Longtime local politician named chair of vegetable growers group

A veteran municipal and provincial politician has been appointed the new chair of a group representing Ontario’s vegetable farmers.

Steve Peters will take on the role as chair of the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers’ (OGVG) – a group that represents more than 170 greenhouse farmers – after George Gilvesy alerted the organization’s board he wouldn’t be renewing his appointment.

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“Steve’s experience at the municipal and provincial level will provide the necessary support OGVG needs to advance our sector’s interests in an effective and positive manner” one of the group’s officials, Rick Mastronardi, said in a statement.

As well as his second stint as a city councillor for St. Thomas, Peters’ political resume includes serving as mayor of that city from 1991 to 1999, acting as Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP from 1999-2011, during which time he was also the minister of agriculture and food and minster of labour. In 2007, he was elected to serve has the nonpartisan Speaker of the Ontario Legislature, a position he held until 2011.

Peters also is the former executive director of the Guelph-based Food and Beverage Ontario, a position he held for three years.

“We are confident that Steve will carry on the accomplishments that have been achieved through the leadership of our outgoing chair,” said Kevin Safrance, another official with the farmers group.

The greenhouse farmers represented by the group grow more than 1,660 hectares (4,100 acres) of “fresh and nutritious peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers.” Peters’ term as chair will begin on Nov. 1.

bwilliams@postmedia.com
@BrianWatLFPress

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