A weekly report prepared by the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). If you require further information, regarding this report, call the Elora Resource Centre at 519-846-0941. Office hours: 8:30am to 4:30pm. For technical information, call the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or visit the OMAFRA website: www.ontario.ca/omafra
LANDOWNERS ANSWER THE CALL BY PLANTING COVER CROPS
Huron Clean Water Project announced cover crop incentives in spring of 2015; before the official start of summer landowners had already stepped forward to plant more than 1,244 acres of cover crops
Only a few months after the Huron County Clean Water Project announced the new cover crop incentive category, in the Spring of 2015, Huron County landowners already had stepped forward to decide to plant more than 1,244 acres of cover crops. On June 18, the project review committee approved $12,440 in cover crop grants at the committee’s first meeting since the category was announced. For more information please go to http://bit.ly/1IVJrP9.
ONTARIO PASSES LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE ROAD SAFETY
New Rules Will Help Reduce Collisions, Injuries and Fatalities
Ontario passed the Making Ontario’s Roads Safer Act to help ensure that the province’s roads are among the safest in North America.
In order to reduce collisions, injuries and fatalities on Ontario’s roads, the new act will:
– Increase fines for distracted driving from the current range of $60 to $500 to a range of $300 to $1,000, assigning three demerit points upon conviction, and escalating sanctions on convictions for novice drivers;
– Apply current alcohol-impaired sanctions to drivers who are drug impaired;
– Introduce additional measures to address repeat offenders of alcohol impaired driving;
– Require drivers to wait until pedestrians have completely crossed the road before proceeding at school crossings and pedestrian crossovers;
– Increase fines and demerits for drivers who ‘door’ cyclists, and require all drivers to maintain a minimum distance of one-metre when passing cyclists where possible;
– Help municipalities collect unpaid fines by expanding licence plate denial for drivers who do not pay certain Provincial Offences Act fines; and
– Allow a broader range of qualified medical professionals to identify and report medically unfit drivers and, clarify the types of medical conditions to be reported.
The new fines and measures will come into force over the coming months. The new legislation builds on action that the province has already taken to improve road safety, including making booster seats mandatory, ensuring every person wears a seatbelt, introducing the Graduated Licensing System for novice drivers, establishing stiffer penalties for aggressive driving and excess speeding, bringing in tougher impaired driving laws, and banning hand-held devices while driving.
Ensuring Ontario’s roads and highways are safe is part of the government’s economic plan for Ontario. The four-part plan includes investing in people’s talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.
If current collision trends continue, fatalities from distracted driving may exceed those from drinking and driving by 2016.
According to recent statistics, over 45 per cent of drivers killed in Ontario were found to have drugs or a combination of drugs and alcohol in their system.
COMING EVENTS
Aug. 15 – 71st Annual Oxford County Plowing Match and Antique Machinery Show – 9:30 am to 1:00 pm at 525369 Oxford Centre Rd, Woodstock, Ontario.
Aug. 20 – Wellington County Plowing Match – 6404 Wellington County Road 109, Harriston, Ontario. For more information contact wellingtonplowmen@gmail.com
Sept. 4 to 6 – Orangeville Fair. For more information, please check the website www.oaseventcentre.ca
Sept. 5 to 7 – Mount Forest Fair. For more information, please contact mountforestagriculturalsocety@hotmail.com or phone 519-323-1659.
