Page 7 - March 16, 2017

Thursday, March 16, 2017
The Independent Page 7
Lambton secures loan for innovation group
The Independent Staff
bravery honoured
Three Petrolia men have been honoured for their bravery by Canada’s Governor General. John Allison and John McDonald were given decora ons for bravery by David Johnston at a ceremony in London. They, along with Robert Stokes, rescued an elderly woman from a burning car on Plank Road April 22, 2015. The woman was trying to get out but her legs were stuck under the steering wheel. Allison reached inside the car and managed to free her. McDonald and Stokes then helped pull her out of the car and carried her across the road to safety. Stokes will receive his medal at a later date.
Submi ed Photo
Remembering an Alvinston councillor
The Independent Staff
Members of Brooke-Alvinston Council paused to remember a former councillor who passed away recently.
Mary Louise Hayter, who was also the wife of the current Deputy Mayor Jim Hayter, died suddenly in her home March 2 of asthma related causes.
Lambton County is help- ing Bio-industrial Innovation Canada secure $4.5 million in loans.
So the organization ap- proached the county to see if it would help secure a loan.
the banks found the project too risky to invest in and Marshall agreed saying that is why they were looking for county coun- cil’s help.
Executive Director Sandy Marshall came to County Coun- cil March 9, explaining the group which helps biochemical companies get off the ground was in a cash crunch.
Marshall says companies like BioAmber and the proposed sugar beet factory have created up to 2,000 jobs in the region and the investment will pay off in jobs.
“This is a bridge to get us through to the place where we can get the value out of our investments,” says Marshall.
Marshall says they have ac- cess to federal funding to help start up companies, such as
Bio Amber and Greencore, but they have to match the funding. Right now, Marshall said, they don’t have that cash available.
But some councillors were worried about making a risky investment. “The idea is great, but nancially we need to look after the money of the residents of Lambton County,” says Brooke-Alvinston Mayor Don McGugan.
Council approved loans of up to $4.5 million but to reduce the risk, the Bio-industrial Innova- tion will receive $1 million by March 31, then $1.5 million this summer and another $2 million next year.
St. Clair Township Deputy Mayor Peter Gilliland worried
County councillors will have to approve each additional investment.
Hayter was well-known in the community. She worked as a nurse and then as educational assistant for children with medical needs at Brooke Central School.
Most recently, Hayter could be found at the front desk of the family business in Alvinston greeting customers with a smile.
Mayor Don McGugan, who counts the Hayters among his friends, says Mary Louise served as a councillor in the Village of Alvinston before Brooke and Alvinston amalgamated in 2001.
At the March 8 meeting, councillors, including Deputy Mayor Jim Hayter, were silent to honour her service to the community.
Veggie board ring a ‘wake-up call’
Heather Wright
members with their powers intact. “This is a wake-up call,” says
The Independent
Huszka. “This sends a clear message to processors... if you yell loud enough, don’t worry the province will cut the farmers off.” And he thinks other commodity groups could nd themselves in the same spot. “All partners in the supply chain need to make a living,” he says. “No doubt processors are facing a problem with high hydro costs, higher labour costs... with the retail market squeezing on one end, the only place left to squeeze is the farmers. Farmers are probably the weakest link. The government is supposed to be there to stand up for us, but really they stood up for the processors.”
The newly re-elected head of the National Farmers Union of Ontario says farm groups need to stand up and let the province know they want collective bargaining.
The NFU was holding its Ontario convention at Ridgetown when it heard the Ministry of Agriculture “wiped out” the Ontario Processing Vegetable Grower board “with the stroke of a pen.” The ministry said it feared the upcoming tomato harvest would be
in jeopardy because talks had stalled. Board of cials say they were close
to a deal but one processor Highbury Canco, walked away from the table.
A trustee has been appointed to bargain for the farmers.
Huszka is calling on all farm marketing boards to publicly voice concern for the move and speak out for growers collective bargaining before another group is shut out of the process.
That worries Emery Huszka - the Florence farmer who will be the NFU-O’s president for another year. He is concerned and says
the organization is reaf rming its support for democratically-elected marketing boards. He also called for the restoration of the OPVG board
“Government has clearly shown if you have issues, we’ll act and the marketing board is the one we’ll pinch.”