Calls made for OPP to probe Greenbelt dealings

A coalition of five indigenous communities, the Environmental Defence organization and Democracy Watch are calling for an Ontario Provincial Police investigation into whether developers gained advance knowledge of the government’s proposals to allow development on 15 parcels of land within the Greenbelt.

“It seems very likely that before any authorized public disclosure of the province's plans to remove these specific lands from the Greenbelt, some government official, government MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament) or employee leaked that information privately,” they said in a joint news release.

They said a breach of public trust warrants an OPP investigation.

“Removal of thousands of acres of legally protected farmland, forests and wetlands from the Greenbelt threatens us all,” said Tim Gray, executive director for Environmental Defence.

“A government doing so in a manner shrouded in secrecy that appears to benefit a select group of property owners, including recent purchasers, needs to be thoroughly investigated by the OPP,” he said.

"The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that it damages our democracy if a situation even appears to raise questions about the integrity of a government policy-making process, and that law enforcement must be strict and strong to prevent this damage, so given the Greenbelt policy change smells badly, the OPP must investigate," said Duff Conacher, co-founder of Democracy Watch.

The five indigenous communities involved are the Huron-Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

U.S. backslides on antimicrobials

The United States Food and Drug Administration reports that sales of antimicrobials for farm use to control bacteria increased by six per cent last year.

It’s a reversal of the downward trend that began in 2017when the FDA announced restrictions on their use.

The FDA noted in its report that implementation of specific guidelines brought all 292 applications for medically important microbials intended for use in feed and water for food-producing animals under veterinary oversight. The data represent about 96 per cent of all antimicrobials for farm use.

The FDA plans to continue to establish targeted durations of use for the 95 approved animal drug applications that currently do not have defined periods for how long such antimicrobials should be used in food-producing animals. 

The 2017 FDA ruling also banned the use of antimicrobials specifically to encourage weight gain in animals. Critics have said that rule is widely circumvented by obtaining veterinary prescriptions aimed at curbing harmful bacteria.

Labour short for packers

Ontario’s independent meat and poultry processors are having trouble getting workers and 52 per cent report it has cost them business.

Their association conducted a survey which revealed that a third said they lack applicants, 15 per cent said applicants lacked specific skills or training, 21 per cent lacked motivation and 12 per cent lacked relevant experience.

They said lack of public transportation is an issue and that their biggest challenge is hiring local people.

The jobs that are most difficult positions to fill are meat cutter, general labourers, kill floor worker, sausage maker  and smokehouse operators.

The annual survey indicated that shortages are greater now than before the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago.

Invading bees found in Ontario

Researchers at the University of Toronto have discovered two species of bee in Ontario for the first time and one of them could pose a big threat to native mason bees.

The non-native mason bees (Osmia cornifrons and Osmia taurus) originate from northern Asia and were introduced to North America more than 50 years ago as crop pollinators.

 O. taurus is the most concerning, said Scott MacIvor, a professor in the department biological sciences. 

He said a recent study in the United States found that where they invaded, there was an eight-fold increase in O. taurus and a 90 per cent decline in six different species of native mason bees. The study was done across multiple mid-Atlantic states over a 13-year period.

“It’s too early to say whether this bee will have the same impact on native mason bees here in Canada, but it’s definitely a strong possibility,” he said.

“Entomologists in southern Ontario have been doing bee surveys for decades and it’s only within the last couple of years that they started to appear,” he said

One reason could be the recent popularity of bee hotels that people are using to support struggling native bee populations in urban areas. Both bee species are cavity-nesting bees, so they might be thriving due to the recent availability of these hotels.

Another potential way they’ve ended up in Canada could be the online sale of bee cocoons to gardeners and bee hotel owners. 

He said people can help local mason bees by planting lupine, beardtongue, raspberry or redbud. 

“If you are interested in native bee conservation, the best thing to do is build gardens with native flowering plants and pay attention and protect spots where nests develop naturally,” he said.

Chapman’s ice cream wins big

Chapman’s ice cream has won an international competition at Dubai.

It’s variety, The Only Chocolate, won the taste test against competitors from 13 nations.

During the International Ice Cream Consortium Conference, members nominated their chosen chocolate ice cream products to be judged by their peers at the conference.

"It was not an easy competition with so many outstanding ice cream products participating," said Ashley Chapman, Chapman's chief operating officer.

Chapman’s ice cream is located at Markdale and has survived a number of challenges, beginning with obtaining milk when it was starting, then rebuilding after a fire and more recently facing on-line bullying over its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy for employees.

World food prices moderating

The United Nations food agency’s world price index fell marginally in November, marking an eighth straight monthly decline after reaching a record high in March.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) price index, which tracks the most globally-traded food commodities, averaged 135.7 points last month, down from 135.9 for October, the agency said.

Prices for cereals, meat and dairy products declined in November, but there were increases for vegetable oils and sugar.

Feeder cattle loan change

The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs wants to amend the Innkeepers Act to exempt feeder cattle enrolled under the Feeder Cattle Loan Guarantee Program (FCLGP) from the section that allows custom feeders to place a lien on cattle and sell them in the event of non-payment. 

If approved the amendment would allow a change to allow for custom feeding. 

Feeder cattle co-operatives may have more feeding and herd management options allowing them to expand their operations and increase their resilience in times of reduced feed availability, OMAFRA said.