Canada has a new ag minister.
Heath MacDonald, a Liberal MP from Prince Edward Island who represents the riding of Malpeque, was sworn in this morning at a ceremony at Rideau Hall as minister of agriculture and agri-food. He fills the ministerial seat formerly occupied by Kody Blois, a Nova Scotia MP, who was sworn in as ag minister shortly before the recent federal election.
He was elected to the House of Commons in the 2021 federal election, succeeding long-time MP Wayne Easter. Prior to his federal role, MacDonald was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Cornwall-Meadowbank from 2015 to 2021.
During his tenure in the Prince Edward Island legislature, MacDonald held significant cabinet positions. He was appointed Minister of Economic Development and Tourism in May 2015 and later served as Minister of Finance starting in January 2018. His background includes over two decades in the tourism industry, where he worked as a tourism operator and served as the executive director of Quality Tourism Services. Additionally, he co-founded BamText Information Technology and Consulting.
MacDonald has been actively involved in community service, volunteering with various sports and community organizations. He has been recognized for his efforts to improve accessibility for people with disabilities, receiving awards such as the Access Award from the PEI Council of People with Disabilities and the City of Charlottetown Accessibility Award.
Kody Blois appeared on today’s Seed World Retail Strategy Webinar in an interview recorded May 9, one of his final interviews as ag minister. Watch it below.
