The federal government is not looking at ways to boost trespassing legislation being passed in some provinces, according to federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau.
Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta have taken steps to bolster protections for livestock and other producers against trespassers and activists, and Manitoba is carrying out a public consultation on the matter.
Bibeau says her government will look to support producers in other ways
“It has to be done at the provincial level, but I’m following it closely because this is something that I care about,” she said. “This is not acceptable, that our farmers are being threatened for feeding us.”
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Last September, a protest at an Alberta turkey barn led to charges against four of the roughly 30 participants. More significantly, it prompted the Alberta government to increase fines for trespassing.
A new law in Ontario makes it illegal to stop or interfere with a vehicle transporting animals, while Saskatchewan passed legislation in 2019 requiring people looking to access privately owned rural land to have permission from the landowner before doing so.
She said Ottawa is looking at ways to combat bullying and threats that producers are getting through social media, and the proposed Buy Canadian policy could help. The Buy Canadian campaign is designed to promote Canadian food, but Bibeau said she wants it to be more than just marketing.
“I want it to contribute to strengthen the trust between consumer and producers and the pride around Canadian farmers, so this is another way I’m looking at it,” she said.
