A parliamentary committee is calling on the federal government to use legislative tools to help shore up broadband access for rural and remote areas of Canada. The House of Commons’ standing committee on industry, science and technology, chaired by Vancouver area Liberal MP Dan Ruimy, on Tuesday released its report and recommendations for meeting federal […] Read more
Regulatory change urged to help expand rural broadband
Supreme Court finds for provinces in ‘Free the beer’ case
Ottawa | Reuters — Canada’s top court on Thursday ruled against a New Brunswick man who had argued he had the constitutional right to buy beer more cheaply in a neighbouring province, saying that the law does not impose absolute free trade across the country. Dubbed the “free the beer” case in Canadian media, it […] Read more
Kubota to relocate Canadian warehousing
Japanese tractor and equipment maker Kubota’s Canadian arm plans to decamp its warehousing and head office next year for a new “state of the art” space 25 km east. Kubota Canada announced Thursday it will move those operations from Markham, Ont. to a new facility it will build at Pickering by the end of 2019. […] Read more
U.S. to take another look at Pacific trade pact
Washington | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump has asked his trade advisers to look at rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a multinational trade pact he withdrew the U.S. from last year, White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said. Republican senators met with Trump on Thursday and he told them that he has asked U.S. Trade Representative […] Read more
No breakthrough at NAFTA talks, U.S. timeline could be in doubt
Washington/Ottawa | Reuters — The U.S., Mexico and Canada still have to resolve major issues around NAFTA, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said on Friday, casting doubt that the quick deal sought by Washington would materialize. Freeland met with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo for several hours on Friday […] Read more
Canada reports progress on NAFTA, says ‘we’re not there yet’
Ottawa/Mexico City | Reuters — Mexico, Canada and the U.S. have made good progress in their bid to modernize the NAFTA trade pact but still have work to do, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said Wednesday. Freeland also said she would be flying to Washington for a meeting on Thursday with U.S. Trade Representative Robert […] Read more
U.S. optimistic about quick NAFTA deal, Canada more downbeat
Ottawa | Reuters — U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Wednesday expressed optimism that talks to modify NAFTA could be wrapped up quickly, but a top Canadian official was more downbeat, saying much work remained. The U.S. wants to speed up the slow pace of negotiations on the US$1.2 trillion North American Free Trade Agreement, […] Read more
Ontario power utilities offer farm water pump rebate
Ontario farmers buying certain types of high-efficiency water pumping systems for irrigation, horticulture or stock watering could now be up for rebates. Hydro One and Niagara Peninsula Energy (NPEI) on Friday announced the AgriPump rebate program, which the two electricity utilities described as the first plan of its kind in the province. For farmer customers […] Read more
Alberta names new deputy ag minister
Alberta’s deputy provincial environment minister, a civil engineer and 28-year veteran of the Canadian Forces, has been named the province’s new top agriculture bureaucrat. Premier Rachel Notley on Tuesday put through an order in council appointing Andre Corbould as Alberta’s deputy minister of agriculture and forestry effective Wednesday, replacing Beverly Yee. Corbould, the province’s deputy […] Read more
Community to ‘transform’ Guelph’s Kemptville ag campus
The home municipality for Ontario Agricultural College’s (OAC) former Kemptville campus is set to remake the site as an “education and community hub.” The municipality of North Grenville, which includes Kemptville, about 40 km south of Ottawa, closed a deal in December to purchase the Kemptville ag campus, with the official transfer due to take […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
