WestCentral

Rain took the farmers away from harvest for a bit but the Kowalchuk family enjoyed their meal in the garage! This Biggar area farming family is about 60% done with harvest for the year.

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The federal Liberals are creating a new agency to beef up Canada's ability to handle rapidly spreading infectious diseases and protect from future pandemics.

Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the agency is meant to preserve the "top-gun team" of public servants that helped steer Canadians through COVID-19.

Health Emergency Readiness Canada is being tasked with boosting Canada's life-sciences sector and ensuring Canadians get faster access to vaccines, medical therapies and diagnostics by accelerating the transition from research to commercialization.

The Town of Luseland will experience a temporary water shutdown on Thursday, October 3, due to the replacement of two fire hydrants. Water service will be turned off at 7:00 a.m. and is expected to be restored later in the evening once the work is completed.

After the water is turned back on, a boil water advisory will be in effect until the Water Security Agency gives approval to lift the advisory. Residents are advised to follow safety guidelines during this time.

Now that the merger of the SaskCanola and Sask Flax Commissions is official, work on setting up the new Board of Directors is underway.

The two organization officially became a single organization in August, when they opened the call for individuals with leadership experience to sit at the board table as they move through this transition.

The SaskOilseeds Board will be comprised of eight farmer-elected directors including Jon Fehr from Herschel, Anthony Eliason from Outlook, Margaret Rigetti from Moose Jaw and Ed Schafer from Makwa.

The province is hoping a new Big Game Management Extended Hunt program will help agricultural producers who have been dealing with an abnormally high volume of damage from wildlife.

Saskatchewan is implementing the new pilot program to help producers deal with abnormally high wildlife damage to agricultural products.

The Ministry of Environment and the SCIC receive requests from producers on a regular basis for wildlife damage compensation caused by deer and elk ruining their feedstock and products.

Representatives of the agriculture, food and science sector gathered yesterday at Innovation Place in Saskatoon to celebrate the milestone.

The organization mandate when it was created back in September of 2014 is the same today as it was then, to build public trust in Saskatchewan-produced food and to help consumers make connections between the food they eat and the farms that grow it.

Executive Director Clinton Monchuk says that message is more important today than it was then, as less than two percent of people today have a direct connection to the farm.

The President of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) Ian Boxall says we need to take a look at Canada's Supply Chain. 

The comment came after news that the Grains Workers Union Local 333 had issued a 72 hour strike notice to  the Vancouver Terminal Elevators Association (VTEA).

Members of the Grains Workers Union Local 333 were on the picket line at 7 am Pacific Time today at the Port of Vancouver.

Federal Labor Minister Steven Mackinnon says at his request both sides have agreed to resume negotiations alongside federal mediators.

The potential for a strike at the Port of Vancouver has become a reality.

Members of the Grains Workers Union Local 333 were on the picket line at 7 am Pacific Time today after issuing a 72 hour strike notice on the weekend.

The Union and the Vancouver Terminal Elevators Association have been unable to agree on a new contract. 

The walkout by more than 600 workers is impacting Viterra's Cascadia and Pacific Terminals, Richardson International Terminal, Cargill Limited Terminal, the G3 Vancouver Terminal and Alliance Grain Terminal.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre delivered a campaign-style speech in the House of Commons as he asked other members of Parliament to support a motion that could trigger an early election. 

Poilievre outlined his plans to increase revenue and reduce interest rates and debt, cut development taxes and restore what he calls "the promise of Canada."

The non-confidence motion Poilievre has put forward is the first test for the minority government since the NDP ended its supply-and-confidence deal with the Liberals earlier this month.

Picket lines have gone up at six grain terminals in Metro Vancouver as workers began a strike.

More than 600 workers represented by Grain Workers Union Local 333 are off the job.

Union president Douglas Lea-Smith says the employer need to come back to the bargaining table to negotiate a deal.

The union says it provided the employer with a "comprehensive package" last Thursday and the next day, the association indicated it had no counter offer.