Ontario farmers who count on municipal drains to handle water from their tile drain systems are in for a big surprise, says Ron Bonnett, President of the Ontario Federation (OFA). Without consultation or any advance warning, the Resources Management Branch (RMB) of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) announced July 27 its intention to “phase out grants under the Municipal Outlet Drainage program (MOD).”
This will mean a significant change to the Municipal Drainage Act, something that has been in place since the mid 1800s, Bonnett notes. Municipalities have been able to use the MOD program funding to respond to farmers when a drainage engineering report calls for a new or improved municipal drain. OFA has long supported the program.
The RMB announcement also means that unorganized municipalities in Northern Ontario will no longer receive funding under Section 123 of the Drainage Act for projects. Bonnett says it is difficult for Ontario’s farmers to understand this change, coming on the heals of a government announcement of a $100 billion infrastructure program.
“These municipal drains are a critical part of the infrastructure the province’s farmers need to improve their production efficiency,” Bonnett says. The province’s announcement includes improvements to the Tile Loan Program that farmers can use for projects on their farms, “but if support for municipal drains is cut, where will farmers go with their field tile to gain outlet for the water?” Bonnett asks.
OFA’s Land Use Committee will be reviewing the implications of the RMB announcement and making recommendations for action to the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of OFA. “This announcement caught us off guard, and a strong response to OMAF Minister Peters may be necessary,” Bonnett says.
~Ron Bonnett~
President, Ontario Federation of Agriculture