THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2015
VOL. 93 | NO. 29 | $4.25
Ag drones Small helicopters can spray pesticides and fertilizer | P. 60
The Art House SERVING WESTERN CANADIAN FARM FAMILIES SINCE 1923
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WWW.PRODUCER.COM
MOO-VIN’ ON DOWN THE ROAD
A Saskatchewan couple showcases their artistry | P. 18
FOREIGN WORKERS
Recruiter sues over changes to worker program Federal court to hear motion for injunction BY ROBERT ARNASON BRANDON BUREAU
A foreign labour recruiter is taking the federal government to court over changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program. Tim Leahy, who helps Canadian companies hire foreign workers, says amendments to the TFWP are unacceptable. He is seeking an injunction to stymie the new rules. The Federal Court of Canada has agreed to hear the motion Aug. 11 in at courts in Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto. Leahy, an immigration lawyer by trade, has been working on the legal challenge for several months. “I’ve been trying to get employers to litigate the issue,” said Leahy, who owns and operates the recruitment service. “Then I decided to (take action) myself by filing under Forefront Placement (his company) because a lot of the employers are very shy.” SEE RECRUITER SUES, PAGE 4
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u|xhHEEJBy00001pzYv#:^ Cowboys move a herd of cattle from Adderson’s Ranch along Highway 541 near Longview, Alta. | MIKE STURK PHOTO
CROP DISEASE
Canola losing resistance New strains of clubroot appear in Alberta fields, suggesting widespread problems for canola BY SEAN PRATT SASKATOON NEWSROOM
Clubroot resistant lines of canola are under siege in Alberta. In 2014, researchers identified a n e w s t ra i n o f t h e d i s e a s e t hat appeared in six fields in central Alberta in 2013. The strain, known as 5X, was able to overcome resistance built into new varieties.
Last week, researchers announced that a data analysis based on a 2014 survey of clubroot resistant canola fields had uncovered nine additional strains of the disease capable of overcoming existing resistance. “It certainly complicates our clubroot situation quite a bit,” said Stephen Strelkov, a plant pathologist with the University of Alberta. “This does definitely suggest that
the problem is more widespread than we hoped.” The results stem from a 2014 survey of fields growing clubroot resistant varieties. Researchers discovered 27 fields with unusually high levels of infection. Further analysis determined that virulent strains of the disease were found in 16 of those fields, some of which were located 600 kilometres away from the six fields where the 5X
virulent pathogen was discovered. Strelkov hoped it was the same 5X pathogen that cased all the problems last year, but fur ther lab work unveiled nine distinct new virulent strains of the disease. The strains haven’t been fully characterized or named, but he is certain they are different than 5X. SEE CANOLA LOSING, PAGE 4
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The Western Producer is published in Saskatoon by Western Producer Publications, which is owned by GVIC Communications Corp. Publisher: Shaun Jessome Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240
JULY 16, 2015 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Stn. Main, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4