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Country Life in BC 36 Dale Road Enderby, BC V0E 1V4


Vol. 104 No.3


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Supply Management FIRB review pleases commodities Fruit


Ag Champions


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Fruit growers elect Dhaliwal president Gala celebrates ag leadership


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The agricultural news source in British Columbia since 1915 MARCH 2018 | Vol. 104 No. 3 ALR


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to public General public limited to survey, written submissions


by PETER MITHAM VICTORIA – The public engagement


Kissin’ cousins! The weather may have been anything but spring-like as February drew to a close but these two newborn calves at Schweb Family Cattle near Salmon Arm are living proof that spring is on its way. TRUDY SCHWEB PHOTO


Growing more with less water Wine spat heads to court


by PETER MITHAM KELOWNA – BC’s wine


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industry intends to challenge Alberta’s recent ban on BC wine to avoid future fights. “We remain concerned that


any provincial government believes it has the constitutional authority to impose trade bans on Canadian products based on their place of origin,” the BC Wine Institute said in a statement after Alberta agreed to resume imports of BC wine February 22. A day earlier, the institute


notified the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission that it would ask the Court of Queen’s Bench in Calgary to determine the constitutional validity of Alberta’s liquor importation laws. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley imposed the ban on February 6, following the lead of Karen Collins, owner of Asti Trattoria Italiana restaurant in Fort McMurray. Collins won international media attention when she stopped serving BC wines to protest BC Premier John Horgan’s opposition to the


Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline. Notley relented after


Horgan announced that he would ask the courts to decide whether or not BC was within its rights to restrict what products crossed its boundaries. BC has not yet stopped Alberta bitumen exports. BC produces $400 million


worth of wine each year, of which $70 million goes to Alberta. The two-week ban conceivably cost BC wineries millions of dollars in stalled shipments.


process aimed at gathering feedback towards revitalization of the 45-year-old Agricultural Land Reserve kicked off in early February with meetings in Richmond and Nanaimo. But not everyone was welcome at the meetings organized by the nine- member committee charged with conducting the review. The invitation- only events were strictly for representatives from farm organizations and local governments. Dates, times


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