Harper Government Begins to Phase Out the Community Pasture Program</

Oct 22, 2012

10 Sask. Lands first to be Transferred Over to the Province

The Canadian federal government announced 10 grazing lands in Saskatchewan to be transferred over to the province as Ottawa plans to phase out the Community Pasture Program. The pastures are located in Weyburn, Foam Lake, Watrous, Swift Current, Rosetown and North Batteford and will be shed from the federal government’s control by late 2013. Cattle ranchers whom currently use the lands for grazing purposes will be managing them by 2014.

The Community Pasture Program was created in the 1930s to reclaim land that had been eroded during the Prairie drought. In total, the program included 61 community pastures in Saskatchewan, 23 in Manitoba and two in Alberta. The Harper government announced in its spring budget that they would begin the phase out of the program and transfer the 900,000 hectares (87 sites) of lands to the provinces by 2018. The government also announced that one of the community pastures in Alberta will be permanently closed in 2014 and will revert back under the control of the Department of National Defence.

The pastures’ current patrons will have first opportunity to own or lease the land. The Saskatchewan government plans on working with Farm Credit Canada to work with ranchers on financing options for those interested in purchasing the pasture lands. There are a number of conditions for pasture land purchases including each pasture must be maintained in each block, sales will be based on market value, native prairie lands will be subject to no-break/no-drain conservation easements and federal Species at Risk Act will be enforced.

The announcement raises a number of concerns ranging from the steep $1 billion dollar price tag to proper management of the lands once transferred to access to the pastures for hunters, riders and naturalists. The Aboriginal community has also expressed concern with the transfer - noting that they have been displeased with the transfer consultation process.

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.