Major Canadian steakhouse chain The Keg is set to merge into Cara Operations, the parent for dining chains such as Swiss Chalet, Harvey’s, St-Hubert and Milestones, in a $200 million cash-and-stock deal. The two companies said Tuesday a merger will afford them “synergistic opportunities in marketing, real estate and overall costs that will help further […] Read more
The Keg to merge into Swiss Chalet, Harvey’s parent
Soy Canada’s exposure limited in Richardson pullout
The industry group for Canada’s soybean sector faces relatively low exposure from a loss of funding by Prairie grain heavyweight Richardson International. The privately-held Winnipeg grain firm recently announced it would not renew its funding commitments to the Canola Council of Canada, Flax Council of Canada and Soy Canada. The company said its total annual […] Read more
Grain handle down in CP’s ‘best-ever’ fourth quarter
U.S. income tax reform and significant increases in non-grain traffic more than offset a dip in Canadian Pacific Railway’s grain handle in its fourth quarter of 2017. Calgary-based CP on Thursday reported net income of $984 million on $1.713 billion in gross revenues in what it described as its “best-ever” fourth quarter, up from $384 […] Read more
JBS to shed U.S. feedlot chain
The remaining feedlots in meat packing giant JBS’s Five Rivers Cattle Feeding business, the world’s biggest cattle feeding operation, have found a buyer. JBS on Wednesday announced a deal to sell the U.S.-based assets of Five Rivers to affiliates of New York-based Pinnacle Asset Management for about US$200 million. The deal gives Pinnacle 11 feedlots […] Read more
Cargill to expand western Manitoba elevator
Agrifood firm Cargill expects to provide more marketing opportunities for western Manitoba growers — particularly of soybeans — with a major elevator expansion. The U.S. company’s Winnipeg-based Canadian arm on Thursday announced it will put up $15 million to add 9,000 tonnes of storage capacity to its 13,500-tonne capacity elevator at Oakner, Man., about 70 […] Read more
AGI buys bin sensor, fertilizer blending system makers
Best known as the parent for several Canadian and U.S. manufacturers of grain handling and storage equipment, Ag Growth International is expanding its tech portfolio. Winnipeg-based AGI announced Wednesday it has bought Burnaby, B.C.-based CMC Industrial Electronics and Iowa-based Junge Control (JCI) for undisclosed sums. CMC, which formed in 1997 and has facilities at Burnaby […] Read more
Ottawa tightens rules on housing foreign farm workers
Housing meant for temporary foreign workers employed on a Canadian farm will now have to pass regular inspection before the farm can hire its workers. One of the requirements for farms hiring temporary foreign workers (TFWs) is that the farm provide workers with “adequate, suitable and affordable housing as defined by the Canadian Mortgage and […] Read more
P.E.I. names new agriculture minister
Prince Edward Island’s minister of agriculture and fisheries has quit the post after announcing his decision not to seek re-election. Alan McIsaac, the MLA for Vernon River-Stratford since 2007 and the province’s ag minister since 2015, announced Wednesday he won’t run in the next provincial election, scheduled for October next year. “Given this, I feel […] Read more
Flax Council of Canada to shut office
The national promotional agency for Canada’s flax industry plans to move forward without a bricks-and-mortar office starting next month. The Flax Council of Canada announced Monday its downtown Winnipeg office, which it shares with the Manitoba Flax Growers Association, will close effective Jan. 31. Going forward, the council said it will “continue to operate on […] Read more
Canada to probe claims of Turkish pasta dumping
Three Canadian makers of dry wheat pasta have got their wish for a probe into whether competing products from Turkey are being dumped into the Canadian market. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) announced Tuesday it has launched an investigation into whether certain pasta products originating in or exported from Turkey are being sold at […] Read more
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