Abattoir needs more business

Letter to the Editor:
I am sending this email asking for help.
The Rainy River Regional Abattoir needs business. Things are not looking so good right now. I really don’t think anyone of us want to go back in time and have no abattoir and have to truck our cattle out of town to be butchered. We have a top of the line, brand new facility and we are at risk of losing it.
There are some real positive things happening in our district right now – ie our Health Care Facilities are looking at incorporating local meat in their facilities and vegetables are next on the list. It would be such a shame to move backwards and not have an abattoir to process our animals.
The kill fees are comparable to other places in the province – places like ours that are only a KILL AND CHILL PLANT. The places with lower killing fees make up for that in their processing fees that are done at the plant.
I have toured a few out of town guests through our abattoir and they are envious of what a great place we have. Please lets work hard to keep it here!
I am writing this on behalf of MYSELF – a producer that does not want to lose ANY infrastructure. I want to continue to feed my family and market safe, inspected, graded meat. I would hope you will all see the value in this as well.

–Kim Jo Bliss,
Emo, Ont.