Ontario Agriculture

The network for agriculture in Ontario, Canada

EI for the Self Employed

From CBC.ca...."The federal government on Tuesday will introduce legislation that would allow the self-employed to opt into the employment insurance plan and collect parental leave benefits.A senior government official told CBC news that once the legislation is passed, anyone wanting to opt in would have to pay regular EI premiums for a year before taking a leave.Once a self-employed person has accessed EI, they would have to continue paying premiums for as long as they are self-employed."
Would impact will this have on Agriculture in Canada if any?

Views: 111

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Joann on November 3, 2009 at 6:03am
"That means everyone from small business owners to farmers can now access maternity leave, parental and adoptive benefits, and sickness and compassionate care benefits for the first time, though they will not get EI's regular weekly income replacement should they become unemployed."
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/720351---special-ei-benefit...

Smoke and mirrors.

People can start to pay the premiums but can't access it for a year with limitations.

I can't see it being a huge benefit for farm families considering the impact of farm income splitting.
Permalink Reply by Wayne Black on November 3, 2009 at 7:50am
It "looks" great but as a farmer and insurance programs - we tend to carry some of the risk ourselves. As someone who has already gone through the process of having children with no Mat leave or benefits, and watching friends enjoy the privilege, I would have enjoyed having it but after reading some of the details - question it.
For example - on the surface going back 7 years, I would sign up immediately. After getting married, having 3 children (and kept working since I live in my workplace), I would see about opting out after having children. BUT....
in an email just received on this issue: "You can opt out only if you have never claimed a benefit - if any benefit is claimed you need to pay premium as long as you remain self-employed "
So some farmers continue until they... you know when. Paying premiums for 50 years for a 16 week stint for children? Also - the premium will have to be adjusted in order to compensate for the lack of "Income Loss" compensation.
I can not see many farmers signing up for this program once they read the details. Most likely one spouse may receive some benefits through their off-farm workplace. Also - once some of these farms are set up as a corporate operation - it may not be any different than working for Volvo than working for "Blackmega Dairy" owned by your parents.

▶ Reply to Discussion

RSS

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

SaskOilseeds October Newsletter

Closing out the 2026 growing season With harvest nearing completion across Saskatchewan, canola and flax acres are among those still coming off the field. As of October 19, canola harvest was 96 per cent complete provincially, while flax was 88 per cent complete. Provincial yield estimates currently sit at 40 bu./ac. for canola and 26 bu./ac. for flax. Rain and snow slowed harvest and fall field work in many areas earlier this month, but the added moisture was beneficial for harvested acres heading into winter. Post-Harvest Storage & Agronomy Protect Your Harvest: Oilseed Storage A lot of work goes into getting a crop from the field to the bin, and every season looks a little different. These resources can help maintain quality in storage: Conditioning Tips for Stored Canola Factors that Increase Canola Storage Risk Tips for Drying Damp and Tough Canola Flax Harvest Preparing for Next Season Canola Disease Testing: Submit canola stem samples by October 30. Blackleg and verticilliu

Canadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health celebrates milestone 40th anniversary

The Canadian Centre for Rural and Agricultural Health (CCRAH) began more than four decades ago for a simple reason: to support the health and safety of rural and agricultural people in Saskatchewan. “Saskatchewan is the breadbasket of Canada. Agriculture and rural are what make Saskatchewan,” said Dr. Shelley Kirychuk (PhD), the current director of CCRAH. “We are rural, we represent agriculture, and we support the people that bring food to the world.” Where it started In the 1970s and ’80s, a phenomenon was noticed by Dr. James Dosman (MD), the eventual founding director of CCRAH. People who worked in grain elevators were reporting lung health issues due to grain dust exposure. These findings led to an International Symposium on Grain Dust and Health in the late ’70s, which eventually led to the development of a national grain dust medical surveillance program for Canada. From there, USask and the Saskatchewan Lung Association established the Centre for Agricultural Medicine in Ja

USask soil science class partners with Wanuskewin on restoration project

That was Jessica Gunn’s mantra when she put on waders and climbed chest-deep into the cool water of the opimihaw Creek at Wanuskewin Heritage Park in mid-September. Gunn was there with a group of University of Saskatchewan (USask) students who were engaging in a unique learning experience: constructing a beaver dam analog (BDA) in the creek. “A big part of why I wanted to do this course is because it’s so hands-on,” said Gunn, a third-year renewable resource management student who enrolled in SLSC 450.3: Practical and Applied Restoration, a soil science course taught by Dr. Katherine Stewart (PhD), an associate professor in USask’s College of Agriculture and Bioresources. For Gunn, the day at Wanuskewin was unlike any other school day she had experienced. “We had a great time as a class,” she said. “I feel like we learned so much.” The students were invited to Wanuskewin to help the park build a BDA — essentially a “starter” dam that beavers can take over and use to construct their

U.S. Canola Use Forecast to Jump 16% in 2026-27

U.S. canola use is forecast to climb sharply in the 2026-27 marketing year, supported by record domestic production, expanding crush capacity and rising demand for canola oil in biofuel manufacturing. According to the USDA's latest Oil Crops Outlook, total U.S. canola usage is projected to increase 16% from 2025-26, while domestic crushing is expected to rise 11% to 2.4 million tonnes. The stronger crush outlook reflects growing domestic demand for canola oil and meal, which has supported processing margins. A new crushing facility is also expected to be completed during 2026-27, adding to U.S. processing capacity. Meanwhile, U.S. canola oil use in biofuel production is forecast to surge to 2.54 million tonnes, up from 1.68 million tonnes last year, an increase of more than 50%. The USDA attributed the growth partly to stronger renewable fuel mandates for 2026 and 2027, along with new eligibility for the 45Z clean fuel production tax credit for biomass-based diesel made from No

Protect Grain Quality During Wet Harvests

Wet harvest conditions can increase the risk of OTA development in stored grains. Proper drying, cooling, cleaning, and monitoring help protect crop quality and value.

© 2026   Created by Darren Marsland.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service