Province quashes hopes for retroactive bunkhouse payments Wednesday, December 15, 2010 by SUSAN MANNOntario’s move to change the property tax classification for temporary worker bunkhouses to the farm class isn’t retroactive, says finance ministry spokesman Kent Williams.Williams says in an email that making the “regulatory amendment prospective rather than retroactive provides stability for municipalities and clarity for property owners and the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation.”Norfolk-area farmer Marshall Schuyler wants the change to be made retroactive.Schuyler recently built a new bunkhouse and it was assessed as residential while the other four bunkhouses on his property were assessed as farm.Nevertheless, he says he’s really pleased the decision to change the classification for bunkhouses “wasn’t one of these things that went on for five year, ten years.”Schuyler says he’s now waiting to see what is in the regulations. “I’m 99 per cent sure the regulations will accomplish what the press release says. But until you see the actual regulations, you don’t know.”The change is effective Jan. 1 and applies to all bunkhouses that meet the eligibility criteria. The farm classification will apply to dwellings that are used for on-farm seasonal or temporary workers, situated on land that has been assessed as farmland and included in the farm property class and that aren’t occupied year round, Williams writes in the email.The change means farmers with residences that house temporary workers will pay the farm property tax rate, which is 75 per cent lower than the residential rate.The finance ministry estimates farmers could save $200 to $300 a year based on the average assessment for a bunkhouse. The amount of taxes saved by a farmer could vary greatly depending on the number of bunkhouses on the property and their assessed value. BF Mitchell scratches deferred payment ban Bunkhouse relief
First Northern Cohort Joins Ontario Vet Program Thursday, September 4, 2025 This September, the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) at the University of Guelph welcomed its inaugural Northern Cohort of 20 students through the Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program (CDVMP). This initiative, created in partnership with Lakehead University, marks a milestone... Read this article online
Manitoba Farmers Defend Their Whisky Roots Amid Ontario Backlash Thursday, September 4, 2025 As most reader will know by now, on August 28, beverage alcohol giant Diageo announced it will be closing its Amherstburg, Ontario bottling plant. Located just 25 kilometres from the nearest U.S. border crossing, the company says the decision is part of a strategy to streamline its supply... Read this article online
Global grain trade gets a shake-up: What it means for Canadian farmers Tuesday, September 2, 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
Canadian Farmers Face Weaker Soybean Yields Ahead Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Statistics Canada forecasts that Canadian soybean production will decline in 2025, reflecting weaker yields across major producing provinces. Nationally, output is projected to fall by 7.3% year over year to 7.0 million tonnes. The decline is linked to a drop in yields, which are expected... Read this article online
Canadian Corn Outlook Shows Mixed Regional Trends Tuesday, September 2, 2025 Statistics Canada projects Canadian corn-for-grain production to grow slightly in 2025, despite drier-than-normal weather and high temperatures that have pressured yields. National production is forecast to rise 1.4% year over year to 15.6 million tonnes. This gain comes from higher... Read this article online