Pigeon king flap yields paper flurry Monday, January 24, 2011 by BETTER FARMING STAFFFormer pigeon breeder and businessman Arlan Galbraith did not appear at a scheduled court appearance in Kitchener this morning. Court officials say that Paul Williams, a local lawyer, appeared on Galbraith’s behalf. Williams recently received “500,000 pages” of disclosure documents relating to the charges brought against the owner of bankrupt Pigeon King International. He arranged for another court date in early May.Williams slipped in and out of the courtroom without being noticed by waiting reporters. He did not respond to repeated telephone calls to his office.Galbraith, last known to live near Cochrane, was released on bail Dec. 1 after being charged with one count of fraud over $5,000 and four counts under the Bankruptcy Act, including failing to appear at a creditor’s meeting and not delivering all credit cards to his bankruptcy trustee, BDO Canada Limited. Pigeon King International, was declared bankrupt in 2008.In December the court placed a publication ban on evidence released during the bail hearing. The ban was issued under Section 517 of the Criminal Code of Canada. The reasons for that ban are unclear. The Crown Prosecutor, Lynn Robinson, was not available for comment. A Waterloo police services release issued at the time of Galbraith’s arrest said the fraud charge relates to allegations that the accused, then 63, defrauded individuals in Canada and the United States of monies exceeding $1 million between 2004 and the date of bankruptcy in 2008.The Pigeon King breeding scheme offered pigeon breeding pairs for as much as $500 and bought back offspring for up to $50 each. Police estimate about 1,000 people invested a total of $20 million in the scheme, hoping for profitable returns. The Waterloo Regional Police Service’s fraud squad and the RCMP began a joint investigation shortly after the company’s failure in 2008, acting on allegations the operation was a Ponzi scheme.Ponzi schemes depend on a continuing flow of money from new participants to pay off earlier investors. Such schemes are illegal under the Criminal Code, according to a January 2009 report from the Office of Superintendent of Bankruptcy.Charges have yet to be proven in court. BF U.S. study quantifies livestock operation emissions Ontario's potato growers buck national trend for 2010
Chinese Tariffs Are Squeezing Canadian Grain and Oilseeds Friday, March 14, 2025 By Aleah Harle, Farms.com Risk Management Intern On March 8, 2025, China announced steep retaliatory tariffs on $2.6 billion worth of Canadian agricultural products in response to Canada’s October tariffs of 100% on Chinese EVs, and 25% on steel, and aluminum. These newly... Read this article online
Canada proactively purchases 500,000 doses of a human vaccine against bird flu Friday, March 14, 2025 By Liam Nolan Canada’s agricultural industry continues to monitor the spread of Avian Influenza (AI). The H5N1 HPAI was first reported in Canada in December 2021, below is an update on recent developments. Avian influenza, or bird flu, continues to impact poultry farms... Read this article online
Farmer Planting Decisions for 2025 Taking Shape Thursday, March 13, 2025 As farmers across Canada prepare for the 2025 crop year, Statistics Canada says their planting decisions reflect a complex mix of factors including moisture conditions, crop rotation considerations, and market prices. Nationally, farmers are expected to plant more wheat, corn for... Read this article online
Grain Growers of Sounding the Alarm Over U.S. Tariffs Monday, March 10, 2025 Not surprisingly, the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) is raising concerns over the United States' decision to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian grain and grain products, a move that could jeopardize the livelihoods of family-run grain farms and lead to higher food prices for American... Read this article online
International Women’s Day – Angela Cammaert Wednesday, March 5, 2025 As International Women’s Day approaches on March 8, Farms.com is asking women in ag about what they’d tell their younger selves about being a farmer, to give a piece of advice to young women entering the ag sector, and to highlight a woman in agriculture they consider a mentor or... Read this article online