Siddika Mithani — shown here in an illustration from a series of “superhero trading cards” published in 2022 featuring CFIA researchers and staff — has retired from her post as CFIA president. (CFIA via Twitter)

CFIA president retires

NFU calls for next agency boss to prevent 'regulatory capture'

Canada’s federal regulator for the food and animal and plant health sectors is in the market for a new president following the incumbent’s retirement. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed its president, Dr. Siddika Mithani, has retired from the federal public service effective Jan. 20. Mithani has led CFIA since February 2019, having served


File photo overlooking the marina and sea wall at Half Moon Bay, about 30 km south of San Francisco. (JasonDoiy/E+/Getty Images)

Suspect in California farm worker shootings appears in court

Early evidence suggests workplace grievance, authorities say

Redwood City, Calif. | Reuters — A California farm worker accused of shooting seven people to death near San Francisco, some of them his co-workers, made his first court appearance on Wednesday after he was charged with murder in the state’s second deadly gun rampage in recent days. Chunli Zhao, 66, the lone suspect in



File photo of wild birds on Pokeshaw Rock in northeastern New Brunswick. (Bouillante/iStock/Getty Images)

Avian flu pops back up in New Brunswick

B.C. only other province with cases so far this month

Highly pathogenic avian influenza in domestic birds in Canada appears to be in check so far this month in most regions of the country outside southwestern B.C. — but for one recent case in Atlantic Canada. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed an outbreak of high-path avian flu in what it describes as

A frozen lake has its own austere beauty. 

The madness called ice fishing

SAFETY | Catching fish is always fun, but winter weather and ice conditions need to be respected

Awhile back I asked our outdoorsy family friend, Terri, if she wanted to come ice fishing. She deferred, saying, “I like fishing. It’s the ‘ice’ part that I don’t like.” Like Terri, I think there is some mild insanity on display in the growing interest in the ‘hardwater’ fishing season, which really took off during


A submerged and abandoned car is seen in floodwaters near a vineyard after winter storms at Forestville, California on Jan. 13, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Fred Greaves)

California rainstorms fade as death toll reaches 20

Drought to remain an issue for much of state

Reuters — The parade of atmospheric rivers that pounded California for three weeks finally faded on Monday, enabling the state to begin lengthy repairs to roads and levees as the White House announced U.S. President Joe Biden planned to survey the damage. The nine consecutive rainstorms that inundated California in succession since Dec. 26 killed

Flooding from the Salinas River forces the closure of a road at Salinas, California on Jan. 12, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Nathan Frandino)

California picks up debris from latest storm, braces for next

Also: Why all this rain won't end California's drought

Sacramento | Reuters — Rain-soaked Californians took advantage of a break in a weeks-long deluge to haul away dead trees, restore downed power lines and prepare new stacks of sandbags before another series of storms hits the state beginning Friday. In Monterey County along the state’s central coast, communities near the still-rising Salinas River were


A drone photo from the Sampona commune of Madagascar on Feb. 11, 2022, shows Zebu cattle drinking water from a large puddle created from Cyclone Batsirai. The island nation’s south has been experiencing severe drought for the past four years, putting it in danger of what the World Food Programme calls “the world’s first climate change famine.” (Photo: Reuters/Alkis Konstantinidis)

Last year tied as world’s fifth-warmest on record, U.S. scientists say

Global CO2 emissions continue to rise

Brussels | Reuters — Last year was the world’s joint fifth-warmest on record and the last nine years were the nine warmest since pre-industrial times, putting the 2015 Paris Agreement’s goal to limit global warming to 1.5 C in serious jeopardy, U.S. scientists said on Thursday. Last year tied with 2015 as the fifth-warmest year

Attendees gather and visit on the arena floor at a past Ag Days event. “I think this year is going to be a real celebration because of the two years we haven’t been able to host the show in person.” – Brad Crammond.

Ag Days Innovation Showcase highlights bright ideas

From farm tinkerers to high-tech A.I. drones, it’s all at the show this year

Brad Crammond lights up when he talks about the annual showcase that runs during Manitoba Ag Days at the Keystone Centre. As Ag Innovations Committee chair, he knows the showcase is a favourite attraction at Canada’s largest indoor farm show. This year it features 32 entries that can all be seen in person. “I think