The sun is shining, the tulips are blooming and members of Parliament in Ottawa are counting down the weeks until the House of Commons rises for its summer break. With an election less than six months away, Ottawa’s brightest political minds are already starting to shift into campaign mode. That is, unless you’re a member […] Read more
Stories by Kelsey Johnson
Ontario launches trade mission to boost agricultural sector
Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne issued a challenge to the province’s agricultural industry in October 2013: double its growth rate and create 120,000 new jobs in Ontario by 2020. She said the province should become one of the top five revenue generators in North America for food and beverage manufacturing while doubling its agri-food exports. At […] Read more
Food agency’s communication strategy a breath of fresh air
There is nothing more frustrating for a journalist than the inability to get basic information for a story from official channels, particularly at the federal level. The relationship between the federal government and the Parliamentary Press Gallery is especially strained, one that is unlikely to im-prove much in the coming months thanks to the rapidly […] Read more
Conservatives handling of foreign worker issue lacks compassion
They came seeking the Canadian dream. For years, foreign workers have worked in jobs Canadians didn’t want: on farms and in processing plants, hotels and restaurant kitchens. They helped keep both rural communities and the national economy afloat. These workers send every extra penny back home to their families, where those hard earned dollars mean […] Read more
Neonic restrictions in Ontario continue to cause confusion
The Ontario government is pushing ahead with its plan to reduce the use of neonicotinoids by 80 percent by 2017. The move comes despite a newly released study from Washington that says the controversial seed treatments may not be the main culprit behind mass bee deaths after all. Ontario officials released their draft regulations March […] Read more
Economy will suffer if low-skilled foreign workers not allowed
The federal government is not backing down from its April 1 deadline that would see a mass exodus of thousands of low-skilled temporary foreign workers. The move comes despite urgent pleas from Canadian employers who haven’t been able to find new staff. A change made to the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program in 2011 limited […] Read more
Decisions loom on grain transportation, temporary workers
Parliament might be suspended this week for March break, but official discussions are heating up in the backrooms of federal politics, thanks to fast-approaching deadlines on several key issues. The federal Conservatives must decide within the next few weeks whether to again extend the minimum volumes for grain, which have now been in place for […] Read more
Agriculture labour issues often misunderstood by others
It’s an issue that farmers, packers and processors have been warning about for more than a year: Canada’s agricultural sector is facing a serious labour shortage. The shortage of skilled and available labour is well-known in the agricultural community. However, controversial comments by Conservative MP John Williamson, a Conservative backbencher, highlight how the burgeoning crisis […] Read more
Land prices top of mind for next generation of farmers
It was a younger crowd at the House of Commons agriculture committee last week as seven of Canada’s finest young farmers visited Parliament Hill to talk about the challenges facing the next generation. The House agriculture committee isn’t known to draw a crowd, unless there’s a food safety or transportation crisis. However, the room was […] Read more
Internal trade issues difficult to tackle during election year
Members of the House of Commons agriculture committee have joined the ranks of Ottawa politicos trying to gain insight into Canada’s complex interprovincial trade system. The House began its study Feb. 17 and it comes as the Senate agriculture and forestry committee is also looking at internal trade issues. Canada’s pernicious internal trade differences have […] Read more
