Reading Time: 2 minutes Most of these type of organizations do not make political donations or sponsorships at all. The Alberta Liberal opposition has drawn a connection between the actions of government-supervised agricultural marketing organizations and funding received from government agencies. Official Opposition Leader David Swann is condemning Premier Ed Stelmach for allowing his Progressive Conservative party to accept […] Read more
Alberta Liberals Allege Funding Connection
Ag Politics In Alberta Are Interesting As Usual
Reading Time: 3 minutes The principle should be that if non-refundable checkoffs are good enough for some commodities they should be good for all commodities under provincial marketing legislation. One cannot help but wonder about the politics surrounding the recent donations to the Progressive Conservative (PC) party annual meeting by the Alberta Milk Producers and Alberta Turkey Producers marketing […] Read more
Sharing Needs To Apply To More Than Just Resources
Reading Time: 3 minutes The mandates of charitable groups and non-profit societies in the countryside are no different than in the urban centres. A proposal floated by the Alberta government would see some casino charity profits generated in the major cities pooled with profits generated in rural areas. The idea is equalization, since the charity profit share of a […] Read more
Minister Has Nothing To Crow About ALMA
Reading Time: 3 minutes As the ALMA machinations unfold I would suggest that its role as the saviour of the livestock industry will be shown to be an expensive sham. When the Alberta Livestock and Meat Strategy (ALMS) and its offspring, the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) were sprung on the livestock industry over a year ago, they […] Read more
ALMA Spends $11.9 Million In First 14 Months
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) costs during its first 14 months from June 2008 through August 2009 total $11.9 million, according to documents obtained by Alberta Farmer through a request under the provincial Freedom of Information and Privacy (FOIP) act. Of that amount approximately $4.5 million was spent on administration, startup and operating costs, […] Read more
Legislation Represents Another Loss Of Democracy
Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta is home to the largest wind power industry in the country, but it is built on shaky economics. Alberta landowners, particularly farmers and ranchers, may be becoming familiar with Bill 50, a piece of draconian legislation which could dramatically affect their lives. It will allow the Alberta government to expropriate land for the purpose […] Read more
Rural Bus Service Needs To Be Supported
Reading Time: 3 minutes Small town and rural residents in Alberta deserve the same treatment Greyhound bus lines recently announced it would reduce or terminate bus service to small towns in Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. It also stated that it was reviewing unprofitable bus services to small towns in Alberta. No one doubts that this move by Greyhound is […] Read more
Bouquets And Brickbats At CBEF Annual
Reading Time: 3 minutes “We need a leader to get everyone on one plane.” The annual meeting of the Canada Beef Export Federation held here last month saw expressions of exasperation and frustration with regulatory agencies and ongoing restricted access to offshore export markets. But the meeting also saw appreciation of federal government efforts to reopen beef markets and […] Read more
Same Old, Same Old Is Not What Is Needed Now
Reading Time: 3 minutes It borders on reckless stupidity for any government to actually consider dismantling a system that has seen poultry and dairy production being the most stable and most profitable sector of Canadian agriculture for the past 40 years. Recently the Western Centre for Economic Research, a think tank at the University of Alberta, released a document […] Read more
World Angus Forum A True World-Class Event
Reading Time: 2 minutes It seems almost every year a cattle breed holds a world show in Alberta or elsewhere in Canada. These are usually promotional events much enjoyed by the breed faithful. The World Angus Forum is another matter. It doesn’t come to Canada often but when it does it is indeed “the” world-class event. The last time […] Read more
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