• S-230 (45-1) - National Strategy for Soil Health Act

  Source: Parliament of Canada (LEGISinfo)
  Date: 2026-10-29 17:14:02.0
  Tags: [National, Agriculture, Environment, Governance]

  Bill S-230, the National Strategy for Soil Health Act sponsored by Senator Robert Black, has progressed to debate at second reading in the House of Commons during the 45th Parliament, 1st session. The Senate Public Bill proposes the development of a comprehensive national strategy focused on soil health protection, conservation, and enhancement. Following its introduction and first reading in June 2025, the bill passed through the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry with amendments before receiving third reading in the Senate in March 2026. The legislation was subsequently introduced and read a first time in the House of Commons in April 2026, with ongoing second reading debate taking place in October 2026.

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• Amendment to Lands Protection Act could reduce land holding limits for non-profits

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-28 22:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Agriculture, Governance, Environment]

  The Prince Edward Island government has introduced a proposed amendment to the Lands Protection Act that would reduce the maximum land holding limit for non-profit corporations from 3,000 acres down to 400 acres. The amendment targets organizations pursuing patriotic, religious, philanthropic, charitable, scientific, artistic, social, professional, or sporting objectives, requiring groups exceeding the new limit to divest excess land. Specifically, inter-related Buddhist groups such as the Great Wisdom Buddhist Institute and the Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society, which hold upward of 3,200 acres collectively, and religious organizations like the Catholic Church, which owns more than 1,700 acres, would be directly impacted. The provincial government opened a public feedback window for the proposed amendment running until November 10.

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• Saskatchewan Updates Chronic Wasting Disease Testing Approach for 2026-27

  Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
  Date: 2026-10-22 23:45:00.0
  Tags: [Saskatchewan, Environment, Agriculture, Public Safety]

  The Government of Saskatchewan announced its updated chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing approach for the 2026-27 hunting season, maintaining mandatory testing in designated wildlife management zones and voluntary testing across the rest of the province. Led by Environment Minister Darlene Rowden, the policy responds to hunter feedback to ensure continued access to testing for wild game consumption decisions and to support ongoing wildlife health surveillance. Hunters must submit eligible samples according to regional requirements, with notifications and detailed instructions published on Saskatchewan.ca/CWD by October 31, 2026.

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• P.E.I. farmer claims victory after settling lawsuit with CRA over shared tax information

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-21 22:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Taxation, Justice, Agriculture, Environment]

  Prince Edward Island potato farmer Alex Docherty, his son Logan Docherty, and their company Skye View Farms settled a $450,000 civil lawsuit in Federal Court against the Canada Revenue Agency in January 2026. The lawsuit alleged the Canada Revenue Agency unlawfully shared personal and corporate tax records with an environmental officer and a Crown prosecutor during a regulatory investigation stemming from a 2016 fish kill in Clyde River, for which Docherty was ultimately acquitted. While the Canada Revenue Agency cited taxpayer confidentiality provisions and declined to comment on the settlement, Docherty is calling on Members of Parliament to clarify or amend federal laws regarding the unauthorized sharing of tax data.

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• P.E.I.'s program to protect farmland from development a 'mirage,' report says

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-16 21:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Agriculture, Environment, Governance, Housing]

  A review by commissioner Rory Francis of the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission revealed that Prince Edward Island's Land Identification Program, established in 1995 under the Lands Protection Act, fails to provide permanent farmland protection because non-development agreements automatically expire after 10 years. Between 2016 and July 2026, 61,500 hectares (152,000 acres) were protected and are set to expire by 2036, adding to the 121,400 hectares (300,000 acres) that lost protection under a 2015 retroactive policy change. According to Statistics Canada, Prince Edward Island lost 12 percent of its farmland between 2016 and 2021 at an average rate of 39 acres per day, while the provincial government has repeatedly delayed implementing a comprehensive province-wide land use plan recommended since the 1973 Royal Commission on Land Ownership and Land Use.

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• Buffalo Pound Dam Upgrades Support Reliable Water Supplies for Saskatchewan Communities and Industry

  Source: Saskatchewan - Government News
  Date: 2026-10-15 22:00:00.0
  Tags: [Saskatchewan, Infrastructure, Environment, Water, Agriculture, Industry]

  The Saskatchewan Government announced significant progress on the $12 million Buffalo Pound Dam upgrades managed by the Water Security Agency, which owns and operates over 70 dams across the province. Major rehabilitation work includes emergency spillway upgrades to restore height and strengthen rock protection, control structure and safety enhancements, erosion and repairs, and bridge deck repaving. Buffalo Pound Lake supplies water to approximately 25 per cent of Saskatchewan's population—including the cities of Regina and Moose Jaw—as well as regional agriculture, two potash mines, and other industrial operations. Furthermore, the province has invested nearly $40 million in more than 60 water infrastructure projects for the 2026-27 fiscal year, with upcoming repairs starting on the Upper Qu'Appelle River channel between the Qu'Appelle River Dam and Tugaske Bridge.

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• N.B. regulator to review complaints about noise and odours near potato chips factory

  Source: New Brunswick - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-04 19:13:35.0
  Tags: [New Brunswick, Agriculture, Environment, Justice, Municipal]

  Seventeen residents living near the Covered Bridge Potato Chips Ltd. facility in Woodstock, New Brunswick, have filed claims with the provincial Farm Practices Review Board alleging ongoing disruptions from noise, odours, and traffic resulting from the plant's conversion last year. Covered Bridge Potato Chips Ltd.'s legal counsel, Sheila Mecking, argues the facility qualifies as an agricultural operator under provincial legislation and asked the board to settle the case. Conversely, the residents' lawyer, Basile Chiasson, contends the board lacks jurisdiction, setting up a decision by the five-member board chaired by Maurice Maillet regarding whether to review the matter or allow the residents to pursue legal action at the Court of King’s Bench.

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• Protecting Chinook salmon in Bessette Creek with temporary order

  Source: British Columbia - Government News
  Date: 2026-08-28 19:00:00.0
  Tags: [British Columbia, Environment, Water, Agriculture, Fisheries]

  Effective August 28, 2026, the Government of British Columbia issued a fish population protection order under the Water Sustainability Act for the Bessette Creek watershed in the Thompson Okanagan region due to persistent severe drought and record-low streamflows. The temporary order halts water use for 131 surface-water and groundwater licence holders and transitioning users engaged in forage crop irrigation, crop harvesting, processing ore, and other water-intensive industrial activities to protect endangered Chinook salmon. The Province offers support through the Agriculture Water Infrastructure Program—which has invested $120 million since 2023 across more than 700 producer projects—alongside the $285.5-million B.C. Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund.

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• Environmental Assessment Bulletin

  Source: Newfoundland & Labrador - Government Releases
  Date: 2026-08-28 11:55:10.0
  Tags: [Newfoundland and Labrador, Environment, Resources, Infrastructure, Mining, Agriculture]

  The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador's Department of Environment, Conservation and Climate Change announced environmental assessment decisions under Part 10 of the Environmental Protection Act. The Department of Forestry, Agriculture and Lands registered the Crown Zone 3 Five-Year Operating Plan (2027-2031) covering commercial and domestic timber harvesting, silviculture, and road construction across Forest Management Districts 4, 5, 6, and 8 (Reg. 2432). Additionally, 44980 NFLD Inc. registered a 3.64-hectare peat moss quarry project off South Branch Road in Happy Valley-Goose Bay to supply topsoil (Reg. 2431), with public comments due by October 2, 2026, and a ministerial decision due by October 11, 2026. The White River Hay Company project (Reg. 2426) was released from environmental assessment, and NordSpace Atlantic Corporation met compliance conditions for the St. Lawrence Spaceport Complex (Reg. 2375) regarding a Targeted Vegetation Survey for Species at Risk, a Women's Employment Plan, and Newfoundland Power electrical grid integration.

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