Province one step closer to delivering natural gas to rural Ontario Thursday, February 26, 2015 by SUSAN MANNThe province took another step towards delivering natural gas to rural Ontario when the Ontario Energy Board issued a letter last week asking interested companies to propose plans for gas distribution.The Feb. 18 letter from the province’s regulator of electricity and natural gas sectors invited parties “with appropriate financial and technical expertise” to propose one or more plans for natural gas distribution.”Gas expansion was a hot discussion topic on Monday at the combined annual meeting of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association/Ontario Good Roads Association, says Don McCabe, Ontario Federation of Agriculture president. The meeting ran until the end of day today.The federation and many municipal leaders made it very clear to the government that they want gas expansion sooner rather than later, he notes.From a farm perspective, natural gas expansion is progressing slower “than what we’d like because, bottom line, it’s a very necessary piece of infrastructure,” McCabe says.The federation has been asking the province to expand natural gas delivery to rural communities and McCabe says federation members are pleased with the Energy Board’s latest step.But there are still a number of steps to go before construction of any infrastructure projects can begin, he cautions.The energy board says in its letter the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure will use $200 million of its $230 million budget for Natural Gas Access loans over two years to help communities partner with utilities to extend access to natural gas. The remainder will be used to fund Natural Gas Economic Development grants “to accelerate projects with clear economic development potential,” the letter says.But first the ministry must establish policy on how the grant and loan money can be used and what the program criteria will be, McCabe says.As well, the energy board has regulations on expansion “that need to be considered.” And that means “we’re still a ways off in getting the money totally out the door and getting the process started.”Construction of the infrastructure to extend natural gas to rural Ontario will likely begin later this year or next year, McCabe says. BF Food hub survey Oxford County dairy farmers earn top score
Early Career Research Award supports two Guelph research initiatives Tuesday, June 24, 2025 The was presented to two University of Guelph researchers at the recently held Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC) symposium. Dr. Kelsey Spence received $40,000 towards her work in on-farm biosecurity research, and Dr. Sam Workenhe was awarded $60,000 to further his... Read this article online
Rural internet speeds have improved, but compared to urban gap is wide Friday, June 20, 2025 Rural internet speeds have improved, but the gap with urban areas is still wide, says Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) - the national not-for-profit best known for managing the .CA domain. Regional differences also continue—New Brunswick shows faster speeds, while as... Read this article online
Ontario Bean Growers are having a day and you are invited Friday, June 20, 2025 The Ontario Bean Growers have announced it will be holding its annual on August 20, 2025. The day begins with research presentations at 1 pm. Details of the research presentations will be published as they become available. At 4 pm, Chris Gillard will lead attendees on a tour... Read this article online
Did you know your summer picnic watermelon might be from Ontario? Thursday, June 19, 2025 Watermelon, a fruit often linked to warmer U.S. states, is grown in southern Ontario during the summer months. In 2023, Ontario farmers produced 35,084 tonnes of watermelon, accounting for 96.7% of the total Canadian watermelon production. Sweet potatoes are another example. In... Read this article online
Ontario crops face mixed spring conditions Tuesday, June 17, 2025 According to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Field Crop News, variable spring weather has created mixed crop conditions across the province. Rain, wind, and cool nighttime temperatures have delayed planting, slowed growth, and limited spraying windows for corn, soybeans, and... Read this article online