Morning Coffee – By Aaron Hall

Weather forecast for Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Today – Mainly cloudy with 30 percent chance of flurries. Wind northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light near noon. Temperature steady near minus 3.

Tonight – Partly cloudy. 30 percent chance of flurries early this evening. Low minus 7.

Dresden Kinsmen dinner and dance on Saturday

The Dresden Kinsmen are holding a fish fry at the Dresden Arena on Saturday, January 27 featuring entertainment from Toast & Jam.

The doors open at 5 p.m.

Dinner is being served between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., and it will feature all you can eat perch and chicken wings.

Tickets are only $30.

They are available at McKellar’s Flowers and Gifts, Bob Ellis Motors, Hughson Automotive and from Kinsmen members.

The money raised at this event goes to support the following programs at Kinsmen Park, including the baseball diamond, tennis courts, toboggan hill, the Dresden Santa Claus Parade, Easter Egg Hunt and the Pet and Hobby Parade.

Budget Open House in Wallaceburg tonight

Prior to budget deliberations starting January 30, council and administration will be holding community open houses to gather input from the public on the recommendations and any other budget matter.

The remaining meeting details are as follows:

Wednesday, January 24, 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Blenheim High School Cafeteria, 163 Chatham St. S., Blenheim; and
Wallaceburg Municipal Office, 786 Dufferin Ave., Wallaceburg

Thursday, January 25, 4:30 pm to 6 pm
Active Lifestyle Centre, 20 Merritt Avenue, Chatham

The format of these sessions are as follows:

– Open house with one on one discussions with administration and council from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

– Brief presentation and question and answer period as a group from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Chatham-Kent staff is recommending a 2.27% tax increase this year in their 2018 draft budget.

Read our story, here: 2.27% tax increase proposed in draft budget

56th Annual South Western Ontario Pork Conference set for February 21

Pork producers will have lots of reasons to attend the 56th Annual South Western Ontario Pork Conference at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus on Wednesday February 21, 2018.

SWOPC continues its tradition of education excellence with a theme ‘Staying Competitive’.

This year there is a very informative speaker line up that touches all areas of swine production, a schedule tour of the new campus swine teaching facility and OPIC will be available with lots of on farm labour information.

Conference attendees are invited to tour the new campus swine teaching barn from 12:00 noon until 2:00 pm the day of the conference. Dr. Paul Luimes, who was instrumental in the project, will be available to answer any questions about the new facility.

At 2 p.m. the conference trade show area show opens with over 30 industry partners providing expert advice on the latest products available to the pork producers. OPIC will be in the trade show area, providing information around the laws and regulations of on-farm labour and the implications for producers. The trade show will be open from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

At 4 p.m., the afternoon speaker sessions will begin with a Dr. Tim Blackwell, OMAFRA Swine Specialist, speaking on ‘Reducing Piglet Mortality’. The producer talk will be given by Daniel Roelands from North Middlesex, who operates along with family a 600 sows operation. Colleen Roehrig, from Conestoga Meat Packers joins us with information on the ‘Value of the Market Hog’. After the conference meal, Dr. Bill Moore from South West Ontario Veterinary Services will bring a brief update on what’s happening in the swine industry locally.

Orgabizers are very excited to have Dr. Dale Rozeboom a Professor / Extension Specialist from the Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University as the keynote speaker. Dr. Rozeboom will be speaking on Production Tips & Perspective from Michigan.

“It’s all about keeping the producers informed and up-to-date and providing a place for industry reps to visit with their customers,” says Darren Sloan, chair of the 2018 SWOPC Planning Committee.

Conference attendees should plan to visit the new teaching barn and then spend time visiting industry partners and enjoying complimentary coffee and refreshments before the program begins at 4 p.m.

“We are excited to offer pork producers in Southwestern Ontario an event which showcases the pork industry at the trade show and also educates by the excellent presentations we have arranged,” Sloan stated.

“This conference has lots to offer and all pork producers should plan to attend.”

Register online and view the conference schedule at http://www.ridgetownc.com/swopc or call 1-866-222-9682 for
more information.

Pre-registration is $25 until Feb 14, 2018 (students $10). Late registration starting Feb. 15
and at the door is $40. Register early and save $15. Registration includes a delicious pork dinner.

Ontario revitalizing main streets

Ontario is helping rural communities attract investment and tourism, create jobs and enhance regional economic growth by supporting the revitalization of downtown and main streets across the province.

Jeff Leal, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Minister Responsible for Small Business, made the announcement on Tuesday at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference in Toronto.

“Main streets are at the core of small, rural communities and are home to thousands of small businesses across the province,” Leal stated in a press release.

“That’s why our government is committed to ensuring they continue to remain vibrant hubs where residents meet, tourists visit and small businesses grow and prosper.”

Provincial officials say vibrant main streets help attract visitors, create jobs and increase the competitiveness of small businesses, which are the backbone of small, rural communities.

That’s why the province is helping municipalities enhance and revitalize their downtown and main streets through improvements such as the installation of pedestrian crosswalks or landscaping. Municipalities can also direct funding to local businesses to improve the appearance of their storefronts by installing lighting or new signage.

“AMO welcomes new funding through the Main Street Revitalization Initiative and we are pleased that municipal governments won’t have to provide matching funds to access the program,” stated Lynn Dollin, President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and Deputy Mayor of the Town of Innisfil.

“Municipal governments know how to get things done. This funding will help move projects forward on Ontario’s Main Streets, helping to attract residents, visitors and support the business community.”

Ontario is investing up to $26 million in the Main Street Revitalization Initiative, which will be administered by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and its rural arm, the Rural Ontario Municipal Association.

“Many smaller communities have downtown business areas that play a special and critical role in building strong local economies,” stated Ronald Holman, Chair of the Rural Ontario Municipal Association and Mayor of the Township of Rideau Lakes.

“Programs like the Main Street Revitalization Initiative benefit our Main Street businesses which are important to rural Ontario.”

Provincial official say this initiative is part of a $40 million investment over three years in the Main Street Enhancement Fund, which will help strengthen small businesses in downtown and main street areas and enhance the digital presence and capabilities of small businesses through increased access to digital tools like e-commerce.

Canada helping innovators and entrepreneurs find funding

From providing funding to giving expert advice to driving new collaborations, many levels of government offer a wide variety of programs and services designed to help businesses innovate, create jobs and grow Canada’s economy.

But if businesses can’t find them, they can’t take advantage of them.

That is why the Government of Canada has created Innovation Canada, a one-stop-shop for Canada’s innovators and entrepreneurs.

The Innovation Canada website is able to match users with the programs and services that will best meet their needs.

The website is part of the Government of Canada’s Innovation and Skills Plan. Announced in Budget 2017, the plan aims to position Canada as an innovation leader.

“Time is money in business, and our government knows innovation moves quickly,” stated Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, in a press release.

“That’s why we’re making government funding and services that help Canadian innovators, businesses and entrepreneurs as simple as possible to find. With Innovation Canada, opportunity is now only a click away.”

The Innovation and Skills Plan is a multi-program strategy to foster the creation of well-paying jobs for the middle class and provide people with the tools, knowledge and skills to get these jobs and succeed.

“Too often, hard-working small business owners tell me that they do not have the time, or the expertise, to find the right government programs to help them grow and create good middle-class jobs,” stated Bardish Chagger, Minister of Small Business and Tourism and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.

“Thanks to this impressive new tool, that process just got much easier. This is great news, not only for hard-working small business owners but also for our economy.”

Other programs stemming from the Innovation and Skills Plan include the Innovation Superclusters Initiative, CanCode, the Strategic Innovation Fund, the Venture Capital Catalyst Initiative, the Global Skills Strategy and Innovative Solutions Canada.