Interprovincial also got is none of the most egregious examples. Hell, it even went all the way to the Supreme Court in 2018 and was upheld as a valid exercise of provincial authority. Shows how strong these internal barriers can be.
www.ctvnews.ca
I have mixed feelings about this. My grandfather was a founding member of the dairy board in Ontario and help install the dairy quota system. Which according to Gramps (he died in 2012 at the young age of 99), the original intention of the quota system and was to protect farmers. Specifically from American Dairy (cheaper and easier but lower quality to produce). However in the last 60 some odd years the number of Ontario dairy farms have shrunk significantly and the cost to get in is ludicrous. I have spoken with my dairy friends (I have helped them out at times with milking and purchased steers from them), many of the younger ones (not that many of them, young being under 50 BTW) realize its a big steep uphill climb to maintain the status quo.This kind of inflexibility irritates the Americans, and also resulted in Britain walking away from free trade talks:
Canada will not make concessions on supply management, minister says
International Trade Minister Mary Ng explicitly says the federal government will not be making concessions on supply management.
It's unfortunate, but there will be some pain to some industries to protect the rest of Canada from punitive tariffs.
The family farm that they were trying to protect is largely dead. The concept setting up 20 head dairy herd to provide a regular paycheque to a small mixed livestock operation is almost unfathomable at this point.
No it isn't. A huge chunk of your beef and lamb come from small farm operations (Beef farm less than 200-300 head is small). They may be concentrated in feedlots for finish but they start in typical 30-100 head cow-calf operation in Ontario. Similar to sheep, you have everything from a 20 head operation to up over a few thousand. The advantage of small farms is the family can still work part time or full time OFF farm and get supplemental income (or mainstay income).
Fixed that for you.
For sure. I read somewhere that there are about 140 'exemptions' to the Canada Free Trade Agreement and that the feds recently agreed in principle to eliminate 17 (I don't know if that represents all of the federal exemptions). Unfortunately, I cannot find those links this morning. If nothing else, the federal Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act comes to mind.
And if I recall correctly, the lower courts all struck down the provincial trade barriers as unconstitutional. The Supreme Court disagreed with all lower courts.
Let me clarify- the financially viable, family supporting, small farm is largely dead.
Absolutely. According to StasCan, about 97% of Canadian farms are family owned and operated (2016 I think). Maybe there are some large, corporate feedlots out west, I don't know. As you are well aware, may farms are incorporated for business purposes but that doesn't mean that the offices of the corporation aren't family members.
Yup, and once the Supreme Court rules on such a thing, that’s the ball game. SCC doesn’t rule on the wisdom or usefulness of such legislation, that’s not their job. They determine whether such public policy is within the lawful purview of that level of government. So this one goes back to the government and, ultimately if necessary, the voters. The winds have changed and we may hopefully see a bunch of these barriers fall.
20th century 100-200 acre family farm =/= 21st century financially viable farm operation owned by a family.
Seeing as how this is my profession I'll add a bit more. For most provinces there is a practical application period between applying to the provincial registration body before your write your exam that usually means you have 1-2 years experience + educational requirements. Differences in professional obligations vary a lot between provinces...
I don't think many are arguing that farming is as profitable as it once was or that in many cases, off-farm income is required. I don't know how data is calculated, or how things operate out west, but in Ontario, it seems that it is increasingly common to lease land for farming. We leased most of our land to a farmer who, himself owned about 200 acres but he farmed about 1200 in the area. We leased it to him for less than the going rate; we primarily wanted the reduced property tax rate. Primarily, it seems the only farms that are owned by large corporations were purchased for other uses (developers, etc.) and are simply in a holding pattern until whatever conditions are right.
They may be different than other countries or not to the same extent, but, the US has restrictions or limitations on the movement of goods, services and labour between states. They just don't like other nations' protections. It is similar to the myth that their agricultural sector isn't subsidized.This kind of inflexibility irritates the Americans, and also resulted in Britain walking away from free trade talks:
Canada will not make concessions on supply management, minister says
International Trade Minister Mary Ng explicitly says the federal government will not be making concessions on supply management.
It's unfortunate, but there will be some pain to some industries to protect the rest of Canada from punitive tariffs.
Y.F Blanchet says he strongly opposes ANY pipeline from Western Canada through Quebec to the the Atlantic...Because it would sacrifice the prosperity and undermine the sovereignty of Quebec.
