Abattoir committee on target for 2007

FORT FRANCES—One of Rainy River District’s bigger projects this coming year will be the continuous planning and building of an abattoir to service the area.
And after meeting their deadlines in 2006, the board of directors is on target to meet its goals for the new year.
“When the board came together in April, we set goals and deadlines and we met those, so we’re hoping to continue meeting the deadlines,” noted Steve Loshaw, president of the Rainy River District Regional Abattoir Inc.
“I’m optimistic looking into the new year,” he added, saying he expects to see much progress on the project with the next year, with the facility opening in June, 2008.
Loshaw explained the board still is in the planning stages and working with the interested operator—Northend Farms Ltd.—to develop a business plan.
Following that, the next steps include continuing the membership drive, considering options on property, determining a memorandum of understanding with the operator, constituting a lease agreement, completing and approving the facility’s design, and tendering construction.
“We’re really happy with the support we’ve received,” stressed Loshaw, noting the process to establish an abattoir isn’t fast nor easy.
“We’re working as efficiently as we can,” he added.
Members of the RRDRA also have been asked to pay their $500 membership fee and complete the $2,000 loan by Feb. 28 so the board can apply for grants.
There is no interest and no guarantee of payback on the loan, but members will receive discounts on slaughter fees.
“That’s the target and we’re really hoping to stick to it,” Loshaw noted, saying he’d also like to see the membership base increase.
“The more we have, the less we’ll have to borrow,” he reasoned.
The building of a regional abattoir had been discussed off and on for years but when this plan was proposed back in February, it was stated this could be the last chance for the project.
The RRDRA board—consisting of Loshaw, Ken McKinnon, Peter Spuzak, Dennis Brown, Clayton Teeple, Bill Darby, Aarne Hahkala, Trish Neilson, and Todd McLean—have since put in plenty of work researching and developing the project.