Plan for the worst, hope for the best, advises ag lawyer

When fires, cattle or herbicides jump fences, the property owner is usually “strictly liable” for whatever escapes his or her property

In the opinion of the courts, cattle belong on pasture, not on the road. So how does a rancher protect himself from legal liability issues when moving a herd from one part of his property to another via public roads? The key is having a program to minimize exposure to legal liability in case a

Criddle-Vane vandals captured and charged

Staff / Tips from the public led Carberry RCMP to charge five Brandon-area youths for vandalism after extensive damage was caused to the Criddle-Vane Homestead in the RM of South Cypress during 2011. The youths were dealt with by police under the Youth Criminal Justice Act and were referred to the Howard Johnson Society Community


U.S. Farm Bill could be delayed until April 2013

Reuters / The U.S. Congress could delay passage of a new five-year Farm Bill until spring planting given the full plate of legislation needed after the election to avoid a fiscal cliff with its mandatory U.S. budget cuts, a top farm policy expert said Nov. 5. “My prediction is that we will get a Farm

Harper’s involvement makes pardons partisan, critics charge

It played well with open-market supporters and Conservatives, 
but several academics see it as an abuse of power


Pardons might be justified for some farmers who ran the border to protest the Canadian Wheat Board’s former monopoly, but several university professors say it’s wrong for the prime minister to be conferring them. “The fact that it was done by the prime minister makes it look like a party political stunt and that leaves


Ombudsman reports 29 complaints against municipalities in 2011

The Manitoba Ombudsman office investigated 29 complaints from the public about actions and decisions of municipal politicians last year, according to its newly released 2011 report. Common themes in the complaints relate to perceived conflicts of interest, councils making decisions “in camera” (behind closed doors), and not giving reasons for decisions, the report said.  Councils



Briefs May 3, 2012

Grass fire fatality An out-of-control grass fire claimed the life of a 78-year-old Portage la Prairie-area man April 26. RCMP say the victim was attempting to control a grass fire that had spread to a shed on his property. Firefighters brought in to contain the blaze located the deceased inside the shed. RCMP say there

Canada counter-appeals COOL ruling

staff / A World Trade Organi-zation panel’s ruling criticizing the U.S. government’s country-of-origin labelling (COOL) law is now under appeal from both sides of the table. The WTO last week reported receiving formal notice that Canada, like the U.S., plans to appeal parts of last November’s ruling from the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB). The


Letters, April 19, 2012

Ban ATVs on WMA lands “ATV enthusiasts” seeking to “defend public access to public land,” assert a right to use the Mars Hill Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and all Crown lands as playgrounds, but those rights don’t exist in law. WMAs are protected areas. Manitoba Conservation states, “Wildlife Management Areas exist for the benefit of

Time is right for free trade agreement push

A seasoned trade negotiator says trade agreements will do a lot to open markets for Canadian beef, but once they’re open, a second ingredient is needed — customer demand. “Despite all the constraints and problems there may be, the future for Canadian agriculture and for Canadian meat production and beef production, I think is really very