From the office of Ag and Wheat Board Minister Chuck Strahl, “regarding the inclusion of the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) under the Access to Information Act as proposed in Bill C-2, The Federal Accountability Act.”

“Canada’s New Government is seeking greater openness and accountability by bringing bodies such as CWB under the Access to Information Act. The administrative costs of the CWB now amount to almost $70 million annually, and farmers should have a way of scrutinizing those costs.
“Bringing the CWB under the Access to Information Act will not require it to release commercially sensitive information. The Access to Information Act protects information that is commercially sensitive.
“The Deputy Information Commissioner confirmed this in his testimony to a Senate Committee last week, yet the CWB demands to know the reason behind any information request.”

In the interest of fairness, I decided to check out the CWB side of this. As it turns out, Wheat Board Chairman Ken Ritter testified (pdf) before the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs on Sept. 20. I didn’t get very far before something caught my eye;

The CWB has requested the opportunity to meet with the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs to discuss the Access to Information provisions of the Federal Accountablility Act and specifically, the amendment that has added our organization to the list of entities designated as “Other Government Agencies” that are subject to the Access to Information Act.
Simply stated, our position is that the CWB does not belong on this list. The reasons for this position are numerous. First of all, the CWB is no longer a government agency. In 1998, the structure of the CWB was changed so that it would be governed by an independent board where 10 of its 15 directors are elected by farmers. I have been chair of that board since its inception. The act that created the new CWB specifically states that it is neither an agent of the Crown nor a crown corporation. The CWB is accountable to the farmers of Western Canada who sell their grain through the CWB. Those farmers, not the taxparyers of Canada, pay the corporation’s operating costs. We do not possess government information nor is our information under the control of the Government of Canada.

You see, just three days ago I happened to write a post directing readers to a different document – a statement of defense by the CWB, on a case before the Federal Court (Renova Holdings Ltd. et al. v. The Canadian Wheat Board);

[3] The Defendants seek to strike out the Statement of Claim on the basis that the Board is accountable only to Parliament and that neither the Board nor the Crown owe any duty to or are accountable to the Plaintiffs as producers of wheat.

One presumes the CWB chairman is held responsible for the content of legal documents presented by the Wheat Board to the courts. One also presumes he was under some sort of obligation to be truthful when he testified before the Senate Committee.
So, Mr. Ritter, which is it? Is the Canadian Wheat Board accountable to Parliament or to farmers? Or, as some are beginning to wonder – would you prefer it be neither?
Update – I’ve been very busy today, so no updates – but as usual, there is excellent discussion in the comments, along with a number of other source links on the CWB.

From the comments;

CPAC is right this moment carrying the [Canadian Wheat Board] debate in The House on this subject.
In fact Carol Skelton,MP from Saskatchewan suggested that the opposition members go to Small Dead Animals blog and search out the comments.
She made special mention of Larry Webber[sic].

For ease of navigation, click here for a direct link to that discussion.
While you’re here, I recommend you read this one as well, regarding a CWB statement before the Federal court that “the Board is accountable only to Parliament”.

He’ll just piss it away.

The File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council website describes the Oyate Safe House;

Receives children 12 to 15 years of age who are requiring a place of safety and protection from the harms associated with the street sex trade. Children under 12 years and over 15 years are accommodated in special circumstances. Welcomed into a loving warm environment premised on First peoples values of respect, sharing, courage, humility, caring, trust and honesty, children and their families receive teachings imparted by community elders, leaders and helpers inspiring hope while promoting responsibility, co-existence and self-care. Comforting hurt parts, teaching curious parts, identifying strengths and hidden parts to embolden cautious parts and inspire dreaming parts is encouraged by our helping team through a circle process reflecting the value of children in First peoples culture as well as the importance of community.

As it turned out, Oyate wasn’t so much a treatment center for these children as it was a change of address;

Minister Belanger is the third NDP minister who has dropped the ball on this file. For instance, the NDP government failed to stop the Oyate Safe House when it learned of numerous problems throughout the course of the three-year existence of the safe house, including:
1. Hiring an individual with a history of violent crime;
2. Failing to conduct regular criminal checks;
3. Failing to prevent further sexual exploitation while children were in the safe house;
4. The cancellation the official launch of the safe house because a senior official involved in the creation of the safe house was charged and arrested for sexual involvement with a minor; and,
5. Allegations from a former executive director about nepotism, the favouring of relatives, inappropriate payments to board members and relatives, and other financial irregularities.

The Sask Party called for an investigation by the Provincial Children’s Advocate and Provincial Auditor. Both reports were damning. Regina Leader Post (Sept 2006);

Among its many findings, the Advocate’s report found the safe house did not provide adequate services, personnel were not capable of delivering services, the safe house did not prohibit sexual exploitation of children in its care, and DCR discontinued case planning by closing files with full knowledge the child was still being sexually exploited.
Bernstein reported DCR didn’t investigate new allegations of children being sexually exploited in current cases. For example, reports that a 13-year-old girl was being sexually exploited on the street were not investigated by DCR.
When the girl was 15, the file was closed and a letter was sent to the girl’s family stating there weren’t any protection concerns. Six weeks later, the child was picked up by police for soliciting, her file was re-opened and residential services were offered.
[…]
Community Resources Minister Buckley Belanger said he fully acknowledged the problems that occurred with the operations of the safe house. Joined by Oyate board chair Chief Marie Anne DayWalker-Pelletier, Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Chief Alphonse Bird and DCR Deputy Minister Duncan Fisher, Belanger told reporters the government has a strong partnership with First Nations and the Advocate’s recommendations will guide their efforts for a new direction and model of care at the facility.
“Did we learn lessons and did we fall short? The obvious answer is yes, we’ve learned lessons, but I’m here today as minister to tell you we want to fix the partnership, we want to fix the process and we want to fix the problem so we can move forward as a government and certainly as a province involved with First Nations people,” said Belanger.

It turns out, this was indeed true. Those “lessons” involved spending $8,000 on two consulting companies to assist Mr. Belanger in developing his communication skills.
It doesn’t look like they got their money’s worth;

Minister Belanger has also failed to answer numerous questions in the legislative assembly and has refused to come before the Public Accounts committee to answer questions. To top all off, this week, the NDP used its majority on a legislative committee to prevent the former deputy minister of Community Resources from testifying as a witness – something those same members had approved unanimously just weeks earlier.

Sports analogy of the month!

“Sometimes it’s a little bit like trying to pick between Tyra Banks and Pam Anderson. There’s not a bad choice,” said Tillman, who did not tip his hand during Tuesday’s yak session with the inquisitive media.
“They’re all quality people who bring different assets to the table. I’m very comfortable with this group. It has not been a tough process because of the respect I have for each of the four.”

Rider open thread.

CP

Eleven men and one woman from Leader, Sask., have bared all in the 2007 Highway 32 Pothole Calendar. One man is pictured riding in a canoe in a pothole, another plants potatoes in a pothole and a third has a strategically placed hubcap. In the background a sign reads “Lost: Highway Paving Crew. Last seen 10 years ago.”
It’s a humorous approach to a serious problem, calendar organizer Gord Stueck said in a phone interview on Tuesday.
“Highway 32 from Leader to Swift Current was so bad . . . you were driving all over the road trying to avoid these potholes,” said Stueck.
It was so difficult to travel, Stueck said, that ambulances were forced to take alternate, longer routes.

(Open larger version.)
They are not amused;

“They’re very creative people,” [Saskatchewan Highways Minister Eldon] Lautermilch told reporters after seeing the calendar at the provincial legislature.
“But I don’t think a calendar is going to rebuild a road. I think recommendation from my department in terms of priority will probably be a fairer gauge.”
He also insisted the condition of Highway 32 had not escaped government notice.

Grab yours before they’re all snapped up by Sask Tourism. Proceeds from calendar sales are going to the Leader Lions Club.
(Uh-oh… the story has gone international. )

In the past 48 hours I’ve shoveled the garage driveway, dog run and maze, sidewalks and over-the-curb truck parking space (small town living has its privileges).

Four times. I still have to get up on the roof.

And it’s still coming down.
(From the comments – “So this is what the end of the world looks like”)

It’s the first time the Vanier Cup will be hosted outside of Ontario.

Ontario and British Columbia may be wastelands for university football where big crowds are measured in the 100s, but the same can’t be said for the Prairies, the Atlantic Provinces and Quebec.
Tomorrow, The Score will be broadcasting the Vanier Cup from Saskatoon — a game that will see the Saskatchewan Huskies take on Laval Rouge et Or.
It should be an interesting take on how many in the rest of Canada will tune in. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.

They picked a good weekend for it!

Saturday: Sunny with cloudy periods. Increasing cloudiness late in the day with 60 percent chance of flurries in the evening. Wind becoming northwest 20 km/h late in the day. High minus 21. Wind chill minus 36.

Gives new meaning to “kicking into the wind”.
When the Huskies scored a come-from-behind upset in the Mitchell Bowl to make it to the home field final, another 760 tickets went on sale to Griffiths Stadium. They reportedly sold in around 5 minutes.
Previous: The teams faced off on the same field at last year’s Mitchell Bowl
Update A tipster in the comments advises you can access the Vanier webcast here.

I’ve never much cared for stopping at the Tim’s location on 22nd and this information simply confirms the reasons why. Over the past 10 years, residents have witnessed the steady transformation of Saskatoon’s 22nd Street from major commercial corridor to gang hangout and check-cashing district. I suppose the aboriginal-art-on-light-pole urban renewal solution is just around the corner. It certainly worked its magic on 20th.

Open thread. Potentially embarrassing wagers, personal taunts and ridiculous hyperbole allowed, however – rodentphobic speech will not be tolerated.

Bloomberg

Saskatchewan Wheat Pool Inc., Canada’s second-biggest grain handler, said it plans to make an unsolicited offer for bigger rival Agricore United to cut costs and improve efficiency.
Saskatchewan Wheat Pool is offering 1.35 of its shares for each Agricore share, Regina, Saskatchewan-based Wheat Pool said today in a statement. The offer values Agricore at C$9.33 a share, or C$423.8 million ($375 million), a 13 percent premium to Winnipeg-based Agricore’s last-traded price.
“This is an offer to have a discussion with Agricore about a combination of the two companies,” Schmidt said on a conference call with investors. “Our goal is to operate the most efficient grain handling operation to port.”
Under the proposed transaction, Agricore shareholders would own about 47 percent of the company with an estimated market value of C$1.2 billion and combined revenues of C$4.3 billion, Schmidt said. The proposal includes a cash offer for each Agricore preferred share.
“This combination would begin to deal with some of the overcapacity” in grain handling in Western Canada, Schmidt said, suggesting the combination would generate cost “synergies” of C$60 million. He said grain handlers have about a quarter more capacity than required by farmers.

Discuss!

An open thread for predictions, discussion, taunts and crying towels.

Leader Post;

News that a constituency association has proposed a name change from the New Democratic Party to the Social Democratic Party at the upcoming NDP convention prompted some Opposition jibes in question period Thursday.
Saskatchewan Party leader Brad Wall announced his party would hold a contest and he invited provincial residents to make their own suggestions for a replacement name for the NDP.
“We already have some submissions for the name because everywhere we go … you’d be surprised how creative people are in terms of what they call that governing party opposite,” Wall said to guffaws from his caucus.
“We’ve seen it already on Highway 368 on signs ‘No Darn Pavement, the New Destruction Party, New Democratic Potholes.’ There’s any number of suggestions out there.”

RENAME THE NDP
Be sure to share your suggestions in the comments!
The suggestion that Calvert & Co. might begin to slither away from the party of Tommy Douglas and Jack Layton comes on the heels of a whirlwind of change – On October 26th came the declaration of a new provincial stat holiday in February, followed a day later with a cut from 7% to 5% of the PST. And then just a day or two ago, further cuts to business taxes.
So, one might wonder what happened on October 17th or thereabouts to put the burr under their saddle.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – SDA gets results!

(new and improved version!)
BREAKING – According to 650 CKOM radio, the Gainergate story has drawn the attention of Sports Illustrated… developing…

Unlike those fickle Calgary “can you spell CFL? nope, me either” fans, Rider fans not only know _when_ to cheer, but when _not_ to cheer.
See, that’s the way I figure it.
Calgary fans, being so dumb, saw Gainer and thought, “Oh look at ‘our’ mascot. He’s telling us to cheer.’ And so they did.
Calgary has a hard enough time with the BIG GREEN RIDER NATION belittling their team that they didn’t want their own fan base doing it too.

Krydor;

This bodes well for the Sask Party in Regina next fall or this spring. Welcome to the wilderness, lefties. Pack heavy, it’s going to be a long stay.

It’s a Riders CFL Open Thread.

Yowza;

Support for the Saskatchewan Party has rebounded, and it now holds a 29-point lead over the governing NDP, who have seen their support drop sharply.

Update – this post was mentioned on John Gormley Live this morning. As I suspected, the poll did not receive attention in the news media when it was released in September.

In the wake of yesterday’s provincial cabinet shuffle and the questions about Regina Dewdney’s Kevin Yates’ departure, a reader emails with the following speculation ;

Kevin Yates was thrown out of Lorne Calvert’s cabinet today for actively promoting Dwain Lingenfelter for new Leader. In a caucus meeting held Monday only 6 NDP MLAs showed up the balance stayed away to protest to Lorne’s Leadership. The NDP are in disarray and Lorne has lost the support of his caucus. By firing Yates Lorne has shown that he intends to stay no matter what.

Is expected to announce today that they’ll be seeking a 17% price increase for natural gas customers in the province. The provincial owned crown puts us through this little song and dance every year – they’re probably looking for less, but it sets up the review board with the opportunity to knock their request back a few percentage points to maintain their facade as a “watchdog” for the consumer.
NYMEX Natural Gas Futures

Market Watch, Sep 1, 2006;

Natural-gas futures close at 20-month low
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Natural-gas futures closed at their lowest level since January 2005 to mark a loss of 20% for the week, as traders fretted over hefty U.S. supplies and expectations for a near-term decline in demand for the fuel.
[…]
Natural gas for October delivery fell 17.1 cents, or 2.8%, to end at $5.877 per million British thermal units after a low of $5.82. The contract hasn’t traded or closed at levels this low Jan. 5, 2005.
October natural gas closed last Friday at $7.344, so it was down $1.47 for the week. The contract ended the month of August with a loss of $2.40, or 28%.
For natural gas, “we have a situation where supply is perfectly fine, while demand is dropping off,” said Ben Smith, a managing partner at First Enercast Financial.

This raises an obvious question in my laypersons eye – one that I haven’t heard in local media so far (which hasn’t ventured beyond “oh no! get ready for another price increase” reporting) – on what basis is Sask Energy seeking a 17% natural gas rate increase?
UPDATE – The news conference is on now and being covered live at CKOM – one of the reporters is grilling the Sask Energy president on why he doesn’t know the current price they’re selling gas at in Nova Scotia.(Update –
A reader sends along this link to Heritage Gas)
Also – there’s some good information coming out in the comments thread.