LET’S KICK BACK
The Feb. 20 grain transportation edition included the suggestion that the solution to the grain transportation woes was to “kick butt” in the train and grain sectors. I would propose that the usual reaction to “butt kicking” is to kick back, but only much harder. We are not dealing with small fry here and the “kick back” may have some unintended consequences.
What worked in the past was co-ordination and co-operation. How else to explain the incidence of a few years ago when the Canadian Wheat Board arranged to have grain shipped out of flood-prone Manitoba first? How about the many instances when certain types and grades of grain were needed at the coast to fill an order but they were only available in certain parts of the Prairies? Who would make the arrangements with the present system?
Read Also
How counter-tariff policy cans Canadian choice
The unavailability of the storied Canadian pickle brand Bick’s, now processed and jarred in the U.S., shows how well-intentioned counter-tariff policy can turn sour on Canada’s consumers and cucumber growers.
Grain company employees are there to maximize the profits for their company and no one else. How would anything be accomplished by butt kicking? Whether we like it or not, grain transportation has to be a co-ordinated, co-operative operation.
I do agree that some butt kicking is in order, but I would suggest that should be done at the next federal election when the present governing party is kicked out in favour of one that is not hamstrung by ideology and is prepared to look at all options for improving this dysfunctional system. The present bunch will not change their approach because they would first have to admit that they were wrong and, as the kids say, “that ain’t gonna happen.”
Horst Schreiber,
Ohaton, Alta.
CROWNS FOR SALE
Why does (Saskatchewan) premier (Brad) Wall really want to open the Crown Corporation Ownership Act? Is it really just to sell Casino Regina and Moose Jaw to the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, or are more crown corporations on Wall’s chopping block?
After all, he has already drained every cent that he can from the crowns, forcing them to borrow for needed upgrades. Could it be the fact that the Wall government has taken $135 million out of its rainy day fund to “balance” its recent budget?
Regina and Moose Jaw Casinos have about $78 million in assets and generate $135 million in revenues annually. Yet Wall is willing to sell off the whole package for between $100 and $200 million. A smart business move — I don’t think so.
So, let’s ask ourselves, is it because the sale is going to benefit First Nations or is it simply that Wall wants to do away with the 90-day public hearing process in order to set up other crowns for sale?
Joyce Neufeld,
FARMERS’ VOTES COUNT
In the Saskatchewan wheat and barley commission elections, farmers have rejected (agriculture minister Gerry) Ritz’s poster children candidates.
Cherilyn Nagel Jolly, who seemed glued to the minister’s side when he was killing the single desk of the Canadian Wheat Board … was not able to win a seat on the wheat commission, even though she was hand-picked and appointed by the (Brad) Wall (provincial) government as the commission’s interim chair.
Her counterpart in the barley commission, fellow Western Canadian Wheat Grower Association member Bill Cooper, did not run in the barley election but his desired candidates did not get elected either.
Even though he also was handpicked by the Wall government as an interim appointed director for the barley commission, Ritz’s number two cheerleader, Gerrid Gust, was not able to garner enough farmer votes to get elected either.
It would appear that premier Wall may have to question his deputy agriculture minister’s choice of candidates. If this former WCWGA member thought these were the people that farmers supported, she was dead wrong. Not one of the appointed directors was able to get elected by farmers.
It’s interesting what happens when you give farmers the ability to vote and elect their own directors and direction. Too bad there weren’t more opportunities for farmers to vote on the direction agriculture has taken in the past few years.
Kyle Korneychuk,
Pelly, Sask.
SOMETHING TO FEAR
Jackie Robin, in her letter to the Western Producer, Jan. 30, regarding GMO, states, “that there is nothing to fear and much to gain.”
The only gain that I can see is that of corporate gain over the ownership of seeds and plants once GMO takes over. Is that nothing to fear?
Bruce Harvey,
Wadena, Sask.
RITZ EPIPHANY UNLIKELY
Perhaps in his travels, one day soon, on a lonely section of snow swept highway, (agriculture minister) Gerry Ritz will have an epiphany.
He will realize that the Rocky Mountains have always been there and winter is an annual event.
Perhaps he will remember that every year when winter in the Rockies turns highways and railways to winter hell, the grain movement slows….
And with the coming of spring, not only does life quicken but backlogs are made good and all is well with the world again.
But wait, this time is different. There is not only a record grain crop, but there is no farmers’ wheat board to co-ordinate everything. Ships and costly demurrage charges are piling up as the wrong grain arrives to meet the wrong ship. Since that is the problem, adding more cars and more trains, unfortunately, will only increase congestion in Vancouver. What to do?
Ritz could force the elevator companies to report to him, and his department could take on the role of co-ordinator. But wait, Ritz doesn’t have those 15,000 government hopper cars at his command anymore. He gave them away to the railways.
Besides that, having state control over grain movement smacks of socialism, just like the system so many of our competitors and customers have. That would never play well with either the Conservatives’ voter base nor their corporate friends.
Anyway, since Ritz is unlikely to have any such epiphany and since the wheat board is unlikely to be brought back, farmers, it looks like you are on your own.
Don’t you just love “marketing freedom?”
Tom Shelstad,
Swift Current, Sask.
FARM WORKER SAFETY
The inevitable has happened, Alberta has had another fatal farm accident and this one was gruesome. The only news outlet to cover this story was local.
A suspicion of animal abuse gets province-wide coverage, but the tragic end to a farm worker’s life isn’t worth mentioning. It’s not worth any mention in the press, it isn’t worth a work-place fatality investigation, he just didn’t matter.
Not to you, maybe, but to those who left condolence messages, this 46-year-old was someone special:
- “A loyal and good friend, who was not only very much liked, but greatly respected for his sense of fairness, diligence, good humour and decency….”
- “He was a giant amongst men, a true gentleman and an unfaltering, loyal friend…”
- “The story that you left behind was one of integrity, honesty, hard work, great humour, passion and compassion.”
Yes, he mattered to a lot of people.
Here was a very experienced farm worker who succumbed to a predictable and very preventable workplace tragedy. Alberta legislation prevents us from learning from his death, and his death will not be included in Alberta fatalities for 2014. In fact, the RCMP told me this sudden death was not reportable to anyone.
The RCMP did a criminal investigation at the site of the tragedy, but they told me they aren’t competent to do a workplace investigation so they didn’t. They called Occupational Health and Safety, but OHS isn’t allowed to do a farm fatality investigation….
Yes, even on Alberta farms, there is a legal duty for all persons directing work to take “reasonable steps” to ensure the safety of workers.
This worker was here and now he’s gone. Does anyone who didn’t know him even care? Alberta agriculture workers are dying to put food on your table.
Darlene A. Dunlop,
Farmworkers Union of Alberta
Bow Island, Alta.
