Egg industry 'whistleblower' loses $63,000 contempt appeal Thursday, May 3, 2012 by BETTER FARMING STAFFNorman Bourdeau, an information technology specialist who has challenged the integrity of business practices within Ontario’s supply-managed egg industry, has lost his appeal of a contempt of court decision.The latest loss will pile $10,000 in costs on the $63,000 in fine and costs the self-proclaimed whistleblower must pay in connection with the original contempt finding.“Obviously I don’t agree with the decision,” Bourdeau said Thursday, noting that’s why he says he’s considering applying to the Supreme Court of Canada for leave to appeal.In July, Ontario Superior Court Judge P.D. Lauwers found Bourdeau in contempt for keeping copies of documents about his former employer and disseminating them after another judge had told him not to.Bourdeau challenged Lauwers’ decision in August, claiming, among other things, that the judge had been a senior partner of a law firm at a time when the firm had been a counsel for L.H. Gray & Son Limited. L.H. Gray is Ontario’s second largest egg grader and Bourdeau’s former employer. Bourdeau and his former employer are embroiled in legal actions in London.The Strathroy business is also one of many provincial egg industry players named in a lawsuit brought about by Blackstock, Ontario-based Sweda Farms Ltd., and its related business ventures.Bourdeau is a witness for Sweda, and the contempt motion arises from this case.L.H. Gray brought the contempt motion. The company was the only one of those involved in the Sweda case that was a respondent in the appeal, although all of those involved received notice of the proceedings, said Allison Webster, L.H. Gray’s lawyer.Bourdeau’s appeal was heard Monday at the Ontario Court of Appeal in Toronto. The court released an oral endorsement that day. Bourdeau and Webster said they expect a written endorsement from the court will follow soon.“We’re obviously pleased that the contempt finding which was very thoroughly made by Justice Lauwers has been upheld,” Webster said today. “I think it’s important that people who are subject of court orders, if they do not follow the court orders, are held responsible for it.”Webster said she has no information about Bourdeau considering a Supreme Court appeal of the Ontario Appeal Court decision.“In my view that would be an extraordinarily difficult road to go down,” she said.Bourdeau says that if his application for leave to appeal or the appeal to the Supreme Court were unsuccessful, he would pay the penalties that have been imposed. BF Water levels at record lows in Upper Thames watershed Latest scrapie results for quarantined Northumberland farm published
Corn and Soybean Crops Fall Short in 2025 Predicts Great Ontario Yield Tour Thursday, August 28, 2025 Ontario’s 2025 corn and soybean harvest is shaping up to be one of the most challenging in recent memory, as persistent drought and heat have pushed yields below the Agricorp 10-year average say experts and master scouts Moe Agostino and Henry Prinzen of the 2025 Great Ontario Yield Tour.... Read this article online
Global grain trade gets a shake-up: What it means for Canadian farmers Thursday, August 28, 2025 The global grain and oilseed trading industry is undergoing a major transformation—and Canadian farmers should take note. A recently published study in the September 2025 issue of discussed how the traditional dominance of a few multinational giants is giving way to a more competitive,... Read this article online
Ontario Farmers Share Yield Strategies Amid Drought Wednesday, August 27, 2025 The Great Ontario Yield Tour held an event at Petersen Custom Farming in Osgood, Ontario, on Thursday, August 21, 2025. The farmer panel during lunch was one of the highlights of the event. Farmers and industry experts gathered to discuss yield strategies and the realities of this season’s... Read this article online
2025 Livestock Tax Deferral Regions Announced Tuesday, August 26, 2025 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has published the initial list of prescribed regions eligible for the 2025 Livestock Tax Deferral provision, a key support measure for Canadian livestock producers grappling with the impacts of extreme weather. “As we continue to see the very... Read this article online
Why Pork Producers Should Care About Canada’s Pig Code Update Tuesday, August 26, 2025 As many farmers will know, as part of the normal process for review, the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) has launched a comprehensive review of Canada’s Pig Code of Practice, last updated in 2014. The review was announced in May. The process, expected to span three years,... Read this article online