Revolutionary Moderation

Brooks and BSE



Despite the reopening of the US (and now Mexican, as well) border to some Canadian beef, Alberta is still feeling the effects of the case of BSE diagnosed in May. Today, CBC radio is spending some time in Brooks, Alberta, to see how deep those effects are.



I have long connection with Brooks. I spent years with a woman who grew up there. I ran for election there. And I love Newfoundland enough to love sitting in any one of their pubs on a Friday night. Brooks is far from the only community in Alberta to be feeling the BSE pinch, but Lakeside Packers is a huge employer in Brooks, and the community goes as that employer goes.



Neither the Federal nor the Provincial governments have reacted quickly enough to the BSE trouble, nor have they done enough to date. Photo ops of elected officials chowing down on steaks is not enough to get the people in the beef industry through to the other side of this issue unharmed. Where's the trade mission to Japan? Where's the increased standard testing? Where's the recognition that Canada has been unbelievably punative to BSE-positive countries to this point?



Canada's hands aren't clean in this... Canada needs to pony up the funds as part of the acknowledgement of that, as we count ourselves lucky that it wasn't far worse.