York Region, ON - The York Region Federation of Agriculture (YFA) is disappointed with Minister Brad Duguid and the Wynne government for continuing to push for amendments to Bill C-40 that would threaten farmers, and the 7,500 acres of Class 1 farmland in the Rouge National Urban Park that the Bill is trying to protect. The YFA calls on Minister Duguid to transfer the Provincially controlled lands to the Federal Government for the Rouge National Urban Park without delay.
The York Region Federation of Agriculture and the farmers in the Rouge National Urban Park want to reconfirm their support for the passage of Bill C-40 An Act respecting the Rouge National Urban Park to Third Reading in the Senate without amendment.
The YFA want to clear up any misconception that we support any of the amendments that have been suggested to the Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources by groups or individuals. Minister Duguid stated in his letter of March 10, 2015 to Minister Aglukkaq that his proposed amendments “… have been drafted in consultation with both environmental and agricultural stakeholders …”. Kim Empringham from the YFA said, “We only met with Minister Duguid to discuss our concerns with his previous statements about his position on Bill C-40 and the land transfer. We did not discuss any potential amendments or agree to any amendments.”
“As we try to resolve this Federal-Provincial issue, I would suggest that Ontario needs to be clear if they support the farmers and the farmland they are trying to protect, or the organization that said at the House of Commons Committee Hearing, on the record, that 1,700 acres of Class 1 farmland should be re-naturalized. They cannot have it both ways,” said Kim Empringham. “Every single amendment proposed by Ontario would have a serious impact on farmers that have been producing food in the Rouge for close to 200 years.”
The York Region Federation of Agriculture members are the 700 farm businesses in York Region and Toronto including the farmers in the Rouge National Urban Park.
The York Region Federation of Agriculture believes that Bill C-40 provides the best protection of the farmland and sustainable farming activities in the Rouge National Urban Park while at the same time improving the health of the ecosystems and preserving the cultural heritage of the area. They applaud the Federal Minister and Parks Canada for standing up for farmers and the environment.
Source: York Region Federation of Agriculture