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Minister’s statement on Canadian Council of Forest Ministers chair appointment

Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests, has released the following statement on the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM): “This week, I met with federal, provincial and territorial forest ministers from across Canada to discuss shared priorities, challenges and emerging opportunities for Canada’s forestry sector. “It’s an honour to take on the role of incoming chair of the CCFM for the upcoming year. I want to thank the Honourable Lisa Dempster, Minister of Fisheries, Forests and Agriculture for Newfoundland and Labrador, for her leadership over the past year. “As British Columbia’s minister of forests, I’ve seen first-hand the importance of working together across jurisdictions to strengthen Canada’s forest sector in the face of persistent and new challenges. From global trade dynamics and U.S. tariffs, to ever-intensifying wildfire seasons and shifting labour markets, these challenges don’t stop at provincial or territorial boundaries, and neither can our so

Farmers’ market program delivers another bountiful harvest

People in British Columbia will continue to have improved access to nutritious, locally grown foods through the B.C. Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program. “As the weather warms up and more people take advantage of British Columbia’s amazing farmers’ markets, we are helping people and families on lower incomes access fresh and nutritious foods grown in their communities,” said Josie Osborne, Minister of Health. “The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Coupon Program promotes healthy eating and gives people an opportunity to connect with and support local farmers and producers.” The B.C. Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program is operating in more than 90 communities throughout the province, reaching families, seniors and pregnant people from more than 8,500 households. “We all want people to be able to access nutritious, healthy food in their communities,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “Our funding will help more people, including seniors and fami

Pulse Market Insight #277

Weather Market or Not? There’s no shortage of question marks about 2025 crop production. StatsCan will issue updated acreage numbers on June 27 and the USDA will release its latest acreage estimates on June 30. These reports should provide some direction for the 2025/26 crop outlooks. It will be interesting to see whether all the trade uncertainty caused farmers to shift acreage, including for pulses. But that’s just the beginning of the story. We’re still just in the first month of the growing season and already, it’s been a roller coaster in many parts of the prairies, in some ways similar to 2024. Prior to seeding in late March, there were a few dry areas on the prairies but overall, conditions seemed positive and there was some early optimism. Move forward to the end of April though and the AAFC Drought Monitor map showed expanding areas of drought, particularly in the northern prairies, where pea acreage is concentrated. By the end of May, the drought situation had spread across

Saskatchewan Topsoil Moisture Improves, but Some Crop Damage Too

Saskatchewan topsoil moisture conditions improved following heavy rain in some locations this past week, although crop damage also occurred in the worst-hit areas. In addition to the rain, with localized amounts in excess of 100 mm, some areas also experienced minor to severe hail and wind damage, “with producers still assessing which crops will be able to recover,” said Thursday’s weekly crop report. On the other hand, some crops also continue to suffer from dryness and drought, with the Northwest Region seeing only limited rainfall in the past week. Areas in the west-central and pockets in other regions received significant rainfall. The Macklin area received the highest rainfall at 108 mm, followed by the Wilkie area at 107 mm. The Semans area reported 99 mm and the Luseland area reported 96 mm for the week. Rainfall significantly increased topsoil moisture in all regions (see map below). Provincially, cropland topsoil moisture was rated as 6% surplus, 74% adequate, 16% shor

Betting on America: How WorkSaver Tripled & Thrives in U.S. Manufacturing

In this episode of The Germinate Podcast, Joe Sampson and Tim Burenga take listeners on a 45-year journey of WorkSaver—from its founding by Tim’s father in 1980 to its evolution as a dual-focused manufacturer and OEM contract specialist.