"Express Support" for Withdrawal of Bill 17
CANADA - Manitoba's pork producers are urging those involved in agriculture and their supporters to become directly involved in the debate over the province's plan to ban the construction of new or expanded swine operations in most of the eastern part of Manitoba, writes Bruce Cochrane.Debate over Bill 17, the bill to amend Manitoba's Environment Act, ended earlier this week in the legislature and a legislative committee is scheduled to begin hearing public input May 29 in preparation for final reading.
The bill calls for a ban on the approval of new livestock manure storage facilities for hogs in 35 rural municipalities.
A rally last night in Morris organized to build public support for withdrawal of Bill 17 attracted an estimated 400 people.
Manitoba Pork Council director sustainable development Mike Teillet says the goal is to get a minimum of 500 people to register to provide input.
Clip-Mike Teillet-Manitoba Pork Council
Anyone really.
Obviously the most direct impact is on rural Manitobans but probably hundreds or thousands of people in the City of Winnipeg also derive some or all of their income from the hog sector so it's really important that everyone who has some kind of concern should be registering with the legislative committee.
That's the point where people can get involved, the public can get involved.
They can register by phoning the clerk at the Legislative Assembly at 945-3636 and the clerk will register them for up to 10 minutes that they can speak in front of the committee.
The committee is a committee of MLAs and anyone can register and anyone can participate and we think that anyone who has an interest in this vital economic activity in Manitoba should be concerned and should be registering their views.
Teillet notes, as of yesterday morning, approximately 120 people had registered to express their views on the proposed amendments and Pork Council is hoping to see several hundred registered.