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Ninety ninth year No ACTON ONTARIO WEDNESDAY APRIL 1974 SECOND SECTION Hydro towers taking arable TORONTO LAWYER Harold Elliott and Ontario Federation of Agri culture president Gordon Hill urge those at last Wednesdays meeting in Guelph to sign a form letter urging the Province to consider routing hydro corridors from the Bruce generating station to near Camp Borden using existing corndors instead of cutting up from Milton through Limehouse Halton Hills and Wellington County The proposal runs counter to the recommendation of the Solandt Commission but would make a large substation near Milton unnecessary Gordon Hill president of Bradley Junction the Ontario Federation of Georgetown corridor Agriculture told farmera taking some of the proposed Headline speaker tit 8 MAIN ST ACTON meeting arranged by citizens Tram North anil Wellington County Hill said farmers look on power prov ided by Ontario Hydro as Important and Ihey had no desire halt its flow or delivery but Ihey felt the present proposals were Inking which should be used for producing food Towers should use laud suitable for agriculture he said He pointed out had been taking acres of land out of production every hour in the last years at time when food was desperately needed The proposed Itrudley to corridor Is hinted to go through some of the best land in and Wellington Land is our most valuable resource next to people Hill told the meeting at the John 1 Collegiate Guelph Farmers land owners attnded from ureas along the route of the proposed corridor and listened as Hydro was roasted by seven speakers and from the audience in a subsequent question period Hill said the presence of so many towers In agricultural land posed t problem for farmer using machinery up to feet which left boat shaped areas uncultivated because of the difficulties negotiating around them He also took a crack at Hydros land negotiating teams which he claimed took advantage of farmers Inexperience in land j deals The buyers professionals who have concern for farm problems he The speaker said formers I having to deal with Hydro feel I completely alone since the I buyer is backed by Ontario I Hydro which in turn In sup- I ported the Ontario I Government The method I used puts the farmer in the I of asking Hydro lo I his land and contributes to the bad feelings against Ontario Hydro Hill said farmers have been threatened that If they didnt sign offers to sell Hydro representatives would tell them they would lake it anyway And who wants to get Into the with Ontario Hydro he asked charging the farmers rights were trampled on and almost stolen the pltlance they gotforlt then every time the farmers think they in a position to deal equally with Hydro they come at you in another way Hill said that when farmers started talking about use corridors to include all services they were laughed When Ihey suggested dosed door mc tings on planning be open lo Nose affected they got the same response 11 until we started raising hell that agreements for open planning were farmers have objected and refused to meekly allow He referred to a stalemenl of a Hydro official saying There would be no more rape and pillage of farmers by Ontario Hydro He said ho was looking forward to day when it slops And who are we generating all this power for he queried tor Ontario or lo sell He felt It was strange bringing soft coal from Ihc United Slates Ontario which allowed there of pollution regulation and burning it here spreading ash and then selling the power hack to the US Where arc we going What arc we doing Ontario Hydro is raising rales now to build to provide service that won be needed for five years hut farmers saw a power rate Increase of per tent In the last months Hill charged If they continue to develop land south of Highway it will be nothing hut steel anil concrete within W years Are we really planning- 1 suggest not Hill said Is valuable resource next to people and it is renewable If taken care of but if il is covered with asphalt concrete and steel process Is irreversible and can I be turned back to food production Hill claimed lie noted t hut I only hydro lowers and lines but other they icted This John Serin dor argument for taking hydro corridors into of Ontario where development was needed such as and instead of Inking Ihem through highly productive land Piece planning is no good to take i look at the overall picture Hill said Studies should have public input and he Independent of Ontario Hydro Hill con eluded Route in May Residents of can expect sec route v people of Ihc Canada post office laying out carrier walks about May according Acton postmaster Mr says the mail delivery service will probably be in operation commencing September 1 Anybody wishing lo install their letter boxes should do so well in advance of hat day said Ihe postmaster He explains here will be no delivery beyond yards from a street side walk Beyond tint regular mill boxes will be required he said Six speakers tear strips off Hydro Six panelists followed Gordon Hill president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture at Inst Wed s meeting to discuss Choose it TILDEN ANDREW MURRAY MOTORS hydro corridors in They included of Coalition of Concerned who first opposed Ontario Hydro original east west corridor from to Pickering Harold Middle brook a North Burlington farmer Ian Barrett Gordon of the federation John Schneider and Harold All of took strips off Hydro for their policies and most criticized the Commissions recommen to cross the Niagara Escarpment at I imehouse and cut through prime agricultural land first speaker said Hydros mandate is to produce pow al cost but the value of Ihe and the cost of pollution was never considered large increase in power sought was largely to benefit Toronto and Hamilton centres he thought should bear Ihe brunt vantages of the corridors instead of rural people Symmes also felt Ihe Government should be planning power sites in areas of southwestern Ontario to divert growth from Toronto and lake advantage of power Ladies Wear Hosiery Jewellery Boxed Toiletries Boxed Chocolates Writing Paper Fancy China and Glassware DONT FORGET TO PICK UP TOUR BINGO CARD FOR NEXT WEEKS GAME Flowers Potted Plants and Cut Flowers MOTHERS DAY GREETING CARDS from 15 to at 5 to Store produce nearby He said the direction of growth was not all Hydros faultmuch of belonged to Ihe Ontario Government Harold called for a land use program to preserve number one and two agricultural land He noted only four per cent of the land in Canada was suitable for agriculture but It was being eaten up by while the population continued to grow a situation he found sen set ess Ian Barrett sold Ihe Premier should remember what happened lo the lost man who proposed to ram through a corridor Howe He questioned the need of additional power He- noted the bulk of Ontario Hydro exports go to the and a new agreement had been signed to Increase amount of export while Hydro continued to say Ontario needed ihe power In a brimstone and fire address Barrett challenged the accuracy of Hydros growth figures and Ihe ranee of destined Toronto He saw day when there l be any farm land left below the Escarpment If development continued spurred by Ihe direction of the growth of hydro power olio agriculture Gordon said he was dismayed the seemed to follow agricultural areas and the vague reassurances Hydro gave farmers He claimed studies at Ihe University of Oregon showed marked effect on production near volloges radio and TV in POLLOCK AND CAMPBELL It J I and one burg study showed sterile seed resulted Kidd wondered why rural people had up with the visual Impact of ihe towers when it made more sense to htm to hove strung along highways whore drivers only got fleeting glimpses people have to look at Ihem year around he John Schneider outlined his proposal to run the from to and avoid the central Ontario farm lands altogether He urged those attending to sign the form letters to urge the Government lo Bruce to route final speaker was Harold a Toronto la who lives at Lot Con Erin township who urged an in dependent study for the North corridor which could be impartial using a retired judge or other arbiter to preside He also in favor of corridors traversing the circumference of the area to avoid the farm land He forecast residents would end up wiln both lines around Ihe perimeter and intersecting corridors if strong action wasn t taken now Elliot also took issue with the Hydro suggestion that no hearings be held in this area What they arc saying is dont give hearings here because hearings have already been held miles from here baloney he said The meeting chaired by John Schneider concluded with questions from the floor much of it devoted to com from farmers from the Ingham and areas who had banded together to oppose the hydro corridors Wellington M P John Root and several Hydro officials were in attendance but made no comments The North Wellington group lold this newspaper they succeeded in arranging a meeting with Allan Grossman secretary or resources management to further discuss the to proposal which the commission had turned down An estimated people attended