75-Minute Debate (6 November 2025)

From Hansard (6 November 2025)

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Protection against Illegal Foreign Farm Landownership

The Assembly was debating the following motion moved by Sally Housser (NDP - Regina University):

That the Assembly calls upon the government to strengthen protections to prevent illegal foreign farm landownership and address the concerns that have been identified by the Provincial Auditor, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, and agricultural producers; and condemn the Sask Party government for its years of inaction on this issue.

Blaine McLeod: — Thank you very much. I’m really, really honoured to be on my feet to talk about something that is near and dear to every farmer’s heart, my own included, and that’s land and what it can do for us. It’s already been said once and, Mr. Speaker, I’ll just mention it again. There is no more land being made, and so we do have to do a great job of protecting and sustaining the land that we have so that for generations to come it’ll be there.

And Saskatchewan does have a lot of land, Mr. Speaker — 60.2 million acres of cultivated farm land. To put that in terms that farmers understand a little bit better, 376,250 quarters of land. That’s 40 per cent of Canada’s arable acres.

I’ve used one axiom already talking about land. I’ve got another one: whisky’s for drinkin’; water’s for fightin’. Now why would I say that? Because really it’s true that the basis for water comes back to the land. It’s land that has the supply. So most of the fighting about water is in regards to the lack of water or possibly too much water. It’s never quite exactly what you need. And if you start messing with it, you’re going to make some really unhappy neighbours.

So to grow successful crops, Mr. Speaker, you need three ingredients. You need air, you need water, and you need food for the crop, i.e. the land. In the air you have photosynthesis, the capture of carbon dioxide. Who knew that farmers were so sustainable? The advent of zero-till, GPS [global positioning system] guidance, advanced sprayer technology, plant breeding — lots of ways where farmers have become much more efficient and are capturing more CO2 in the process. But farmers are always looking for more efficiency, and in turn more land to farm because of the efficiency.

The second ingredient, water. Now some areas of our great province get more than others. That’s a known fact. And irrigation is another tool that can supplement and provide if you’re so lucky to have that availability. Now the sand pile that our family farms — and it is a sand pile — needs consistent rainfall. Sometimes it comes, and other times we recognize that we’re going to have a tough, tough year. But we remain confident in God’s faithfulness and his benevolence. Matthew 5 tells me that he causes the sun — he being God — causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. God’s faithfulness extends to us all.

And so, Mr. Speaker, the third element required to grow crops, land. It’s about the nutrients in land, good land — rich, loamy soil with good drainage — abundantly supplied in Saskatchewan. Just unfortunately not so much on my farm.

And how to find more land? All farmers think about that. I think we dream about that at times. We think about the cost of it. We think about the value proposition. Can I make this pay? Does it have potential for irrigation? That becomes extremely important. And the location, the proximity to our home place. We don’t want to have any regrets in life about lost opportunities with land.

Now the value of land has risen exponentially. Farm Credit in a recent survey talked about the average cost per acre going from $872 in 2013 to 2,385 in 2023. And yes, it’s grown, increased significantly. And those are average costs. The real costs in a lot of areas are a lot higher, and so is the yield and the efficiency of getting that yield in the bin.

Now it’s interesting how land, the central component in growing crops, has such a pull on landowners. Mr. Speaker, you and I were chatting about this just the other day, how the smell of freshly tilled soil is that happy place for so many of us. The fresh smell, the anticipated harvest, the adrenalin rush of well-done, safe work and anticipating a harvest.

It reminds me of a dramatic musical I saw about 10 or 12 years ago, The Pull of the Land, from the community of Harris — the member from Rosthern Delisle’s backyard — two retired schoolteachers, Beth Robertson and Elaine Kowpak. The story about a young man, Anthony, who returns home to help his parents with harvest and wrestles hard with the urge to return home and take over the farm. Sold-out performances all across our little province of Saskatchewan, and I saw it in Moose Jaw at The Mae Wilson Theatre. So my own emotions and experience were captured by what I saw: the smells of freshly tilled land, the fresh smell of a spring rain, crop emerging against the backdrop of the setting sun.

So how do we protect this valuable asset? Our government is fully, fully committed to ensuring that the ownership of farm land remains in the hands of Canadian farmers. Quick look at history, Mr. Speaker. It shows that federal and provincial policies encourage residency and Canadian ownership of agricultural land. Way back to 1872, five years after Confederation, the Dominion Lands Act, massive influx of settlers and homesteaders that were supplied by that Act.

Now the Great Depression came not many years later. Very low demand for land. There was no fear of non-resident ownership at that point in time. But the first legislation here in Saskatchewan was in 1974, the Saskatchewan farm ownership land. 1970 to 1980, the number of amendments that were made — non-residents of Canada limited to 10 acres.

2003, The Saskatchewan Farm Security Act, non-resident persons and non-Canadian-owned companies continue to be restricted to owning only 10 acres. Publicly traded companies are considered non-Canadian owned. Commitment at the time to a full review and consultation with stakeholders.

Moving on to 2015, pension plans, administrators of pension plans, those were dealt with. Landholdings includes any interest held by way of a debt or obligation funded other than by a resident, a bank, credit union, or other financial institution.

And extensive consultations have followed all along. 2016, making pensions, administrators of pensions, and investment trusts ineligible, and expanded authorities for the Farm Land Security Board with increase of fines up to 50,000 for individuals and 500,000 for corporations.

And then this fall, the release of the Provincial Auditor report, the report making 10 recommendations, which, Mr. Speaker, are all implemented or being implemented. We do take this seriously.

Our government is committed to ensuring that our legislative framework will ensure farm land remains in the hands of Canadian farmers. We’ve stood up and made that known and very clear. We have a committee that we’re going to look for their results coming forward soon. They have a solid background in farming and legal matters — trusted, engaged, and knowledgeable — who will listen and bring back their report.

I will not be moving adoption of this amendment. I will oppose. Thank you.