To Our Valued Members,

We would like to inform you of a recent ruling by the Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Appeal Tribunal that impacts all out-of-province sheep producers selling in Ontario. Concerns had been raised about the Ontario Sheep Farmers (OSF) charging license fees to producers who do not farm in Ontario. After careful consideration, the Tribunal has ruled that OSF exceeded its legal authority in imposing these fees on non-resident producers.

Effective 60 days from the Tribunal’s decision of September 16, 2024, no non-resident producer should be charged a license fee by any buyer in Ontario, either directly or indirectly. This ruling ensures that out-of-province producers are no longer unfairly burdened with fees that should only apply to Ontario-based operations.

The Tribunal has ordered OSF to amend its General Regulations and to notify all relevant parties, including processors and auction markets, to cease charging or deducting license fees from out-of-province producers.

The Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board was instrumental in initiating this challenge and supported this legal challenge with financial and human resources in the best interests of our producers.  We are pleased to see this outcome, which ensures fairer treatment for producers marketing sheep in Ontario. We encourage you to share this important update with your fellow producers, as it directly affects their rights and financial returns when selling sheep into Ontario.

We would like to thank the Canadian Sheep Federation for their leadership, commitment and financial contribution to this legal challenge. Without them this would not have been possible.

If you have any questions or need further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact Gord at the SSDB office.

Sincerely,
Saskatchewan Sheep Development Board