The Saskatchewan government has updated its trespassing legislation after federal employees trespassed on farmland to test water for pesticides in August.. Bronwyn Eyre .The provincial government introduced the Trespass to Property Amendment Act 2022 on Wednesday..“This formalizes and reinforces the change to trespass regulations, made earlier this year, that requires federal employees to comply with the act which prohibits individuals from entering private land without the owner’s consent,” said Minister of Justice and Attorney General Bronwyn Eyre in a news release..“After agricultural producers in our province raised concerns about federal employees testing water on their private land without consent, Health Canada admitted federal employees had, in fact, been testing for pesticides.”.READ MORE Environment Minister Guilbeault caught lying about testing on Sask farmlands.Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency Minister Jeremy Cockrill sent federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault a letter asking for an explanation of why federal employees were trespassing on private farmlands. .Cockrill posted the letter publicly on Twitter..The letter states the province had complaints of federal employees on private farmlands without seeking permission from the landowners and taking water samples..Cockrill called the testing “inappropriate” and “covert.”.Under the Trespass to Property Act (TPA), the federal employees could be fined and Cockrill demanded they “cease and desist any further surreptitious entry on private lands.”.An order-in-council passed to add federal employees to the TPA on August 20, the day before Cockrill sent his letter to Guilbeault..READ MORE Sask gov threatens to arrest federal agents trespassing on farms.Guilbeault responded in a letter to Cockrill saying that “scientists routinely conduct monitoring in all provinces to help ensure people’s health and safety and the environment are protected.”.Guilbeault confirmed scientists took water samples near Pense, which is where a farmer told them they were on his private land without asking for permission..The fine for trespassing is up to $200,000 per person and includes federal employees..“Seeking the consent of landowners prior to access is simply best practice and common courtesy, and we see no reason for federal government employees to not meet this standard,” said Eyre.
