The Municipality of Chatham-Kent is showing its support for a proposed bill that aims to protect farmers.
On Monday night, CK council voted in favour of supporting Bill 156 by circulating a letter of support to Ontario municipalities and to Ernie Hardeman, Ontario's Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Bill 156, or The Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act, was brought forward by Minister Hardeman in an effort to address concerns made by farmers, livestock transporters and others regarding farm safety. If passed, the bill will provide added protection for those groups and prior consent will be required before a protest can be staged on a farm property.
According to Councillor Jamie McGrail, the third reading of the bill will take place before the end of February. If the bill passes, it will move onto royal assent and become law.
McGrail was behind the motion on Monday and said she believes it's important to support the bill as it moves into the final stages of legislation. She said supporting the bill was supporting the agriculture sector as a whole.
"We here in Chatham-Kent have been affected by this previously and I think we need to stand behind our citizens and do the right thing," she said.
Anyone convicted under the act would face a fine of $15,000 for the first offence and $25,000 for any subsequent offence.
McGrail said for her, the bill also represents increasing food safety and ensuring livestock on farms are protected from any contamination.
"I think it really begins to clarify the importance of food safety. When you're going on individual farms or talking about transportation of livestock, we have to be really understanding that even if we think we have nothing, we could cross-contaminate. I think its really important we don't do that and don't compromise our food system," she said.
It didn't take much persuasion as McGrail's motion was approved unanimously and with little discussion.
"I think this is a good thing moving forward," McGrail said. "We're protecting our employees, our producers and our livestock. It's a win-win situation."
-With files from Mark Brown