Lacombe leaders celebrate near-unanimous national support for Agricultural Research Resolution

The City of Lacombe and Lacombe County are celebrating a major national milestone following the overwhelming adoption of their joint resolution at the recent Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Annual Convention in Edmonton.

The resolution, calling on the Government of Canada to reverse the proposed closure of federally operated agricultural research centres, passed with an extraordinary 98% support from municipalities across the country.

“This is a powerful and unified message from municipalities nationwide,” said Mayor Thalia Hibbs. “Communities from coast to coast to coast have recognized the critical importance of protecting Canada’s agricultural research capacity. We are incredibly proud to see such strong backing for this issue.”

The resolution highlights the national importance of federal agricultural research centres, which support food security, climate resilience, innovation, and economic stability. These centres also house decades, often more than a century, of irreplaceable scientific data that inform decision-making at the federal level.

In introducing the resolution to delegates, Mayor Hibbs emphasized the national importance of maintaining these facilities:

“At a time of global uncertainty, trade disruptions, food security concerns, and climate pressures, maintaining Canada’s agricultural research capacity is more important than ever. The work conducted at these centres helps ensure Canadians continue to have access to a safe, reliable, and affordable food supply.”

Support for the resolution was further underscored by municipal leaders from across Canada who spoke in favour during debate, including:

• Councillor Fred Gould, Municipality of Cumberland, Nova Scotia
• Councillor Joe Masi, City of Portage la Prairie, Manitoba and FCM Board member
• Councillor Bill Huber, Rural Municipality of Lipton No. 217, Saskatchewan and President of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM)

Municipal leaders say this broad, cross-country support demonstrates the issue extends far beyond any single community.

“This near-unanimous vote shows municipalities understand that this is a national issue with very real local impacts,” said Reeve John Ireland. “This response highlights that this is bigger than any one community or region. These research centres are part of a national system that supports producers, municipalities, and industries across Canada. When locations are reduced or local data is replaced with information from regions with very different growing conditions, the strength of that entire system is diminished.”

The resolution calls on the Government of Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to halt the closures and work collaboratively with municipalities, provinces, industry, and Indigenous partners to develop a strengthened National Agricultural Research Strategy.

“Agricultural research is foundational to the success of our producers, our economy, and our long-term resilience,” added Reeve Ireland.

The City of Lacombe and Lacombe County are urging the federal government to listen closely to the strong consensus expressed by municipalities.

“We are hopeful that Ottawa will take this clear signal seriously,” added Mayor Hibbs. “Municipal voices have spoken decisively: protecting agricultural research infrastructure is essential to Canada’s future.”

The City of Lacombe and Lacombe County extend their gratitude to the many municipalities that co-sponsored, spoke in support, and voted in favour of the resolution, and remain committed to advocating for strong, sustainable agricultural research across Canada.

The public can stay up-to-date on developments of the Task Force’s advocacy efforts on our websites:

• www.lacombecounty.com/LRDC
• www.lacombe.ca/LRDC