Grassroots farmers are delighted with the success of their Canada Day rally, where they handed out free ice cream and cheese curds and gave consumers a view of the world from the farm. 

OTTAWA – Eastern Ontario Conservative MP Guy Lauzon implored North Gower crop farmer Dwight Foster not to run tractors to Parliament Hill on Canada Day. It’s not a day for politics, Foster was told but he didn’t listen.

"We’ve got nothing to lose," Foster replied. And what a rally it was. While more than 100,000 people swarmed Parliament Hill for an all-day celebration that included pops stars in concert, they were greeted by farmers handing out containers of ice cream and St. Albert’s cheese curds on Wellington Street in front of the eternal flame, Dozens of tractors were parked along the curb. You could spot young farmers carrying cardboard boxes on their shoulders through crowds of people in shorts and wearing sunglasses, with red painted faces, Canadian flags, ball caps and cameras that turned tractors into family photo ops. The boxes – filled with ice cream and curds made with Canadian-only ingredients – were rushed to sites where people lined up for a free snack. Farmers also handed out pamphlets to passersby, including Jeannette Paquette.

"I was surprised that many products we buy are not made in Canada," said Ottawa resident Paquette, after speaking with a farmer. "This has opened my eyes."

She then bought Farmers Feed Cities T-shirts for her family and said she was planning to talk to her family about where their food comes from.

MP Lauzon later told Farmers Forum that he was wrong to oppose the rally and the farmers. "They were right," he said.

When Farmers Forum stopped Ottawa resident Carol Anne Vitaliotis in front of a truck where farmers were passing out curds, she was adamant: "They should get the money. It’s a sin. They are the backbone of this country."

The day was hot and sunny as about 350 farmers from Ontario and Quebec pushed the message with city consumers. The pamphlets they received asked them to tell government officials to stop the import of cheap milk protein imports and to get the $1.5 billion promised to Canadian farmers in the last budget into their hands.

Crop farmer Marc Bercier, of St. Isidore, was emptying a box of containers of ice cream as he was bombarded with Canada Day revilers. "This is the best way for people to remember (the farmer)," he said. "Oh! We’re out of spoons."

Foster, who helped lead protests that closed down an Ottawa food terminal for three days earlier this year, said that the Canada Day rally has been the grassroots farmers best tactic in swaying public opinion because people they met were not rushing to work. "They were chilling," he said. "We were blending in."

Farmers also got tremendous support when they drove their tractors from the city later that day. "You wouldn’t believe the support: waving, thumbs up; a guy with his head out the window saying, ‘way to go.’" Foster added, " I didn’t get one negative."

Russell County grassroots leader Jean-Marie Menard declined an offer of beer from people on the street while he was stuck in traffic on his tractor.

"I’m really glad with what we did," he said. "We made history again. I challenge the farm groups to do that — talk to the people. Some said, ‘don’t bring the tractors.’ It was the best thing we had ever done."