Disgusted
I am disgusted with the Canadian media coverage of Stockwell Day and the Canadian Alliance Party. It can be understood if it was solely the Eastern media because they have historically lambasted any and all political movements that have originated in the West.
However, when I read the coverage given by the so-called western press, it makes my blood boil. To think that our own media would so unashamedly denigrate and vilify their nobly produced hopes of bringing this country to an equal footing for all leaves thinking westerners sick with cynicism.
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Late season rainfall creates concern about Prairie crop quality
Praying for rain is being replaced with the hope that rain can stop for harvest. Rainfall in July and early August has been much greater than normal.
And the No. 1 welfare fraud in the country – Jean Chrétien to the tune of a quarter million dollars – goes on his merry duplicitous way unscathed. If this isn’t the beginning of anarchy, I don’t know what is.
Hopefully, Stockwell Day will not be replaced by some slick and slimy politician who will say and do anything to get elected.
– Josiah Rise,
Medstead, Sask.
Move forward
In response to the article by Maria Johnson (WP, July 5) it is a fact of human nature that many good ideas remain on paper or in the case of the Post-it note, in the choir book. These papers would likely fill a few Quonsets, and there are many reasons for this: never the right time, nor in the right place, not enough time, don’t know where to go, uncomfortable in sharing the idea, perception of too costly, don’t have the skills, not familiar with the process.
To the rest of the world, the Canadian Prairies are known as the land of the inventors. Call it the grassroots approach, entrepreneurship, industriousness, problem solving ability, partnering or work ethic. Idea generation goes on all the time, as a rule rather than an exception. People who have ideas generally have many, with the first leading to better ones.
What we need to do is move these ideas forward. There are regional economic authorities, community futures development corporations or the Canadian business centres where inventors can go to have their initial and confidential discussions. From there they can be directed to several agencies and for minimal cost have their ideas vetted and a strategy or process put in place.
The evaluation process could include a technology search from the intellectual property office. It is also important to understand the market and competition before a lot of effort is put forward.
Agencies like the research councils, CETAC-West and many other organizations have programs in place to assist entrepreneurs with testing technology, marketing, financial projections and business plans.
There are many good examples of inventions that have become successful. For example Jim Scharf, an inventor from Perdue, Sask., invented the E-Zee Wrap kitchen accessory and has moved from an inventor to an astute businessperson. Gordo Sauces from Saskatoon also started out with an idea and with help along the way is now marketing $1 million worth of product globally.
With some good advice, assistance and lots of tenacity, Kathy and many of these creative people could go from inventor to businessperson. In summary it is important to remember your idea is not the end, it is the means to an end.
– Don Somers,
V.P., CETAC-West,
Saskatoon, Sask.
Volunteer canola
Re: “Canola popping up where it’s not wanted” by Adrian Ewins (WP, July 7). This article states: “What we’ve embarked on here is a very big experiment. We’re releasing these traits into the environment and we’re assuming we’re going to be able to contain them and we can’t.”
This clearly implies that there is little or no assessment of herbicide tolerant crops prior to their release into the environment.
In fact, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency evaluates each genetically modified crop variety prior to unconfined release into the environment.
This risk assessment includes consideration of the potential impact on the environment, which includes pollen flow and outcrossing.
Biodiversity and invasiveness are also assessed during field trials. Buffer zones have been established to isolate fields.
Unfortunately, volunteers will always be a nuisance to farmers. This is equally true for all conventional crops. The bottom line is that a farmer will probably have volunteers from his neighbours’ crops, no matter what that crop may be.
– Brian Treacy, PhD,
Manager of Regulatory Affairs,
Ag-West Biotech Inc.,
Saskatoon, Sask.
Shut ‘er down
We would like to commend The Western Producer and Karen Briere for the excellent photo on the front page of the July 26 publication showing once again the federal agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief turning his back on western Canadian farmers.
In reading the various articles regarding Mr. Vanclief’s visit and his interview with The Western Producer, it seems that Mr. Vanclief has a real ego problem. He admits to farming for 25 years but had to “shut ‘er down” because of the financial situation.
Well, if he wants farmers to “run farming as business,” does that mean that he failed at his business? It also seems that because of his failure, he is holding this grudge against all farmers who want to still make a go of what they have instead of just shutting it down.
If he is so sure that his policy … is the solution, how come he could not apply this to his own farm? He seems to forget that we do not have the luxury of hoping a new crop will come through after we have spent years of trial and error getting the crops we grow now.
How can we have the luxury of hope when he is doing everything in his power to make farming impossible?
In regards to his comments about the farm wife “who really likes to farm,” he seems to have lost any insight or compassion he might have had when he was farming toward his fellow farmer. It is no great sin to like your job or take pride in your job and as farmers, we should.
In the end, all that needs to be said is Mr. Vanclief, you seem to really like your agricultural position now. But, if you don’t like the reality of the job outside of the perks, maybe you should shut ‘er down.
– Darcy & Shari Harapchuk,
Sangudo, Alta.
