Farm writer complies with bench warrant in sheep case Friday, April 25, 2014 by JOE CALLAHAN A slow-moving criminal court case connected to the disappearance two years ago of 31 sheep under quarantine at a Northumberland County farm took a tiny step forward this week when a judge at the Ontario Court of Justice in Cobourg cancelled a bench warrant against one of four people who have been charged. On Wednesday, Judge Robert Graydon cancelled a bench warrant that had ordered Suzanne Atkinson to appear in court after Atkinson complied with the order. It was the second warrant that had been issued to order Atkinson, a journalist, to appear in court. Atkinson had failed to attend two previously scheduled hearings. According to the ministry of the attorney general, “in circumstances where a person does not appear in court, the court may extend a courtesy by issuing a bench warrant ‘with discretion.’” Atkinson, of Warkworth, Northumberland County, as well as Linda (Montana) Jones from Hastings, Northumberland County, Michael Schmidt from Durham, Grey County and Robert Pinnell from West Grey township, Grey County, face charges of conspiracy to commit obstruction of a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) officer, to transport or to cause to transport an animal under quarantine, and conspiracy to defraud the public of a service over $5,000 under the Criminal Code. Jones is also charged with obstructing a CFIA inspector under the Health of Animals Act and Pinnell faces a further charge of attempting to obstruct justice and another for obstructing a police officer, both under the Criminal Code. Atkinson declined to comment on the case. Graydon scheduled the matter to June 17 in Cobourg, when Justice Lorne Chester is expected to rule on a conflict of interest motion filed by the Crown in connection with another aspect of the case. BF Standardbred horse breeders say they have no choice but to sue the province OFA wants to see debt retirement charge removed from Ontario farm bills too
Twelve Ontario Agri-Businesses Receive Funding Support Wednesday, June 25, 2025 Bioenterprise Canada has announced the successful recipients of the second call for proposals under the Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (OAFRI) Commercialization Stream. Twelve organizations across Ontario will receive support to bring innovative agri-food solutions to the... Read this article online
Early Career Research Award supports two Guelph research initiatives Tuesday, June 24, 2025 The was presented to two University of Guelph researchers at the recently held Livestock Research Innovation Corporation (LRIC) symposium. Dr. Kelsey Spence received $40,000 towards her work in on-farm biosecurity research, and Dr. Sam Workenhe was awarded $60,000 to further his... Read this article online
Rural internet speeds have improved, but compared to urban gap is wide Friday, June 20, 2025 Rural internet speeds have improved, but the gap with urban areas is still wide, says Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) - the national not-for-profit best known for managing the .CA domain. Regional differences also continue—New Brunswick shows faster speeds, while as... Read this article online
Ontario Bean Growers are having a day and you are invited Friday, June 20, 2025 The Ontario Bean Growers have announced it will be holding its annual on August 20, 2025. The day begins with research presentations at 1 pm. Details of the research presentations will be published as they become available. At 4 pm, Chris Gillard will lead attendees on a tour... Read this article online
Did you know your summer picnic watermelon might be from Ontario? Thursday, June 19, 2025 Watermelon, a fruit often linked to warmer U.S. states, is grown in southern Ontario during the summer months. In 2023, Ontario farmers produced 35,084 tonnes of watermelon, accounting for 96.7% of the total Canadian watermelon production. Sweet potatoes are another example. In... Read this article online