Protections for fisheries won’t interfere with irrigation and drainage projects, federal minister assures producers
Federal Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc says prairie farmers shouldn’t expect visits from so-called fish cops if amendments to the Fisheries Act go ahead. Bill C-68 proposes changes to the act, but restoring departmental staff on the Prairies to previous levels is not one of them. “Twenty years ago, we had probably 200 enforcement officers who […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Railways should pay demurrage: APAS
The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan is calling on the railways to pay demurrage costs incurred because of the rail backlog. President Todd Lewis said farmers shouldn’t have to pay because they aren’t responsible. Demurrage fees for ships waiting at port for grain range between $11,000 and $13,000 per day. APAS said there are more […] Read more
Two grain amendments made to transport bill
The Senate transport committee has reported Bill C-49 with amendments, including several related to grain movement. The bill now goes to the Senate for third reading, where further amendments could be made before it moves back to the House of Commons. Among the amendments of interest to grain shippers is one to give the Canadian […] Read more
RCMP hold public safety meetings
Federal public safety minister Ralph Goodale says the public meetings Saskatchewan’s 87 RCMP detachments are holding will help open lines of communication. Speaking to reporters in Regina March 9, the minister said the fact that people at some of the first meetings have said they would defend their property any way they can is concerning. […] Read more
Railway service plans ‘underwhelming’
Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway posted plans last week in response to a request from Ottawa
Canada’s grain growers say the plans released last week by Canadian National and Canadian Pacific railways to improve service could be too little, too late. Both railways had until March 15 to submit plans to Transport Minister Marc Garneau and Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay after farmers raised the alarm in Ottawa that poor rail service […] Read moreSask., Ottawa continue tussle over carbon tax directive
The first meeting between Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, unsurprisingly, did not result in an agreement on carbon pricing. Saskatchewan continues to oppose a carbon tax and is the only province that hasn’t signed the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change. The province is currently consulting on the climate […] Read more
Sask. PST exemption has limits
Saskatchewan farmers shouldn’t be confused when it comes to the provincial sales tax exemption on some insurance premiums. During the recent Saskatchewan Party leadership campaign, now-premier Scott Moe promised to restore the exemption on crop, hail and livestock insurance, and health and life insurance. The PST had been added to insurance premiums as of Aug. […] Read more
Ag committee holds grain movement meeting
An amended Bill C-49, enacted as soon as possible, is the best hope for prairie grain shippers at this point, witnesses told the House of Commons agriculture committee March 19. Railways and shippers may disagree on the reasons for the current grain backlog, but all of them say the transportation legislation, with some key changes, […] Read more
Sask. run-off risk increases after snowfall
Recent snowfall has raised the prospects for near normal runoff in parts of Saskatchewan. The Water Security Agency in its updated spring runoff outlook March 13 said between 20 and 45 centimetres of snow March 3-5 changed initial projections for a below normal runoff. “Assuming near normal conditions going forward to the melt, a band […] Read more
Agriculture tackles mental health
OTTAWA — Stewart Skinner has stood on that edge between despair and death. And the Ontario hog farmer could have been there again just a few weeks ago if he hadn’t dealt with his mental illness. “I came very, very close to killing myself in a pig barn in 2013,” he told a rural mental […] Read more
