Latest news with #Runnalls
Global News
26-04-2025
- General
- Global News
Puppies abandoned in box along the road in Shuswap
Two puppies, both Pug crosses, are adjusting to their temporary home in West Kelowna, B.C., after being abandoned in a box on the side of the road in the Shuswap. 'They were very, very thirsty. They were dehydrated. They were covered in fleas,' said Romany Runnalls, president of the Okanagan Humane Society (OHS). The seven-week old puppies, currently in the care of OHS, were found on a rural road in Tappen, just outside of Salmon Arm early Tuesday morning. They were discovered near a community mailbox by Wayne Smith, who lives in the area. 'I see this box there and think what the heck is that and I drove in and there they were,' Smith told Global News. 'I was almost in tears. I was like, 'Are you kidding me?'' Story continues below advertisement The pair, however, weren't the only pups found abandoned in the area that day. According to Smith, four more puppies, believed to be from the same litter, were also left in a box up the road. Those four found another area resident later the same day and on Friday, Smith stunned yet again after finding a seventh Pug cross in the area. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Like I couldn't believe it, like not again, like another one, like really? What is with people,' said an astonished Smith. Runnalls said the alarming trend of animals being abandoned started after the COVID-19 pandemic but she's urging people to reach out to an animal charity before putting an animal's life in danger. 'It could be an affordability issue. People are not able to afford the spay and neuter costs anymore,' Runnalls said. 'But also it's a rental situation, so all of this is post pandemic where rentals are too hard to come by where they will allow animals.' 1:45 Injured dog dumped in park garbage bin undergoes surgery Runnalls said it's all adding to the overwhelming number of animals in need. Story continues below advertisement OHS has already rescued about 2,000 animals so far this year and is on track to having another record year. Runnalls said to help care for unprecedented number of animals, the volunteer-driven organization is holding a fundraising raffle on the Okanagan Humane Society website until May 10th. OHS is also holding two upcoming fundraising events including on Saturday, April 26 at Rustic Reel Brewing in Kelowna. In Vernon, 'the Heart for Paws' event takes place on May 31 at the Prestige Hotel. The abandoned pugs are expected to be up for adoption in a couple of weeks time.
CBC
20-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Northern Ontario canola farmers brace for 100 per cent tariffs from China
Social Sharing Northern Ontario canola farmers are bracing for financial uncertainty as China's 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian canola oil and meal take effect Thursday. The move is a direct response to Canada's 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and 25 per cent tax on aluminum and steel products. Will Runnalls, a canola farmer near New Liskeard and chair of Ontario's Canola Growers Association, says the impact is already being felt. "There already was a price decline and the longer it continues, farmers might have issues even selling their canola, going forward," he said. Canola is Canada's second largest acreage crop with more than 21 million acres produced annually, a federal news release said. Canola meal exports to China made up $920.9 million of Canada's economy in 2024 while canola oil exports to China made up about $21 million. Canola is one of the top three cash crops in northern Ontario, alongside soybeans and spring wheat, according to Runnalls. Most of the region's production is concentrated in the Temiskaming and Nipissing districts. While the new tariffs are expected to hit western Canada hardest, where the crop is primarily grown, Ontario growers are not immune. "In eastern Canada, it's a smaller issue because our acres are small, so most of the by-products of canola meal and oil are used within Canada or the United States," Runnalls said. "The bigger issue would be in Western Canada, where there's upwards of 20 million acres produced. All of that is exported either to the states or China. In Ontario, our price is based off the western price, so maybe we can still sell it, but if the price falls on the West, it falls here as well." Farmers weigh their options amid uncertainty Runnalls says the instability is forcing northern farmers to reconsider their crop choices. In Temiskaming, many growers have cut their canola acreage by 60 per cent, switching to soybeans, which can still be exported to Asian markets like Japan, Malaysia, and Taiwan. With the planting season approaching, some farmers may still be able to adjust their plans, but others have no choice but to move forward. "Most people would have ordered their seed because it has to be processed and bagged, and they might even have delivery of it," Runnalls said. "Depending on how it was purchased, they might be able to return it. They might not be able to." China hitting Canada with 100% tariff on canola oil and peas 10 days ago Duration 1:58 The Canadian Canola industry is under attack again from China. New Chinese tariffs are in response to the federal government's decision last October to impose 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and a 25 per cent levy on its aluminum and steel products. The tariffs come as a direct response to Canada imposing 100 per cent tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, something Runnalls says needs to be resolved at the negotiating table. "I think, you know, we have to get back to the negotiating table, and we need the export market," he said. "There's been talks of financial support, but most producers, we don't want more loans. We need the export market. So we have to get back to the negotiating table and reach a solution." He also says Canada shouldn't just focus on finding new trade partners but work to repair its existing relationships. "We can do market diversification and find new markets, but we have to, you know, keep the same markets we have," Runnalls said. "Keep those relationships open, not just go look for a new market."
