As a result of Premier Pallister’s cabinet shuffle, there’s a new provincial Ag Minister.
Blaine Pedersen, the former minister of infrastructure, is the new head of the newly created Department of Agriculture and Resource Development.
The expanded department will now focus, on top of agriculture, on natural resources including, watershed districts, GROW programming, forestry, mining, fish, and wildlife management.
Minister Pedersen is excited about his new role.
“It’s a real honour for the Premier to tap me to do this; I’m looking forward to getting into the department and understanding what’s going on here, and it’s going to take a while to familiarize myself because we have an expanded role now,” said Pedersen. “It’s a really good fit for agriculture here.”
Pedersen adds that his farming background will help him in his new role, as well as the connections he made as the Infrastructure Minister and the Minister of Growth, Enterprise, and Trade.
Former provincial Ag Minister Ralph Eichler is now the Minister of Economic Development and Training.