Well, here we go again. Another publicly-funded vacation, this time sending Glenn van Dijken, MLA for Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock, off to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The official reason? According to the government’s media release, it’s to “champion Alberta’s role as a reliable partner in establishing U.S. food security, share best practices in agriculture and agri-food development.” He’ll also be “advocating for Alberta’s unimpeded access to U.S. markets in discussions with key decision makers on state-level and federal agriculture policy issues.”
Sounds like a great mission. But let’s take a closer look.
The media release also tells us that in 2024, Alberta exported CAD $9.2 billion in agri-food products to the U.S.—a 4% increase over 2023. That’s great. Trade matters. But so does fairness, and this is where things start to feel disingenuous.
If Glenn van Dijken is so invested in aligning with U.S. agricultural policy and sharing “best practices,” maybe he should start by bringing some of those best practices home. Here’s an idea: instead of spending three days networking in Iowa, how about staying in Alberta and having a long-overdue conversation with your colleague, Devin Dreeshen, about the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) exemption for farmers and livestock haulers?
The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) already includes a livestock transportation exemption under regulation. It’s built right into the rule—no permit required, no red tape. Why? Because U.S. regulators understand that livestock haulers operate under different realities. Animals aren't cargo you can just park at a rest stop and walk away from.
Meanwhile, Canadian regulations require ELDs to be certified and programmed with both Canadian and U.S. hours-of-service rules. And despite the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)—which was designed to facilitate cross-border trade—we still have a regulatory gap that gives U.S. drivers more flexibility than their Canadian counterparts when operating in the same country.
Where’s the logic? Where’s the fairness? Where’s the reciprocity that trade agreements are supposed to ensure?
If Alberta’s politicians want to make themselves useful on the international stage, they should start by getting their own house in order. Championing Alberta’s role in agri-food security is great. But championing Alberta’s farmers, ranchers, and livestock haulers at home should be the first priority—not just something to gesture toward in talking points.
So here’s a challenge for Mr. van Dijken: skip the next media release. Sit down with Dreeshen. Fix the ELD exemption for Canadian farmers and ranchers. Then maybe you can host a conference and talk about best practices.
