Anyone who farmed in the 1960s and ‘70s will remember ARDA. In 1966 the federal government passed the Agriculture and Rural Development Act. The government wanted to assist farmers and other rural people to make the necessary changes that the world required.
The agreement signed between the federal and provincial governments covered a wide range of activities including land use and farm adjustments and rehabilitation of rural people.
The Agricultural Rehabilitation Development Association (ARDA) was a branch of the Ontario Department of Agriculture and Food. There was an ARDA office in the Renfrew Ag office that was staffed by Cal Patrick and Wil Hermans. I don’t recall who the secretary was.
ARDA bought unproductive farms and either planted them in trees, or rented the land to neighbouring farmers for a five-year period after which the farmer had an option to buy the land, or lease it again. That farmer had the first chance to buy the property for whatever price ARDA paid for it.
ARDA was involved in numerous projects, including agriculture, woodlands, sawmills, wetlands and retraining workers.
Last week’s Eganville Leader had an interesting item from 50 Years Ago in 1966 about an ARDA project. It read: Maple Syrup Festival Draws 1,000 Persons.
Combermere –A crowd estimated at 1,000 invaded this normally peaceful community Saturday to attend a festival that marked the first anniversary of the Madawaska Valley Maple Products Association. One of the first enterprises to benefit from ARDA grants, the association was formed at the suggestion of William Murray, former civil servant, farming here since his retirement. For the benefit of sugar bush farmers, the association will eventually become a farmers’ co-operative. This year, 4,000 gallons of syrup were produced by 29 area farmers who bought equipment with money loaned to them by ARDA, through MVMPA.
From my Daybook: I’ve been writing a few lines in a daybook since 1961 and it was interesting reading an item I wrote in January of 1963. On January 4, 1963, at the age of 14, my father and I went to the Eganville Town Hall to hear Agriculture Minister Alvin Hamilton speak and discuss farm policy. Hamilton was the federal agriculture minister from 1960 to 1963 in the Diefenbaker PC government.
According to notes I took of the event, Jim Baskin, the PC MP for our riding also spoke and there was lots of good entertainment, music, an orchestra, step dancers, etc. I was impressed. Back in those days, cabinet ministers spoke in small towns and an important minister speaking was a big event. Alvin Hamilton was a great politician. He obviously knew how to get the people out on a cold January day.
I thought maybe Hamilton spoke about ARDA, but that wasn’t the case as ARDA wasn’t introduced until 1966.
I have to chuckle about my choice of words writing “orchestra” since there were step dancers entertaining the crowd. The orchestra was probably comprised of area fiddlers. But maybe there was an orchestra. I was only 14 years old.
