(CBSA via YouTube)

Ahead of NAFTA talks, Canada says dispute mechanism essential

Ottawa | Reuters — An effective dispute settlement mechanism is essential in any trade agreement, Canada’s foreign affairs minister said on Friday, less than a week before the first round of negotiations on the North American trade pact. Canada’s desire to include a dispute settlement mechanism in a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) […] Read more


Six tips for safe barbecuing

Six tips for safe barbecuing

Looks good, doesn’t it? But every year there are reports from incidents resulting from gas barbecues. Here are six common barbecue safety mistakes — and how you can avoid them.

Side-by-side comparison of the Stanfield’s undies. Left – brand new undies; right – official SCCC undies that were dug up at the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum in Ottawa. Photo: CNW Group/Soil Conservation Council of Canada (SCC)

It’s time for Canadians to dig up their undies

It’s time for Canadians to grab their shovels, head into their gardens, flowerbeds or fields and reveal their underwear. Part 2 of the Soil Conservation Council of Canada’s (SCCC) experiment to help gauge the health of soils has come to an end, and if you buried a pair of cotton briefs, now is the time to retrieve them. “The Council was […] Read more


Photo: Thinkstock

Annual food contest has new category for alcoholic beverages

Aspiring Manitoba entrepreneurs with creative ideas for new foods or alcoholic beverages are invited to enter the 11th annual Great Manitoba Food Fight (GMFF), Agriculture Minister Ralph Eichler announced yesterday “Manitoba is home to many budding entrepreneurs with a passion for food and drink and the skill to create innovative and delicious new products,” said […] Read more



Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and his Saskatchewan counterpart Lyle Stewart signed onto a general agreement for a five-year federal/provincial funding framework on July 21. (Saskatchewan.ca)

Ministers agree on new ag funding framework

Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial ministers for agriculture have agreed on the bones of a new five-year policy funding framework, committing them to a review of its business risk management (BRM) programming. The ministers came out of three days of meetings Friday in St. John’s with the “key elements” of a five-year, $3 billion framework, […] Read more




(Dave Bedard photo)

Organic groups call for Ontario regulations

A look at organic regulation across the country by the Canadian Organic Trade Association (COTA) shows a hodge-podge of support, despite national standards in existence for eight years. In a report released Monday, COTA called out Ontario, the largest market by far for organic products, for having no organic regulations. Five other provinces, including some […] Read more