Workers at several Metro Vancouver grain terminals walked off the job Tuesday morning. Workers headed to picket lines at 7 a.m. PT, three days after Grain Workers Union Local 333 served strike notice, in what one industry group is saying could be “devastating” job action. Both the union and the employer, the Vancouver Terminal Elevators Association (VTEA), … Read more
Canada’s grain farmers say a strike at Metro Vancouver terminals would cripple crop exports if it were allowed to take place. The Grain Growers of Canada said in a statement that it is “deeply concerned” about a potential strike of grain workers in Metro Vancouver, since about 52 per cent of all Canadian-grown grain went to … Read more
For the first time, Canada’s two main railway companies — Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City — are on the verge of a simultaneous labour stoppage that could inflict billions of dollars’ worth of economic damage. Why are both companies poised to stop? Contract talks between the Teamsters union and the companies usually take place … Read more
Extreme weather events like fires, floods, heat waves and droughts pose an increasing risk to Canada’s food supply chain, putting pressure on prices all the way to the grocery store shelf, say experts. “Anytime you have major weather-related events, it tends to increase costs,” said Frank Scali, vice-president of industry affairs at Food, Health & … Read more
A brand of baby cereal is being pulled from all in-store and online retailers in Canada due to possible Cronobacter contamination. Calgary-based Baby Gourmet Foods has issued a product recall for its Banana Raisin Oatmeal Organic Whole Grain Cereal, which is sold in 227-gram packages. Cronobacter is a bacteria that is sometimes found in dry foods, … Read more
The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) says a strike vote taken by a union representing ship and dock foremen is illegal. The B.C. Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) said Friday that Local 514 of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) had served a notice of intended strike action against DP World Canada that was set to begin on Monday … Read more
An unusual infestation of cutworms is wreaking havoc in fields in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Témiscamingue, in northwestern Quebec, has been especially affected by the damage caused by cutworms — caterpillars that can destroy canola, potato and grain crops in a matter of days. Cutworms are found every year in small quantities in market gardens. But producers are … Read more
On the surface, last week’s Canada’s Farm Show in Regina was all about exciting new equipment — massive tractors and other heavy duty tools. Under the surface, however, farmers were also expressing serious feelings of frustration with the federal government. In interviews conducted for a special episode of CBC’s The House focusing on politics in Saskatchewan, farmers spoke about perceptions of … Read more
Plant biologist Marcus Samuel has been working for more than a decade to improve the climate resilience of crops. At his research greenhouse at the University of Calgary, he uses cutting-edge gene editing techniques to produce hardier varieties of plants able to withstand temperature fluctuations, floods and frosts. But while he has worked on canola, … Read more
British Columbia grain farmer Malcolm Odermatt says all he can do is pray for rain this spring after repeated droughts sabotaged his harvest last year. Odermatt, who is also the president of the B.C. Grain Growers Association, has been working with his father since 2012 to farm about 2,000 acres of land in the Peace … Read more
