| Hog Watch Manitoba News |
| Index: Iowa governor signs new livestock restrictions into law Wednesday, May 01, 2002 By Mike Glover, Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa - Gov. Tom Vilsack signed into law new restrictions on the livestock confinement industry, saying it would "begin the healing process" that has badly split rural portions of the state. The measure slaps a string of new restrictions on confinement facilities, though it stops short of giving local officials veto power over their construction. In addition, some of the provisions don't go into force for a year, prompting critics to warn that there will be a building boom to beat the tighter regulations. The legislation doubles the distance that builders must place between confinement operations and neighbors and creates new fees to be paid for by livestock producers to help fund inspectors. "Clearly livestock production has changed dramatically over the course of a number of years," Vilsack said Monday at a ceremony with a distinctly bipartisan flavor. "It is my hope that with the signing of this bill, this legislation will begin the process of healing the wounds that exist in rural Iowa." The legislation was one of the most contentious lawmakers faced during this year's session. Republicans, who hold a majority in both chambers of the Legislature, had announced before the session that they wanted to address the issue because of growing concern in rural sections of the state. The measure covers many types of confinement operations, but hogs are at the center of the debate. Critics say hog confinement operations often put thousands of animals under a single roof, with manure lagoons holding millions of gallons of animal waste. Those facilities foul the air and water and cause a stench that ruins the pristine nature of rural life, critics argue. Industry advocates warn that Iowa is the nation's largest hog producing state with one-fourth of the nation's hogs, and overly harsh regulations will drive the billion-dollar industry from the state. Senate Republican Leader Stewart Iverson had led a bipartisan group of 12 lawmakers who met privately throughout the session to hammer out a compromise on the issue. "This was perhaps one of the most difficult tasks I've undertaken in the 13 years I've been here," said Iverson. "I think it will calm a lot of fears that are out there." Copyright 2002, Associated Press All Rights Reserved QUEBEC CITY - The Canadian
province of Quebec announced a six-week moratorium on the opening of new
hog farms this week in a bid to calm fears of residential and environmental
groups who say industrial-scale hog facilities create massive air and
water pollution problems. Pending hog farms permits will continue to be delivered, but only according to tougher new environmental regulations, to be defined later by a government committee, Boisclair said. The Quebec Farmers Union and the province's Pork Producers' Federation supported the moratorium. Boisclair said the government would review the issue in June, adding: "We will define the new rules before June 15." Quebec is a major pork producer with large exports to the United States and Japan. The government has supported the opening of large hog operations over the past few years to help boost exports, but that has fueled the anger of nearby residents who complain of strong odors from the large-scale operations which often contain thousands of animals. Environmental groups also warn that large hog operations pose a serious water pollution threat because of runofff from the huge quantities of manure created by the farms. © Reuters News Service 2002 Hog
barn critics warn council Daly councillors were told yesterday their jobs depend on whether they proceed with strict rules governing intensive livestock development. "By the next election of a new council - the people will have their bylaw," said area resident Rodger Mawer. Mawer was one of more than 40 people who supported a bylaw through either oral or written presentations at a marathon emotionally/charged public hearing at the Ukrainian Hall in Rivers. "Your have the legal right to trash the people's bylaw but you
don't have the moral right," he said. It's so black and white and grey all over." Drafted by a citizens' group, the rules would ban sewage lagoons, would increase the size of setbacks between intensive livestock operations and residences and would require performance bonds for the owners of hog barns and other large-scale development. "They aren't tree-hugging environmentalists. They are your neighbours," said resident Barry Cochrane. The bylaws received overwhelming support from the citizens who attended the hearing and cheered each presentation by bylaw supporters. But they were opposed by a handful of producers and several government and industry representatives who say the rules are restrictive, discriminatory and may be subject to legal challenges. "This is my view, would shut down the industry", said Peter Mah, director of community relations and sustainable development for the Manitoba Pork Council. Mah said some parts of the bylaw would exceed provincial regulations and would require the municipal government to take on the responsibility of the cost and monitoring of the bylaw. He also said the bylaw discriminated against hog producers. "You are going to need the people and the new wealth and jobs," said Mah. Christine Kabernick soil specialist with Manitoba Agriculture and Food, said the bylaw would rob council of its ability to make livestock development decisions on a case-by-case basis. "I don't think the decision-making powers should be passed onto area residents," she said. However, residents say their bylaw was reached by widespread public consensus and should be approved by council. "You don't have a mandate to alter or change this bylaw," Murray Kernaghan said. "You have a mandate to make it happen." Council went behind closed doors for 15 minutes following the hearing and decided to put off any decision until next Wednesday. During the meeting, council will also decide whether to extend a 90-day moratorium on intensive livestock developments introduced while citizens worked on the bylaws. Hog
barn debate proves emotional for both sides Letter
to the Editor If you have any questions or concerns, please contact any member of Concerned
Daly Ratepayers : Joe Dolecki, Barry Dyck, Elwin and Elaine Kettner, Steve
Dyck, Alex and Marianne Gerrard, Brad Gillingham, Reid and Rachel Gillingham,
Bob Harvey, Ruth Pryzner, Clair and Beth English, Rodger Mawer, Irving
and Arlene Wood.
Pigs now outnumber people on the Prairies. According to 2001 census information released yesterday by Statistics Canada, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba had 5.68 million hogs in May 2001. The same census showed that the three Prairie provinces have a combined population of just over five million people. In Manitoba alone, the hog population grew by 42.9 per cent between 1996 and 2001. Hog numbers in Saskatchewan grew by 47 per cent in the same period. In Alberta, the number of hogs rose 17 per cent. But environmentalists are worried the growth is happening too quickly and too little attention is being paid to hog farming's impact on waterways and soil. Hog and cattle production has reached record levels across the country. Strong growth Manitoba's hog industry has been experiencing particularly strong growth in the last few years as demand for pork increased in North America. The expansion of the Maple Leaf plant in Brandon is also helping to drive the industry. Weldon Newton, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers, said a number of Manitoba farmers who traditionally didn't raise hogs or cattle are doing so now to increase revenue. "People are turning to livestock as a way to diversify and maintain their farms," he said. "It's tough to make a go of it with just grains now." Adrien Grenier, who farms near Woodridge, said he is planning on adding hogs to his farming mix. He said hogs provide an economic bonus in two ways. Not only can farmers generate income from the sale of the hogs, but by using hog manure as fertilizer, farmers can reduce costs. "It's another way we can try and keep our farms alive for our kids," he said. But Glen Koroluk, spokesman for Hogwatch, said the rapid growth in the industry is cause for alarm. "We don't know yet what the effects will be on the environment," he said. Daryl Kraft, a University of Manitoba agriculture professor, said the explosion of growth in the hog sector will likely level off over the next couple of years as supply meets or exceeds demand. He expects growth in the hog industry will drop to between five and six per cent in the next few years. Agriculture Minister Rosann Wowchuk said she's encouraged to see Manitoba farmers diversifying into the area of livestock production. "Farmers are realizing the need to add value to the crops they're growing," she said. "And they're doing that with livestock." leah.janzen@freepress.mb.ca Hog
firm, driver await sentencing An Alberta hog company and its driver have been convicted of causing pain and suffering to animals transported to Winnipeg for slaughter during a cold, Prairie winter. Outlook Pork Ltd., company president Peter Klok and truck driver Cornelius Neufeld were found guilty yesterday of two offences under the federal Health of Animals Act. They will be sentenced later this year. They face a maximum $50,000 fine and / or six months in jail. The case stems from a January 2000 shipment of 239 pigs from Nobleford, Alta., to the J.M. Schneider's plant in Winnipeg. When Neufeld arrived with his load -- after driving nearly 14 hours straight -- four pigs were found frozen to death inside the truck. Another two had to be shot because they were suffering from extreme frostbite, while four others were euthanized because they had broken legs, according to testimony during the provincial court trial late last year. The decision had been reserved to yesterday. Employees with Schneider's and Manitoba Agriculture told court the truck was poorly equipped to handle the harsh weather conditions. Temperatures during the trip ranged between -2 and -28 degrees. "The hogs were frostbitten and everything. They had a hard time getting off or coming off (the truck). They didn't really want to move for the driver," plant employee Morris Essar testified. He said there was little bedding for the pigs, and an inadequate amount of straw to insulate them from the cold. He said the sides of the truck weren't blocked off to prevent the wind from whipping through. Klok, who ships about 40,000 pigs each year around the country, testified in his own defence. He disputed that the animals died of frostbite, and felt the conditions were fine. Klok admitted they have learned from the experience. Neufeld said he was only supposed to bring the pigs to Neepawa, but was told their facility was full and he needed to go to Winnipeg. He and Klok argued the extended trip may have caused the exposure. However, an expert testified the pigs would have been exposed for up to six hours to suffer as they did. And Neufeld admitted he didn't take any extra precautions when he learned he'd have to go further, except to turn the lights on in the trailer and peek through open holes in the side. Dr. Terry Whiting of the Manitoba Veterinary Medical Association said pigs can easily survive wintery conditions inside transport trucks if they are looked after properly. "If you have pigs die it's due to driver incompetence," Whiting said. "You have to be very conscientious. There's lots of pigs transported without any losses. It's a semi-isolated incident. "Pigs aren't built for the Arctic." mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca Mo.
House OKs Ban on Barn Photos (Missouri) It now goes back to the Senate, which on Monday night had added a similar provision to a House-passed bill. Rep. Ken Legan, who sponsored the House amendment, said he doesn't approve of photographers on a mission to expose the supposed evils of farming. His amendment also would apply to animal-breeding facilities or any place that houses animals for agricultural, business or research purposes. "They'd like to come in and take pictures and say how bad it is when in actuality (the an! imals) have never had it so good," Legan said Residents
prepare to fight hog barn in Daly Its intensive livestock bylaw sacked by council, Concerned Daly Ratepayers will now tackle an 800-sow barn proposed for the municipality. "It definitely sets up a battle between KPA and the ratepayers," says Reed Wolfe, a group spokesman. This week, Daly council voted to halt further readings of a bylaw written by the group placing tough restrictions on intensive livestock operations. Council also voted against extending a 90-day moratorium on new intensive livestock developments and set June 26 for a conditional use hearing date for a project proposed by Keystone Pig Advancement. Peter Mah is director of community relations and sustainable development for the Manitoba Pork Council. He says council had no choice but to vote down the bylaw because it discriminated specifically against pig barns. "The bylaw was so severe, we simply couldn't stand by." The bylaw, which received first reading in April, was the subject of a public hearing May 7. At the meeting, the bylaw received enthusiastic support from most of the people who attended. It was opposed by a handful of producers as well as industry and government representatives - including Mah's organization. "When we left the meeting, it was crystal clear what the public wanted," says Alex Gerrard, a member of Concerned Daly Ratepayers. However, KPA president Pat O'Meara says he is relieved his project - on the shelf since January - will finally get to the public hearing process. "We're now going to have due process," O'Meara said. O'Meara, whose head office is in Portage la Prairie, says he has already invested considerable time and money in the project. He says his proposal deserves to have a fair hearing and the bylaw was designed to simply shut out pig barn. "I was disappointed in the leadership of the Daly group." Wolfe says the KPA project will hurt the quality of life in the municipality, threatens water and will affect use of a nearby cemetery. "How do we visit the cemetery when the wind blows in the wrong direction. It's disgusting." Wolfe says councillors who voted against the bylaw are likely to face opposition in the civic election in October, adding he's considering running for office. "If the pressure continues, I may." Reeve Marlin Beever was unavailable for comment. Wowchuk
Proposes Amendments to Pesticides and Fertilizers Control Act Proposed amendments to the Pesticides and Fertilizers Control Act that would ensure individuals applying manure from large livestock operations are trained, certified and licensed by the province were introduced in the Manitoba legislature today by Agriculture and Food Minister Rosann Wowchuk. "In accordance with the principles of sustainable agriculture, the proposed amendments will provide better regulation for the transportation and application of manure," Wowchuk said. "This move will help to balance the needs of a growing livestock industry with the necessity of protecting the environment, including the quality of our soil, water and air." The procedures for the certification and licensing of manure applicators would be similar to those currently required under the Pesticides and Fertilizers Control Act for commercial pesticide applicators. Currently, all commercial pesticide applicators must complete a recognized course and pass an exam delivered by Assiniboine Community College before a licence is issued. Under the proposed amendments, all commercial manure applicators would be required to: * be formally certified and licensed; Inspectors would be given authority to: * conduct inspections, access pertinent records and documents, and ensure
co-operation and assistance from proprietors; and Small livestock operations and those that apply manure to their own land would be exempt under these amendments. Wowchuk said a new regulation under the Pesticides and Fertilizers Control Act would outline the qualifications required by professional manure management planners. This would ensure consistent planning methods are used across the province. Another regulation would describe the composition and responsibilities of a ministerial advisory committee that would deal with pertinent issues related to the administration of the act and regulations. "We will continue to consult with industry groups and other government departments during the development of the regulations in support of the act," Wowchuk said. Strike
and you're fired, workers told A Manitoba hog processor is threatening to fire all 400 of its employees and close its Neepawa plant if its unionized workers go on strike. Springhill Farms in Neepawa issued a notice of termination to its 400 workers --union and non-union -- yesterday and said if there's a strike, everyone's terminated as of Sept. 26. The May 23 letter from general manager Bill Teichroew said "if there is a work stoppage, our business will close permanently." Springhill Farms is in a tight, competitive market with low margins, said Teichroew, and costs have to be lowered. The United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 832, said Springhill's move was "premature" considering the company is bringing a revised offer to the employees on May 31. UFCW spokesman Don Keith said the termination notices were "simply a pressure tactic." "This is not the first time an employer faced with a strike says they'll close forever," said Keith. Scott Spicer, Neepawa's chief administrative officer, said 400 lost jobs in a town of only 3,200 people would be a big hit. Mayor optimistic "Are we concerned? No doubt about it," he said. Neepawa Mayor Ken Waddell said the two sides were about $3 or $4 apart on wages but that he is quite optimistic a deal can be reached. Union members gave their negotiators a 96 per cent strike mandate on May 9, but no strike date has been set. "We don't want a strike. We don't want to shut down," said Teichroew last night. Teichroew noted that at the Springhill plant, workers earn $7,700 more annually than at the Maple Leaf plant in Brandon, also represented by the UFCW. Springhill also guarantees a 37-hour work week, which doesn't exist at Maple Leaf. Springhill pays $3 million more annually than Maple Leaf does for a similar number of employees, said Teichroew. Springhill is taking this tactic because a work stoppage would devastate the business. Teichroew explained that the law dictates that 18 weeks' notice must be given for so many terminations. "If we lose our customers in Japan -- it doesn't bode well," said Teichroew. Worried He's worried that NDP legislation that allows binding arbitration after a strike or lockout of 60 days would force the company to bring people back to work --even if there was no work left. The legislation allows the minister of labour to appoint an arbitrator and send strikers back to work while the arbitration process continues. Springhill avoids any future liability to bring back those strikers if it serves notice of termination now, said Teichroew. He said the 18-week notice would not have been necessary if the union and the company asked the minister of labour for an exemption from the notice requirements. Teichroew said the UFCW turned him down. Teichroew said the union has forced the company to take drastic measures. He said the union has turned down binding arbitration , mediation and an offer to use final offer selection, a process the UFCW often uses in disputes. But Keith said those processes take the decision out of the hands of the members. He said the Springhill workers are a militant group and a 96 per cent strike vote is a strong show of support. If the company offer on May 31 is substantially different from the current one, the union will allow members to vote on that offer, said Keith. Teichroew said they'd like to rescind the notice and get a deal. paul.mckie@freepress.mb.ca Walkerton
inquiry lays out blueprint for safer drinking water CBC News Online - Overnight News Digest 02/05/24 TORONTO-- A report by the inquiry into the Walkerton water tragedy says more money needs to be spent to protect Ontario's drinking water and municipalities should carry much of the cost. The second part of the inquiry's recommendations was released Thursday afternoon. It says the one-time cost for ensuring safe water in the province could range from $99 million to $280 million. That amounts to between $7 and $19 per household per year, not much when compared to the cost of a telephone or cable-TV. Seven people died and 2,300 others became ill in May, 2000, after E. coli got into the water system in Walkerton, Ont. Associate Chief Justice Dennis O'Connor was appointed to investigate what went wrong and determine how to make sure it never happens again. O'Connor's report makes 93 recommendations. It calls for watershed protection plans for all watersheds in the province. It also recommends that the Ministry of the Environment take a leading role in regulating the impact of farming on drinking water sources. Among other recommendations:
"As a general principle, municipalities should plan to raise adequate resources for their water systems from local revenue sources, barring exceptional circumstances," the report says. O'Connor says the Ministry of the Environment should take a leading role in ensuring water safety and increase its commitment to strict enforcement of all regulations. "I think it was a wake-up call," Ontario premier Ernie Eves said. But critics responded that the government has only moved on eight of 28 recommendations in Part One of his report, released in January. In that part, O'Connor found that the deaths could have been prevented if the water had been chlorinated properly and if people had been warned in time. They also complained that it was the Conservatives that cut the Environment Ministry's budget dramatically, which they say contributed to Walkerton. Last week the Ontario government more than doubled the number of water inspectors from 25 to 51 and beefed up inspections. It has not indicated in advance whether it will implement Thursday's report. Copyright © 2002 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation - All Rights Reserved Manitoba
Engineer Calls for Accountability *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council Gov't
certainly not attacking hog industry SaskPork has embarked on an ad campaign to convince us the government
is attacking the hog industry. Hog
industry, labour at odds The sizzling controversy about the provincial government's plans to apply labour standards legislation to the commercial hog industry fired up some more on Thursday. While the Sask. Pork Producers Association continued with its advertising and public relations campaign against the planned legislation, labour leaders fired back with some strong comments backing the proposed legislation. "Why is the corporate hog industry attacking working people?" the Grain Services Union asked, in a article on the controversy published on a Web page established by the union. "We are not attacking employees,'' replied Joan Stechan, the director of finance and industry development with Sask. Pork, in a telephone interview. But Stechan said the industry is still requesting meaningful consultations with the government about the proposed legislation and about how the labour standards legislation will be applied in an agricultural industry. "What's the rush?'' asked an advertisement placed in Thursday's edition of the Leader-Post by Sask. Pork. But Labour Minister Deb Higgins has repeatedly argued that there has been sufficient consultation with the hog industry and other interested parties, and she therefore plans to introduce the legislation before the end of the legislature's spring session. Barb Byers, president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, had strong words for Sask. Pork. Sask. Pork "likes to have total control,'' over workers, Byers said. But it's unfair that workers in commercial hog barns shouldn't have the same basic rights, with respect to a minimum wages, overtime pay and other issues, as other Saskatchewan workers, Byers said. Byers also questioned repeated assertions by officials with Sask. Pork that labour standards legislation is unnecessary in the pork industry because the wages and benefits paid to the workers are already higher than the minimum standards required by the labour standards act. Byers said she doesn't understand why the pork industry would be objecting to the application of the labour standards legislation if everyone in the pork industry is already providing wages and benefits in excess to what is required by the law. Larry Hubich, a union representative with the Grain Services Union, said he also wonders why the pork industry is so opposed to labour standards legislation if it already offers better wages and benefits than the minimums established in the legislation. The pork industry seems to want "total control'' over its worker, Hubich said, adding that it also seems opposed to any legislation that would erode that control by giving workers basic rights. © Copyright 2002 Regina Leader Post Words
and hogs In speaking and in writing, we use words to influence others. In doing so, we often present a word picture that is distorted or "slanted". At times, we may "distort" the word picture intentionally. Sometimes, we may do so without even realizing we are. Often, we "slant" a word picture through the use of words with strong connotations. Many of our words suggest something more than what the words actually stand for (or mean). "Stepmother", for example, means simply "a female stepparent". This is the denotation of a word, what a word stands for (or its basic meaning). But to many people, the word suggests something more than this; it implies "a female stepparent who is fault-finding, biased or harsh -- like the step-mother in Cinderella." This extra meaning that a word has is called the "connotation" of the word. Presently, the hog industry in Saskatchewan as well as Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, and Saskatchewan Agrivision Corporation are arbitrarily choosing strongly connotative words to mask hog operations and the adverse impact of such operations on the environment and the well-being of the public. For example, the vocabulary used to describe the hog industry is determined by the industry and then mimicked by government and agribusiness, such as the use of the word "lagoon" vs. "cesspool", "hog waste" vs. "hog feces and urine", "family hog farm" vs. "corporate hog factory", "pig fertilizer" vs. "raw, untreated liquid pig slurry". Hence, the hog industry shrewdly and deliberately selects its own "slanted" language to convince the public that hog operations are favourable, positive, and environmentally-friendly enterprises. But the strongly connotative words used by the hog industry/agri-business are not an accurate/true picture of such operations. One would not mind living near a "lagoon" that evokes "swaying palm trees and sandy beaches", but would object to residing next to a "feces and urine cesspool" (filth pit). One would consider using a composted "pig fertilizer" to enhance crop growth, but would question using "raw, untreated liquid pig slurry" (a fetid industrial waste). A "family hog farm' suggests a family enterprise -- a natural, open-range, environmentally friendly raising of hogs whereas "corporate hog factory" suggests the crowded, inhummane confinement and mass production of hogs (a prison for pigs). Note that the hog industry and agri-business utilize their own "slanted" vocabulary that is misleading and one-sided because it presents only one part of the picture (the long-term consequences). We must be constantly alert readers and listeners to avoid being deliberately "conned" by "slanted" word pictures that are inaccurate and unreliable. Let us not assume that the word pictures used by the hog industry are the same as the real thing; to do so is to be deceived. John L. Davis Regulate
farming to safeguard water Seven people were killed two years ago because cow manure laced with E. coli and other bacteria got into the Walkerton water system. In the uproar that followed, many forgot this simple fact. To his credit, Justice Dennis O'Connor did not. O'Connor heads the one-man inquiry into the Walkerton affair. His first report, issued in January, was a polite but savage indictment of the provincial environment ministry, the Conservative government of then-premier Mike Harris and the hapless Koebel brothers who operated the small southwestern Ontario town's water system. His second report, released this week, goes beyond finger-pointing to ask how future Walkertons can be prevented. His solution is deceptively simple: keep contaminants — particularly manure — out of the drinking water. This is the thread that ties his 93 recommendations together. Of these, the most important — and politically contentious — are the six dealing with farmers. In effect, O'Connor finds that farmers have had virtually a free ride with regard to manure pollution. There are no legally binding rules for how farmers store or spread manure. Nor is there mandatory government inspection. This situation exists even though 34 per cent of rural drinking water wells in Ontario are infected with coliform bacteria from manure. The growth of intensive farming in southern Ontario has increased the production of manure exponentially. Lake Huron's Maitland River watershed, for instance, is now said to be the most manure-intensive region in Canada. Huron County alone is home to 600,000 pigs, each producing as much manure as four humans. At the same time, writes O'Connor, Ontario is behind the United States, the European Union, and even New Brunswick when it comes to regulating the environmental impact of agriculture. While the judge concludes that farmers can be charged and sued for contaminating drinking water, he describes the welter of laws and exemptions surrounding agriculture as "needlessly confusing." The answer, he says, is to regulate agriculture much like any other business. First, he calls on Queen's Park to establish mandatory regulatory minimums for the way all farmers deal with manure. On top of that, he writes, large farms, as well as small farms located close to sensitive water sources, should be required to have legally binding plans for handling manure. These plans would have to be consistent with overarching regulatory schemes designed to protect each so-called watershed area in the province. (A watershed is an area that drains into a lake or river). He notes that the provincial government has a proposed "nutrient management act" in the works to deal with farm manure. But, he says, as drafted it may simply be too weak. While O'Connor is careful not to criticize farmers (indeed he praises those who hew to existing voluntary guidelines), he is clearly suspicious of the provincial agriculture ministry. That ministry, he says, is in a potential conflict of interest when it comes to regulating farmers since it sees its primary role as agriculture's chief booster. "An approach has developed within the provincial government that separates the environmental impacts of farming operations from all other environmental impacts," O'Connor writes. "I do not think this separation has been helpful to the ultimate goal of (water) source protection." As a result, he says, the environment ministry should be charged with regulating and monitoring how farmers handle their animal dung. "In the end, I recommend that no activities, whatever the source, be permitted to contaminate drinking water," he writes. Yet throughout the report, O'Connor's emphasis is on relatively simple, practical fixes. "Readers should not conclude that Ontario's existing system needs radical reform. It does not." On the politically charged issue of privatization, for instance, he tends to come down — carefully — on the side of the status quo. Noting that water systems are usually local monopolies, he points out that there would be none of the usual benefits from competition if they were privatized —and that indeed, full privatization could create more problems for government regulators. Whereas the Tory government has, from time to time, suggested selling off the Ontario Clean Water Agency (a body that operates 151 municipal treatment plants), O'Connor recommends that it stay public in part to allow the province to deal with future emergencies. While he says he is reluctant to recommend an outright ban on water privatization, O'Connor says he sees "no reason, as a practical matter, why municipal ownership should not be continued." But always he returns to the centrepiece of his argument: If Ontarians want safe drinking water, they will have to put protective measures in place, even if doing so contradicts the current fashion for minimalist government. "Much reform in government in recent years has focused on overlap and duplication, which are considered to be sources of waste and inefficiency," he writes. "In the area of public health, however, this approach has limits." To this end, O'Connor calls for the government to press ahead with its plans to make municipalities charge users for the full cost of treating and distributing water. Only then will authorities have sufficient money to keep the water supply safe Rates may go up, he says, but even so, Ontario drinking water will still be a bargain. "For the same cost as a bottle of spring water ($1.25) bought at the store, consumers receive several thousand glasses of tap water," he writes. However, O'Connor balks at the idea, promoted by the adherents of privatization, that water be treated as a normal commodity in the marketplace. He says that charging consumers a price for the actual water itself (as opposed to a price for distributing and treating it) would probably not do any good. And in a final ironic twist, he calls on the government to beef up conservation authorities. Under Harris, Queen's Park squeezed funding for these bodies, originally set up to control flooding in the major rivers of southern Ontario. But O'Connor says the conservation authorities, which now concentrate on operating parks, are perfectly positioned to set up and administer the watershed rules he says are necessary to protect Ontario water. Perhaps one of his most important recommendations has to do with how threats to water are measured. The government should use what is called the precautionary principle: ban practices, agricultural or otherwise, that might harm the water supply, even if there were no irrefutable scientific proof that they would do so. O'Connor calls this erring on the side of safety. Hog
industry workers must be protected It's a pig of a job caring for hogs and workers need basic labour standards,
activists say. To begin with, the claim that the industry has not been adequately consulted in relation to coverage of their operations by the act is not accurate. In fact, the industry has been involved in discussions, lobbying , meetings with cabinet ministers, meetings with civil servants in Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food and the like for at least 18 months. For the past five months detailed consultations with industry participants have been conducted around the specifics of the act. Pork industry leaders have claimed that their businesses offer better working conditions than the minimums guaranteed by the act. If these claims are true, then why all the fuss? Perhaps there is a disconnect between the claims of the owners and the reality of those working in hog factories. And it is hog factories we are talking about, not some mom and pop family farm with a pig pen and a few sows -- that much is agreed. The industry's claim of special circumstances -- and your editorialist's acceptance of their premise -- also rings hollow. There are many businesses, utilities and public sservices where continuous operations are the norm -- hospitals come to mind -- and they are covered by the Labour Standards Act. Why should a person who happens to be caring for swine work under lesser labour standards than someone who is employed taking care of people ? Modern-day hog factories are intense production operations utilizing 21st-century technology. It strikes me as odd that the pork industry argues in favour of 19th-century concepts when it comes to labour regulations. It also strikes me as a trifle odd that the LeaderPost would carry an editorial in favour of the Sask Pork line following on the heels of large advertisements in your newspaper paid for by the same industry lobby group. The stance against being covered by the Labour Standards Act does a disservice to the industry and the people it employs. Working people in rural Saskatchewan deserve the same labour standards protection that is applicable to people working in urban jobs. Anything less would be unjust. It is time for the provincial government to act decisively by applying the Labour Standards Act to hog factories without any special deals or modifications. If we truly want to build a modern economy we do not have to do it at the expense of justice for workers in one segment. Hugh J. Wagner Hog
barn debate prompts screaming match in Piney Vassar - Hog barn development in the Rural Municipality of Piney continues to divide the area: a meeting to pass a new bylaw further imposing restrictions on livestock operations in the municipality broke into a screaming match Tuesday night. The debate over livestock operations particularly hog farms has been raging in the area for years, even forcing the past reeve and two municipal councillors to resign. The new bylaw would severely limit the size of farms and stop farmers from spreading liquid manure on land. Most of the newly elected council is in favor of the tighter rules, but opponents say it will destroy farm life as they know it. Dozens of people crammed council chambers in Vassar Tuesday evening, many to protest against the third and final reading of the bylaw. At one point, the RCMP was called in to quell the dispute. After tempers cooled, councillors voted three-to-two in favour of the new bylaw. Reeve Luc Gendreau says it's a vocal minority that is opposed to the new rules. That minority is prepared to go to court in fact, it has already launched court action. The matter will be heard in Manitoba's Court of Queen's bench. Opponents of the bylaw say until the courts take care of the matter, they will be doing what they can to throw out the current council. A general election for the municipality is scheduled for the fall Harmonized
Manure Storage Construction Standards Almost Complete Manure Storage Construction
Standards Almost Complete Manitoba Conservation says new harmonized standards for the construction
of liquid manure storages within the three prairie provinces are almost
ready for public release. Clip-Sylvio Tessier-Manitoba Conservation Tessier says developing harmonized standards is a high priority but it's
difficult to estimate how long it will take for the process to unfold.
*Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council Ratepayers
hope to have their voices heard at polls this fall Angry
Wallace hog-barn foes plan protest
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