Latest news with #HeatherRyan
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Viterra's Regina canola crusher plans 'unlikely' to proceed: U.S. report
The construction of yet another canola crush plant that was planned for Regina is 'unlikely to go ahead,' states a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The report, publicly available on the department's Foreign Agriculture Service website, describes Viterra's plans for a new plant in the city as 'in limbo as of 2024' after U.S.-based Bunge's multibillion-dollar acquisition. 'It is under review, but industry contacts say plant construction is unlikely to go ahead,' states the report, dated March 31, 2025. Canola crushing is the process of extracting oil from the seeds. In January, Bunge received approval from the Canadian government to acquire Regina-based Viterra, formerly the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool. 'With our announced business combination with Bunge, our team remains focused on regulatory approvals and integration planning to ensure a smooth transition for our customers across our complementary asset network,' Viterra said via email after the Leader-Post asked directly if the project was under review and whether construction would go ahead. Canola is one of Saskatchewan's top exports but the sector faces growing fears due in part to 100-per-cent tariffs recently imposed by China. 'Domestic crush capacity expanded because of a desire to diversify away from the volatile Chinese market demand for canola seed …,' reads the U.S. report. The report — titled Canada: Oilseeds and Products Annual — notes that crush capacity growth has fallen short of projections. When Viterra first announced plans for a new world-class Regina crushing plant back in 2021, projections indicated there could be 59-per-cent growth in crush capacity by 2025, the report says. Once Cargill completes its new facility in Regina later this year, the national canola crush capacity is estimated to be 14.46-million metric tons (MMT), notes the report, explaining that would constitute a 28-per-cent national increase. 'The volume of canola processed, as well as the volume exported (as seed, oil, or meal), is highly dependent on the evolution of several economic and political variables such as the future of state, provincial, and federal (U.S. and Canadian) market incentives for renewable fuels,' states the report. 'Processors monitor the crush spread (the difference between the value of canola seed and its byproducts of oil and meal), to gauge of the potential profit margin for canola processors. Processors might also look at economic and political risk indicators of export markets.' Earlier this year, Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) announced that plans for a renewable diesel facility and joint-venture canola crush plant — two main projects associated with its proposed Integrated Agriculture Complex in Regina — were being 'paused for the foreseeable future.' The company attributed the decision to 'regulatory and political uncertainty, potential shifts in low-carbon public policy and escalating costs.' FCL CEO Heather Ryan said the company made the decision after taking a look at the cost analysis of the project using recent data. 'Quite honestly, there was a lot of escalating cost with respect to this magnitude of a project that played a large part in our decision as well,' Ryan told the Leader-Post in January. ryoung@ jackerman@ The Regina Leader-Post has created an Afternoon Headlines newsletter that can be delivered daily to your inbox so you are up to date with the most vital news of the day. Click here to subscribe. With some online platforms blocking access to the journalism upon which you depend, our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed. Click here to subscribe.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House Ethics Committee reprimands group for claiming lawmaker was a former stripper
Heather Ryan with the organization "Bitches Get Stuff Done" spoke to lawmakers on the House Ethics Committee April 23, 2025 about a complaint filed over a posting on the organization's website that identified a lawmaker's profession as "former stripper." (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch) The House Ethics Committee unanimously voted to reprimand members of the 'Bitches Get Stuff Done' organization for publishing content online claiming Rep. Samantha Fett, R-Carlisle, was a 'former stripper.' The committee met to discuss a complaint made by Fett against the liberal group for alleging she was a former stripper. On a section of the organization's website titled 'the Burn Book' providing information about Republican lawmakers, Fett's occupation is listed as 'Former Stripper, Moms for Liberty Fanatic, Devil in Disguise.' Fett, who works as a marketing communications director, said the claim was false and the online post could impact her work in the future. The complaint was received March 24, and Rep. Bill Gustoff, R-Des Moines, said the group was given a 10-day period, expiring April 10, to respond. When no response was received, he said, the committee later proceeded to schedule the meeting and gave members of the organization time to respond. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Heather Ryan, one of the leaders of the group, said she 'got a tip from a constituent that said that that was her former profession.' Ryan said she could not prove that Fett formerly worked as an adult dancer. 'There was no reason for me to not believe it,' Ryan said. 'I don't think it's bad work. Sex work is work. So, you know, I don't care about that. I thought she'd be more upset that we called her a 'devil in disguise,' but who am I to judge? So had she contacted me, had she reached out in any fashion and said anything about it, I would have taken it down. But she didn't.' Heaven Chamberlain, another organizer with the group, said she made the graphic with information from a 'reputable source,' but said she would not name who she received the information from. She also said that listing Fett's profession as a 'former stripper' was not inherently negative. 'I'm just gonna say, I worked as an OnlyFans model, there's nothing wrong with that, just like there's nothing wrong with being a stripper,' Chamberlain said. Fett told the committee she filed the complaint because the group was registered to lobby lawmakers. 'When you do register as a lobbyist, you agree to operate at a higher level of professionalism, under rules,' Fett said. 'And as you heard two individuals say, this was a rumor on an occupation that clearly isn't true, that was published and promoted as a way to harm.' Rep. Timi Brown-Powers, D-Waterloo, questioned the 'economic damage' caused by the posting, but said she understood that it is 'very frustrating to be an attacked on social media.' Gustoff said the rules allow the ethics committee to take action on subjects that have the intention of harm, and do not necessarily require proof of harm. The committee unanimously approved issuing a public reprimand against the organization — a way of expressing disapproval of the group's actions, but that does not put other sanctions on the organization. Fett said her complaint was filed to ensure that professionalism is upheld at the Legislature. 'The end result is not the reason it's the right thing to do,' Fett said. 'Like I said, we're taking a stance (against people who) make a statement with the intention of harming someone else, especially someone who's representing constituents.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
