PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Simmering farm tensions erupted into an angry confrontation at the annual conference of agriculture ministers here July 6.
Federal agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief was pushed and his clothing pulled while some in a crowd of about 250 shouted profanity and called him a traitor.
Vanclief, along with Saskatchewan minister Eric Upshall, had gone outside the doors of a Prince Albert hotel to meet with farmers from the National Farmers Union and the Bengough Rally Group.
But when he could not offer them immediate changes to safety nets and refused to speak from a microphone set up in the back of a half-ton truck, the crowd became infuriated.
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“I encourage all of you to use the existing programs that are there at the present time to the best of your ability,” Vanclief said. “I have said and continue to say we will be as innovative and flexible within existing programs.”
One woman shouted: “You have your cheque every month. You don’t give a damn what we say.”
Vanclief replied he did care and that the ministers will be looking at changes to the Agricultural Income Disaster Assistance program for 1999.
“I’m sorry, 1999 is too damn late,” responded a man. “We’re two hours away from foreclosure here.”
As Vanclief spoke, NFU president Cory Ollikka used a megaphone to urge the minister to step up to the microphone about two metres away from the hotel entrance.
“I said that I would come to the door of the hotel,” Vanclief said. “The microphone could have been here.”
As he and Upshall turned to leave, the physical confrontation began. Several farmers moved behind the ministers to block their return into the hotel.
Vanclief appeared shaken but unhurt as security cleared the way.
Wakaw, Sask., farmer Danny Luciuk followed the ministers into the hotel, where he broke down in tears.
“This is my last year of farming thanks to him and his policies,” Luciuk said. “I’m gone broke. Twenty-five years of work for nothing, because I can’t get enough to cover my production costs.”
Luciuk said he followed Vanclief’s advice and took $1,800 out of his Net Income Stabilization Account in December. Recently, he received a bill, and a letter saying he has to repay that money because of a miscalculation.
“I didn’t do the calculation, the department did,” Luciuk said. “I got an $1,800 bill on top of all the other bills I can’t pay. Our kids, they got nothing to eat. I’m mad at them all the time.
“You want to know what stress is, look at me now … I can’t take it any more.”
Not alone
Another farmer said Luciuk is not the only one who feels that way.
“The way it’s going I can’t keep on,” said Marcel Trumier, a grain and hog farmer from Hoey, Sask.
He criticized Vanclief for not spending time with farmers.
“He doesn’t seem to have a heart at all,” added Marcel’s father, Raymond Trumier.
NDP agriculture critic Dick Proctor said the confrontation could have been avoided if Vanclief had used the microphone.
Vanclief later met privately with representatives from both protest groups.
