Local politicians were talking meat, gravel, and housing at the Good Roads Conference.
West Grey Mayor and Grey County Warden Kevin Eccles was one of many who attended the meetings in Toronto last week.
From a West Grey stand point, Eccles says he met with Agricultural Minister Leona Dombrowski on some of the safety regulations at businesses that handle meat.
Eccles says he has learned that a couple of operations — Rags Meat in Neustadt and Empire Meats in Durham — will be closing as a result of the regulations because they can’t meet the requirements.
He says there are a number of other meat handling businesses that are either going out of business or have gone out of business.
He says they may end up seeing a monopoly of some kind revolving around larger retail meat suppliers.
Eccles says they met with the Minister of Natural Resources — Donna Cansfield — to discuss the frazzle ice issues in the municipality.
He says he was able to get some good responses from Cansfield in dealing with the problem.
Eccles says he also talked to Cansfield about the fees the municipality receives from quarries for gravel extractions.
He says there hasn’t been an increase in those fees for awhile.
He says with the cost of maintaining roads and other infrastructure increasing that is an area that will be looked at.
Putting on his Warden’s hat, Eccles says he met with the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing — Jim Watson — on the affordable housing issue in Grey County.
He says there are problems in dealing with tenant issues including those with mental health and stability issues.
He says there are also issues with seniors and single parents living in these units.
Eccles says he has received word that the Ministry will look into that.
He says there is an increasing gap between the large wage earners and the small ones in Grey County.
Eccles says he was able to meet with a dozen Ministers at Good Roads and felt the meetings were productive.