Federal government won’t reverse course on research centres

Federal government won’t reverse course on research centres

Published 10:31 am Wednesday, September 23, 2026

The federal government has denied a request to overturn its decision to close the Lacombe Research and Development Centre along with others across the country.

The government responded on Sept. 22 to the Fourth Report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, entitled Science in Canadian Agriculture and the Closure of Research Centres, which was tabled in the House of Commons on May 6, 2026.

The standing committee made 20 recommendations, one of which included a reversal of the decision to close agricultural research centres and experimental farm sites and to begin immediate consultations.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) made the decision earlier this year to close the Lacombe research centre, along with two research and development centres in Guelph, Ont. and Quebec City, Que., and four satellite research farms in Nappan, N.S., Scott, Sask., Indian Head, Sask. and Portage la Prairie, Man.

“AAFC undertook these decisions as part of a structured expenditure reduction process, supported by departmental analysis of infrastructure costs, program delivery, and long-term operational requirements, while remaining focused on its core mandate. Closure of the Research and Development Centres will be phased and carefully managed,” the government said in its response. In January, they indicated the closures could take up to 12 months.

“This process is supported by workforce adjustment measures consistent with applicable policies, including the National Joint Council Work Force Adjustment Directive, with many employees expected to be retained, reassigned or relocated.

“AAFC has also engaged with stakeholders following the announcement, including through ongoing interactions with partners to share information and discuss impacts, recognizing the important role that federal agricultural research plays in supporting innovation, productivity and competitiveness in the sector. These discussions also reinforced the shared appreciation for the value of collaboration among members of the research ecosystem, including provinces/territories. To that end, AAFC continues to engage with its partners to support opportunities for the continuity of some science activities.”

About 665 jobs across the country will be eliminated in 2026. Notices to the 1,043 affected employees were issued on Jan. 22.

Milton Dyck, National President of the Agriculture Union, said on Sept. 22 in response to the report that the federal government is attempting to turn a blind eye to the issue.

“The government’s response to this report today allows them to close the book and move on as if nothing has happened,” said Dyck. “But they’re moving on and moving away from hundreds of years of public agricultural research. They’re moving on from hundreds of good jobs in farming communities. And they’re turning their backs on 3 million Canadians who suffer from food allergies and who depend on the work of the CFIA lab in Longueuil.”

“We still believe there is time to save these AAFC research facilities,” asserts Dyck. “Sadly, the research technicians working there, our members, have moved on to other jobs. But the facilities still exist. The farms and the equipment are still there. In the case of the Nappan and Lacombe research farms, the livestock are still there. We urge the government to act on the recommendations of this report and to reopen these crucial research farms.”

According to the Agriculture union, the committee’s unanimously approved report offered “concrete measures to support food sovereignty, agricultural research and food safety in Canada.”

“Long-term organically managed field trials and regionally adapted systems research at these facilities are national scientific assets that cannot be recreated once lost,” says Phil Mount, Vice President of Policy of the National Farmers Union.

“Minor savings from these closures tell you everything you need to know about how little this government and Minister understand and value return on investment in research, or resilience in regional farming communities. AAFC ‘savings’ will be on the backs of farmers, who will lose either regionally adapted seed breeding capacity, or regional trials of livestock forages, crop rotations, soil health, organic and regenerative agriculture. The private sector has no incentive to fill those research gaps in the way the government is claiming.”

Read the full report here and the government’s response here.