Trading Cars for Cattle
On September 3, Frank Stronach, the founder of automobile parts supplier Magna International, approached Prince Edward County, Ont.’s agricultural advisory committee to pitch a 10,000 sq. ft. beef processing facility.
Magna International is one of the largest suppliers of automotive systems and technology in North America. Stronach has explained that he began the company as one-man operation in the 1950os, using a small rented garage as an office. Since then, Magna has become a 175,000 employee-strong company with annual revenues of $50 billion and factories in 30 countries worldwide.
“I’ve made a great contribution to the automobile industry, but basically I think I’ve always been a farmer,” Stronach told the advisory committee, referring to his horse farms north of Toronto, in Kentucky and Florida, which he has owned since the 1960s.
Stronach remains interested in a principle that avoids excessive pain and stress on animals, raising cattle with no antibiotics, no hormones, no GMOs, no chemicals and access to graze freely on open pastures.
The 86-year-old founder indicated he would only open the business somewhere where he feels accepted.
“I would only go to a place where I know I am welcome and where local farmers would see a benefit to having access to a processing plant,” said Stronach.
Ramen on the Road
A Kelowna, B.C. driver who treated herself to a high-speed buffet last November recently appeared in court.
An RCMP officer witnessed Corinne Jackson travelling approximately 60 km/h while “shovelling” food into her mouth, chopsticks in one hand and a full bowl of spinach in the other.
The officer testified that in the entire five to six seconds he observed Jackson’s vehicle, she did not place a hand on the wheel once.
However, Jackson testified that she gave due care and attention to her driving as she was only going “no more than 10 km/h over” and had three fingers of her left hand on the steering wheel while balancing the bowl between her thumb and index finger.
“Holding a bowl in one hand and using chopsticks in the other hand to eat while driving, even if three fingers of the hand holding the bowl were in contact with the steering wheel, is not giving one’s full attention to driving,” judicial justice Brian Burgess told Jackson in court.
Jackson was found guilty of driving without due care and attention. Judge Burgess declined to reduce her fine of $2,000 and six penalty points, even though the average ticket for similar offences is $368.
Try, Try Again
Police in Connecticut, U.S. scored a two-for-one deal on Sept. 7, thanks to a 64-year-old American woman.
After a witness saw the woman hit a parked car in a parking lot, officers arrived at the scene and conducted field sobriety tests. The woman ultimately failed and was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, as well as possession of a controlled substance for the Tylenol 3 found in her bag. Police released her and she went on her way.
It was just a few hours later when authorities saw her walk out of a liquor store, hop into her vehicle and drive away.
Officers stopped her again and found her to still be under the influence. They also found that she possessed no valid driver’s licence, had not registered her vehicle and had lost the right to drive after her first offence earlier in the day.
The woman was charged with additional crimes and scheduled for two court appearances.
