MP John Barlow, the shadow agriculture critic, visited the CAAR office on Nov. 28 to learn more about the organization and its priorities. Minister Barlow is a strong leader in the agriculture space and an advocate for the needs of our industry. He was joined by Mark Choi, Director of Parliamentary Affairs.

The meeting opened direct lines of communication for our team, as executive director Myrna Grahn, Tracey Shelton and board members Stan Loewen and Craig Senchuk discussed the important role ag retail plays, the scope of our business and the significant economic impact our sector delivers to Canada.

Advocacy is an important part of CAAR’s mandate, and the organization will be building on its advocacy efforts in 2026 with more meetings with politicians, government staffers and other ag organizations to ensure that CAAR member issues and concerns are being heard and addressed.