From extremely dry conditions in Alberta to very wet conditions in Manitoba, and Saskatchewan getting everything in between, this years’ seeding progress is equally varied. Starting in Alberta, as of the last provincial crop report for the week ending May 24, 73 per cent of crops were in the ground, which is slightly behind the five-year… Read More
Tag: Alberta Government
The Alberta government has introduced its new police funding model that will increase the amount of RCMP officer and civilian positions. The Provincial Police Service Agreement (PPSA) will be a cost-sharing initiative between both the federal and provincial governments along with the addition of small and rural communities beginning to pay a portion of the… Read More
As many are unfortunately aware, there’s been an uptick in rural crime across the country. Alberta’s Justice Minister, Doug Schweitzer, has decided to hit the road and talk to farmers that have been either impacted or closely affected by rural crime. Beginning at Bragg Creek, Alta., last week, the tour will run until the end… Read More
The Alberta government has once again extended the deadline for farmers and farm workers to apply for their Class 1. Under new rules, a person working on a farm will have until Nov. 30, 2020 to apply for the extension through Alberta Transportation. If approved, this allow applicants to go through the pre-Mandatory Entry-Level Training… Read More
Citing the government’s commitment to Canadian farmers and farm families, Minister of International Trade Diversification, Jim Carr, is headed to South Korea and Japan. The trade mission will also include Jeremy Harrison, trade and export development minister for Saskatchewan, along with Tanya Fir, trade and tourism minister for Alberta. “This trade mission to Japan and… Read More
Premier Jason Kenney is going through with his plan to eliminate the carbon tax. On May 22, the Government of Alberta introduced Bill 1, An Act to Repeal the Carbon Tax, and if passed, the repeal will come into force at 12:01 a.m. on May 30, 2019. “Promise made, promise kept,” the premier said in… Read More
It appears the Government of Alberta has listened to Team Alberta’s concerns over the timing of the Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) for new Class 1 drivers announced last month. Transportation Minister Brian Mason has announced agricultural workers may apply for a one-year exemption from the training, recognizing the quick turn-around to implement MELT would be incredibly tight… Read More
In a move the province says should net Albertans a better price for energy resources found in Alberta, Premier Rachel Notley announced her government has made a deal with Canadian National (CN) and Canadian Pacific (CP) railways. The lease agreement of roughly 4,400 rail cars will move up to 120,000 barrels per day by 2020. Just last… Read More
The Government of Alberta is making some resolutions for the new year. As of January 1, 2018, farm and ranch owners will have some new Employment Standards rules to abide by. The changes are part of Bill 17: The Fair and Family-friendly Workplaces Act, and will apply to farms and ranches that “employ waged, non-family… Read More
Last week, the Alberta government introduced Bill 17, the Fair and Family-Friendly Workplaces Act, which updates Alberta’s Labour Code and Employment Standards Code. Since the bill covers all workers in Alberta, it requires some further digging to parse out what applies to agriculture and farms. On Friday, Shaun Haney spoke with Oneil Carlier, Minister of… Read More
Albertans are being asked to provide feedback on recommendations made by two of the working groups looking at how Bill 6 could apply to farms and ranches. Since the introduction of the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act in November 2015, farmers across Alberta, and even other provinces, have criticized the government’s plan to implement tighter labour… Read More
We ran a poll last week asking Alberta producers if they were procrastinating or protesting the mandatory sign up for WCB. You can see from the results that 28% of respondents say they refuse to sign up for a WCB account based on their personal principles. It’s been brought to my attention that I misinterpreted… Read More
Today the Alberta Government released its budget and there were some casualties for agriculture. In an effort to cut costs and internalize much of the agency work that has been spun out to third-party boards, the Alberta Livestock Meat Agency had its funding cut. Other boards, commissions and agencies that will be impacted are: Alberta Grains… Read More
Last week, the Alberta government announced the introduction of Bill 6, the Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranchers Workers Act. Farmers have engaged in a hefty amount of debate on the new legislation. As the Minister of Jobs, Skills, Training and Labour states in the interview below, “this is a complex bill.” Read: Farm Safety Tradition is… Read More
The Alberta Government has always held to the position that the Land Stewardship Act was created to protect Alberta’s environment and allow for sustainable development to occur in the province. While everyone may agree that that is a noble goal, not everyone agrees with how the government is going about it. The Alberta Government maintains… Read More