The effects of rainstorms pelting southern British Columbia’s Interior have reached into the Prairies by effectively cutting off grain traffic to Vancouver. Canadian National Railway said Tuesday that heavy rainfalls in the region have led to mudslides and washouts on its network. Crews are inspecting affected areas and “carrying out repairs which are critical to […] Read more
B.C. rains shut CN, CP mainlines and Highways 1, 7
Repairs already underway, CN says
Loblaw parent Weston sells cookie and cone business
'Ambient' bakery plants include Kitchener site
The parent company for Canadian grocery and retail giant Loblaw is stepping the rest of the way out of the baked goods business. George Weston Ltd. said Monday it has signed a deal to sell its Weston Foods “ambient” bakery business — which produces cookies and crackers, along with cones and wafers for ice cream […] Read more
Cargill beef plant workers serve strike notice
Without a deal, High River workers will walk Dec. 6
Unionized workers at Cargill’s cattle slaughter and processing plant at High River, Alta. will start strike action next month unless a deal can be reached with the company, their union said Wednesday. A strike would begin at High River no sooner than Dec. 6 at 12:01 a.m. if a new collective bargaining agreement isn’t reached […] Read more
B.C. calling halt to mink farming
Live mink on farms to be banned in 2023
British Columbia’s remaining mink farmers are “devastated” by the province’s proposal to phase out their industry over risks related to COVID-19. The province announced Friday it’s starting the process toward a permanent ban on mink farming — beginning with a ban on mink breeding, followed by a ban on live mink on farms by April […] Read more
Conservatives’ Barlow to return as federal ag critic
NDP, Bloc incumbent critics to return
A former agriculture critic for the federal opposition Conservatives will again handle the file when the House of Commons resumes sitting in two weeks. Conservative leader Erin O’Toole on Tuesday named John Barlow, MP for the southwestern Alberta riding of Foothills, as shadow minister for agriculture, agri-food and food security. As ag critic, Barlow replaces […] Read more
Beef cattle producers ‘encouraged’ by new CPTPP applicants
U.K., China, Taiwan seek memberships; no additional dairy, feather access on table
With their exports on an upswing, the organization for Canada’s beef cattle producers says it’s “encouraged to see other countries’ interest” in joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade bloc. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association on Oct. 18 noted the official applications to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) from the United Kingdom, China and […] Read more
Flatbread firm FGF buys Weston Foods bakery business
Weston selling to focus on retail, real estate
The parent company for Canadian grocery and retail giant Loblaw is taking a major step out of the baked goods business. George Weston Ltd. announced Oct. 26 it would sell its Weston Foods fresh and frozen bakery businesses to an arm of Toronto-based bakery firm FGF Brands for $1.2 billion. The company expects to close […] Read more
Ontario moves to phase out wild boar farming
Province, feds fund swine fever defense plans
Hoping to improve its odds against African swine fever ever getting a toehold in Canada’s hog herds, Ontario plans to regulate Eurasian wild boar as an invasive species starting in the new year. To that end, the province is making funding available to farmers who actively breed and raise wild boar to “shift to other […] Read more
Co-op to capture carbon at ethanol plant, refinery
FCL, Whitecap sign agreement to sequester fuel plants' CO2
A major Prairie ethanol and fuel producer is posed to spend just over half a billion dollars on a system to capture and sequester carbon dioxide from its operations in Saskatchewan. Federated Co-operatives announced Thursday it had signed a memo of understanding with Calgary-based ‘clean energy’ company Whitecap Resources, in which the latter company will […] Read more
Another La Nina winter predicted
Polar vortex to chill Prairies, more snow further east, AccuWeather says
Data compiled by a U.S. federal weather forecasting agency show La Nina conditions have developed over the central Pacific Ocean and are likely to linger through February. And La Nina, in turn, is expected to produce hard cold snaps over the Prairies, above-normal precipitation over southern British Columbia and relatively mild temperatures with more snow […] Read more
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