Carbon price exemption for farm gas clears Commons

Legislative amendments that would exempt farmers' eligible purchases of natural gas and propane from federal carbon pricing are now en route to Canada's Senate. Bill C-234, a private member's bill sponsored by Ben Lobb, the Conservative MP for the southern Ontario riding of Huron-Bruce, passed third reading for adoption in the House of Commons on[...]

Crop, livestock prices offset reduced marketings in 2022

New full-year data on Canada's farm cash receipts in calendar 2022 show how increased commodity prices last year more than offset the drop in quantities sold. Statistics Canada on Tuesday released figures showing Canadian farm cash receipts in 2022 at $94.9 billion, up 14.1 per cent from 2021, including crop receipts of $53.9 billion (also[...]


Legislation allows Quebec's UPA to rework funding formula

Quebec's legislative assembly has passed a bill allowing the province's overarching general farm organization, the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA), to start the process toward a new funding model. Provincial Agriculture Minister Andre Lamontagne on Thursday announced the passage of Bill 28, which amends legislation governing organization of farming activities and the accreditation of UPA.[...]

Buhler books bigger profit as supply chain issues pass

The maker of Versatile tractors and Farm King equipment says the supply chain issues that have pressured its quarterly bottom line have begun to clear. Winnipeg-based Buhler Industries on Aug. 14 reported net income of $16.1 million on $67.6 million in revenue for its second quarter ending June 30, up from $1.1 million on $57.8[...]


Feds plan to ease Underused Housing Tax reporting load

Federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland's latest Fall Economic Statement offers to take some of the reporting burden off certain farmers and other Canadians when filing for exemptions from the national Underused Housing Tax (UHT). The federal finance department on Nov. 16 posted its legislative and regulatory proposals for changes to the UHT online and has[...]

B.C. longshore workers ratify new deal

Longshore workers at British Columbia's seaports have voted to accept the terms of a new four-year labour deal, ending five weeks of labour outages at Canada's West Coast. Negotiators with the B.C. Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) and International Labour and Warehouse Union (ILWU Canada), working with the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB), reached a new[...]


Feds to propose terms to settle B.C. ports strike

In the hope of ending a longshore workers' strike at British Columbia's ports, Canada's labour minister plans to put forward a recommendation for a settlement to break a stalemate between union and management. In a statement at about 9:30 CT Tuesday evening, Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan said he had asked the senior federal mediator in[...]

Adjournments put off ag bills to September at earliest

Federal private members' bills with potential significant weight for Canada's grain, livestock, dairy, poultry, egg, fruit and vegetable producers are now on hold until mid-September at least. Members of the House of Commons voted June 21 to adjourn until Sept. 18, while the Senate did likewise June 22, to return Sept. 19. While the two[...]


B.C. waterfront work to resume 'as soon as possible'

Striking longshore workers and their management are "finalizing details" for work to resume at Canada's West Coast ports after a tentative deal was reached Thursday. The B.C. Maritime Employers Association said in a release Thursday morning it had reached a tentative pact with the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU Canada) on a new four-year[...]

B.C. port strike under cease-and-desist order, for now

Updated, July 19 -- Canada's Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) has ordered British Columbia's longshoremen back to work until their union serves three days' notice before restarting strike action. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU Canada) -- which represents about 7,400 workers at various Vancouver and Prince Rupert port terminals and facilities -- said Tuesday[...]