For Immediate Release
December 3, 2014
QUEEN’S PARK – MPP Toby Barrett, Opposition Critic for Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, questioned the Premier today regarding bee mortality insurance, and asked why Ontario has yet to implement a Manitoba style insurance program to help Ontario beekeepers.
“In Manitoba, beekeepers have recently experienced higher than normal bee mortality, and to assist with this financial burden of these uncontrollable losses, Manitoba has an insurance program to help their bee colonies. Beekeepers are paid indemnity if overwinter losses exceed the coverage deductible. Premium costs for this program are shared 40% by the insured beekeeper, 24% by the province of Manitoba and 36% by the government of Canada. We in the PC caucus are asking—your government has had 11 years—why have you not implemented a Manitoba insurance-type model to help our Ontario beekeepers?,” Barrett asked during Question Period.
The Premier responded, “We have implemented an Ontario program, Mr. Speaker. The reality is, we have put in place supports for beekeepers who had the winter losses that we saw last year. We are working with the industry to make sure that we have an appropriate and balanced approach going forward, and part of that is to prevent bee deaths.”
Barrett continued, “Manitoba has an insurance program that’s up and running right now. Alberta has a similar program. Now we see that Saskatchewan has started a bee mortality insurance pilot project which is run through the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp to cover the loss of honey bees over the winter. They have tough winters, as we know, just like we had last winter. You haven’t followed Manitoba’s lead over the last 11 years. You didn’t follow Alberta’s lead. Will Ontario at least consider the pilot project Saskatchewan has in place to provide risk insurance, again to help our beekeepers in Ontario?”
Premier Kathleen Wynne asked Glen Murray, the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, to respond. “Mr. Speaker, we’re working right now on a very similar program to the other provinces as well, but we’re focused on the priority of actually reducing bee losses because we don’t think that’s good for the environment, for beekeepers or for crop producers.”
Despite Barrett’s persistence, the Premier and minister Murray could not give specifics on what Bill 40, Agriculture Insurance Act (Amending the Crop Insurance Act, 1996), 2014, has in store for assistance through insurance to cover bee mortality losses.
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For more information please contact MPP Toby Barrett at
519-428-0446, 905-765-8413 or 1-800-903-8629
Ontario Legislative Assembly Hansard
BEEKEEPING INDUSTRY
Mr. Toby Barrett: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Perhaps the Premier then. In Manitoba, beekeepers have recently experienced higher than normal bee mortality, and to assist with this financial burden of these uncontrollable losses, Manitoba has an insurance program to help their bee colonies. Beekeepers are paid indemnity if overwinter losses exceed the coverage deductible. Premium costs for this program are shared 40% by the insured beekeeper, 24% by the province of Manitoba and 36% by the government of Canada.
We in the PC caucus are asking—your government has had 11 years—why have you not implemented a Manitoba insurance-type model to help our Ontario beekeepers?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: We have implemented an Ontario program, Mr. Speaker. The reality is, we have put in place supports for beekeepers who had the winter losses that we saw last year. We are working with the industry to make sure that we have an appropriate and balanced approach going forward, and part of that is to prevent bee deaths. That is what we’re aiming at. I know Minister of the Environment and Climate Change will want to comment on the specifics around those changes.
But we know it’s very important that we support the beekeepers who have had these winter losses. At the same time, we’ve put a precautionary approach in place that will allow us to prevent bee deaths going forward.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. Supplementary.
Mr. Toby Barrett: Our beekeepers need a very practical approach. Government does run insurance programs. I’ve had bees on my farms for 38 years. I have seen the losses over the years, well before neonics for to that matter.
Manitoba has an insurance program that’s up and running right now. Alberta has a similar program. Now we see that Saskatchewan has started a bee mortality insurance pilot project ??which is run through the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp to cover the loss of honey bees over the winter. They have tough winters, as we know, just like we had last winter. The pilot will run for three years before being evaluated to decide if it will continue. It’ll bring Saskatchewan in line with the bee insurance programs that are already in Manitoba and Alberta.
You haven’t followed Manitoba’s lead over the last 11 years. You didn’t follow Alberta’s lead. Will Ontario at least consider the pilot project Saskatchewan has in place to provide risk insurance, again to help our beekeepers in Ontario?
Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne: Minister of the Environment and Climate Change.
Hon. Glen R. Murray: First of all, I want to thank the member opposite for the question. I have great respect for his work as a producer and as a beekeeper—
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(Mr. Murray)
… First of all, I want to thank the member opposite for the question. I have great respect for his work as a producer and as beekeeper. I hope he’ll take the time to have a coffee with me later to discuss this because I think this is not a partisan issue.
Interjection.
Hon. Glen R. Murray: You don’t talk to me about the truth, my friend.
Mr. Speaker, we’re working right now on a very similar program to the other provinces as well, but we’re focused on the priority of actually reducing bee losses because we don’t think that’s good for the environment, for beekeepers or for crop producers. Bees are such a critical part on their own, the managed bee population of our farm economy, and they’re important.
I hope the member opposite will support measures that will reduce the need for the people of Ontario to actually have to pay out for losses. I assume that would comfortable with my friends in the official opposition: reducing the cost of—.
The Speaker (Hon. Dave Levac): Thank you. New question.