-Just like Saskatchewan’s Justice Minister said this week, the Western Canadian Wheat Growers don’t think the feds’ sustainable ag policy is voluntary.
A federal paper talks about regulating performance standards and mandating or banning certain practices.
Jim Wickett is the head of the Wheat Growers, and is worried the policy will decrease production and drive up the cost of food even more:

“As anyone truly in ag knows, you can literally drive 40 miles, and something that works in that region, won’t work in another. All this talk about regenerative ag, you try to pin them down as to what that actually means.. Some will get firm and say “no chemical, no this…” They want to go back to tillage. Well, in west-central Saskatchewan, if I tilled my land like I used to, the last two years my farm would have probably been somewhere over the great lakes, it would have blown away.”

The federal Tory Ag Shadow Minister is part of a petition that’s been launched to provide a counter-offensive to the feds’ plan to cut emissions from fertilizer use on farms.
They want it chopped by 30-percent, when even the fertilizer companies say the best they can do is cut it by 15-percent.
Wickett says the only way to chop those emissions by 30-percent, would be to get rid of fertilizer altogether

Tory Ag Critic John Barlow and a potato farmer from Prince Edward Island have now launched a petition to oppose restrictions on fertilizer use.
The petition can now be found on the parliamentary website if you want to sign it.
It’s only going to be there wil January 2nd.
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-The province wants the feds to adjust the income eligibility for the 5-hundred dollar top-up it’s offering some renters.
Right now, individuals who make even just a little over 20-thousand dolllars a year don’t qualify.
That includes seniors and people on AISH.
Families have to make less than 35-thousand a year.
And in both cases, anyone who is hoping to get the money, also has to spend at least 30-percent of their adjusted net income on shelter.
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-The people of Cold Lake are in for a 3.3-percent tax hike next year.
Mayor Craig Copeland says it’s the result of inflation and a lack of proper funding by the feds and province.
He says neither of them has stepped up to pay their fair share, so it’s all being downloaded onto the municipalities.
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-Edmonton city council is still debating, but if they don’t do more shaving this afternoon, residents in Alberta’s capital will be looking at a tax hike of more than 5-percent .
Some councillors are frustrated that some special projects haven’t been shelved for now, including more bike lanes.
A final ruling on the budget is supposed to come down tomorrow.
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-A 20-year old man has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, after an elderly woman was shoved off an LRT platform back in April.
The impact shattered her one leg.
The man told court he went after her because she was looking at him and making him angry.
He also pleaded guilty to assault at another LRT station the following day.
He’ll be sentenced next month.

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-A Lloydminster man who saved his neighbours when he saw their house was on fire has received a commendation from the city.
Travis Levitsky was banging on the door of the home around 4am October 30th, and finally resorted to kicking it in, to make sure the people inside could get out.
He said the smoke was incredibly bad and that he was actually getting dizzy from it.
But he did wake up Mike Champagne, his wife, kids and their dog, and they were all able to escape that blaze with out being injured.
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-A 41 year old American man who’s been charged in the kidnapping and sexual abuse of a 13 year old Edmonton girl this year will be on trial in the spring.
The girl had been kidnapped outside of her school, and was found several days later in a hotel room in Oregon.
Officials have accused the man of meeting her online, where she was sexually exploited for more than a year before the kidnapping and abuse took place.
If he’s convicted, he’s looking at a minimum of 15 years in prison.
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-An Edmonton teacher has been handed a conditional discharge for assaulting a student back in April.
The 31-year old man says he got angry because a Grade 3 student at Horse Hill School wasn’t doing as told after recess.
So he grabbed him by the arm and pushed him, and the boy fell.
The man’s lawyer says it was out of character for his client, and that the boy didn’t have lasting injuries.
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-The Leduc-area branch of the Salvation Army could really use some serious help for their Kettle Campaign this Christmas.
They’re hoping to make 165-thousand dollars this season for their programs in Leduc, Wetaskiwin and Camrose.
And they can’t do it, if they don’t have people to look after those kettles.
If you’ve got some time to help them out, call Pam at 780-387-1904 today.

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-Edmonton police say a convicted violent offender who had been out on release is now back behind bars after RCMP say he left his approved residence on Sunday.
Police had issued a warning about 22 year old Jaycee Bigstone last week, saying they believed he would commit another offence while he was out.
He was under a lot of restrictions and just a few hours after leaving his residence, Westlock RCMP arrested him.
They say he was breaching a number of his conditions and was in possession of a stolen vehicle.