An Amended Bill C-234 Adds Costs and Delays for Farmers

Nov 02, 2023

Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) is calling on all Senators to defeat the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry's amendment that would remove heating and cooling of barns and greenhouses from Bill C-234.

“This amendment dramatically changes the scope and intent of the bill and will cost farmers thousands of dollars, which could instead be used to invest in the sustainability of their operations," says Dave Carey, CCGA's Vice-President, Government & Industry Relations. “Farmers are on the front line of food production, and they currently do not have any viable alternatives for natural gas and propane used in drying grain or heating and cooling barns."

CCGA is extremely concerned that the proposed amendment will severely delay the bill's passage, while unfairly hurting major segments of Canada's farming sector.

“We ask all Senators to vote against the proposed amendment and avoid having the bill sent back to the House of Commons for further review," says Carey.

Click here to see more...

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.