Farmer Protest Targets 401

Source from:  Tue, December 13, 2005 By JOE MATYAS, FREE PRESS REPORTER 12/14/2005

Tractors and farm trucks are expected to jam the highway south of Woodstock tomorrow. A new militant rural rights organization plans to disrupt traffic tomorrow morning on Highway 401 near Woodstock and at two other locations in the province. The Ontario Landowners Association is organizing the rallies to protest government policies it says are harming rural communities. "Rural Ontario is under attack and we're fighting back," said Randy Hillier, president of the association representing 15,000 farmers and rural business owners. The group is fighting for a "rural revolution" and challenging politicians at all three levels of government, he said. The association will highlight the plight of farmers by staging protests tomorrow morning in Ottawa, Belleville and the Woodstock area. Chatham-Kent farmers plan to add fuel to the fire with a related demonstration in Wallaceburg. Highway 401 near Sweaburg Road is expected to be jammed with farm tractors and trucks in mid-to-late morning after a convoy travels up Highway 19 from Tillsonburg for an 11 a.m. rally at the TA Travel Centre (230 Truck Stop). The 401 also is expected to be clogged at Wallbridge Road near Belleville as heavy vehicles converge on the Ten Acre Truck Stop for a rally. The Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa is the demonstration destination for two convoys that will travel into the city from the east and west on Highway 417. Wallaceburg-area farmers are scheduled to gather for a 10 a.m. rally at the old Zellers parking lot on McNaughton Avenue. The rally is not part of the Ontario Landowners Association protests, but it is timed to coincide with them. Tim Chinnick, a Dover Township farmer, said yesterday federal election candidates have been invited to present their parties' positions on Canada's farm crisis. The plight of farmers has worsened in recent years, said John Van Daele, a Tillsonburg area tobacco farm and organizer of the Sweaburg event. "I wouldn't be surprised if we had three times as many people turn out for this protest," he said. He was referring to a similar protest last January. About 180 trucks and tractors stalled traffic on Highway 401 near Woodstock. "I'm sure there will be a lot more this time. We're expecting strong turnouts of beef, pork, grains, dairy and tobacco producers," Van Daele said. Sgt. Dave Rektor of the OPP's Western Region said police are ready for the demonstrations. "We don't condone what they're doing, but we have to be prepared. We'll be maintaining a high presence for reasons of public safety." OPP will be rerouting traffic around the convoys, said Rektor. Hillier said the Ontario Landowners Association started in January 2004, as the Lanark Landowners Association with 250 members from Lanark County southwest of Ottawa. The association became a provincial body at a conference near Kingston two weeks ago. A provincewide convention is set for Belleville in February. The group has 15,000 members across the province, including farmers and owners of rural businesses such as sawmills, sugar bushes, tree farms and farm supply retailers, said Hillier. "We're growing fast because rural Ontario doesn't want to be the victim of bad government policy," Hillier said. "We're not going to be passive and docile." Government policy has led to the closing of small sawmills, abattoirs, the separated cream industry, elk and deer farms and hit tobacco farmers hard, he said. Overly zealous manure-management, groundwater and other legislation aimed at farmers and rural businesses has placed heavy financial burdens on them and devalued their properties, Hillier said. Enditem