A new $500,000 abattoir hopefully will draw even stronger support after the Rainy River Future Development Corp. promotes it at a booth during the Emo Fair next month.
The decision was made during a meeting Monday evening in Stratton, where the RRFDC and district cattlemen further discussed the project.
“We have some more interest in it now,” RRFDC chair Telford Advent said Tuesday. “And by getting out there and promoting it, I’m very optimistic we’re going to go ahead with it.
“We’ve got those pledge forms out there,” he added. “Now all we need is 40 farmers willing to pledge $5,000 on something that will benefit them all.”
About $200,000 must be raised from community shareholders after the RRFDC announced its proposal passed the first phase for the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund earlier this month.
The plans would see the abattoir built on land owned by Sunset Ridge near the Emo Research Station for about $550,000. It would be built in accordance with national standards.
Advent noted some pledges have been made so far but said he couldn’t speculate on the extent of the financial support until after the Emo Fair on Aug. 17-19.
“Then, at our next meeting, we’ll sit down and make some decisions as far as how to structure it and so on,” he remarked, adding that meeting is slated Aug. 20 at the Stratton Hall.
The RRFDC has been working with the district farming community since a privately-owned abattoir in Stratton closed in 1997. And with the help of the Feeder Finance Co-operative, Advent enthused the time has never been better to make this project a reality.
“It’s good for the farmers. It’s been something [we] had before, and is definitely missed,” he noted.
Fort Frances Times
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