Close X
Thursday, November 7, 2024
ADVT 
National

Saskatchewan Residents Tell Consultation 'No' To Foreign-owned Farms

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 07 Oct, 2015 10:59 AM
    REGINA — Nearly nine out of every 10 people who responded to a Saskatchewan government survey say they don't want the province's farmland to end up in foreign hands.
     
    Eighty-seven per cent of the more than 3,200 people who responded to a farmland ownership consultation say they don't support foreign ownership of Saskatchewan farmland.
     
    Seventy-five per cent also say they're opposed to allowing investors such as Canadian pension funds to purchase farmland in Saskatchewan.
     
    The issue of who can own farmland in Saskatchewan has prompted a spirited debate that was sparked after the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board started buying up farms in 2013.
     
    The rules currently don't allow institutional investors to own Saskatchewan farmland and limit foreign ownership to four hectares, but the investment board's structure made it eligible.
     
    The vast majority of people who took part in the consultations — 95 per cent — were Saskatchewan residents and 62 per cent of respondents were farmers.
     
    Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart says the results will ensure the government makes decisions for the long-term success and sustainability of the province's agriculture industry.
     
    Stewart says the next steps will be announced later this fall.
     
    The agriculture minister said in August that Saskatchewan won't impose restrictions on Canadians who want to buy farms in the province, but he wouldn't rule out anything else as the government looks at the laws on farmland ownership.
     
    Farmers have raised concerns about loopholes they say allow a variety of investors to drive up rents and farmland prices in the province.
     
    In their submission to the consultations, the National Farmers Union said that under today's laws, Canadian-owned investment companies are legally buying up farmland, a trend it says has turned Saskatchewan landowners into tenant farmers.
     
    The union has called for changes that would allow only Saskatchewan residents or incorporated farming operations owned by Saskatchewan residents to own farmland.

    MORE National ARTICLES

    Faculty, University Leaders Spar Over Academic Freedom At University Of B.C.

    A public fight about academic freedom has broken out at the University of British Columbia, just weeks after the institution's former president resigned.

    Faculty, University Leaders Spar Over Academic Freedom At University Of B.C.

    Protesters Leave Muskrat Falls Hydro Site As Complaints Of Racism Reviewed

    Protesters Leave Muskrat Falls Hydro Site As Complaints Of Racism Reviewed
    The Crown corporation overseeing the Muskrat Falls hydro project in Labrador says protesters have left the work site as complaints about hiring and alleged racism are reviewed.

    Protesters Leave Muskrat Falls Hydro Site As Complaints Of Racism Reviewed

    Sentencing Of Former Paramedic On Sexual Assault Adjourned Until October

    Sentencing Of Former Paramedic On Sexual Assault Adjourned Until October
    Judge Claudine MacDonald adjourned sentencing today until Oct. 26 at the request of James Duncan Keats's lawyer so Keats can undergo a forensic sexual offender assessment.

    Sentencing Of Former Paramedic On Sexual Assault Adjourned Until October

    No Weekend Vancouver Gig For Jon Bon Jovi At Stanley Park; City Says Promoter Didn't Get Permits

    No Weekend Vancouver Gig For Jon Bon Jovi At Stanley Park; City Says Promoter Didn't Get Permits
    Fans of rocker Jon Bon Jovi may be feeling "shot through the heart" about the cancellation of a weekend concert in Vancouver's Stanley Park.

    No Weekend Vancouver Gig For Jon Bon Jovi At Stanley Park; City Says Promoter Didn't Get Permits

    Stephen Harper Hails Indian Diaspora, Lauds India-Canada Relations In Toronto

    Stephen Harper Hails Indian Diaspora, Lauds India-Canada Relations In Toronto
    Harper said: "In this uncertain and dangerous world, it is most comforting to know that Canada has certain friends like India."

    Stephen Harper Hails Indian Diaspora, Lauds India-Canada Relations In Toronto

    Canada Ranks Sixth On Freedom Index, Says Fraser Institute Study

    Canada Ranks Sixth On Freedom Index, Says Fraser Institute Study
    Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese territory, tops the rankings followed by Switzerland, Finland, Denmark and New Zealand rounding out the top five

    Canada Ranks Sixth On Freedom Index, Says Fraser Institute Study