,
ways to work with everybody tomove our
Hawkesbury, Gabriel Laroque, Émélie Bernier; École secondaire régionale de
open every day for the summer season.
industry forward. That’s whymyministry
Hawkesbury, Alexandra Villeneuve, Karianne Lalonde; École Ste-Marguerite
All the students are ready to welcome
is working with a couple other ministries,
Bourgeois, Rosalie Lanthier, Alexandre Nantel.
guests, to share their enthusiasm with
and with the stakeholders, together to
The CARS committee is comprised of representatives of the Hawkesbury Ontario
them and to demonstrate their wide
rationalize the processes around animal
Provincial Police detachment, the Hawkesbury Fire Department, Prescott-Russell
knowledge of the region.
and animal health. That’s important. I
Emergency Services, the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, RCMP, Berthiaume Funeral
For more information, 1-800-361-7439
should say, off the top, that nobody
Home, Cooperators Insurance and other community volunteers. More information on
(toll-free),
www.tourismprescott-
appreciates or understands and values
CARS and its activities available at the “CARS Hawkesbury” Facebook page.
russell.ca.
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