‘Twas the bright day of Christmas, and all through the land
Not a beef cow was stirring because all were banned.
Across yankee borders cows just could not flee
Because of the nasty called bovine S.E.
Then King Ralph, with money those ranchers did ply.
It helped pull them through. That, and bottles of rye.
The Saskites were nestled all snug in their beds
A ‘wide open future’ theme stuck in their heads.
With Lorne in his chief’s chair and Clay in his lap
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Worrisome drop in grain prices
Prices had been softening for most of the previous month, but heading into the Labour Day long weekend, the price drops were startling.
Saskites all snuggled in for a five-year-long nap.
The moon on the crest of the new fallen snow
Made farmers think thoughts of dead hoppers below.
Then down Ottawa way there arose such a natter
And those in the West feared it wouldn’t much matter.
When what to their jaded eyes then did appear
But a flat coronation. Paul led, it was clear.
He’s a little old feller with purse strings so quick
Farmers knew in a moment he weren’t no St. Nick.
Goodbye Sheila! and Alan! So long Manley, young feller!
On Martin! On Goodale! McLellan! And Speller!
The promises, how many! The budget, how small!
Can Martin deliver on orders so tall?
And Vanclief, that farm guy whose work farmers panned
Went away with a flourish – signed farm bill in hand.
The Yankees they challenged Canadian wheat
Both sides got for their troubles a kick in the seat.
In Cancun the traders did gather to talk
But the deal came to little so all countries walked.
There was SARS, there were fires, there were floods and some drought.
The right wings, they merged amid much Tory doubt.
Good farmers, they watched all and read their farm paper
Considered it all as another year’s labour.
Then they did what they do best; held land and stock dear
And wished all their kinfolk a happy new year.
Achilles heel
A large sector of the Canadian electorate yearns for an alternative to the paleo-leftist government that has degraded our country for much of the last four decades.
Not surprisingly, as a reaction to the entrenched eastern establishment, a grassroots movement called the Reform party was spawned by this widespread discontent. The “grassroots,” many of whom were quite radically right, gave the movement much of its power in the early days; it got them an audience and appealed more to the emotions than to the rational mind.
As the party became a serious contender for power in the country, it was frustrated each time by foolish statements from its radical right-wing elements. From racially intolerant diatribes to fundamentalist religious intolerance to anti-gay comments, the fortunes of the party have been shot down in flames each time it showed promise.
I have been to Reform party meetings, in fact with the group which gave the movement its genesis, and it seems that some of the founding members of the movement have been granted “elder-statesman” status in spite of them having scarcely a rational thought in their heads.
It’s up to the new leadership to shed itself of the radical right elements which have periodically damaged the movement and destroyed its chances to present a credible alternative to the complacently corrupt and incompetent government we now endure.
– Greg Popove,
Red Deer, Alta.
Low wages
It is hard to see how the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan is going to be able to show the positives in agriculture when most of the grassroots producers are having to work off their farms to make enough money to live.
Most people who want to get into a private business want that business to be the sole provider of their livelihood. If you asked someone in Canada to work for the kind of wages that a grain farm in Saskatchewan provides to its owner, and with the kind of hours that are required for that money, they would laugh in your face and walk away.
So far our federal government has just ignored the situation in Western Canada’s farming community since there has been no political need to do anything else but ignore it.
It is too bad that so-called leaders of our country see only the need for their own political futures, rather than the economic stability of half the country. It shows the kind of great statesmen we produce in Canada now. Their motto seems to be … we’ll let the future take care of itself.
– Dwayne Jones,
Melita, Man.
Ethanol views
I would like to commend Ian Bell on his article “Man. forges ahead on ethanol,” (WP, Dec. 4). He brought some balance to a topic that has too often not been represented fairly in the media.
I reference, in particular, an article in the previous week’s edition (WP, Nov. 27) by Allan Warren, which reported on a panel discussion about ethanol at the annual convention of the National Farmers Union.
I was disturbed to learn Mr. Warren categorized the speakers on the panel as opposed to the development of the ethanol industry. As one of those speakers, that was certainly not the position that I presented.
On reading the article, I was surprised to see that there was no reference to any comments I had made which countered the arguments put forward by those against ethanol.
To cite only those in opposition to ethanol does a great disservice to farmers and rural communities who stand to gain from the economic benefits afforded them through the development of an ethanol industry on the Prairies.
We need more news coverage of the type presented by Mr. Bell, and less of the type by Mr. Warren. Mr. Warren’s article may be suitable for the editorial pages; it is not for the news pages.
– Randy H. Baldwin,
Niverville, Man.
Face reality
The Alliance party’s Lynne Yelich (Open Forum, Nov. 27) is trotting out what looks like a high-minded claim about marketing choice. She even claims they don’t want to harm farmers or the Canadian Wheat Board.
How can that be true? What about the choice of thousands of western farmers in the last CWB elections to have a single desk seller of wheat and barley?
The way it is now, farmers who want to sell outside the CWB are free to do so. They only need to follow the rules, just as organic producers have done successfully for years.
This is a viable real world choice. It also respects the choice of those who understand the benefits of single desk selling.
Dual marketing has reduced the Ontario Wheat Board to just another grain broker with no facilities. Since the Ontario board can no longer forward sell product to the flour millers and other customers, it has effectively collapsed as a marketing agent.
Creating a so-called dual market has really limited Ontario farmers to the open market. Now they have no choice at all.
It is ironic that those advocating choice are really the ones who would limit choice in the real world of the global grain market. If Ms. Yelich’s Conservative, Reform Alliance party ever hopes to form a government, they need to look beyond the abstractions of their policy handbook and deal with reality.
– Ken Larsen,
Benalto, Alta.
Did some good
Having just received our second payment from the federal government of the allotted $1.2 billion over two years (we) will be perhaps be wondering just how this money came about.
The government says it is a transition payment from one program to another. What nonsense. It is a devious way of trying to help out in depressed economic times.
This money came from the intense lobbying I was involved in, involving many rallies both in Ottawa and the provinces including Ontario in the winters of 2000 and 2001.
The lobbying from the grassroots farmers’ movement both in the West here and Ontario was extremely intense in Ottawa. I was there. I was at many political meetings with the bureaucrats lasting many days. There were many of us from all these western provinces and Ontario …
It did much good and grassroots farmers have been working with the government ever since working out ways to improve agricultural stability …
– Nick Parsons,
Farmington, B.C.
Ideology analysis
While listening to a commentary by a well-known journalist, I heard an extremely dangerous and disturbing statement expressed with great emphasis: “The lines have been drawn” in relationship to the problem of crime.
This statement reveals and expresses power authority gained and used or abused, disregard for many things precious to people and the people themselves. Perhaps we should evaluate circumstances around the world based on similar philosophy.
Do we not ever learn anything from history? Whether written or expressed? I prefer the statement “goodwill to all men” or “do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
At any time of the year it is important but more so at this time of the year … This is still the best country in the world to live in but just marginally and fast slipping on the slippery slope.
Perhaps we should replace the word crime with pain. Rather than the crime committed it should be the pain inflicted.
Perhaps we should shut down the computer, TV and e-mail and smell the coffee, rearrange our ideology and priorities.
Merry Christmas and a new year in which we can respect the ordinary people.
– E. O. Oystreck,
Yorkton, Sask.
Inconsistent attitude
I had an article sent to me written by John Lear (published in the November 2003 issue of the Ag Review, Lloydminster.) In it he explains how we elk farmers should protect our feed from wild deer and elk.
I have nothing against the article stating how we should protect our feed by the ungulates. What I do have a problem with and other elk ranchers as well is allowing access for hunting.
I find it very strange that government asks farmers to encourage licensed hunters to hunt elk, deer, moose at the farm feed source, meaning shoot Bambi while it’s standing eating out of your granary or bale stock.
What an easy kill. It’s very interesting that if an elk farmer did this and made a dollar, it’s called illegal hunting, penned hunting, shooting fish in a barrel, baiting, unfair chase, unsportsmanlike, blood thirsty and many more nasty things.
This doesn’t seem right to me and my neighbours. It seems these rules don’t apply when the government is selling the hunts. But you and me, who pay taxes and try to pay our bills … are the ones who are suffering. …
Our government has to know it’s just not one or two people making a noise but a whole industry.
– Beverly Lein,
Manning, Alta.
