Karen Briere

The federal campaign should be anything but dull for voters in Saskatchewan’s Palliser riding if the lead-up is any indication. The race features two former Moose Jaw mayors, a former Regina police chief and a university student. No matter who wins, voters will elect a new MP. Incumbent Conservative Dave Batters confirmed Sept. 2 he […] Read more

As listeria hysteria subsided, prime minister Stephen Harper promised an independent inquiry into the outbreak at Maple Leaf Foods’ Toronto plant. The federal Liberals, however, said the impending election would delay an inquiry and called on Harper to fire agriculture minister Gerry Ritz, who is responsible for Canada’s food safety system. The outbreak, originating from […] Read more

Prime minister Stephen Harper has announced the terms of reference for the investigation into the listeriosis outbreak linked to Maple Leaf Foods. Independent investigators will examine events and circumstances that contributed to the outbreak, said a communiqué issued by Harper’s office Sept. 6. The investigators will “review the efficiency and effectiveness of the response of […] Read more

The Canadian government could approve meat irradiation early next year. But the process of zapping foods with radiation to kill contaminants wouldn’t necessarily have prevented the listeria outbreak that is linked, as of last week, to 15 deaths, eight confirmed and seven under investigation. The fatalities occurred in Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec. There […] Read more

Saskatchewan’s agriculture minister says he fired six managers at the provincial crop insurance corporation because he wants the insurer to take a new direction. Bob Bjornerud said the decision to dismiss former general manager Stan Benjamin and five others without cause in July was not political. The others were the executive managers responsible for human […] Read more

Calgary-based Whitemud Resources officially opened its metakaolin plant near Wood Mountain, Sask., recently. The plant will annually produce 175,000 tonnes of the concrete additive from white kaolin clay in the Gollier Creek quarry. Metakaolin can be used in the paper, paint and plastics industries, but is used mainly to make concrete. It can replace up […] Read more

The Aug. 24 recall of the entire production from Maple Leaf Foods’ Toronto meat processing plant came a week too late, says a University of Regina food safety analyst. Sylvain Charlebois said the suspicion that a listeriosis outbreak originated in the plant should have been enough to warrant a full recall. Maple Leaf voluntarily recalled […] Read more

Saskatchewan agriculture minister Bob Bjornerud says the province will review its farm ownership law after a recent case involving the American owner of a 99-year-old farm. The Saskatchewan Farm Land Security Board last week granted Dale Kreimeyer, of Bethany, Oklahoma, and his sister, a lifetime exemption to the law that limits foreign ownership to 10 […] Read more

The accidental shooting death of an eight-year-old boy last week highlights the need for vigilance when using firearms. The boy from St. Victor, Sask., was hunting gophers with family and friends around 6 p.m. Aug. 18 when he was shot. The boy, whose name has not been released, was rushed to Assiniboia Union Hospital and […] Read more