At the end of the Second World War, Canadian author Hugh MacLennan wrote a novel called Two Solitudes, which described the lack of communication and understanding between French and English Canadians. Currently, divides have opened up on many new fronts. Silos have formed based on political, economic, racial, national and gender issues, while social media […] Read more
Opinion
A belligerent U.S. is scary, but situation not hopeless
A new era of international trade is beginning as U.S. president Donald Trump prepares to launch trade wars, including with Canada. This isn’t something we should take personally. We are being drawn into a dispute that is not of our making. Nor is it an isolated event. Canada followed in good faith the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement […] Read more
Canada can’t afford to let its food sector be snatched in trade war
It will take political will and investment to maintain a sector vital to Canada’s national security
Glacier FarmMedia – Canada’s food sector, which is this country’s largest manufacturing sector and one pivotal to our national security, is about to be kidnapped unless we come up with a strategy to protect it. It was seeping south even before the U.S. declared economic war. Follow all our coverage of the tariffs situation here […] Read more
Canadian Entrepreneurs’ Incentive is worth considering
The Canadian Entrepreneur Incentive, introduced in the 2024 budget, offers tax breaks on capital gains to support entrepreneurs, including farmers. Producers should consider this new incentive when evaluating their succession planning with their trusted advisers. The CEI can be used as way to further reduce taxable income on the sale of qualifying farm property above […] Read more
Feds expect more wheat, less canola this year
Wheat acreage will increase this year while canola acreage will drop — at least, that’s the prediction in the January Outlook for Principal Field Crops report from the Market Analysis Group at Agriculture Canada. The Agriculture Canada analysis has very little good news when it comes to 2025-26 price projections. Wheat and flaxseed are about […] Read more
A cheesy story of ingenuity on the Prairies
When a company stumbles into a successful business model, it is sometimes said to have found a licence to print money. This fanciful phrase literally came true 94 years ago in the small town of LeRoy, Sask. A recent article on the Canada’s History website, which is run by Canada’s National History Society, recently told […] Read more
Rethinking Canada’s U.S. relationship
Robert Frost famously said, “good fences make good neighbours.” While this adage underscores the importance of respecting boundaries, it also invites reflection on the purpose of those fences and how they shape relationships. You can follow all our coverage of U.S. tariff threats here. For Canada and the United States, the border symbolizes both division […] Read more
Bunge-Viterra approval ignores farmers’ concerns
Prairie farmers must be bitterly disappointed in the news earlier this month that the federal government is approving Bunge’s acquisition of Viterra, despite their strong opposition to the deal. One can’t help but wonder what more they could have done to make Ottawa recognize their concerns. Sure, the usual conditions were put on the transaction, […] Read more
The times — and technology — are a-changin’ for agriculture
Every generation faces different obstacles and finds different opportunities — and often the opportunities and growth are closely related to the obstacles. Ron Clarke’s Vet Advice column in the January issue of Canadian Cattleman is a perfect example of this. He writes about the invention of barbed wire and how it ended open-range grazing. It’s […] Read more
Letters to the editor – January 30, 2025
Tariffs will hurt U.S., not Canada As someone whose inventions have brought in over 200 million export dollars into our country, I need to comment on the potential U.S. tariffs. Fact: the proposed U.S. tariffs will not cost Canadian exporters one single cent. They might lose some sales eventually, but there are no up-front costs. […] Read more
