Very few direct mentions of agriculture made the cut as Lieutenant Governor Anita Neville presented the Manitoba government’s speech from the throne Nov.19 in Winnipeg, but a few general high-priority items for rural Manitoban’s got air time.
Health care figured highly. The province promised 870 new health care workers and a “record number” of doctors to be hired.
“We will bring more internationally educated health care workers to the bedside by expediting the nursing re-entry program, creating more opportunities in rural and northern communities and opening new pathways for international medical graduates,” Neville read.
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Crime prevention was another key topic, although announcements applying to crime outside of city limits were largely general. There were no measure focused specifically on rural crime, which has been an issue pushed by both farm and local government groups.
The speech instead said that the province’s “new public safety strategy provides the direction and leadership that is missing to make our communities safer with tougher responses to crime and more proactive steps to prevent it.”
“We’ve added more police presence to our streets, hiring more mental health workers so police can focus on violent crime and people in crisis get the help they need.”
One of agriculture’s few moments in the spotlight came with a mention of agriculture’s role in the province’s “new vision” for downtown Winnipeg.
The province pointed to the incoming GATE headquarters, the new hub for Cereals Canada, planned to replace their current downtown space.
“The new Global Agricultural Technology Exchange campus will bring visitors to Manitoba and Manitoba grains to the world at a time when we need to diversify and expand our markets,” Neville read.
Agriculture will have a seat at a planned Lake Winnipeg working group including producers, environmental experts, Indigenous nations and industry representatives “to ensure the sustainability of our lake.”
“You should trust the lakes your children swim in, the air they breathe and the parts they play in are safe,” the speech read.
“We will take steps to modernize the Environment Act to make big polluters pay for breaking environmental laws and strive for the highest standards in water protection.”
In a follow-up interview, Manitoba Agriculture Minister Ron Kostyshyn saved special mention for the “freezing” of Crown land rents for the second year in a row (announced earlier this fall) as well as a hold on hydroelectricity rates for the coming year.
“The list is always long and I think we hit some very key points on health care, education and our priorities throughout the province of Manitoba,” he said.
“And actually, when you start to funnel it down, there was some great stuff on the agriculture side and I speak highly of the opportunity on the freezing of the Crown land rates. I think that is going to make quite a difference for our beef sector.
“But also freezing the hydro rates … In 2025, that’s making life a little bit more affordable in the province of Manitoba.”
Watch the print edition of the Manitoba Co-operator and www.manitobacooperator.ca for industry and rural reaction to Manitoba’s throne speech.
