The federal government is facing strong internal opposition from rural Liberals, as well as outrage from farm organizations, over a plan to close smaller Environment Canada weather stations.
Critics say it will make farmers more vulnerable to weather disasters and less able to plan if they have little warning about what weather patterns are developing.
Alberta Liberal senator Thelma Chalifoux said Feb. 13 she is appalled by the proposal, which had been discussed and denounced earlier in the Liberal western and northern caucus.
During a Senate agriculture committee hearing on climate change and agriculture, she said it is exactly the wrong time to reduce the government’s ability to predict weather. Climate change will make the weather less predictable and more damaging.
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“We’re heading for disaster,” she predicted. It contradicts government promises that it is worried about the impact of climate change and wants to help agriculture cope.
Chalifoux said the government plans to close all but five weather stations in an attempt to save several million dollars annually. “It is foolish policy.”
Geri Kamenz, chair of the government’s environmental advisory committee under Agriculture Canada’s agricultural policy review, said he could not agree more.
“There is potentially a huge price to pay for this,” said Kamenz, an Ottawa area farmer. “Taking this tool away from an industry that is so weather dependent sets the stage for disaster.”
He said he has made his objections known to the government.
Kamenz also chairs the environment committee of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the CFA has complained to environment minister David Anderson about the plan.
Anderson wrote back to say he will work with Agriculture Canada to see if funding from the agricultural policy framework could help.
