Activists take prison farm fight to new level

Jul 22, 2010

After failing to get a court injunction to stop the dismantling of the six Canadian prison farms (two of which are located in Kingston), and the imminent sale of the Frontenac Institution’s 300-head dairy herd, members of the “Save Our Prison Farms” national campaign will be resorting to civil disobedience this week.

An Ottawa based judge refused to support a moratorium that was proposed by the campaign to stop the closure in hopes of spending three months working with the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) to explore other options that would allow the programs to continue.

Diane Dowling, president of the NFU's local 316, said that members of the campaign presented a briefing to Don Head, the commissioner of CSC, outlining the possibility of forming a partnership between the CSC and various community groups such as St. Lawrence College, the green energy group SWITCH, and Queen's University, all of whom are interested in looking into alternatives to the prison farm closures.

One of the projects put forth to Mr. Head was the development of a green energy bio mass digester that would utilize cow and chicken manure along with organic food waste from the prison farm food services to produce green energy. Other possible projects were developing solar and wind power demonstration projects and the making of artisan cheeses from the prison herd’s milk.

In Dowling’s words, “These groups are offering to form a community task force along with the CSC to actively explore these options but Mr. Head informed us that his job was to proceed with the closures.” After the court decision was announced Mr. Head agreed to bring the alternative program suggestions forth to the Minister of Public safety, Mr. Vic Toews, but to date Dowling and her group have yet to hear back.

So, with the sale of the herd scheduled to take place on August 3, members of the campaign feel they have no other choice but to demonstrate. “We are very much open to further discussion on these alternatives with CSC, the Minister of Public Safety and the Prime Minister,” said Dowling, “and we strongly feel that we have so much energy coming from the campaign and from the public, which could be spent making some positive changes and coming up with a real win-win solution for all concerned, but feel we have been left with no alternative but to proceed with the demonstrations.”

In an email that was sent out this week, two meetings have been planned to increase public awareness of the issue. The first meeting was a civil disobedience workshop and primer that was scheduled for July 21 at Zorba's in Kingston. The email said, “We will be role-playing possible scenarios and discussing strategy and tactics for a blockade.”

The second meeting invited activists and supporters to join a public protest and blockade scheduled to take place tomorrow, Friday July 23 at 7:30 AM at the CSC head offices located at 440 King Street in Kingston.

Demonstrators intend to stop traffic at four entrances to CSC's regional headquarters in order to show that they “are serious about keeping the dairy herd at Frontenac.”

The auctioning of the herd will take place at an auction centre in Waterloo, ON and according to information sent out in the email the auction service intends to videotape the herd over the next two weeks. On auction day buyers will bid based on video footage of the animals and the CSC will then ship the animals to various depots where their new owners will pick them up.

Dowling is hoping that people will turn out and demonstrate their solidarity at their own personal comfort level. “Those not interested in joining the blockade can stand on the sidewalks with signs. Our intention is a peaceful demonstration that will continue to raise awareness of the community and public's opposition to the closures on a number of different levels.”

Friday’s blockade may also be a cress rehearsal for a possible attempt to block passage of the cattle once they are sold.

“The resolve and democratic will of the community will be demonstrated in this blockade,” said Jeff Peters of the Frontenac Cattlemen's Association and a member of the campaign. “This action is meant as practice for what may be necessary at Frontenac Institution. We apologize for any inconvenience it may cause CSC staff not being able to get into work, as we know that the majority of them support the prison farm program. The goal is not to target individuals, but to allow the citizens of all ages and political stripes involved in the Save Our Prison Farms campaign to show their commitment to the campaign.”

“We are hoping that blockading Frontenac Institution will not be necessary,” added John Williamson of the Frontenac Federation of Agriculture and a member of the campaign. “The auction house, OLEX (Ontario Livestock Exchange) in Waterloo, has been getting phone calls from all the major farm organizations, recommending that they reconsider doing this auction. Two other auction houses in Ontario have already turned down the opportunity.”

For more information visit www.saveourprisonfarms.ca