County Regional Environmental
Evaluation KO-Alition
NEWS ITEMS - February 2003

A municipal council that acted too late and a mayor who declared a financial interest in an application for an industrial livestock operation left citizens of the rural communities of St-Eugene and Saint-Anne de Prescott in Eastern Ontario in a state of shock on Thursday night. Because of the location of the proposed industrial operation, just on the Quebec border, the Quebec towns of Rigaud, Hudson, St-Lazare, and Oka also fear the worst. Liquid manure run-off from the operation would flow into the Lake of Two Mountains through the Rigaud River.

The worst fears of thousands of citizens on both sides of the Ontario/Québec border came true on Thursday night. An application for a building permit for an industrial livestock operation was submitted in the municipality of East Hawkesbury on Thursday, only hours before the municipal council adopted an interim by-law to ban buildings or structures for the purpose of such operations. For the last week, citizens had insistently and specifically asked Mayor Lalonde and the other members of the municipal council that such a by-law be passed without delay.

On Thursday night, council did end up adopting the interim control by-law under which "no new building or structure for the purpose of an interim livestock operation will be permitted" in East Hawkesbury for a period of one year, so as to allow the municipality to undertake further study on the impact of such operations. The by-law defines "intensive livestock operations" as agricultural operations in which more than 250 live stock units are kept (the equivalent of 1 000 hogs or 1 250 sows).

But the by-law was adopted a few hours too late, as enraged citizens found out at the end of the council meeting. In fact, the by-law adopted on Thursday evening likely does not apply to the building permit submitted on Thursday morning, before the by-law was adopted - at least if the application was complete and in good order (which has not been confirmed). In front of a room packed with farmers and other citizens, the deputy mayor, Ronald Conway, refused to disclose how large the livestock operation for which the permit was submitted could be. Local farmers believe that up to 6,000 hogs could be housed in the operation.

The fact that Mayor Lalonde declared his personal financial interest too late left the locals baffled and shocked. The mayor only disclosed the conflict at the beginning of the meeting on Thursday night. He only withdrew from the file at that time.

Citizens are angry because council could have adopted the by-law preventing construction of new industrial operations earlier, without waiting until the meeting on Thursday night. That is what citizens had been asking the mayor and other council members to do. But the mayor waited until Thursday, and declared his conflict only after the application in which he has a personal financial interest had been submitted.

At another meeting, on the future economic development of part of the municipality, on 16 February, about 100 citizens had demanded that council act immediately. The mayor and two other council members were present at that meeting and heard that message, but failed to act, despite persistent rumours that an application was imminent.

Citizens in these communities in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec are now faced with a future that could see plummeting property values, contamination of water, nauseous odours, toxic gases, and the demise of the family farm - all for the profit of a few industrial promotors that could not care less about the communities affected by their operations.

Citizens for the Environment and Future in Eastern Ontario, a not-for-profit organization founded last week by concerned citizens in East Hawkesbury, is satisfied that a by-law was adopted on Thursday night. However, it is outraged at the mayor's and council's handling of the file. It repeats the demands that it made in a written submission to council : (1) that the interim by-law define intensive livestock operations as agricultural operations in which more than 175 or 200 (instead of 250) livestock units are kept ; (2) that East Hawkesbury be symbolically declared a "municipality free of intensive livestock operations²; and (3) that the municipality join the growing movement in Ontario that opposes the proposed regulations under the provincial Nutrient Management Act as inadequate to protect the health of the people of Ontario - these regulations need to protect farmers and the environment and health of Ontario. In their current form, they do not do that, but instead protect industrial operations that have to be regulated as what they are : potentially disastrous polluters.

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Media contact: Jean Dussault : (514) 708-0128
stopthismegamadness@globetrotter.net

Farms Not Factories, a citizens'group formed to protect its community from corporate-owned intensive livestock operations, commends Tweed Municipal Council on its strong stand against Intensive Hog Operations in the Municipality of Tweed. In the face of well-orchestrated provincial opposition, in the form of Bill 81 and alterations to the both the Municipal and Planning Acts, Tweed has recommended action supporting the health and safety of all its residents. Showing the foresight to recognize the damaging effect corporate agribusiness is likely to have on the environment, health, economic development and existing farming operations, Tweed has clearly said "No."

On Tuesday, February 18, 2003, at its regular Council Meeting, Tweed Municipality voted in favour of asking its Chief Building Official to revoke the permit issued in October of 2002 to Mr. Mark Slack for a hog operation initially slated for 1,300 sows but also poised to increase to 2,400. The operation, located on the Canadian Shield close to a provincially significant wetland and the Clare River, was due to begin operation with the institution of phase 1 of the Province of Ontario's new Nutrient Management Act, Bill 81. Since discovering this fact in November, citizens of Tweed municipality have mobilized against the operation. Over 200 local residents attended an information meeting in Tweed in mid-January and, at last night's Council Meeting, 376 letters of objection were presented. A full "Objection Package" is slated for presentation to Council in March.

The language used by Tweed Council in clarifying its position is clear and uncompromising. "Through all of this research, Council formed the opinion that while it is important that existing agricultural operations within the Municipality be supported and encouraged, the same regulations should not apply for industrial sized farms for the production of pork. The zoning By-law now drafted reflects that view."

Farms Not Factories is grateful to its Municipal Council members who have shown the courage and wisdom to ask for a halt to the erosion of our precious rural resources by profit-driven corporate interests that move in, use-up and move away. In the past four years, Ontario's rural countryside has been assaulted and divided by the introduction of intensive hog operations. Farms Not Factories recognizes the brave and honourable choices made by its Council members on behalf of all residents of Tweed Municipality.

For information contact:

Frank Szarka 613 829-5379
Lisa Schnieder 613 478-4763
Jill Smith 705 741-4378

Over the last two years, Council has become increasingly aware of, and involved in, the wide debate about Intensive Livestock Operations, and in particular Intensive Pork Operations.

As a group, and individually, Councillors have attended seminars, researched government documents, and many other sources in an attempt to be better informed of the issues, and thus provide responsible government.

During the same period, Council and staff have been preparing a new Zoning By-Law to regulate the use of land and the erection or use of buildings within defined areas of the Municipality.

Through all of this research, Council formed the opinion that while it is important that the existing agricultural operations within the Municipality be supported and encouraged, the same regulations should not apply for industrial sized farms for the production of pork. The Zoning By-law now drafted reflects that view.

Since it is the intent of Council to prohibit such installations, it is only reasonable that it would not be in the best interests of the Municipality or the developer of the proposed site, to allow him to proceed.

At the February 18, 2003, regular meeting, Council moved to request the Chief Building Official to revoke the conditional building permit issued to Mr. Slack.