RRCA threaten to pull out of OCA if restructured

Ken Johnston
editorial@RainyRiverRecord.com

Changing times are everywhere and the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association is looking at making some big moves that could see this region lose a great deal of its autonomy.
Dick van der Byl, President of the OCA, spoke to the Rainy River Cattlemen’s Association at their annual meeting last Wednesday in Stratton. The issue of restructuring was on the minds of the 33 people present at the meeting. van der Byl noted that OCA is looking to reduce the number of voting delegates from 230 to 100.
RRCA representative to OCA, Archie Wiersema, said that he feels the move is to make the convention smaller, hence giving it the opportunity to move out of Metro Toronto where conventions are very expensive to hold. However the fear in this region is that the smaller numbers would see one representative for all of Northern Ontario from Sudbury west.
The RRCA felt so strongly about the issue that they repassed a resolution from last year to be sent to OCA’s annual convention. It simply states: “Whereas Northern Ontario has a large geographical area, be it resolved that Northern Ontario Zones be left as they are.”
RRCA President Tom Morrish noted that in the scope of things, the number of cattle per farm in the Rainy River District has them ranked as the sixth largest in the province. “If we get representation from Sudbury forget it, we likely wouldn’t belong to the Ontario Cattlemen’s Association.”
van der Byl said that while he does not think the restructuring committee is looking at changing the zones, he does feel it is good for the RRCA to bring the issue forward so that the OCA board can act on it.
RRCA also passed three other resolutions that they had passed in the past two years. One calls for the OCA to negotiate a preferred stumpage rate for farmers cutting cedar trees for fence posts. The other two ask the government to adequately compensate farmers for losses incurred by wildlife and hunters.