By Mike Renzella
The Haldimand Press
A federal election is a chance to shine a light on some of the most pressing issues being faced in communities across the country. Here in Haldimand County, where agriculture is the largest driving force of the local economy, any new candidate who hopes to take office will need to make sure they listen to the concerns of local farmers.
Henk Lise, President of the Haldimand Federation of Agriculture, touched on some of these issues. Lise sent out a request to the local farming community for feedback on what matters most to them, and topping the list was the implementation of a government program that helps Canadian farmers compete internationally.
“The US has quite an advantage with some of the other countries that we trade with. Their government has some programs where whether they do good or bad, they still make some money,” said Lise. “Trade would have to equalize. I’m in a commodity where we want the illegal stuff to stop coming in.”
That commodity is chicken farming. Lise says that there is a growing problem with illegal poultry products entering the country: “It’s not healthy chicken; it’s mislabelled. When you read something and it says, ‘may contain egg’, that’s not your higher quality meat; that’s lower-end meat that they’re trying to relabel and sell. That’s a big national issue for the chicken farmers.”
Christian Farmers Federation of Ontario President Ed Sharringa commented on some prevalent issues as well: “There’s a big push on housing now. What kind of pressure is that going to put on our farmland? More so, in our area, we are in a micro-climate. We’ve got some of the best soil in this area. Where’s the housing push going to be? All in these areas.”
He continued, “People want local foods, but you’re going to put pressure on the best lands that are producing the best variety of food products – your fruits, vegetables, specialty crops, wines. We really feel that’s going to become something we’re going to have to deal with.”
Sharringa also touched on the long-term stability of the temporary migrant worker program, which is the driving force behind so much of the farm labour completed locally: “We need assurances that this program is going to continue. It’s a federal program due to immigration. It starts with the feds, and it gets implemented through the Province…. Labour is the biggest part of the operation. No labour, no harvest, no planting, no product.”
One issue raised by Conservative candidate Leslyn Lewis is orphan gas wells, as she claims there are thousands scattered throughout Haldimand and Norfolk, representing an environmental hazard that needs to be dealt with.
“I know there is a gas well committee here in Haldimand Norfolk,” said Lise. “I’d love for her to meet with them. Twenty years ago, there was an issue with that, they wanted everybody to get their wells registered and make sure they were all upgraded. With gas wells, they use them because they need to; they don’t use and abuse them. There are some abandoned ones that hopefully the government can help us close. It’s not cheap to do.”
A significant amount of attention has been levied against Lewis for her lack of history with Haldimand Norfolk, but neither Lise nor Scharringa see it as a significant issue.
“It might be a sharp learning curve for somebody out of town coming in, but it’s like anything else in politics…. The Liberal candidate would be in the same shoes and so would the NDP candidate. Some of them grew up in the area, but as far as the farming side goes, I don’t think any of them grew up farming,” said Lise, reflecting on the feedback he received from the community.
“I don’t believe that a politician necessarily has to be farm-smart, they just have to be open-minded and listen to what people have to say,” added Scharringa. “Farmers are troubled by the carbon pricing that’s happening. That’s inflating a lot of costs that we probably can’t pass on, so we’re absorbing that.”
As for how local farmers should approach their decision at the polls, Scharringa added, “Take a good look at the candidate, ask questions, and at the end of the day, if the candidate is an open candidate who is willing to talk about things, you’ve got yourself a good candidate. Whether they’ve got agricultural experience, or local experience, we have other issues in this county too…. I believe you need somebody that is willing to tackle issues, is open-minded, and is willing to work at it.”
Lise said that he largely found now-retired former Conservative MP Diane Finley easy to work with: “Her door was always open; you could always talk with her. She was always transparent if you had to sit down with her and talk about stuff. She was always up-to-speed on the issues, and if not, she got up-to-speed,” he recalled. “I met with her a few times in Ottawa on behalf of the Chicken Farmers of Canada, and she was right there with the trade issues, the illegal imports, and the economic impact – not only on Haldimand-Norfolk but all of Canada. She understood all that.”
On the new MP, Lise hopes they fully understand the community they will be representing: “Agriculture is the main economic driver in Haldimand-Norfolk. I think they have to let that soak in and realize that fact…. Your local MP can only do so much. They have to fight for your local area and what’s best in the long run.”
