Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart, shown here at Ag in Motion in 2015, plans to leave the post following a recent cancer diagnosis. (File photo by Lisa Guenther)

Saskatchewan ag minister to exit cabinet

Saskatchewan’s premier expects to name a new minister of agriculture within days, as the incumbent minister steps aside to focus on cancer treatments. Lyle Stewart announced Thursday he will remain as ag minister until Premier Scott Moe names a new minister, a decision to be announced sometime this week. “I was recently diagnosed with colorectal […] Read more

(JeffLeal.onmpp.ca)

Sector growth to occupy Ontario ag minister in 2018

Ontario’s Liberals will have their agriculture standard-bearer back for the 2018 election. Jeff Leal, Ontario’s minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, is staying in politics, running for his fifth term as a member of the provincial legislature in the Peterborough riding. Leal, who as a resident of Peterborough is about as rural as any […] Read more

Gerry Ritz won’t be coming back to the House of Commons in September. (Manitoba Co-operator photo by Shannon VanRaes)

Ex-agriculture minister Gerry Ritz quits Commons

Gerry Ritz, the federal minister for agriculture and agri-food for nine years in Stephen Harper’s Conservative government, is done with federal politics. The MP for the western Saskatchewan riding of Battlefords-Lloydminster since 1997, Ritz announced via Twitter Thursday morning that he “will not be returning to my seat in the House of Commons this fall.” […] Read more

Lana Popham. (B.C. NDP via Flickr, license at Creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)

B.C. NDP’s ag critic named ag minister

The agriculture critic for British Columbia’s opposition New Democrats will be the minister of agriculture as the party takes the governing reins. Lana Popham, the MLA for the Vancouver Island riding of Saanich South, was named Tuesday as ag minister in Premier John Horgan’s cabinet. Horgan took over as premier after Christy Clark’s Liberals, who […] Read more

(Government of Alberta via Flickr)

Former Alberta agriculture minister LeRoy Fjordbotten, 78

Memorial services will be held Sunday in Claresholm, Alta. for LeRoy Fjordbotten, the farmer and consultant who served as Alberta’s agriculture minister from 1982 to 1986. Fjordbotten, who died June 8, farmed northeast of Granum, about 60 km northwest of Lethbridge, and was a member of Flying Farmers of Alberta before running for the Progressive […] Read more


Quebec Agriculture Minister Pierre Paradis. (MAPAQ.gouv.qc.ca)

No charges against Quebec’s ex-ag minister

Quebec’s director of prosecutions has decided not to pursue criminal charges against the province’s fired agriculture minister over allegations of “acts of a sexual character.” The province’s director of criminal and penal prosecutions (DPCP) announced in a release Monday that the office was “not reasonably convinced” culpability could be proven against the provincial member for […] Read more

Nova Scotia’s incumbent agriculture minister Keith Colwell, shown here at left, will return to the legislature after Tuesday’s election. (NovaScotia.ca/agri)

Nova Scotia ag minister, critic keep seats in election

Nova Scotia’s incumbent agriculture minister and lead ag critic have both hung onto their seats in an election which saw the governing Liberals return to power with a slightly slimmer majority. Preliminary results from Tuesday’s election show Premier Stephen McNeil’s Liberals elected in 27 ridings — down from 34 at the government’s dissolution — followed […] Read more

Quebec Agriculture Minister Pierre Paradis. (MAPAQ.gouv.qc.ca)

Quebec ag minister pulled from caucus

Quebec’s agriculture minister has been removed from the provincial government’s cabinet and caucus, the premier’s office said Thursday. In a short press release, Premier Philippe Couillard said he was informed Thursday evening that Agriculture Minister Pierre Paradis is the subject of a police investigation. Given the circumstances, Paradis has been relieved of ministerial duties and […] Read more


Quebec Agriculture Minister Pierre Paradis. (MAPAQ.gouv.qc.ca)

Quebec agriculture minister temporarily sidelined

Quebec’s agriculture minister Pierre Paradis is off work temporarily with what’s reported to be a concussion. Premier Philippe Couillard announced Wednesday that Paradis’ responsibilities as minister of agriculture, food and fisheries would temporarily go to Transport Minister Laurent Lessard. News outlets in Quebec including Radio Canada, La Presse and TVA reported Wednesday that Paradis had […] Read more

Mary Jean McFall. (LeedsGrenville.Liberal.ca)

Tories challenge ag minister on chief of staff

The federal Conservatives want the House of Commons’ agriculture committee to probe the hiring of a Canadian egg processing heiress as chief of staff to the ag minister. Tory ag critic Chris Warkentin on Wednesday called on both Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and his new chief of staff, Mary Jean McFall, to testify before the […] Read more