Stay informed with the LNN Daily Newsletter

Alberta puts new leaders in place at controversial farm-aid agency

Apr 27, 2017 | 6:32 PM

EDMONTON – Alberta has new leaders and oversight rules in place at a Crown agency tasked with helping farmers with loans, crop insurance and disaster aid.

Agriculture Minister Oneil Carlier says the new board of the Agriculture Financial Services Corp. will have eight members chaired by Jennifer Wood, a professional agrologist and agribusiness executive.

Carlier sacked the old six-member board about a year ago and suspended three top executives.

An audit found the executives engaged in questionable purchasing practices and racked up lavish expenses for trips, dinners and limousine rides.

The executives were suspended with pay but have now either retired or, in the case of the president, not had his contract renewed.

Many irregularities were done with one unnamed client company, but the corporation says it no longer does business with that group.