Farmers Stage Protest on Ontario's Highway 401
Ontario farmers protested a lack of long-term aid from the provincial government Friday by taking their farm equipment on to busy highways.
As tractors left the farms and converged on provincial highways, Agriculture Minister Leona Dombrowsky assured farmers their plight is a top priority for the government.
She said the federal-provincial plan that supports farm incomes isn't working, and promised to push other agriculture ministers on the issue during meeting beginning Sunday in British Columbia.
"We are coming to understand very clearly that it's not meeting the goals it was intended to meet, so we have to come up with a short-term strategy,'' Dombrowsky said.
"Our focus will be to press the federal government to act as soon as possible.''
Some farmers occupied truck weigh scales on Highway 401 in Bowmanville, Oshawa and Mississauga. More than 300 people brought traffic to a crawl along a stretch of Highway 402 near Sarnia's Blue Water Bridge border crossing.
Joe Hickson, a farmer from Lindsay, Ont., said about 40 tractors and other vehicles were expected at each location on Highway 401 but there were no plans to block the highway itself.
Farmer Joe Hickson said the group wants long-term solutions from Queen's Park. He said a recent $125 million aid package from the province is inadequate.
"Both levels of government have admitted they need a long-term program for the agriculture industry,'' Hickson said.
"But for five years, all we've got is lip service.''
Dombrowsky said the province has done its part to help farmers and they should pressure Ottawa to come up with an aid plan.
CTV
As tractors left the farms and converged on provincial highways, Agriculture Minister Leona Dombrowsky assured farmers their plight is a top priority for the government.
She said the federal-provincial plan that supports farm incomes isn't working, and promised to push other agriculture ministers on the issue during meeting beginning Sunday in British Columbia.
"We are coming to understand very clearly that it's not meeting the goals it was intended to meet, so we have to come up with a short-term strategy,'' Dombrowsky said.
"Our focus will be to press the federal government to act as soon as possible.''
Some farmers occupied truck weigh scales on Highway 401 in Bowmanville, Oshawa and Mississauga. More than 300 people brought traffic to a crawl along a stretch of Highway 402 near Sarnia's Blue Water Bridge border crossing.
Joe Hickson, a farmer from Lindsay, Ont., said about 40 tractors and other vehicles were expected at each location on Highway 401 but there were no plans to block the highway itself.
Farmer Joe Hickson said the group wants long-term solutions from Queen's Park. He said a recent $125 million aid package from the province is inadequate.
"Both levels of government have admitted they need a long-term program for the agriculture industry,'' Hickson said.
"But for five years, all we've got is lip service.''
Dombrowsky said the province has done its part to help farmers and they should pressure Ottawa to come up with an aid plan.
CTV
posted by Ottawa Gas Prices | 5:45 PM
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