Health Canada (HC) confirmed Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) was testing water for pesticides on behalf of HC..Jeremy Cockrill, Saskatchewan Water Security minister, accused the federal government of trespassing on farmland and taking water samples from dugouts without permission..Steven Guilbeault, Environment and Climate Change minister, previously denied ECCC was trespassing on Saskatchewan farmland, but said ECCC would stop testing until it made sure it was not trespassing..“As a measure of good faith, Environment and Climate Change Canada is reviewing its sampling protocols to ensure they are consistent with area laws before doing any further sampling,” said Guilbeault..READ MORE Guilbeault denies Sask government farm trespassing accusations.Premier Scott Moe said the provincial government would arrest any federal agents trespassing on private property. .READ MORE Sask gov threatens to arrest federal agents trespassing on farms.ECCC said it's investigating the alleged trespassing incident on a Saskatchewan farm..“ECCC is currently looking into the matter internally, and has become aware of an incident that occurred on August 11, in Pense, SK, where water scientists were taking samples very near a highway when a landowner approached the scientist to inform them they were in fact on private land,” ECCC told the media..“ECCC is also looking into the other two locations, though have found no record of them so far.”.HC admitted to testing for pesticides across Canada in a new monitoring program..“Over the summer, Health Canada has been engaging with partners and stakeholders, to develop better pesticide monitoring in Canada,” said Tammy Jarbeau, HC senior Media Relations advisor..“As part of these activities, Health Canada partnered with Environment and Climate Change Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to collect water samples at various locations across Canada.”.Cockrill wrote a letter to Guilbeault on August 21 looking for an explanation..“Recently, Saskatchewan producers in the Pense, Mossbank, and Pilot Butte areas contacted the Government of Saskatchewan and raised serious concerns about Government of Canada employees, in clearly marked Government of Canada vehicles, trespassing on private lands,” wrote Cockrill..“When approached by producers, these employees indicated that they were testing water sources for pesticide/nitrate levels.”.“The lands and water body, a producer’s dugout, are both privately owned. Government of Canada representatives did not request permission to enter from the landowner, nor did they seek permission to perform testing or advise landowners of any other purpose or necessity for attendance.”.“There are two main issues that require an immediate explanation from your office. General water quality management falls under provincial jurisdiction. The federal government should in no way be interfering with the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency’s mandate to manage this area, particularly by inappropriately accessing samples from various private lands in Saskatchewan.”.“While consulting on the creation of a Canada Water Agency, your government indicated that it would not infringe on provincial jurisdiction but would work in collaboration with provincial governments.”.“Your attempt at covert testing of water bodies on private lands in this manner, without collaborating with the Saskatchewan Water Security Agency or any Government of Saskatchewan ministry, has created unnecessary fear and disruption to our citizens while also displaying a disappointing act of bad faith. These actions call into question the federal government’s motivations when it comes to water management in Canada.”.Guilbeault said Cockrill’s letter and media reports were “speculation and misinformation.”.Dana Skoropad, Environment minister, said Guilbeault’s response was to ignore the legitimate trespassing reports..“Minister Guilbeault responded only to downplay, discredit, and dismiss these legitimate reports, calling them ‘misinformed rhetoric’ and denying they were testing for either substance… despite that being the rationale disclosed when staff were queried,” wrote Skoropad in an open letter to Guilbeault..Skoropad wants an apology from Guilbeault for lying to Saskatchewan..“Now, Health Canada has publicly admitted they were, in fact, testing for pesticides. Minister Guilbeault owes Saskatchewan producers a clear explanation on why he dismissed their serious concerns with his own ‘misinformed rhetoric’,” wrote Skoropad.
