A statement that is in Ontario right now is that OMAFRA has higher standards and is trying to continue to go higher than what CFIA is. We can't compete with that. The reality is that our food is just as safe. They started the listeria checks in early January, and they told us at our place that we didn't have to worry about it; it would be at least 18 months to two years because they were starting at the top and working down. We're pretty small. Well, we had ours on February 4, and they couldn't find anything, so there's nothing to complain about there.
But that is the reality. For some reason, Ontario wants to get out of meat inspection. It was already tried once to turn it over to CFIA, and it failed. Now I think what they're trying to do is set the standards higher, so that next time they want to try to turn it back to them, which is shortly I think, CFIA can't deny our entrance, because now we're higher. When you look at the statistics that I pulled up on their own website, it was 420 five years ago, and that's when they really started to push on these regulations. We are now down to 175.
Ontario Independent Meat Processors is boasting an increase in membership, and it's true, but that's because of the new regulations that have been enforced. All the free-standing plants, which we are, have come under these new regulations.
There are certainly some things I would like to say, but I will not.