Quebec’s dairy industry has been advocating to recognize cheese curds as a controlled designation. On the surface, this type of poutine protectionism seems old-fashioned. At the same time, there are serious implications for a crowd of excluded Ontario businesses that make their own cheese curds. Fromagerie St. Albert, which is situated in Eastern Ontario, is one example. They have been producing cheese curds since 1894 – long before Quebec popularized poutine in the late-1950’s. Kristy Cameron chats with Eric Lafontaine, the General Manager of St. Albert’s Cheese, on today’s Ottawa Now.