Invasive species prevention: Emerald ash borer to be regulated in Gaspésie in 2023

Apr 18, 2023

Ottawa, Ontario Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Preventing the spread of invasive species is important to protect forests, native plants and the forestry sector in Canada. Following the confirmed finding of emerald ash borer (EAB) – an invasive beetle – in the Regional County Municipality (RCM) of Avignon, in the Gaspésie area of Quebec, in July 2022, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will continue to regulate the area with notices of prohibition of movement.

This means that ash material (such as logs, branches and woodchips) and all species of firewood cannot be moved off site without permission from the CFIA. The property owners with confirmed detections of EAB in the RCM of Avignon have been notified.

The CFIA will continue to survey and monitor the extent of the spread of this invasive beetle in 2023 in eastern Quebec and northern New Brunswick. The CFIA plans to consult with federal, provincial, municipal and First Nations partners and other organizations in the near future on options to manage emerald ash borer in eastern Canada.

Although EAB poses no threat to human health, it is highly destructive to ash trees. It has already killed millions of ash trees in regulated areas in Canada and in the United States, and poses a major economic and environmental threat to urban and forested areas of North America.

The CFIA continues to work with federal, provincial, municipal and Indigenous partners and organizations to slow the spread of this pest.

Source : Canada.ca

Video: From Conventional to Regenerative: Will Groeneveld’s Journey Back to the Land

"You realize you've got a pretty finite number of years to do this. If you ever want to try something new, you better do it."

That mindset helped Will Groeneveld take a bold turn on his Alberta grain farm. A lifelong farmer, Will had never heard of regenerative agriculture until 2018, when he attended a seminar by Kevin Elmy that shifted his worldview. What began as curiosity quickly turned into a deep exploration of how biology—not just chemistry—shapes the health of our soils, crops and ecosystems.

In this video, Will candidly reflects on his family’s farming history, how the operation evolved from a traditional mixed farm to grain-only, and how the desire to improve the land pushed him to invite livestock back into the rotation—without owning a single cow.

Today, through creative partnerships and a commitment to the five principles of regenerative agriculture, Will is reintroducing diversity, building soil health and extending living roots in the ground for as much of the year as possible. Whether it’s through intercropping, zero tillage (which he’s practiced since the 1980s) or managing forage for visiting cattle, Will’s approach is a testament to continuous learning and a willingness to challenge old norms.

Will is a participant in the Regenerative Agriculture Lab (RAL), a social innovation process bringing together producers, researchers, retailers and others to co-create a resilient regenerative agriculture system in Alberta. His story highlights both the potential and humility required to farm with nature, not against it.