Latest news with #Malpeque
CBC
19-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Lennox Island says it will defend treaty rights after DFO seizes lobster traps
Social Sharing Lennox Island First Nation is calling out what it describes as "aggressive enforcement" by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans after lobster traps were seized from its treaty-protected fishery in Malpeque, P.E.I., and Alberton, P.E.I., on Sunday. In a news release, Chief Darlene Bernard said the traps were part of a self-governed moderate livelihood fishery launched in 2022 and operated under a management plan created by the community. The Mi'kmaq have a right to fish for a "moderate livelihood" outside the commercial fishery regulated by the federal government. That's a right that was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada's Marshall decision in 1999. According to the release, the number of traps used this year as part of the treaty-protected fishery matched those in the previous season, which had proceeded without incident. "This is a constitutional treaty right — not a privilege, not a negotiation, and not something Canada gets to control," Bernard was quoted as saying in the release. "Our treaty-protected fishery follows a community-developed plan that aligns with conservation priorities and voluntarily mirrors DFO regulations. "DFO's actions are a blatant violation of our rights, and we will not tolerate this kind of intimidation. It is a modest fishery that we launched on principle and it has run successfully and safely for three years now." The chief is now demanding the return of the seized traps and is calling on DFO to return to "meaningful, rights-based dialogue." "If Canada is serious about reconciliation, it must stop criminalizing Mi'kmaw rights and start supporting them. We will defend our treaty rights by any and all peaceful means necessary — in the courts, in the media, and on the water," Bernard said. The release does not specify how many traps were seized on Sunday. A spokesperson for the First Nation told CBC News Monday that more traps will be set on Tuesday. The situation under investigation, says DFO In a statement to CBC News, DFO said it authorized Lennox Island community members to use up to 1,000 lobster traps in Lobster Fishing Area 24 during the 2025 spring commercial season under a one-year authorization. The season opened April 25 and runs until June 25. The department said fishing without a licence or in contravention of the Fisheries Act and regulations "may be subject to enforcement action." The department said enforcement officers may take a progressive approach, including education, warnings or charges. "Authorized community members in Lennox Island are required to meet licence conditions including the use of DFO tags. The situation at Malpeque and Alberton in Prince Edward Island is under DFO's Conservation and Protection investigation," the statement reads. It said fishery officers will continue patrols "to ensure compliance and promote a peaceful and orderly fishery." 'This is about more than traps or lobster,' says chief According to the Lennox Island release, the First Nation had met with DFO in good faith, including recent meetings to present its 2025 treaty protected fishery management plan, which voluntarily follows DFO regulations. "Yet, DFO continues to sideline those efforts and impose unilateral decisions rooted in political and policy decisions and the narrow interpretation of the Fisheries Act," it said. The release said Lennox Island's treaty fishery has created opportunities for Mi'kmaw youth and new harvesters, as well as helped relieve pressure on the community's oversubscribed commercial licences. "This is about more than traps or lobster — this is about our right to self-determination, economic justice, and the survival of our way of life," said Bernard. "We are not backing down. Our fishers are out there with the full support of our nation and our ancestors behind them."
CBC
14-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
P.E.I.'s Heath MacDonald says he wants to 'raise the bar' as Canada's agriculture minister
Social Sharing Newly appointed Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald says he's humbled and privileged to be named to the federal portfolio. The Liberal MP for P.E.I.'s central riding of Malpeque is the lone voice for the province in Prime Minister Mark Carney's new cabinet, sworn in Tuesday. "A lot of emotions run through your mind," MacDonald told CBC News on Wednesday about learning he would be appointed to the post. "You want to do the best job possible for Islanders, of course, and Canadians as a whole." The agriculture portfolio was previously held by former P.E.I. MP Lawrence MacAulay, first from 2015 to 2019, and then again from 2023 until March this year. The Agriculture and Agri-Food mandate is a broad one that interacts with various sectors and regions, MacDonald said. "You have to work closely with the other departments and those ministers and ensure that they fully understand that the decisions that they're making could have an impact on agriculture right across the country," he said, adding that Carney's downsized cabinet will allow for closer collaboration between members. Moving quickly While the ministerial mandate has not yet been released, MacDonald said his primary focus will be on trade. "We need to diversify our trade as quickly as possible, we need to remove our regulatory burdens on the industries and sectors that we're dealing with and we need to continue to invest in innovation and technology," he said. "We need to work on those as promptly and quickly as possible to ensure that we are competitive in a global market." Having previously served as P.E.I.'s finance minister, MacDonald said he understands the need for government to be fiscally responsible. "We have to advance the economy as quickly as possible and I think Mr. Carney, with his background, is certainly the one to do that." Addressing farmers' concerns This week, the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture raised concerns about how the Canadian Food Inspection Agency operates, saying CFIA's risk-management policies can often make it more difficult for Island producers to export thier food. Wednesday, MacDonald said the agency plays an important role. "You can't live with them and you can't live without them. It's extremely important to ensure the safety of our food," he said, noting that countries that import Canadian food view the CFIA as a safety net. At the same time, the new minister said he would like to see more efficient processes put in place to reduce the burden. "The bureaucracy is the bureaucracy, but we need to expedite it," he said. "We are in a time in this country that we've never seen before, so we all need to be shoulder to shoulder and working in the same direction." Tariffs on Canadian goods imposed by the United States are another major concern for the agriculture and agri-food industry, the P.E.I. Potato Board told CBC News on Tuesday. Several cabinet committees will be struck to address those concerns, MacDonald said, noting that he will be sitting on some of them. He said his aim is to ensure that farmers across the country in every market are considered, and that ministers understand the importance of the agriculture and agri-food sector for P.E.I. and across Canada. 'We're all in this' MacDonald said he will work in the interests of all Canadians, regardless of who they voted for in the April 28 federal election. "Once you get to this place and time, you put that behind you and you work with everybody," he said. "Put partisan politics aside…. We're all in this. When they succeed, I succeed." As he takes on his new portfolio, MacDonald said he has plans to transform the file over the course of his mandate. "You keep having to raise the bar, you know, and raise the profile of this sector," he said.
CBC
13-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
P.E.I. has voice in federal cabinet again as Heath MacDonald named agriculture minister
Malpeque MP takes over P.E.I. cabinet responsibility from retired Lawrence MacAulay Prince Edward Island once again has representation at the federal cabinet table. Prime Minister Mark Carney appointed Malpeque MP Heath MacDonald as Canada's new minister of agriculture and agri-food Tuesday. As usual, he will be the sole voice for Canada's smallest province in the federal cabinet. It first became clear that MacDonald was in the cabinet at about 10:30 a.m. AT, when he was spotted walking with other cabinet members to Rideau Hall, the official residence of Canada's governor-general. About an hour and a half later, his specific portfolio was announced. MacDonald is a former provincial finance minister who has held Malpeque for the Liberals since 2021. He was re-elected in the April 28 general election with 57.6 per cent of the vote in the central P.E.I. riding. The agriculture portfolio was previously held by former P.E.I. MP Lawrence MacAulay, first from 2015 to 2019, and then again from 2023 until March this year. The Malpeque riding was previously represented by Liberal MP Wayne Easter, who was Canada's Solicitor General from 2002 to 2003, and then from 2004 to 2006 served as parliamentary secretary to the federal minister of agriculture and agri-food, with a special emphasis on rural development. Minister urged to address issues Rita Jackson, a district director for the National Farmers Union on P.E.I., said she hopes MacDonald will take on some of the pressing issues facing the province's farming community, including the loss of farmland. "At the current rate, we will have lost half of our farming land by 2050. Now, 2050 is only 25 years away. It's nothing. It goes by in the blink of an eye," she told CBC News Tuesday afternoon. Jackson said it's also important for the federal government to support new and aspiring farmers, who face high barriers to entry, especially when it comes to the cost of land. "If you want to buy a smallish farm... let's say 120 acres, the asking price is $1 million. Now, if you get a $1 million mortgage to buy your farm over 25 years at 5 per cent, it's going to cost you just a little bit under $70,000 a year. How are you going to make $70,000 a year farming?" Jackson, who is also a farmer herself, said the government should consider offering more financial support to farmers, such as a basic income tied to sustainable agricultural practices like improving soil health, planting trees and protecting water and wildlife. "We as farmers do all of that, and we're not compensated for it," she said. While Jackson said she looks forward to seeing what MacDonald will do in his new role, she noted she hasn't had much luck getting in touch with him so far, even though he's her MP. "I've called him on a number of occasions about different things, and I've never spoken to him. He never called back," she said. "Well, Heath, first of all, I want you to give me a call. Call me back. You've got my number. I've left at least 15 messages about various things."
CBC
13-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
P.E.I. back in federal cabinet with Heath MacDonald named agriculture minister
Prince Edward Island once again has representation at the federal cabinet table. Malpeque MP Heath MacDonald was appointed Canada's new Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Tuesday morning. It first became clear that MacDonald was in the cabinet at about 10:30 a.m. AT, when he was spotted walking with other cabinet members to Rideau Hall. It wasn't until about an hour and a half later that his specific portfolio was publicly announced. MacDonald has held Malpeque for the Liberals since 2021. He was re-elected on April 28 with 57.6 per cent of the vote. The agriculture portfolio was previously held by former P.E.I. MP Lawrence MacAulay, first from 2015 to 2019, and then again from 2023 until March this year.
CBC
14-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
No Island MPs named to Carney's cabinet, but it does have a P.E.I. native
For the first time in many decades, Prince Edward Island does not have an MP serving in a federal cabinet. A list of ministers released as Prime Minister Mark Carney was being sworn in did not include any of the province's four Liberal MPs: Lawrence MacAulay, Sean Casey, Bobby Morrissey or Heath MacDonald. MacAulay had been in the cabinets of former prime ministers Jean Chrétien and Justin Trudeau, but announced last month that he would not be running again in the Cardigan riding when the next federal election is held. A campaign is likely to be triggered within weeks, with an election date in late April or early May. Carney had been highly expected to trim his cabinet from the 37 MPs who were in Trudeau's cabinet, including the prime minister himself. Though no MPs elected from Prince Edward Island are in Carney's 24-member cabinet, there is some Island content. New Minister of Jobs and Family Steven MacKinnon represents the Quebec riding of Gatineau, but was born in Charlottetown and still has relatives on the Island. He had most recently been Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour under Trudeau. MacKinnon says he supports Carney's bid for Liberal leadership 2 months ago Duration 0:57 Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon was asked why most cabinet ministers are supporting Mark Carney instead of former deputy prime minister and finance minister Chrystia Freeland's bid for Liberal leadership. MacKinnon said he respects Freeland and her contributions. MacKinnon had been an early supporter of Carney's Liberal leadership campaign after Trudeau said in January that he was stepping down. Carney won the leadership on March 9 with nearly 86 per cent of the votes cast. All four Prince Edward Island MPs were Carney supporters as well. In Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper's government, former Egmont MP Gail Shea was the cabinet minister responsible for Prince Edward Island. Former Malpeque MP Wayne Easter also spent time in cabinet under Chrétien.
