Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

Farms feed cities

Although not a farmer, live in agricultural area and realize the cost increases that affect farms, will eventually affect us. Can we not all stand together to fight this smart meter issue and related charges on our hydro bill? I am so angry with this Liberal government and what they're getting away with at our expense, I'm considering operating the house with our generator but that would be a drop in the bucket. Unless we all stand together and protest, nothing will be accomplished. If the whole town refused to pay the hydro bill, right across Ontario, will they cut everyone off? You don't want to relive the Ice Storm situation but to what extent are we willing to tolerate the hydro ripoff? This can't be fought alone, farmers should have the upper hand, there will be an outcry if food doesn't make it to the grocery stores. If buying discreetly from the farmer helps sustain the farm, I'm all for it. Ideas, suggestions are needed to work together.  Nancy Moisan

Views: 414

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by OntAG Admin on October 30, 2010 at 12:54pm
Are you against the smart meters or against paying more for electricity?
How much more are you paying?
What are you suggesting...working together?
Permalink Reply by Nancy Moisan on October 31, 2010 at 5:32am
;Not against smart meters but against the Time of Use rates that will apply. We are keeping our usage to a minimum and mostly have gas appliances, water heater and heating, debt retirement, adjusted usage and delivery charges are more than our actual usage and now I hear they're going to add a Green Tax to the bill. This is before the new rates come into effect, those that already have the new rates are finding it skyrocketing, no one can afford that. The Hydro companies (government) just finds another charge to add to the bill, so no matter how you reduce consumption, your bill keeps increasing. I have a problem with that.
Permalink Reply by Nancy Moisan on December 3, 2010 at 10:43am
We'll be starting on the 29th Dec., Merry Christmas to Mr. McGuinty! Have heard of others in the area who have doubled their bill and the heating has barely started. Why are we not hearing from farmers, this is surely going to be a huge impact on them. I'm willing to participate in anything to get the Liberals to back off on HST and Time of Use rates. A total blackout once a month would be good, we'll be in the dark anyway.

OntAG Admin said:
Are you against the smart meters or against paying more for electricity?
How much more are you paying?
What are you suggesting...working together?
Permalink Reply by Nancy Moisan on December 5, 2010 at 10:22am
According to other areas who have installed smart meters, it hasn't improved anything, just raised the rates. But its not the meters I have a problem with if they work properly, its the government using them to increase rates beyond what general public can afford and I'd think farmers would be screaming. We aren't under the new rates until the end of this month, others have had their bill doubled, regardless of them lowering consumption. Friend in BC paid $67 for 880kWh incl. a couple of small extra charges and tax, my total for 670 was $122. If you figure in the charges on our bills, it works out to .16kWh. I did some comparisons with other provinces and we being ripped off. Working together, I'm not a farmer but you supply my food, if you have an idea that will convince McGuinty to back off, I'm interested in participating. I would like to pull the breaker at a certain time every month so he can see a black province, that's the only time he'll be in the black. Imagine what our neighbours to the south would say if we did this, don't think they'd be impressed and might, might be a wake up call for our government. Nancy

Nancy Moisan said:
We'll be starting on the 29th Dec., Merry Christmas to Mr. McGuinty! Have heard of others in the area who have doubled their bill and the heating has barely started. Why are we not hearing from farmers, this is surely going to be a huge impact on them. I'm willing to participate in anything to get the Liberals to back off on HST and Time of Use rates. A total blackout once a month would be good, we'll be in the dark anyway.

OntAG Admin said:
Are you against the smart meters or against paying more for electricity?
How much more are you paying?
What are you suggesting...working together?

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

The 13-Year Lag: Why Today’s Wheat Breeding Success Depends on Yesterday’s Investment

Wheat varieties are performing better than ever, but a “slow drip” of budget cuts means the next generation of innovation is at a critical crossroads. Wheat varieties that deliver high yields, exceptional quality and strong disease packages are available in abundant choice to Manitoba farmers. This choice and performance are thanks to an often-overlooked wheat breeding innovation system. “Wheat is one of my favourite crops to grow; it can withstand whatever the year throws at it,” says Jocelyn Velestuk, chair of the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC). “In past decades that hasn’t always been the case.” There’s lots of variables driving the success of wheat in Western Canada, but Velestuk is adamant that the foundation of that success is our wheat breeding programs. “We can’t take that system for granted and right now, it’s at risk,” she says. While the varieties available today are excellent, the process of plant breeding means those successes are built on efforts made over 1

Rotimi Aluko, professor, University of Manitoba

Rotimi Aluko is a professor at the University of Manitoba (UM) in the Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, as well as director of the Richardson Centre for Food Technology and Research. Originally from Nigeria, he completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees in biochemistry there before earning a PhD in food science at the University of Guelph. He moved to Winnipeg in 2001, where he lives with his wife. Their two children are grown; one lives in Winnipeg and the other is in Alberta. Where did you work before UM? I’ve been here for 25 years, but before UM I worked as a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Saskatoon. What got you interested in becoming a professor? From my undergraduate days I was fascinated by my professors, how they taught, carried themselves and were respected in society. I worked as a scientist with AAFC after my PhD, but I was always on the lookout for a professorial position. It had been a longtime goal, so when t

Canadian Cattle Association Statement on Revised Regulatory Approach to the Livestock Traceability Regulations

The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) is pleased by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) announcement that new movement reporting requirements for cattle will not be moving forward while changes for other species will proceed. CCA remains committed to our support for livestock traceability as a core pillar of disease preparedness, market access and confidence in Canadian beef. CCA and provincial member organizations are in the final stages of convening a Task Force to work for producers on a risk-based, industry-led approach to disease preparedness and emergency management and will be making an announcement soon, pending finalization of the Task Force members.

Waterton Biosphere Region seeking input on predator losses

The Waterton Biosphere Region is seeking input from livestock producers who have experienced losses to bears, wolves or cougars between 2021 and 2025. Information collected through the survey will be used to help inform discussions around Alberta’s predator compensation program.  Producers are asked to provide up to five years of data on livestock inventories, overall death losses and predator-related losses. Personal information will remain confidential and will not be shared externally.  The survey is currently open to producers located within the Waterton Biosphere Region and will remain open until the end of June.  The survey is available online:  Producer Data – Predator Losses  Paper copies can also be obtained through local municipal district offices.  Understanding the biosphere region The Waterton Biosphere Region is a biosphere region located in southwestern Alberta. According to the organization, biosphere reserves are traditionally organized into three zones, known a

Wild boar eradication efforts continue across Alberta

Province reports nearly 600 animals removed since 2018 Alberta’s Wild Boar Control Program says efforts to eradicate invasive wild boar from the province are continuing to advance, with nearly 600 animals removed since 2018. In an update shared through the Alberta Invasive Species Council (AISC), the province reported that 595 wild boar have been removed through trapping efforts since the program began, including 108 animals in 2025 and nine more so far in 2026. Tracking progress toward eradication Wild boar are considered one of the most destructive invasive species affecting agriculture in North America due to their ability to damage crops, pasture, fencing, water systems and native ecosystems. They can also pose disease risks to livestock and wildlife populations. “The Wild Boar Control Program is taking some big steps towards eradicating wild boar in Alberta with the support of all our amazing partners,” wrote Hannah McKenzie, Wild Boar Specialist with the Alberta government,

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service