Four of five groups of Canadian National Railway (CN) employees have voted to ratify the new collective labour deals that kept them from being locked out last month. CN said Monday its unionized clerical/intermodal/fleet mechanic, CNTL and excavator-operator units, all represented by Unifor locals, have all voted in favour of agreements with 51-month terms. The […] Read more

Four Unifor locals ratify deals with CN

Pioneer weapons of the Canadian Prairies
History pages reprinted from the December 1946 issue of Canadian Cattlemen
Pioneer Weapons By Gwain Hamilton, Regina Sask. ‘In a pioneer country weapons often make the man. This was as true in the Canadian northwest as it was in the roaring turbulent days of the gold rush in Montana and later when the great cattle kingdoms flourished on the Cheyenne and Oregon ranges. With the coming […] Read more

Legumex Walker puts sale, merger options on table
Pulse, canola and special-crop processing firm Legumex Walker has declared itself open to “strategic alternatives” for its future, including a sale or merger. The publicly-traded Winnipeg company said Monday its board of directors has set up a review committee to “identify and consider strategic and financial alternatives… with the ultimate goal of maximizing shareholder value.” […] Read more

Canada blocking poultry from Kansas, Arkansas
Canada has expanded its restrictions on imports of live poultry, uncooked poultry products and eggs to include those from Kansas and Arkansas, as avian flu has now appeared in birds in both states. The Kansas cases of highly-pathogenic (“high-path”) H5N2 avian flu are in a backyard chicken and duck flock in Leavenworth County, on the state’s […] Read more

Ag Safety Week urges farmers to “be the difference”
Acting to improve a farm’s safety systems before a problem appears is the focus of this year’s Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, beginning Sunday. The week, running March to 21 in a co-promotion between the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association (CASA) and the Federation of Agriculture (CFA) with sponsorship from Farm Credit Canada, is themed “Be the Difference.” […] Read more

Ont. ag minister to review GFO proposal on bee health, neonics
Ontario corn and soybean growers have secured a meeting with the provincial ag minister on the farmers’ proposed Plan B to balance crop pest control against bee health. Grain Farmers of Ontario said Thursday its representatives will meet March 26 with Agriculture Minister Jeff Leal to discuss the proposals laid out in GFO’s Ontario Pollinator […] Read more
N.L. ag department moving to fisheries oversight
Newfoundland and Labrador’s Forestry and Agrifoods Agency, which oversees public policy for the province’s livestock, crops and agrifood sectors, is under new management. Premier Paul Davis on Thursday appointed provincial Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Vaughn Granter to added responsibility for the Forestry and Agrifoods Agency. The agency, headquartered in Corner Brook, was set up in […] Read more

Loblaw’s ugly-duckling produce to get swan moment
Produce growers supplying Canada’s Loblaw grocery chains with fruit and vegetables are expected to benefit in sales through a new in-store marketing program for “misshapen” wares. Through its Real Canadian Superstore chain, some of its No Frills stores in Ontario and some of its Maxi stores in Quebec, Loblaw on Thursday launched “Naturally Imperfect” fruit […] Read more

Newfoundland names new agriculture minister
Newfoundland and Labrador’s move to cut back on cabinet ministers has led to a new political chief for the province’s agriculture agency. Vaughn Granter, the MHA for Humber West since 2011 and minister for fisheries and aquaculture since last September, was appointed Thursday to an extra role as minister responsible for the Forestry and Agrifoods […] Read more

Movement restrictions lifted on B.C. birds
British Columbia’s poultry producers no longer need federal permits to move their wares in the province. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed Wednesday it has removed its avian influenza primary control zone (PCZ) — a zone which had covered the entire southern half of B.C., including Vancouver Island and the Queen Charlotte Islands. CFIA in […] Read more