Foreign Ownership and Canada

[cakadu]

Usually when municipalities are negotiating land purchases for landfills etc. they keep it quiet until the deal is closed.

There are only certain sites that will gain approval for landfills but I think cowman was referring to a transfer station.

The county paying that much for land certainly sets the base price, so I would hope they weren't being over lavish with the taxpayers dollars.

[sawfly]

although i might need a forien buyer to to buy my farm , so i will have something to retire on.
there is something wrong with amercian farmers buying it , who have been recieveing 5 times the subsidies i have.
weakened to the point of bankrupcy only to be taken over by farmers supported by the socialist subsides of the USA

[cowman]

Linda: Yep, $20,000/acre...in the bank. Got that from the horses mouth...the landowner! This wasn't their chosen site...they wanted to go on the land south of the Gasoline Business Park, but the farmer wanted $8 million for the whole quarter and wouldn't sell them forty acres! So I guess they got a bargain?
The new transfer station is southeast of the junction of Highway II and highway 42....designated "primary agriculture" land!
I think the county was caught between a rock and a hard place as they had to cut a deal pretty quick if they wanted to meet the July 7th deadline to be out of the Red Deer dump? Not sure why they need 40 acres for a transfer station? The existing ones at Kevisville and Lousana can't be more than about five acres...if that? I can just imagine what an eyesore this one will be!
But I do find it amazing that the county has no problem designating "primary agriculture" land, industrial, for its own benifit, while denying it for all other land owners? There is actually a whack of land just north of highway 42 designated industrial? Why would they violate their own rules?
I've seen this BS happen again and again. "Save the farmland" is the biggest crock of BS in the world? Maybe they should redo that cry? It could be: "Save the farmland...unless we need a landfill, compressor station, drilling lease, power line, a wealthy lawyer wants to develope it, or someone bribes the right people!" I think that would be more appropriate? Or maybe they could say "Save the farmland...at least until some slick bugger other than the farmer owns it...we don't want the peasants actually making any money"?

[cowman]

land has to be rezoned before any other use can happen cowman and each time a re-zoning happens there must be a public hearing.
Did anyone object to the transfer station being located on ag land ?

[cakadu]

First I heard of it emrald was on the radio when it was a done deal. I would point out that there were no figures given on the purchase, just that they had bought 40 acres.

My concern is that it will turn out to be another boondoggle like the one out east of QEII - the name of it escapes me now - where they paid big money for it, made it state of the art (or so we were told) and then it had to be shut down before it ever saw much in the way of rubbish.

There certainly doesn't seem to be any rhyme nor reason to some of the decisions they are making.

[cowman]

Linda: You should ask your councillor about that "boondoggle" at the Pine Lake landfill...and then you can watch evasion in action? You will get all kinds of stories: Like due to Alberta Environment requirements it was no longer feasible! Or added environmental rules made it uneconomical?
It took over $7 million dollars in costs to get that baby up and running and fight the legal challenges? They fought it out in court for several years? How long was it open...around 5 years? Ever wonder what really happened?
If you remember the local yokels fought that one tooth and nail? Remember how they said "How smart is it to build a huge regional dump on a gravel pit?" If you know the area, Pine Lake Sand and Gravel has a pit south and one west of the site...like right across the road? These same local opponents said that gravel seam runs where...you guessed it right into Pine Lake...three miles away!
Of course the county got in all these "experts" to say the dumb farmers were halfwits or something and didn't have a clue what they were talking about?
Now consider this: This dump is closed down...BANG! No warning, no explanation? What happened? Did the liner fail and tests show toxic seepage is in the shallow aquifier in the gravel seam? How long until it hits Pine Lake? I figure about ten years!
But please do ask for an explanation, listen carefully...and in ten years remember what I told you! Because that is what happened.

[cowman]

Linda: I also find it very interesting that the county bought 40 acres for this site? Now there is just no way you need forty acres for a transfer site...especially at $20,000/acre! I would sure have liked to be a fly on the wall when they were talking this one over? I suspect they have more than just a transfer site in mind?
I also wonder when they will release the $800,000 price tag and how that will go over? Do you think a few people might be a wee bit upset? And believe me that is the price they paid!
Of course on the other hand they are selling county owned land in Gasoline Alley for $200,000/acre so maybe they figure $20,000 isn't bad?
The county also purchased 280 acres south of the RD municipal airport last summer for $6,000/acre? I would suggest to you that with the municipality leading the way on land prices...all of our land prices should be rising? Of course you and I don't have the luxury of being able to zone our land however we see fit...and I for one don't see that as fair? The public municipality is in direct competition with private enterprize...is that fair? Shouldn't everyone get an equal kick at the can, or is big profits reserved for our political public masters? This is why I don't like socialist government!

[Spudco-expert]

Foreign ownership, who cares who own the land?
Our Saskatchewan minister Pat Atkinson told me that we do not need these Foreigners here , they would drive up the Price of Land (Heaven Forbid).
Until recently we would not let Alberta Farmers many born in Saskatchewan buy farm land here, we worked and had that changed now we have to bring the outsiders here who would bring their children and rebuild some of the communities dying in Saskatchewan,
I made trips to europe 3 times at my expense to encourage these enterpraneurs to come and bring their families to Saskatchewan . After all we have 47% of the cheapest land in Canada.
Their answer in many cases was you have that Regina Manifesto on the NDP website and we do not trust Communists.
What can I say to that.
Now we have to open our doors to bring immigrants in like your parents and Grandparents.
I tried buying land in the Outlook area from an Old Norwegian and he refused to sell to a foreigner.
I am glad today as I have a construction business that I can control .
I never cease to be amazed at this protectionist views.
Strange I was born in Ireland and they had the same Insular protective ideas.
Strange they grew up and have 157 different nationalities. The favourite place for immigrants.
For those concerned relax we only had 300 immigrants come here last year and 150 left for Alberta,
Saskatchewan does not make immigrants welcome.
How many have you invited into your homes lately
Spudco-expert