Peggy Revell
There were plenty of cheers, applause, and a long list of “thank yous” as residents from across the district gathered last Thursday for the long-awaited opening ceremony of the Rainy River District Regional Abattoir in Emo.
More than 200 people turned out to take a tour of $2-million, 3,600 sq. ft. facility, located at 26 Byng St.
“It has been a long haul,” admitted George Emes, chairman of the Rainy River Future Development Corp., as he congratulated all involved with the abattoir—which district farmers have been fighting for in some form for more than a decade.
“We’ve been involved with this since the first abattoir meeting back in 1997, and the opening of this facility represents a real positive move towards the development of the economy in the Rainy River District,” Emes noted.
“I would really encourage every producer of livestock in the Rainy River District to support this facility to ensure that it does have a future,” he stressed.
While not operating just yet since some equipment still has to arrive and be set up, the abattoir will have the capacity for 20 animals a day and is anticipated to run two days a week, slaughtering a total of 40 animals.
“It’s been four years this April since we came together and started this project, and it’s only because of a strong board of directors that we were able to continue and see today,” Steve Loshaw, president of the Rainy River District Abattoir Inc., told the crowd packed inside the new facility.
“Not only the board of directors but the 90 or so members that we started with initially in 2006, which has grown to 113 today,” he added.
“It’s the members who put their trust and support in us,” Loshaw continued. “We went through a lot of trial and tribulation in getting here—and it’s the members who stood there and gave us the support to go ahead.
“So I want to acknowledge the membership for giving us that support.”
Support for the abattoir didn’t just come through the purchasing of memberships, Loshaw noted, but through many of these members also contributing in-kind donations of labour and work days at the site.
“In particular with the board of directors, I want to acknowledge the work that Bill Darby has put into this,” he said.
“Bill is a driving force all the way through,” Loshaw stressed. “He’s provided a lot of direction, a lot of perseverance.”
Part of Darby’s contribution included helping to design the knock box (where the animals are stunned), which was done with the assistance of George Robinson and Allan Teeple.
“It was nice yesterday [Wednesday]—we had representatives from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food—to hear one of the individuals come in and wonder who had designed that thing, he was so impressed with it,” Loshaw recounted.
Thanks also went out to those involved with the building of the abattoir, including Coldbox Builders of Vaughan, Ont., site manager Peter Veldhuisen and his crew, Pryde’s Plumbing & Heating, and Caron Electric—many of whom came through with cost-saving ideas and contributions to help meet the construction budget, Loshaw noted.
“And speaking of our construction budget, I’m happy to announce that when we were finished, we were $3,000 under our budget of $1.9 million,” he announced.
One big thank-you that was met with much applause was for Tim and Bob Wall, who operate an abattoir in Dryden.
When district farmers lost the only local facility where they could take their animals in 2007, it was the Walls who stepped forward to take in district livestock for processing—even at the cost of caring for their own farms, Loshaw remarked.
Also acknowledged were the staff of the Rainy River Future Development Corp., especially Geoff Gillon, as well as Jane Gillon from the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry, the Townships of Emo, Chapple, and La Vallee, district businesses, and the abattoir’s general manager, Marg Irvine.
“For anybody I do miss, I say thank you,” Loshaw said.
Funding for the abattoir included $1 million from the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, as well as $365,000 through the province’s abattoir expansion program.
Half-a-million dollars also came from Industry Canada through FedNor.
Representatives from all levels of government were on hand last Thursday to speak during the opening ceremony.
“I’d really like to commend everyone here today involved with the Rainy River District Regional Abattoir for your diligence in really making this facility a reality,” said Tammy Laws, on behalf of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry minister Michael Gravelle, who also chairs the NOHFC.
Highlighting the province’s investment of $1 million for the abattoir, as well as more than $191,000 for Emo to upgrade municipal services to its industrial park, Laws said this investment is “supporting the growth of local agricultural infrastructure that will create new value-added opportunities in meat processing.”
Bringing remarks from federal Industry minister Tony Clement and for FedNor was Kathryn Duchnicky.
“On behalf of the Government of Canada and everyone at FedNor, I would like to say congratulations to the members of the Rainy River District Abattoir on their grand opening of this facility,” she said.
“Through our contribution through the Northern Ontario Development program of $500,000, the Government of Canada is helping to increase market options and decrease process handling costs for cattle producers in the Rainy River District,” she continued, highlighting the funding’s alignment with the federal government’s Economic Action Plan.
Duchnicky also noted how the abattoir will contribute to “long-term health and viability” of the district’s agricultural community, employment, and the strengthening of Northern Ontario’s economy.
“This is certainly not an Emo
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project, it’s a district project,” stressed Emo Mayor Ed Carlson. “We recognize that right from the very start it could have been built anywhere.
“But due to the facilities we had, it worked out better for them to have it here in Emo, and we’re proud to have it here.
“It’s been a bit of a road to get here, not always pleasant,” Mayor Carlson admitted. “But some of the best things have that beginning, where you have to fight through to get things done, and they turn out to be some of the bet things you experience in life.”
“None of this would have happened but for the determination of many of the people who are here today,” lauded Kenora-Rainy River MPP Howard Hampton while recounting the tribulations of the local agricultural community and those who have pushed for years to establish a district abattoir.
“It was the determination of, I have to say this, the Municipality of Emo,” Hampton added. “The Municipality of Emo has taken a lot of flak over this, not just locally but from some government officials.
“And the municipality has said, ‘No, this is good for the whole district and we’re going to see it through no matter how much flak we take.’
“And I think the municipality deserves some credit for that.”
And with the rising cost of oil, Hampton noted there is going to be changes for the whole food industry.
“I think you’re going to see a real emphasis on taking food that is produced locally and is processed locally and is consumed locally,” Hampton said.
“I think your stubbornness, your bullheadedness, your pigheadedness is going to be a real benefit to this district in the future.”
“This is about the past and the present, but I’d also like to say a few words about the future,” remarked Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty, who spoke about some of the international possibilities he has been looking into for Rainy River District products.
Along with speaking with Peter Kent, the minister of state for Foreign Affairs (Americas), Rafferty noted he’s also had the opportunity to speak with Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou.
“[President Ma] told me that they are interested in Canadian beef products, particularly grain-fed, higher-end beef products, bone-out products,” he recounted.
“So that’s a real possibility that I’ll be pleased to work with producers here.”
Rafferty said other “real possibilities” came from a conversation with the Canadian ambassador to Colombia and Andean countries—nations about to lift their current restrictions on Canadian beef.
As a provincially-inspected site, the abattoir will operate as a not-for-profit business and be able to handle beef, pork, bison, elk, sheep, and goats.
Those interested still can become members for a $500 fee.
