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Avia Eek's Blog (4)

Beginning of the End

Well, it has begun—sort of! It is March 31, 2010, 10:30 a.m., I am sitting in the King Township Council Chambers. The Ontario Municipal Board hearing is about to get under way with respect to the site plan for the York Energy Centre. A 393MW (but licensed for 435MW) natural gas-fired peaker power plant to…

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Added by Avia Eek on April 14, 2010 at 1:21am — No Comments

Pulling the Plug...

Part II—You Can’t Eat Energy!!



Monday, January 18, 2010, was a night for small victories for the Farmers of the Holland Marsh, the citizens of King Township, and the people of Ontario!



This was the night our Township Council voted, unanimously, in favour of an interim control by-law. Basically, if upheld by the OMB, it halts the building of the power plant slated to be imposed in the Greenbelt, on agricultural land in the Holland Marsh. This will allow Township staff the… Continue

Added by Avia Eek on January 31, 2010 at 4:24am — 2 Comments

Democracy lives in King Township

Last night was a tremendous night for the Farmers of the Holland Marsh, and the citizens of King Township. We are fortunate to have so many astute individuals willing to take up this cause, and do battle with the Ontario government! As one Councillor put it "I never would have thought we would ever have to deal with the building of a power plant in the Holland Marsh"--yah, no kidding! A hydrological study has been done, independently, which does not favour the peaker plant builder's position,… Continue

Added by Avia Eek on January 12, 2010 at 6:00am — 2 Comments

You Can't Eat Energy--Peaker Plant in the Holland Marsh

PEAKER PLANT IN THE HOLLAND MARSH





My name is Avia Eek. My husband, Bill, and I farm in the Holland Marsh. My husband, and many of the farmers in the Holland Marsh are descendants of the first pioneers who broke this land in 1934. Although, it should be noted the first industry here was the harvesting of the marsh grass for mattresses. This business took place from 1880 to approx. 1915, when it peaked.



The soil in the Holland Marsh is organic based, the result of… Continue

Added by Avia Eek on December 19, 2009 at 6:03am — 1 Comment

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

Hursh: Court documents reveal scope of Monette Farms' financial challenges

As reported on Wednesday, Monette Farms and its many affiliated companies have filed for creditor protection. The court document filed at Court of King's Bench in Calgary provides insight into the size and scope of Monette's operations and the extent of their financial difficulties. According to the court document, the Monette Group forms one of the largest private farming businesses in North America with operations in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, B.C., and the states of Montana, Colorado and Arizona. The group owns approximately 274,000 acres of land and leases approximately 218,000 acres. It also has seed processing and produce storage facilities. The restructuring plan is debtor-in-possession financing, because the applicants are insolvent and don’t otherwise have the finances to seed a crop this spring. Monette did recently sell some farmland, most notably about 13,000 acres near Stewart Valley, Saskatchewan for $54 million. Subsequent activity resulted in two more sales t

Removal of non-tariff trade barrier for flaxseed to the EU reflects confidence in Canada’s agricultural exports

Canada is one of the world's largest producers and global exporters of flaxseed. Our high-quality products are enjoyed by millions of people around the world on a daily basis. May 1, 2026, will mark the official termination of the longstanding Sampling and testing protocol for Canadian flaxseed exported to the European Union (the Protocol). Removal of this non-tariff barrier, that has been in place since 2009, is a recognition of the safety, reliability and quality of Canadian agricultural and agri-food exports. This demonstrates the strength of the Canada-EU Strategic Partnership and a shared commitment to resolving long-standing trade irritants through cooperation and dialogue. In July 2009, trace amounts of an unauthorized genetically modified flaxseed called CDC Triffid was detected in a Europe-bound shipment, leading to the immediate and temporary cessation of flaxseed exports. Following the detection, AAFC worked diligently with the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), industry par

Cereals Canada Releases "Securing Global Markets for Canadian Wheat" Report

Cereals Canada today released its new report, Securing Global Markets for Canadian Wheat, during a webinar that brought together farmers, researchers, plant breeders, and value chain partners from across the sector. The report outlines how targeted market development, technical engagement, and science-based policy advocacy are helping to protect, maintain, and grow global demand for Canadian wheat in an increasingly complex trade environment. Canadian wheat is exported to more than eighty international markets each year, with over twenty-eight million tonnes expected to ship globally in 2025–2026. Canada is the world's number one exporter of durum wheat and oats and is on track to be the third-largest wheat exporter overall, reinforcing the importance of diversified and stable international demand. The Securing Global Markets for Canadian Wheat report provides a snapshot of six international markets that were part of Cereals Canada's 2025 market development activities. These activiti

Monette Farms Seeks Court Protection as Mega-Farm Restructures Amid Financial Pressures

Monette Farms has entered court-supervised restructuring under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act while continuing operations across Canada and the United States.

Removal of non-tariff trade barrier for flaxseed to the EU reflects confidence in Canada's agricultural exports

Canada is one of the world's largest producers and global exporters of flaxseed. Our high-quality products are enjoyed by millions of people around the world on a daily basis.

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