Community pasture finds a new home!

By Gary Sliworsky
OMAF/MRA Rep.

The Rainy River Community Pasture (RRCP) has found a new home. The pasture has been relocated from its previous site north of Highway 600 between Blackhawk and Dearlock to northeast of Pinewood.
The relocation was prompted by a proposal from Rainy River Resources Ltd. (RRR), a Canadian precious metals company developing the Rainy River Gold Project in the Blackhawk area. In the spring of 2011 RRR, which already owned the mineral rights underlying the old community pasture, approached RRCP to indicate its interest in acquiring the surface rights to the pasture in order to facilitate the development of the project. The company emphasized it was aware of the importance of the pasture to local producers and wanted to ensure that, if possible, the Rainy River District would continue to enjoy the benefits of having a community pasture.
In July 2011, the RRCP and its members held a meeting at which they unanimously recommended that a relocation of the pasture be pursued rather than a sale of the pasture and cessation of operations. RRR concurred and provided assurances that the current community pasture could be used until another property was acquired.
The pasture, consisting of seven properties, is one of the 11 community pastures in the province sold to the Association of Community Pastures (ACP) by the Ontario government in 2000. Any sale or relocation of the community pasture remained subject to the approval of the ACP and the Minister of Agriculture and Food and the Ministry of Rural Affairs (OMAF/MRA).
Local OMAF/MRA staff assisted the RRCP in contacting land owners and identifying and assessing potential properties on which the community pasture could be relocated. One of the main criteria was to try and obtain a large block of contiguous acreage.
By the fall of 2011 a short-list of potential properties was produced. The RRCP and OMAF/MRA staff met with RRR and presented the alternatives, along with the pros and cons of each property, and recommended their preferred property for relocation. RRR entered into negotiations with the land owners, and in November 2012, a land exchange agreement was reached RRR would purchase the replacement pasture lands in the Pinewood area for the RRCP in exchange for a transfer of the existing community pasture lands in Blackhawk. The land exchange agreement was approved by ACP and OMAF/ MRA in January 2013, and the land exchange was completed in early March 2013, with all deal costs being covered by RRR.
The new community pasture lands are significantly larger than the former pasture, with an area of 1,531 acres compared to 873 acres. The new pasture is also superior from an environmental viewpoint in that it is fenced to keep livestock out of all waterways. RRR generously agreed to provide further funding to the RRCP for additional improvements to the new pasture, including upgrading perimeter fencing, installing additional cross-fencing and drilling a second well. Cattle went on the new pasture in early June. The new pasture can accommodate more than twice the number of cattle compared to the old pasture.
Commented RRR President and CEO Ray Threlkeld: We as a company are very pleased with the outcome of the land exchange. We wish to thank everyone involved, including the RRCP Association and its members, the local landowners, the ACP and the Minister and his local OMAF/MRA staff for making this possible”
The RRCP would like to thank Rainy River Resources Ltd. for its patience and for providing the new pasture. They would also like to thank Amos Brielmann for managing the upgrades and improvements to the new pasture.
The RRCP will be holding an Open House at the new community pasture location. Lunch will be provided at 1:00 pm, July 25, with a pasture tour to follow.

Dates to Remember
July 25 – Soil & Crop Tour, starts 9:30 am, Larry Lamb farm
July 25 – Community Pasture Open House, 1:00 pm, Morley-Dilke Road
July 25 – Emo Research Station House Open House, 7:00 pm