After reading Jack Fraser’s impassioned letter in last week’s News, I took a look at the draft of North Glengarry’s tree management by-law and I must agree with Jack that Council’s “clear cutting” proposal is far from clear. I had hoped to go into more detail about my concerns, but at the time of this writing, the Township’s web site was unavailable and I was unable to access the draft. So I’ll have stick to my broad stroke impression.
For starters, its definition of clear cutting is disturbingly imprecise. In Durham, Ontario’s Regional Tree By-law 31-2012, the practice is defined as “the removal of all Trees within all or a portion of a Woodland, where the area of the Woodland to be cut is in excess of 0.1 hectare.” With our Township’s proposed legislation, the clear-cutting label could be applied to the “harvesting” of as few as just one or two trees. And failure to obtain a permit for their removal could result in a serious fine. Durham also differentiates between selective harvesting, say for firewood, and clear cutting. The former, if in excess of 50 trees, only requires a ‘Good Forestry Practices’ permit. The latter requires a ‘Clear Cutting’ permit, the requirements of which sensibly depend of the size of the proposed project. North Glengarry’s proposed by-law, on the other hand, is an overly simplistic “one size fits all” approach.
Clear cutting is a sensitive topic in these parts. I get it. However, to be fair, any proposed by-law that addresses this issue should take all parties into account, including farmers and rural landowners. If Council is convinced that treed buffer zones must be maintained along county and municipal roads for the enjoyment of non-farming and weekend residents, then a formula is needed to compensate the farming community: 1. For the loss of turning space for equipment, 2. For the impact the treed buffer zone can have on the water and nutrients available for nearby crops, and 3. For the negative effect on growth and yields that shade from the tree zone can have. In addition, farmers should be compensated for the tax liability inherent in the idled land. While not nearly as expensive as other regions of Ontario, land in these parts can still fetch $8,000 to $12,000 an acre. What’s more, farmers I’ve spoken to bemoan the fact their soil classification has magically improved in recent years. A farm owner I spoke with reports that land his family has owned for many generations is no longer considered Class 4 and 5 (severe and very severe limitations). Nothing has changed, however it is now inexplicitly designated as Class 2 and 3. As a result, it is taxed at a higher rate. In fact, over the course of the past five years, his municipal taxes have gone up a whopping 125%. His accountant, who deals almost exclusively with farming clients all across SD&G, told him that, in his experience, the Townships of North and South Glengarry have the highest taxes in the region.
Before moving on, I think any discussion of clear cutting should also differentiate between woodlots and scrub bush. Woodlots are usually found on farms and have been carefully managed for generations as a source of fuel and building materials. Scrub bush, though, is not the majestic forest of “rurban” dreams. It is the product of abandoning a field or pasture and allowing the bush from whence it came to grow back. This process of entropy can be seen everywhere in North Glengarry, especially Dunvegan, where scraggly collections of trees have reclaimed many farm fields over the past 50 or 60 years. The question of whether they can or should be returned to fruitful production must include an impartial and informed discussion of the quality of the land that underpins them.
Museum finally open
It’s official. As of today, July 8th, Dunvegan’s Glengarry Pioneer Museum is open for the 2020 season. Granted the hours of operation are truncated… Wednesday to Sunday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm… but at least it’s open.
However, there will be some restrictions to help insure the safety of visitors and staff alike. First and foremost, you are encouraged to call the museum (613-527-5230) to reserve a time for your visit. Second, you must use the Dunvegan Road entrance. In addition, no touching of artifacts or exhibits is permitted; social distancing applies at all times; and only one family unit is permitted inside a building at a time.
Unfortunately, the Orange Lodge Visitor Centre and Gift Shop will remain closed until further notice. However, you are invited to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the quaint site. There are plenty of picnic tables dotted throughout the grounds. If you’re looking for a safe excursion to forget about Covid-19 as much as possible for a few hours, head along County Road 24 or up the Greenfield Road.
Behind the curtain
I’m not sure how many of you remember, but when I penned my farewell to the late Catherine McIllwain five years ago, I spoke enthusiastically about the sweet corn she and her late husband George used to grow each summer. It was ambrosia. Back then I didn’t have a clue which variety they planted, because the McIllwains guarded this secret with their lives. However, I can now draw back the curtain. A while ago, I met a gentleman in Alexandria who told me he enjoyed my column and admitted that he had been the source of George and Catherine’s sweet corn seed.
It turns out that the semi-retired farmer I ran into had also been a dealer of agricultural inputs and Northrup King seed. As fate would have it, forty or forty-five years ago while visiting one of his customers — the late Harold MacCrimmon — he made the acquaintance of Harold’s brother-in-law, George, who lived across the road. George expressed an interest in growing sweet corn; he drove truck at the time and was looking for a part-time cash crop. Well, that was definitely Dunvegan’s lucky day. George took home 25 lbs. of NK’s very best hybrid sweet corn seed… and the rest is history. In fact, George’s first crop was such a hit, he made an exclusivity arrangement with the Northrup King representative: the McIllwains would be the sole growers of this variety in the region. And if you ever had the good fortune of tasting it, you know why they sought this deal.
Almost a half-century later, the name of this delicious corn on the cob can finally be revealed: Golden Yukon. I’ve done a quick search and it doesn’t appear to be commercially available any longer. Which is a real pity. A full-sized, all-yellow variety — none of this insipid Peaches & Cream nonsense — the McIllwains’ Golden Yukon corn was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. So much so that, when he drove truck to Toronto, George would take bags and bags of sweet ears of corn to sell at top city prices. And the bags always came back empty.
Ne’er the twain shall meet
Last week, I wrote about the Glengarry Pioneer Museum’s “Fibre Friday” get-togethers. Unfortunately, I somehow got my facts mixed up. It turns out that under the most recent Covid-19 regulations, the Twistle Guild of Glengarry and the Martintown Wild and Woolly Rug Hookers will not be able to gather on the same day. Only ten crafters are allowed to be at the museum at the same time. So, from this day forth, the Wild and Woolly Rug Hookers will meet on Thursday. And the Twistle Guild will meet on Fridays.
It appears that I did get some things right. Start time is 9:30 am and you must bring your own lawn chair, drinking water and lunch, if you plan on staying for the day. So if you’re interested in attending the Thursday Hook-in or Fibre Friday at the museum in Dunvegan, please contact the president of your group to see there’s a spot available.
-30-