dr_wogz

My Feedback: (3)

Our club, www.brossair.com, jsut outside Montreal Quebec, has received a letter form the CPTAQ (Quebec commission to protect agricultureal lands) becasue we are using "prime farm land" not for farming. So, we re being asked to "cease and disist".

Apparenly a few other clubs have gotten the letter too. There is a fight a brewin'!!! And our hobby could be squashed. One feild has apparenly already closed because of this.

I'm not up on teh French leagaleze, but the jist is that since we fly over the land, we are threfore using it. Despite the municipality has zones our imeadiate feild as 'hobby aerodrome' and that we have 100% support from the city of Brossard. And the farmer we share ourt land with is totally cool with it as well. I believe it is basically the Quebec governement litterlally applying the law.

We have been talking to a lawer, and he says we have a good case, seeing we've been there for 24 years, and we are backed by the city. But, we need to come up with $8K+ for his services. This is leavinga bad taste in the club members mouths, as we've been asked to help teh fund, and fork over about $200 each to help cover lawer fees.

Talk about a let down..

ClemenTang

A government of goodwill would not want to mess over nitty gritties with his people. Maybe the mayor is more willing than the officials to consider the well-being of you guys and strike a balance?

Clement

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

That has to be one of the stupidest things that I've ever heard of but not at all surprised that any government would come up with something that insane! Maybe they ought to convert parks, parking lots and any full-sized airport into farmland!
With their thinking, any aircraft flying over your property is trespassing and should be charged for using your airspace!
A farmer is the one who should decide whether that part of his land is arable and what crop can or can't be grown on it. He could tell them that he's a sod farmer in the area that you fly out of and what could they do?

jettstarblue

Big Brother isn't just for the U.S. any more.

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

This totally stinks. I hate it when organizations pull crap like this. Here's a solution, build a model of a Ag wagon and make sure you put a scale spray system on it. This way you can say your field is there to provide agricultural services for the farmer!!!!

Ken

Stripes

My Feedback: (19)

Don't forget to approch your minister of commerce or what ever the title is there, and point out that this government regulation will kill the hobby industry. People will go unemployed.

Pushrod02

My Feedback: (16)

Get together early Saturday morning in their neighborhoods. Take the pipes off your planes and "fly'em like you stole 'em". They'll get the idea and be glad to drop this nonsense.

Seriosly, I hope this all works out for you guys.

Scoubidou

My Feedback: (17)

Have you informed our MAAC zone director? The MAAC must be awared of this.
http://www.maac.ca/zones/maac_zone.php?zn=9

Daniel

dionkadet

RCKEN,

You put a big smile after your idea, but I think it seriously is a realistic way to solve this problem! [>:]

Those of you who are from Quebec probably all know about this place North of Trois-Rivière near Shawinigan where you can skate during the winter on the farm and on trails in the wooded portion of the farmland. It is a very popular tourist attraction and they apparently were going to be shut down by the same agricultural protection law. The owner, perhaps with ideas from his legal counsel. started to sell products of the land, agricultural products, in small quantities when you buy a ticket to go skating. You have no choice you must buy ( for a very reasonable amount) so many food products. Somehow, this makes this tourist attraction comply
to the letter of the law. And the place is thriving as I went there last Christmas for the first time in 6 years, and what an improvement in the facilities!

I am in business in Ontario, and I too encounter all sorts of laws that may have a good basis but are difficult to apply in the real world.
What disgust me the most is when bureaucrats have enough time to waste to apply such laws to the letter to the detriment of people who have no money to fight the stupidity in court.

So I say, fight the bull by the horns and organize radio control spray airplanes for farm pesticide control.

That is all the bureaucrats deserve. [>:][>:]

dr_wogz

My Feedback: (3)

Yes, we have the MAAC zone director looking into this.. There is apprently a fund for things like this. Problem is, that to help the few, all will likely have to pay..

We've apparenly sent a few appeals...

Yes, despite teh city of Brossard being behind us 100%, it is very doubtful they will help us in our fight; money wise.

As we see it, we might loose our feild. But..

The snowmobile trails will probably remain, as well as the ATV trails. (basically the same)
Hunters can still go after their game.
And if polution is the main reason.. Well, I'm sure the exhaust & dust from the local dirt road we're on, teh highway less then 2km away, and the above mentioned ski-doo & ATVs are then apparenly cleaner than our little .4ci engines..

scottrc

In the US, we have to either put the land into CRP, which can be a red tape nightmare and has time limits, or show that we are adding "agricultural value" to the land.

What our club has done was to plant beans arond the field. Another club has planted christmas trees since pine trees stay short and take a long time to grow.

Look into some loopholes that might satisfy the beauraucrats. Who knows, maybe start a sod farm.

ClemenTang

Mere fertilization. A lot of researches can follow, say, how much is too much?

Clement

dr_wogz

My Feedback: (3)

We were all talking about it over erh week-end.

it seesm the fact is that we are using the feild for non agricultural purposes (despite the fact we fly "over" teh land)

No, it seesm we are being asked to close, as this is a law that has been on the books for a very long time, and is finally being applied.

There is another field, about 5km down the road. And they want us to consolidate all into one feild, rather than a few. But then we end up with 300+ members and a worse feild, and get only a flight or two in.

There is also a rumour, that someone is sore. They wanted to start a club, or had an issue with their local one. They were one of "those types' of people". And since he was shot donw / brushed aside / not given the respect he expected, he went and complained to the gove'ment. So, the govment looked ito it, and is applying teh law to all. No ifs, ands, or buts.

dr_wogz

My Feedback: (3)

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/Top...howbyline=True

news artricle & news video..

Tired Old Man

My Feedback: (1)

Better to build a model ag sprayer that actually works. They've been used in several agricultural applications in the States. Make each and every member an operator of the Ag plane and require that they maintain flight currency in order to operate the Ag plane. Specify that currency can be maintained by "X" number of hours of fixed wing flight practice in any given time period.

Print all that on the largest document you can find and tell them to stuff it where the sun don't shine. Politely of course.

flicka5

My Feedback: (2)

Here again we see an example of goverment too big and too stupid to use common sense! Isn't it a fact that Canada has more land per capita than pronbably any other nation? Plenty of land to accomodate all their citizens with all forms of land use that doesn't cause environmental harm to the soil! Here is a prime example where the US is headed with the current social agenda promoted by the liberal politically correct jerks that people in the US keep electing to the federal and state legistlatures. We see evidence of that trend in our last federal elections. One more nail in the coffin of liberty! So keep it up as the US isn't far behind our good Canadian friends.[][][]

Hossfly

Just who is letting whom down? [sm=pirate.gif]

You have all the makings of good support and a good legal case but you are too da__ cheap, er I mean frugal, to stand up and fight. A measly $200 dollars, to have a place to fly that multi-hundred $$$ toy and here you are complaining. You have a chance to set a precedence and you are here complaining about $200 to secure your flying site for another 20+/- years.
No wonder RCers continue to be considered just simple overgrown boys with big loud toys.

Maybe you can do like our southern neighbors, just pick up and move into the states. Then maybe the US government will start BUILDING flying sites for all of you free of charge. Our southern border crossers are getting free what all the natives have to work their butts off for. OTOH comes the NAU, none of us may have flying sites. [:'(]

Ptarmigan

That's really aweful. Why now? Why not 20 years ago?

anonymouse

Here in Oregon there is a state law defining Exclusive Farm Use, (EFU). Some years ago the RC modelers with help of a sympathetic law maker got a section written into that law that provides for a certain size area for flying of models (not including flyover area) be allowed. At present along with our lease for the field we have to pay a fly over fee, (crop damage charge) in order to fly. few cities and or counties have allowed and support RC sites as recreatonal areas on local government land. Enviromentalists do not like the noise and pollution (no matter how small) , so do thier best to not let sites be allowed.

Sport_Pilot

If that doesn't fail we "supposedly" have one last option in the states. That is what the second admendment was supposedly written for.

flicka5

My Feedback: (2)

Go to Florida sometime if you want to see how a sane, nonliberal governemnt supports the RC Hobby! In Florida many counties not only let RC clubs use county land to fly, they also in many cases have built improved model runways at no expense to the local clubs. I belong to such a club in Florida.

A "flyover" fee! What a load of hogwash! So just keep electing those mindless liberals who want to meddle in and control every aspect of daily life, including recreation!