Jun 19 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Canadian grain shipments were up over last year. Ottawa—Shipping in the St. Lawrence Seaway for April and May was about 10 per cent lower than for the same period of 2019 but the result is considered good in light of the impact the pandemic and high-water levels had on cargo volumes and ship operations. The […]
Jun 18 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Long term agrifood strategy needed among actions needed. Ottawa—Government support to date hasn’t alleviated the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on farmers, says a report from the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy. What’s needed are “additional steps to alleviate the financial burden on primary producers, ensure export markets remain open and […]
Jun 17 2020 — K.W. Grafton — National Newswatch — On June 4th Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) awarded a $3 million services contract to Deloitte LLP of Ottawa for the provision of Task and Solutions Professional Services to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), in connection with COVID-19 economic recovery planning. The description of the requirement stated in the Tender Notice […]
Jun 17 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — Other groups also complain farmers can’t afford its rising cost. Ottawa—Grain Farmers of Ontario says the facts don’t support an Agriculture Canada study that says the carbon tax on propane and natural gas used in farm grain drying operations is an insignificant expense. GFO President Markus Hearle said a statement that at an average […]
Jun 16 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — New worker health and safety costs are rising fast. Ottawa—A $77.5 million federal Emergency Processing Fund will help but falls short of covering the extra costs that food manufacturers face in meeting new federal health protection requirements for their employees, processor groups say. Michael Graydon, CEO of Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC), […]
Jun 15 2020 — Ghada Alatrash and Yahya El-Lahib — National Newswatch — Statements such as “what can we do?” or “we cannot find words to describe our feelings” when responding to the current trends of state terrorism and systemic racism need to be interrogated, questioned and challenged. Such statements are dangerous as they imply that these racist acts are random and occur in a vacuum, and they […]
Jun 14 2020 — Ritika Goel, Arnav Agarwal and Mac Scott — National Newswatch — As we tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, people across Canada have expressed tremendous pride and gratitude towards our public health care system. Frontline health and social service workers are lauded for their tireless efforts, and public health officers have newfound celebrity status. But as the conversation has increasingly shifted to recognizing that the health of our […]
Jun 11 2020 — Dr. David J. Stewart and John-Peter Bradford — National Newswatch — As we battle the pandemic, we should remember that cancer kills 7,000 Canadians every month and put the same effort into reducing that sad toll. In the three months since COVID-19 started shutting down the country, about 8,000 Canadians have died from the disease.[1] That’s a terrible toll and loss. However, during that same period […]
Jun 11 2020 — Peter Bleyer — National Newswatch — Like any virus worthy of the name, COVID-19 preys on weak immunity and has relentlessly sought out the weak links in our social safety net, the gaps in our infrastructure and the vulnerabilities we have allowed to fester in our society. After Margaret Thatcher famously declared “there is no such thing as society”, she and […]
Jun 11 2020 — K.W. Grafton — National Newswatch — Rhetoric surrounding the current COVID-19 pandemic has set a new bar for irresponsible fearmongering, and the resulting mass hysteria is evidence of a receptive audience. The incomprehensible spectacle of lone drivers wearing face masks is now common on urban streets. Even in a group setting, face masks are not recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), and a recent study suggests […]
Jun 11 2020 — Scott Tannas — National Newswatch — The Canadian Senators Group (CSG) was formed in November 2019 by senators from across the political spectrum to advance the interests of Canada’s regions, as well as to see the Senate return to its roots: research-based, long-term analysis of public policy issues. In essence, the CSG was founded on five principles: we are a centrist group; we […]
Jun 10 2020 — Dr. Daniel Hoornweg and Mark Fisher — National Newswatch — For over fifty years, governments around the world, including in Canada, have talked about the importance of sustainability or sustainable development. The term rose to prominence through the work of the United Nations’ ‘Brundtland Commission’, which released the report, Our Common Future, in 1987. Sustainable development, in short, means ensuring that development can meet the […]
Jun 10 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — It proposes 15 detailed steps to make BRM programs effective. Ottawa—The COVID-19 pandemic will have a catastrophic impact on farmers without a serious overhaul of Business Risk Management (BRM) programs, says MNP, a national accounting firm. Stuart Person, MNP’s Senior Vice President, Agriculture, told the Commons agriculture committee farmers “face challenges at a historic […]
Jun 10 2020 — Glen Pearson — National Newswatch — It was Barack Obama’s final international trip before Donald Trump was to occupy the Oval Office. The venue was the Summit of Pacific Nations in Lima, Peru, and at the first opportunity he was taken aside and asked what could be expected from Donald Trump. Being diplomatic, Obama cautiously observed, “Give him a chance. Wait […]
Jun 9 2020 — Alex Binkley — National Newswatch — While coping with the pandemic, the sector is looking ahead. Ottawa—Although food and beverage production is the largest manufacturing sector in Canada, there are virtually no federal resources focused on this major employer, say the cochairs of Food and Beverage Canada. While the situation is not new, the pandemic has confirmed the government’s lack […]