Sask government wants to know why the feds are trespassing on farmers' land
Premier Scott Moe took to Twitter to accuse Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault of having feds "trespassing on private land without the owners’ permission to take water samples from dugouts."
Premier Scott Moe is demanding answers after an image of a Government of Canada SUV with two men was posted to Twitter on August 19, by a Saskatchewan farmer who said the pair claimed to be testing for pesticides after accessing private land without permission.
Anyone else see a Government of Canada SUV taking water samples from your dugouts? They said they were ‘checking for pesticides’ #creatinganarrative pic.twitter.com/lHkaMBhQuM
— Levi Wood (@levijwood) August 20, 2022
Moe took to social media on Sunday afternoon to compel the Federal Environment Minister, Steven Guilbeault, to provide an excuse for why his ministry staff were on private land without the landowner's permission.
We are demanding an explanation from federal Minister Guilbeault on why his department is trespassing on private land without the owners’ permission to take water samples from dugouts.
— Scott Moe (@PremierScottMoe) August 21, 2022
Read Minister Cockrill’s letter below: https://t.co/Tu4AvbGTR6
Moe quoted a letter sent by Saskatchewan Minister Responsible for Water Security, Jeremy Cockrill, to Guilbeault, accusing the Environment Minister of trespassing on private land after hearing multiple reports of similar incidents.
We are demanding an explanation from federal Minister @s_guilbeault on why his department is trespassing on private land without the owners’ permission to take water samples from dugouts. We have received reports of this occurring in several places throughout Saskatchewan. pic.twitter.com/CDKUtSkPhM
— Jeremy Cockrill (@jeremycockrill) August 21, 2022
Cockrill threatened the feds with enforcement of trespass laws if Environment Ministry staff don't seek permission to access private property.
We have advised the federal government that this should cease immediately and if it does not, it will be considered a violation of the province’s Trespass Act.
— Jeremy Cockrill (@jeremycockrill) August 21, 2022
Violating this Act can result in a max penalty of $25K for repeat offenders, up to 6 mo. imprisonment on following conviction for a 1st or subsequent offences, & a $200K max penalty for any corporation that counsels and/or aids in the commission of that offence.
— Jeremy Cockrill (@jeremycockrill) August 21, 2022
Cockrill also invited the public to report any instances of trespassing.
Anyone wishing to report an incident of trespassing on private land can call 1-855-559-5502.
— Jeremy Cockrill (@jeremycockrill) August 21, 2022
Guilbeault is no stranger to trespassing.
— Lui43🇨🇦🇺🇸 (@luinov1962) August 21, 2022
He was previously charged with trespass and mischief after he scaled Toronto's CN tower with a fellow activist in 2001, unfurling a Greenpeace banner that accused Canada and U.S. President George W. Bush of being “climate killers."
Some Canadian waterways are under federal jurisdiction; however, accessing land without permission is strictly prohibited in most jurisdictions. Saskatchewan recently passed new legislation strengthening trespass laws with additional fines. The law does allow access to those conducting official duties.
The law does not allow for someone such as a postal worker to do anything other than drop off their mail or package before immediately leaving.
The legislation provides legal protection to landowners and occupiers against property damage and the risk of agricultural diseases, and limits any liability that may arise from a trespasser's presence on their property. Instead of having to prove trespassers entered without permission, trespassers in a civil case will now have to justify their intrusion.
The new legislation increases the maximum penalty set out in the Act to $25,000 for repeat offenders trespassing on the same property and adds imprisonment up to six months as an available penalty. It will also introduce a $200,000 maximum penalty for a corporation that is complicit in a trespassing offence.
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