Abattoir issue reaches turning point.

It’s either sink or swim for building a new kill plant when the abattoir steering committee presents its information on the subject March 23 at Our Lady of The Way School in Stratton at 7:30 p.m.
The committee has spent the better part of the past year finding facts and figures on how much it would cost to build and operate a new abattoir in the Rainy River District.
“We’ve researched everything out until it would cost a lot of money,” noted committee chair Telford Advent. “We’re now in the position to tell them what it’s going to cost.”
Advent wouldn’t release any of the figures ahead of time, noting a few of them relating to operating costs were still being double-checked.
But whether a new abattoir gets built or not depends entirely on the people of this area. The call for investors for Rainy River Valley Meat Processors Inc. is out, with each share costing $1,000.
Advent stressed it was vital to know how many people were interested at the local level before the project can go any further.
“We need those names and we need those figures,” he said, noting a strong support base needs to be in place even when applying for government grants.
That’s part of the reason why the steering committee has been so tight-lipped until now, he indicated.
“We have one chance to present everything,” Advent explained. “If you called a meeting and you didn’t have figures, the next time you call a meeting, you won’t have to worry about anybody coming.”
But Advent seemed fairly optimistic the project would be backed well by the community.
“From the Emo Fair alone, we had 60-65 people who said they were interested,” he said. “The indications are there’s a lot of support for it.
“I think it’s within range of this district if everybody supports it,” he added. “That’s what it boils down to. You have to have x number of dollars or this won’t fly.”