The Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Station will NOT close today: Gravelle
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, October 31, 2002
Queen's Park: Thunder Bay Superior North MPP Michael Gravelle met this morning with the Deputy Minister of Northern Development and Mines and received assurances that the Agricultural Research Station will not be shut down at the end of the day today, as scheduled.
"While the details of a plan to keep the research going are still being worked out, I was assured that a call would go out from the Minister's office today that would provide verbal confirmation that the research station will not be shut down today," said Gravelle.
In that the Research Station is operated by the University of Guelph in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines is playing the role of liaison between the various groups that have a stake in the research station. No firm deal has been arrived at yet, Gravelle stresses, but notes that "the Minister has been convinced that this is a worthwhile project which deserves to be maintained at least until the research that is currently under way is completed and yields results. While I will, of course, be lobbying the government to keep the research station open permanently, this is great news in the short-term."
Ultimately, says Gravelle, today's meeting made it clear that "there is still hope for the Thunder Bay Agricultural Research Centre what I want to do now is make sure that all the great momentum that has been built up by the fight so far will be enough to convince the government to find a permanent solution to ensure that the research station continues to play a key role in the agricultural development of the Northwest for many years to come."
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For more information contact:
Michael Gravelle, M.P.P.
Thunder Bay-Superior North
416-325-1559
John Rowsell
Head of Northern Stations
Kemptville College
University of Guelph
807-475-8180
