Opposition faces Bill 6

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Thousands of outraged Alberta farmers are flocking to town hall meetings across the province and the steps of the legislature, for a chance to have their voices heard against a rushed bill that seeks to subject all farming operations to a one-size-fits-all solution.
The Enhanced Protection for Farm and Ranch Workers Act would demand ranches and farmers to follow health and safety regulations, which includes the opportunity for paid workers to join a union, negotiate wages and benefits, and require operations to protect their employees under the Workers Compensation Board – a requirement many local small farming operations say would put them out of business.
The legislation also allows Occupational Health and Safety to inspect Alberta farms and ranches and has many farmers worried about their day-to-day operations. Alberta farmers argue a small farming operation should not be treated the same as a large factory.
“With the new standards they want in place, WCB on top of OHS and courses they want you to take, I couldn’t afford it,” said small business owner Kim Betournay, who owns Hoof Prints, a children’s petting zoo.
“To put out that cost, I would never recoup it. Not to mention the insurance I have to pay already to protect myself. That actual insurance that I pay covers me more than WCB ever would. I don’t think it’s viable financially. I believe it infringes on our civil rights. They try to tell us how to run our families and I don’t think that’s right.”
Alberta, which is the last province in Canada who would adopt such legislation, fell victim to the uproar, when the NDP government proposed the legislation without consulting the farming and ranching community for input and feedback. When Strathmore-Brooks MLA Derek Fildebrandt travelled to Edmonton for Question Period, he joined a thousand farmers on the steps of the legislature protesting the bill. He added that the Wildrose Alliance Party asked nearly 20 questions pertaining to Bill 6 and received unsatisfactory responses.
“I’m not against some changes here, what I’m against is not asking farmers for their opinion on this farm bill,” said Fildebrandt.
“I’m against treating multi-generational family farms the exact same as a massive assembly-line factory. What they are doing here will allow government OHS employees to go onto family farm yards and homes without any warning and conduct safety inspections and even property seizures. They will treat the farm house the same as a factory, because it does not make any distinction.”
Dare to Dream Horse Rescue, located in Dalemead, relies entirely on the manpower of nearly 150 volunteers. As a result, the operation offers children an opportunity to learn about horses, provides university students with the hours around large animals required to get into veterinary school, and even offers a special horse therapy program for sexually abused and exploited girls. However, if Bill 6 is implemented early next year, Dare to Dream Horse Rescue, much like most rescues, won’t be able to continue to provide their services.
“None of us horse rescues could stay open because all of us are in the same boat, and the horses that we would normally be able to save would have to go to slaughter because there is nowhere else for them to go,” said Brenda Fehr, co-owner of Dare to Dream Horse Rescue.
“A lot of what I’m seeing, is that they don’t even understand how farms work, and what safety things are in place. They’re grouping it all in one thing and expecting everyone to abide by those rules and those rules don’t necessarily apply to everything. In all honesty, any farm and horse rescue, safety is number one concern. We have very strict rules here but they could be putting rules on us that are absolutely ridiculous.”
Fehr added that while the rescue has special liability coverage for volunteers and horse owners through their insurance company, they would be unable to afford workers’ compensation coverage or meet the OHS standards.
According to Fildebrandt, the NDP is not holding a town hall meeting in the Strathmore-Brooks constituency, and after his phone rang off the hook for the past week, he organized a town hall meeting in Bassano to hear farmer’ and ranchers’ concerns regarding the bill – some issues which include not allowing your children to participate in daily chores.
“We all support farm safety and I personally support some update of the laws, but nobody cares more about farm safety than the moms and dads of rural Alberta,” he said. “This is a fight that we don’t want, but we will take very seriously until the government listens. You don’t introduce an ominous piece of legislature without talking to the people that it affects first. The NDP have underestimated rural Alberta and have lit a prairie fire.”
The Wildrose Alliance Party is asking the government to send the bill to a committee and consult with farmers.
The town hall meeting is taking place on Dec. 5, at the Bassano School Gymnasium at 2 p.m.