Category: Infrastructure

There is no question that the COVID-19 pandemic will have a huge impact on the global economy. The major disruption to food supply chains is one that will have a significant impact on domestic policy, infrastructure investment, and trade patterns in both the short and long term. Al Mussell, research lead with Agri-Food Economic Systems,… Read More

For those of us that work from home regularly, good broadband connectivity is essential. But in rural areas of Canada, effective broadband — capable of handling video calls, online classes, and more — is largely unavailable or exceeding expensive. During this global pandemic, thousands of farm and rural residents are sharing the reality of trying… Read More

Farmers in Manitoba are voicing frustration with the price and process of having natural gas brought to their farms, as the cost of drying last year’s crop has reignited efforts to access natural gas across the Prairies. Nearly every bushel of corn, as well as many other crops, in the province needed drying before going… Read More

The Port of Vancouver enables the trade of approximately $200 billion in goods, and sustains $11.9 billion in GDP across Canada. It’s forecasted to grow at about 3.5 per cent annually, and there is much to do to prepare for that level of growth. “We’re very busy — have been very busy, looking 10-20 years… Read More

Eastern Ontario’s Port of Johnstown will see a $10.4 million infrastructure renewal and expansion to capitalize on growing and emerging markets for Canadian soybean, wheat and corn, and relieve inefficiencies and bottlenecks currently experienced at the port. The federal government will foot $4.8 million of the bill through the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF) to… Read More

While agriculture plastics were not mentioned in the federal government’s recent pledge to ban single-use plastics, the pre-campaign promise certainly has many asking if ag plastics, such as twine, bale wrap, and grain bags, might end up being impacted. According to Christina Seidel, executive director of the Recycling Council of Alberta, the federal government’s direction… Read More

When it comes to addressing climate change, there is no shortage of money changing hands. Here in Canada, the federal government tacked on a $20/tonne carbon price for Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and New Brunswick after these provinces failed to meet Ottawa’s targets on carbon pricing. Without a “price on pollution” the federal backstop has become… Read More

Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) has earmarked $41.8 million to build a new state-of-the-art, high-throughput fertilizer terminal near Grassy Lake, Alta. Construction is scheduled to begin in the spring of this year, with the terminal expected to be fully operational for the summer of 2020. The southern Alberta branch will have a storage capacity of 34,400 metric… Read More

As we approach the ending of another winter, Mother Nature is not being kind. As some Ontario and Quebec farmers learned last week, wind-whipped snow loads can quickly become too much for even brand new construction. Reports of at least one dairy barn, a hog barn, and a drive shed collapsing in the last week has… Read More

Ontario has announced the passing of Bill 32, The Access to Natural Gas Act. The legislation makes it possible for a new program that, once the regulations are in place, would be designed to expand access to natural gas to more parts of rural and northern Ontario, as well as First Nations communities. The province says the… Read More