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Ontario Beekeepers' Association: Since 1881
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MAY 15, 2014
Dear Beekeeper,

Well, it's not what you would call a normal spring, but after this winter, I'll take it. In any event, we're all pretty busy in our bee yards. Busy, too, getting ready for the upcoming Provincial election. We've developed some materials for you if you would like to get active this time around. I'd also like to point out to you that we are making the digital version of the Ontario Bee Journal available to all this month. We wanted everyone to have access to the information on how to report bee kills and on the new lubricant. Keep in touch, we want to hear how things are going for you.

All the best,
Dan
Dan Davidson, President
 
Bees

ONTARIO ELECTION CALLED. 
GET YOUR ELECTION KIT HERE.

The most important thing we can do this election is to get our candidates to publicly commit to working for bee health should they get elected. There is no reason why your local candidate should not have a position on bee health and the OBA's call for a moratorium on the sale of neonicotinoid treated seeds. The issue of declining bee population has been very visible in the media and our polling shows more than 80% of Ontarians support the call for a ban.

The questions for candidates are simple:
  • Ontario has lost thousands of hives in both 2012 and 2013 that Health Canada has confirmed were the result of exposure to neonicotinoids in corn and soy planting. Do you support our call for a moratorium on the sale of the neonicotinoid treated seeds that are killing our bees?
  • Health Canada and other studies have shown significant amounts of persistent neonicotinoid pesticides in water and soil samples across Ontario. With over 4 million acres treated annually with these pesticides, will your party declare this an urgent environmental problem?
Once you know which side a candidate has taken you need to make their views public so that local voters are influenced by positions on these issues.

You might find the OBA Election Kit helpful, it provides advice on meeting with candidates, attending local debates, using local media as social media. You can download the kit here to help you make an impact on this election. You can download the whole kit, or pieces of it. 

Good luck, let us know how it goes.
Pollination

Ontario Bee Journal PDF Complementary this Month

As a thank you to everyone who participated in our survey, and to ensure that everyone has access to information on pesticide poisoning, we are providing free access to the OBJ PDF for May/June which is generally intended for OBA members. You'll find a lot of changes in response to survey feedback. Look for new features like Ask an Expert, How I Do It, and This Month in the Beeyard. Let us know what you think. To receive future copies which come out six times a  year, join us! In the meantime, enjoy.

No details on compensation program yet

We understand that forms to apply for the new Ontario beekeeper compensation program are coming out soon, but we haven't received any information as yet. We continue to be concerned about the level of support being offered, which doesn't nearly cover the costs of replacement or lost income. We've had some questions about whether this program is linked to the budget and have been informed by the Minister's office that this is a program expense and therefore not conditional on the budget. In other words, the program has been approved and will go ahead regardless of the election call.

In the meantime, check in with Agricorps Agri-Stability Program. If you have experienced severe losses this year you may be eligible for compensation under this program.
 

Save the Date: OBA Spring Meeting, Sunday, August 17th

We're doing something different this year. The OBA is teaming up with the Lanark County Beekeepers' Association's Summer Field Day to put on a casual and informative day for beekeepers. Come for the field study, featured guest speakers and picnic lunch. The farm visit even is hosted by Paul Lacelle, Mississippi Mills. We'll get back to you with more info, or you can check the Events section of the OBA website.
 

Farm and Food Care Ontario sponsoring Local Food Week: June 2-8th

The first ever local food week is happening June 2-8th and there are a number of ways you can get involved. Check out www.loveONTfood.ca  or resources you can use to promote the initiative and your product. If you like to tweet, here's a sample tweet "Retweet if you #loveONTfood all year long! Did you know this week is Local Food Week in Ontario?" Thanks go to Farm and Food Care Ontario which is a coalition of farmers, agriculture and food partners working together to ensure a coordinated approach and credible information on food and farming in Ontario and Foodland Ontario, the co-sponsor.

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