Bill Boyd, a farmer from Eston, Sask., who also served as a cabinet minister under Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall, is scheduled to appear in provincial court Feb. 6 to answer to charges under the province’s Environmental Protection and Management Act and Wildlife Protection Act.
Boyd, a founding member of the Saskatchewan Party, was charged in 2017 after sensitive lands were altered near Eston, about 200 kilometres southwest of Saskatoon.
One charge alleges that Boyd cultivated an area of native grassland habitat.
The other three charges stem from excavation work that took place along the banks of the South Saskatchewan River, about 25 km south of Eston.
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The charges allege that Boyd altered the river bed and removed vegetation from the banks of the river.
The supposed violations took place near a proposed irrigation project that Boyd had been promoting.
Boyd was removed from the Saskatchewan Party caucus last year after the province’s conflict of interest commissioner raised concerns about a business trip that Boyd had taken to China.
Conflict of interest commissioner Ron Barclay said Boyd used Government of Saskatchewan logos on materials that were used to promote the irrigation project to potential Chinese investors, even though the project was not endorsed by the province and did not include any direct government involvement.
Boyd said he made it clear to potential investors that the project was a private sector initiative and that he was not acting on behalf of the province.
Instead, he was promoting the project on behalf of Modern Hi-Efficiency Agricultural Corp., a Saskatchewan-based company that was backing the project.
Modern Hi-Efficiency Agricultural Corp. has since changed its name to AgroTarget Corp.
According to the CBC, Chinese investors were told that a $300,000 investment in the Eston irrigation project would earn them a share in equity and might help them gain permanent citizenship into Canada.
Promotional materials acquired by The Western Producer show the proposed irrigation project was to be constructed on land that was either owned or managed by Boyd, his son, Regan, or his son’s numbered company, 101140208 Saskatchewan Ltd.
Boyd is scheduled to appear in Provincial Court in Kindersley.
