Alex Salloum
Regina Leader-Post
The NDP says the Saskatchewan Party has failed to regulate foreign purchases of farmland, leading to a back-and-forth letter-writing campaign between a minister and a critic.
During a recent question period in the Saskatchewan legislature, NDP MLA Trent Wotherspoon said the “government has been more than a day late on enforcing the purchase, the illegal purchase of farmland by foreign entities.”
While he offered no specifics, the agriculture critic said the NDP has heard concerns from producers as well as the agricultural and legal communities regarding foreign land ownership.
“No foreign entity — governments like China or criminal organizations — should be able to profit off the illegal purchase of Saskatchewan farmland,” Wotherspoon said on Nov. 6.
Premier Scott Moe said if Wotherspoon had specific accusations, he should bring them to Minister of Agriculture Daryl Harrison’s office.
That same day, Harrison sent a letter to Wotherspoon with a deadline of 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10 to respond.
“I ask that you provide any evidence, documentation and/or information regarding the serious allegations you made directly to the Farmland Security Board …” stated the letter.
The next day, Wotherspoon called it a “nonsense, weak, pathetic letter” and sent his own letter to Harrison which stated that he stood by his comments and called for the Farmland Security Board to be given additional resources “and teeth” to enforce the law.
Wotherspoon gave Harrison a deadline of 1 p.m. Monday to answer a set of questions outlined in the letter.
In a news release issued shortly after 1 p.m. Monday, Wotherspoon indicated he had not yet heard from Harrison.
The release also outlined ways the NDP would address the foreign ownership of farmland in Saskatchewan if it were to form government.
The plan includes improving resources at the Farmland Security Board, bolstering fines for farmland transaction violations, forcing divestiture of land acquired in contravention of the law, and strengthening the review process for farmland sales to ensure they meet legal requirements.
Foreign ownership issues
In December 2024, provincial auditor Tara Clemett said the province needs to do a better job of tracking and enforcing rules for non-Canadians purchasing farmland in Saskatchewan.
By law, foreign ownership of less than four hectares is permitted for non-Canadians, but companies can apply for exemptions should they want more farmland.
Clemett’s report examined 140 such exemptions over five years. According to her report, the Farm Security Board did not request proof of residency for nine of 18 purchases in cases where the company in question was not registered in the province.
Since 2020, she found the board had ruled five times that foreign owners would have to sell off farmland that was inappropriately purchased.
“The board needs to enhance its processes,” said Clemett at the time. “I can’t say the extent (of the problem), but I would like to see them definitely enhance their processes so that they would have a better comfort to say, ‘We’re doing all we should to make sure we’re addressing (this).’”
—with files from The Canadian Press
