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WATCH: Central Alberta Ag Business Expert makes appeal on Parliament Hill for science

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When he founded Agri-Trend over 20 years ago, Rob Saik set out to educate farmers on the latest trends and influences in the Agriculture industry. Over the years Saik found it might be even more important to educate the general population.  Like everywhere else in society, over the last 20 years there have been a multitude of scientific advancements in all areas of agriculture.  From automated equipment to advances in genetics to high speed internet connection.  You might say farming has improved by leaps and bounds as more people around the world are being fed year after year.

Not surprisingly the general population has not been able to keep up with all this new information.  Many are either poorly informed about where their food comes from… or perhaps they’re misinformed altogether.

It’s all very concerning for Rob Saik.  Together with his son Nick, Rob established Know Ideas Media.  Their company creates communication around the science of agriculture. They’ve recently helped us create and launch Todayville Agriculture.  Whether it’s the latest advancement in equipment, or the latest discovery in food genetics, they want to know the truth and they want to make sure the average person has access to the correct information.

This has taken Nick and Rob near and far, interviewing specialists, speaking to groups, even hosting discussions and debates.  Over time the Saiks have become leading specialists in the science of food production.  That’s why the Federal Standing Policy Committee on Agriculture wanted to hear from Rob Saik this week in Ottawa.   He was more than eager for the opportunity to create a better understanding of what Genetically Modified foods.. actually means.  Saik took a moment to share his presentation with the public from his hotel room the morning of his appointment on Parliament Hill.

Here it is:

Click to learn more about Know Ideas Media. 

After 15 years as a TV reporter with Global and CBC and as news director of RDTV in Red Deer, Duane set out on his own 2008 as a visual storyteller. During this period, he became fascinated with a burgeoning online world and how it could better serve local communities. This fascination led to Todayville, launched in 2016.

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Alberta

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says conservatives must learn to win in ‘big cities’

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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks at the Canada Strong and Free Network in Ottawa on Thursday, March 23, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Ottawa (CP) – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says conservatives must learn how to win in “big cities.”

Smith made the comment to a room of conservatives gathered in Ottawa for the annual conference of the Canada Strong and Free Network, formerly called the Manning Centre.

With Albertans set to go the polls in a provincial election this year, Smith says the United Conservative Party has more ground to gain in the province’s two largest cities: Calgary and Edmonton.

Smith replaced Jason Kenney as party leader and premier last fall, after he resigned following a leadership review where he received only 51 per cent support.

Kenney faced considerable backlash leading up to that vote for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Smith told today’s crowd that the party had lost “a lot” of its base.

Smith’s belief that conservatives must make inroads in large cities is shared by the federal Conservatives, with Leader Pierre Poilievre spending many of his weekends in Metro Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area — areas where his party has struggled to gain ground in the past several elections.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2023.

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National

Stand for the ‘common person’ Pierre Poilievre tells faithful gathered in Ottawa

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Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre speaks at a conference in Ottawa, Thursday, March 23, 2023. Pierre Poilievre rallied a room conservative faithful gathered in Ottawa Thursday by calling on them to become “champions” of ordinary people. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

By Stephanie Taylor in Ottawa

Pierre Poilievre rallied a room of conservative faithful gathered in Ottawa Thursday by calling on them to become “champions” of ordinary people.

It’s a picture the Conservative leader has painted before to his party’s caucus: one in which the “everyday common person” is under attack by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Throughout his address at the Canada Strong and Free Network event, Poilievre evoked images of the single mother, police officer, farmer and general worker whose interests, he said, are not represented in Ottawa.

“More and more, I see them rising up because they feel like they’re losing control over their lives.”

Poilievre’s refrain — a message he believes will open the party up to a coalition of voters needed to defeat the Liberals — was delivered hours after Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said conservatives across the country have another challenge to overcome: winning in cities.

With Albertans set to go the polls in a provincial election this year, Smith said her United Conservative Party has more ground to gain in the province’s two largest cities: Calgary and Edmonton. Insiders predict a competitive race with the Alberta NDP.

Smith replaced Jason Kenney as party leader and premier last fall when he resigned after getting only 51 per cent support in a leadership review.

Kenney, who also attended the conference in Ottawa, faced considerable backlash leading up to that vote for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Smith told Thursday’s crowd that the party lost “a lot” of its base.

She ran for its leadership promising to bolster provincial sovereignty and appealing to party members and others who opposed public-health measures like vaccine mandates as an infringement of personal freedoms.

“The good news is that we’re finally united as a conservative movement,” she told Thursday’s crowd. “Now, we just need to gain a little bit more ground in Calgary and in Edmonton.”

She added: “This is a challenge for all conservatives. We have to figure out how to win in big cities because increasingly, people are moving to big cities.”

That belief is shared by the federal Conservatives, with Poilievre spending many of his weekends in Metro Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area — areas where the party has struggled to gain ground in the past several elections.

Since becoming party leader last September, Poilievre — who has long talked about inflation, food prices and cost-of-living issues — has increased his focus on crime, an issue that affects many who live in cities and suburbs.

He has adopted what some say is a controversial policy on drugs, opposing the practice of providing drug users with a safe supply of certain illicit substances, despite a broad consensus from experts who say that is necessary to prevent accidental overdoses arising from an increasingly toxic drug supply.

Pointing to regions such as Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Poilievre recently slammed safe supply as a “failed experiment,” saying he would instead focusing on increasing access to recovery and treatment spaces.

On Thursday, Smith said she believes her government’s drug policy — which Poilievre has touted as a model to follow — is supported by people living in cities like Edmonton.

Poilievre is also looking to grow the party’s support in urban ridings by getting more immigrant and visible minority communities to consider voting Conservative.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2023.

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