News for Rural Communities

1. Minister MacAulay announces new members of the Canadian Agricultural Youth Council

   Today, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced the members of the third cohort of the Canadian Agricultural Youth Council (CAYC). Nine new faces and 13 returning youth from the second cohort will make up the new Council, all serving terms of 18 months.

2. Statement from Minister MacAulay on China’s anti-dumping investigation

   Today, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, issued the following statement in response to China’s anti-dumping investigation into Canadian canola seed exports:

3. Governments Investing in Innovation to Strengthen Ontario's Agri-Food Sector

   The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing an additional $3.5 million in the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI) to support the development and adoption of new technologies for farmers, food processors and agri-businesses that will enhance their competitiveness and growth.

4. Minister MacAulay announces launch of new School Food Infrastructure Fund and renewed Local Food Infrastructure Fund to improve food security in Canada

   All Canadians, particularly young Canadians, deserve to have access to nutritious food.

5. Unama’ki artists creating connections, business growth

   When local artisans have the resources they need to develop their craft and grow thriving businesses, they boost local economies and help build awareness, understanding and appreciation of our nation’s many cultures and heritages.

6. Minister MacAulay to announce investments to help provide more nutritious, local food to Canadians

   The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, will announce investments to support school food infrastructure and to improve food security for Canadians of all ages.

7. Minister MacAulay announces the re-appointment of Geneviève Parent to the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal

   Today, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced the re-appointment of Geneviève Parent as a member of the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal for a three-year term, starting August 31, 2024. This will be her third consecutive term.

8. Governments Partnering to Boost Innovation in the Agri-Food Industry

   The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $22.6 million, through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), to expand production capacity and boost energy efficiency in the agriculture and food sector.

9. Digby planning to elevate regional tourism experiences

   Government support encourages multi-year plan focused on sector growth, season extension.

10. Investing in Zero-Emission Public Transit in Sarnia

    Sarnia Transit will purchase three zero-emission buses and install three new charging stations after a combined investment of almost $6M from the Government of Canada and the City of Sarnia.

11. Indigenous ecotourism project retraces traditional canoe routes between Bear River and Kejimkujik

    Bear River First Nation off-grid lodge and geodome to offer authentic Indigenous tourism experience

12. Government of Canada to announce support for Indigenous ecotourism

    The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA, will announce funding for an ecotourism project retracting traditional canoe routes between Bear River and Kejimkujik.

13. Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nuxalk Nation, and Ingenium collaborate to create new Snootli Creek Hatchery Welcome Centre marking the completion of a $20 million hatchery rebuild

    On August 22, 2024, the new Welcome Centre at Snootli Creek Hatchery will officially open.

14. Compete, grow, sing, explore on Nova Scotia’s South Shore

    Compete, grow, sing, explore on Nova Scotia’s South Shore

15. Backgrounder: Compete, grow, sing, explore on Nova Scotia’s South Shore

    Atlantic Canada’s small towns and rural areas are vibrant places bustling with economic, social and cultural activity. The Government of Canada, through ACOA, is investing to help communities in the Lunenburg area thrive and build long-term prosperity.

16. Government of Canada and Gitanyow Nation partner on new Community Economic Development hatchery to support Pacific salmon 

    Pacific salmon are under threat due to climate change, habitat degradation and other pressures. In British Columbia, some endangered and at-risk populations have dropped dramatically and could be at risk of disappearing completely. Hatcheries, which incubate, rear and release Pacific salmon to live alongside their wild counterparts, are a key component in supporting and restoring these vulnerable populations.

17. Government of Canada to announce support for Nova Scotia’s South Shore

    Government of Canada to announce support for Nova Scotia’s South Shore.

18. Government of Canada announces investment in the industrial bioeconomy to reduce GHG emissions

    Strengthening Canada's bioindustrial sector through research and innovation creates opportunities, increases competitiveness, and moves Canada towards a more sustainable future.

19. Peter Fragiskatos to announce investments to the bioproducts sector

    Peter Fragiskatos, Member of Parliament for London North Centre, will announce investments that aim to create a more sustainable and innovative agricultural industry.

20. New accessible van in Wawa

    The Municipality of Wawa is purchasing an accessible transit van to increase transit services for the community.

21. Investing in Doaktown’s water infrastructure

    Doaktown is building a new well and water reservoir with an investment of more than $4.9 million from the federal government, the provincial government and the municipality.

22. Governments Investing in Food Safety and Industry Growth

    The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $5 million, through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), to help the important small businesses in the agriculture and food industry enhance their food safety systems and stimulate growth.

23. Media Advisory: Infrastructure Announcement in Chéticamp

    Members of the media are invited to an infrastructure announcement with Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for Cape Breton—Canso, and Cyril Camus, President of La Coopérative de Transport de Chéticamp (L’Acabie).

24. Minister’s Statement: Food Day Canada 2024

    Today marks the 21st anniversary of Food Day Canada. First launched by the late University of Guelph Food Laureate and Member of the Order of Canada, Anita Stewart, Food Day Canada is an opportunity to celebrate the hardworking people who produce the food we all enjoy.

25. Agriculture Resiliency Program

    Through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (2023 to 2028), the Agriculture Resiliency Program will invest more than $270,000 annually for a total investment of more than $1.3 million.

26. New program to assist Prince Edward Island farmers in building resiliency

    Through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the PEI Department of Agriculture are investing more than $1.3 million in the Agriculture Resiliency Program, which will support farmers to build the strength and viability of the industry.

27. Government of Canada announces funding to help soybean farmers manage extreme weather

    Soybeans are one of the largest field crops in Canada, generating $14 billion in annual economic output. Research and innovation in the soy industry are helping producers evolve by enhancing crop resilience and yield in response to more frequent extreme weather events and the need to reduce the environmental footprint of farms, while feeding a growing population.

28. Mark Gerretsen to announce investments to the soybean sector

    Mark Gerretsen, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, will announce investments that aim to advance the soybean sector while improving its sustainability.

29. Sustainable solutions: Sustane gives plastic waste a second life

    Cleantech company develops alternative fuel for export market

30. Laying the foundation for more innovative homebuilding solutions

    Government of Canada supports four housing companies to expand and improve facilities

31. Backgrounder: Laying the foundation for more innovative homebuilding solutions

    Backgrounder: Laying the foundation for more innovative homebuilding solutions

32. Government of Canada to announce funding for Sustane’s plastic-to-fuel technology

    Government of Canada to announce funding for Sustane’s plastic-to-fuel technology

33. Government of Canada to announce funding for manufacturers in the housing sector

    Government of Canada to announce funding for manufacturers in the housing sector

34. Governments of Canada and Manitoba supporting farmers and producers

    The governments of Canada and Manitoba are providing $2.025 million in financial support to the Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative (EMILI) for Advancing Digital Agriculture Opportunities under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, and Premier Wab Kinew announced today at the grand opening of the Innovation Farms Centre.

35. More Support for Nova Scotia Beekeepers

    Nova Scotia beekeepers will have access to more financial support this year. The Apiculture Sustainable Growth and Health Program will provide eligible beekeepers up to $50,000, an increase from the maximum $27,000 in 2023.

36. Governments Enhancing Mental Health Supports for Farm Workers

    The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $538,000 through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) to expand the Farmer Wellness Initiative to Ontario farm workers.

37. Minister MacAulay announces support for Canadian dairy farmers to improve sustainability and safety

    Today, ahead of Dairy Farmers of Canada’s 2024 Annual General Meeting in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced an investment of more than $8.5 million for two projects led by Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) through the AgriAssurance Program – National Industry Association Component, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.

38. Minister MacAulay announces Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge semi-finalists

    Today, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced 13 semi-finalists, under the Agricultural Methane Reduction Challenge, who are working to advance economically viable and scalable practices, processes, and technologies designed to reduce enteric methane emissions produced by cattle.

39. Summary of Items from the 2024 Annual Meeting of Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture

    Ministers are pleased that all major retailers have now joined the industry-led Grocery Sector Code of Conduct.

40. Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture meet to advance the resilience and growth of the sector

    The annual conference of Federal, Provincial and Territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture was held in Whitehorse, Yukon, from July 17 to 19, 2024.

41. Media Advisory: Infrastructure Announcement in Yellowknife

    Members of the media are invited to join an important announcement regarding community infrastructure across the Northwest Territories with Michael McLeod, Member of Parliament for Northwest Territories and Caroline Wawzonek, Minister of Infrastructure for Northwest Territories.

42. Statement from Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture on the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct

    After years of work and widespread industry participation, we are pleased to announce that all major retailers have agreed to join the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct.

43. Minister MacAulay, Minister Streicker and other provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture to address media following the Annual Conference of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture

    The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and the Honourable John Streicker, Yukon Minister of Energy, Mines, and Resources, as well as other provincial and territorial ministers of agriculture will be addressing media following the Annual Conference of Federal, Provincial and Territorial Ministers of Agriculture.

44. Atlantic Canadian innovators shine at Startupfest 2024

    Atlantic Canadian companies, accelerators, and incubators seize opportunities, build connections, and position the region as a leading startup hub at Startupfest 2024.

45. Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP)

    The Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program, a $250-million cost-shared program under the Sustainable CAP was put in place across Canada to help producers conserve and enhance the resiliency of agricultural landscapes. This new program uses an ecological goods and services payment approach to support on-farm adoption and complements other programs, such as the , to address climate change.

46. Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program investing in improved agricultural lands

    The federal and provincial governments are investing in projects that will help farmers adopt beneficial land-use management practices that will increase environmental resiliency among farms in Newfoundland and Labrador.

47. Town of Port Hawkesbury’s airport upgrades take flight

    Transitioning to a low-carbon economy is a necessary step to protect the climate and create a more sustainable economy in Atlantic Canada and across the country. As Cape Breton moves toward a greener future, the Government of Canada is investing to help the Town of Port Hawkesbury prepare for the growth of promising new industries and sectors with a valuable economic impact.

48. New insurance program to help protect and attract maple producers

    A new risk management tool for New Brunswick maple producers aims to protect them financially from production losses caused by natural perils such as extreme weather conditions.

49. Government of Canada to announce support for regional airport upgrades

    Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and Member of Parliament for Cape Breton – Canso, will announce support for airport upgrades in western Cape Breton.

50. Government of Canada announces funding for grain and oilseed research in Atlantic Canada

    To support grain and oilseed producers in Atlantic Canada and their unique needs, today, Heath MacDonald, Member of Parliament for Malpeque, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, announced up to $3,045,781 over 5 years to the Atlantic Grains Council through the AgriScience Program – Projects Component, an initiative under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership.