William Crooks
From left to right: MP Marianne Dandurand, farm owners Karine Fortier and Marc-Antoine Roy with their daughters Élianne, Elodie, and Cloé, founders Diane Duranleau and Marie-Antoine Roy, and MP Sophie Chatel at Bergerie Malvibois et Newport in Cookshire
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
As part of an effort to better understand the challenges facing Eastern Townships agricultural producers, Compton–Stanstead MP Marianne Dandurand and Pontiac MP Sophie Chatel toured six farms across Estrie on Aug. 5. The visit, which culminated in a roundtable discussion at Bergerie Malvibois et Newport in Cookshire, revealed a wide range of concerns from local producers—from regulatory red tape to global competition and interprovincial inequality.
“We wanted to see things that we never see in Ottawa,” said Dandurand after the visit. “Big industry shows up to lobby all the time, but this kind of agriculture rarely does. And yet, these are the people actually feeding us.”
The outreach day included stops at Moisson Estrie, Rustik Bison, Ferme piscicole des Bobines, and several producer organizations, including the Syndicat de la relève agricole de l’Estrie and the Groupe de producteurs maraîchers du Haut-Saint-François. The visit ended at the sheep farm operated by Karine Fortier and Marc-Antoine Roy, where generations of family joined in a frank discussion with the MPs.
Roy’s parents, Diane Duranleau and Marie-Antoine Roy, explained how the farm was handed down in a way that avoided saddling their son with debt. “We divided the properties ahead of time, and I now receive an annual pension. It was the only way to ensure the next generation could take over,” said Duranleau.
But despite that success, they expressed concern that the next transition—to Roy and Fortier’s daughters—would be just as difficult. “There’s always a challenge,” said Roy. “We transferred the farm like the anglophones or the Europeans—without asking for millions up front—but staying afloat gets harder every year.”
Environmental factors were top of mind. Fortier noted that the region’s cooler climate puts crops like corn at risk. “If we get frost in September, we’re done,” she said, adding that while their alfalfa yields rank among the best in Estrie, rocky and elevated land makes cultivation more difficult than in other parts of the province.
Federal and provincial bureaucracy was another major frustration. “They announced they were going to cut red tape, but I haven’t seen it,” said Fortier. “It’s always one more form, one more hoop to jump through. We’re tired of it.”
A common refrain was the uneven playing field between provinces, particularly when it comes to environmental standards and food labelling. “In Ontario, they don’t need the same permits or have the same restrictions,” one producer said. “Here in Quebec, you can’t even clear land without going through a maze of regulations.”
Labelling of imported meat also drew criticism. Fortier pointed to the increasing presence of lamb from Australia and New Zealand on local shelves, sometimes labelled in a way that misleads consumers. “It says ‘processed in Canada’ or ‘Product of Canada’ even if the lamb was raised overseas. People think it’s local,” she said.
Dandurand acknowledged the concern. “When you look at labels at the grocery store, it can be confusing,” she said. “We need to clarify the wording so consumers can really tell what was produced here.”
For Fortier and Roy, the issue is more than just branding—it’s about survival. “For the first time since the heavy lamb sales agency began, supply exceeded demand,” Roy said. “And our production hasn’t even increased. It’s just that imported lamb is eating up our market.”
The group discussion also touched on the importance of buying local. During the pandemic, domestic demand for Canadian meat spiked when global supply chains faltered. “Consumers have power,” said Roy. “We saw it. People bought local when they had to—and we were able to meet the demand.”
Now that demand is falling again, producers are urging government to help maintain the momentum. Suggestions included a national “Product of Canada” campaign and a return to the previous 85 per cent threshold for ingredients in order to use the Canadian brand, rather than the current 98 per cent.
“If we can’t distinguish our products from imports, we can’t compete,” said one farmer. “And if we can’t compete, there’s no future for our kids on these farms.”
Dandurand said the goal of the tour was precisely to gather these kinds of insights. “We’re a new team in government, and new programs are coming. If we want them to work, they need to be designed for the people who will actually use them,” she said.
Chatel, who serves as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, did not speak much publicly during the discussion, but Dandurand emphasized that her colleague was taking note. “I think she did not say it, but she thinks we have the most beautiful region in Canada,” Dandurand said with a smile.
Though the conversation ended with laughs, the underlying message was serious: without support, simplification, and fair competition, many small and mid-size farms across the region may not survive the next transition.
“We’re proud of what we’ve built,” said Duranleau. “But pride doesn’t pay the bills.”