Agriculture leaders, experts, government officials, farmers and academics gathered in Gatineau, Que., last week for a two-day conference to talk about public trust. It’s a hot topic, a reality quickly confirmed by the fact the room was full. But what does public trust actually mean? In broad terms, public trust is the idea that a person […] Read more
Stories by Kelsey Johnson
American business initiatives continue to plague Ottawa
Every fall, Canada’s finance minister is tasked with updating the House of Commons on the country’s fiscal and economic situation. It comes in the form of a speech, known as the fall economic update. It’s an important day on Parliament Hill say, for example, if you happen to be a business reporter, but most years […] Read more
A drive through Scotland shines light on rural-urban divide
Last week, while driving through parts of rural Scotland, a farm-related debate came on the BBC radio program my friend and I were listening to. Since I was suffering from agriculture news-related withdrawal (it was only day four of my vacation), I immediately cranked up the volume. The question up for debate: should tractors be […] Read more
Lack of knowledge about agriculture still rife in Ottawa
In agriculture, there’s a lot of talk about the urban-rural divide. Many conversations within the farm community are about how too many people in this country know next to nothing about how the food on their plates gets there. Public trust, sustainability and farm-to-fork have all become popular catchphrases as the agriculture industry tries to […] Read more
Canada launches new charm offensive — this time in China
In the months after U.S. President Donald Trump was elected to the Oval Office, the Trudeau government launched a major charm offensive. Minister after minister headed south for meetings with American officials, including members of the House of Representatives, senators, governors and senior staff within the Trump administration. Parliamentary committees travelled south to meet with […] Read more
Agricultural issues will remain a hot file for Ottawa
Folks wishing for a reprieve on the agriculture file following several hectic months shouldn’t get their hopes up. It’s busy, and unlikely to quiet down any time soon. For starters, it’s been snowing on the Prairies, a situation that’s made a challenging harvest even tougher. Alberta is in particularly bad shape. As of Oct. 12, […] Read more
Ag committee’s mental health hearings prove riveting
Most people think that the most important part of Parliament Hill is the House of Commons. After all, question period is broadcast daily. Clips of ministers and members of Parliament in the House of Commons foyer are regularly aired on television. For journalists on Parliament Hill, the daily scrums are a regular part of their […] Read more
Now, Trudeau must sell the USMCA to Ontario, Quebec
Canada and the United States have reached an 11th hour deal on a modernized North American Free Trade Agreement. For hours Sunday night, reporters stood guard outside the prime minister’s headquarters — swapping stories and finding ways to protect themselves against the cold. Inside, Canadian negotiators were working the phones as they attempted to hammer […] Read more
Trade issues likely to dominate as Parliament opens
As members of Parliament returned to Ottawa for the start of the fall sitting, trade is on everybody’s mind. Two of the world’s largest economies, the United States and China, are fighting on ongoing trade war and Canada finds itself caught in the middle. The U.S. is our largest trading partner. The connection between our […] Read more
Pancake breakfasts help bridge urban-rural divide
They came by the hundreds. Earlier this month, about 2,000 people descended on the Foster’s Farm in North Grower (about 45 minutes outside of Ottawa) for a breakfast event put on by Farm and Food Care Ontario. The goal was simple. Invite the community, particularly folks and families from the city, out to a farm […] Read more
