If you know the name of your MP: You can visit www.parl.gc.ca . You will see a middle box "Current Parliamentarians" where you can click on "Members of Parliament" where you see an alphabetical list of MPs. Click on your MP's name and all the contact details will pop up. Sometimes the system still chooses the wrong MP, in this case you can search with your street address by clicking here to go to Elections Canada.

If you do not know the name of your MP: You can visit www.parl.gc.ca and search for your MP with your postal code - you will see that your postal code covers a few ridings and all of these MPs will be listed. You might recognize your MP or you can click the link to Elections Canada for an "advanced search" which just means you can put your street address in and find your actual MP!

If you are having further troubles or would like assistance, please contact Lucy Sharratt, Coordinator at CBAN coordinator@cban.ca 613 241 2267 ext. 6

Sample Letter - Please also CC: RitzG@parl.gc.ca, AtamaA@parl.gc.ca, EasteW@parl.gc.ca, BellaA@parl.gc.ca Those are for: Hon. Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture; Alex Atamanenko, NDP Agriculture Critic; Hon. Wayne Easter, Liberal Agriculture Critic; André Bellavance, Bloc Québécois Agriculture Critic

As your constituent, I am writing to ask you to support Private Members Bill C-474, when it is debated at a second time on March 29 and then voted on.

The Bill would support Canadian farmers by requiring that “an analysis of potential harm to export markets be conducted before the sale of any new genetically engineered seed is permitted.”

This Bill is really important because, as we know from experience, the introduction of new genetically engineered (GE) crops can cause economic hardship to farmers.

Farmers are at risk when GE crops are commercialized in Canada without also being first approved in our major export markets.
Flax farmers in Canada are now paying the price for this exact problem. Late last year, Canadian flax exports were discovered contaminated with a GE flax that is not approved in Europe or any of our other export markets.

Flax farmers actually foresaw that GE contamination or even the threat of contamination would close their export markets. This is why they took steps in 2001 to remove GE flax from the market. Despite this measure, flax farmers were not protected.

The GE flax contamination has created market uncertainty and depressed prices. Farmers are also paying for testing and cleanup and may be required to abandon their own farm-saved flax seed and buy certified seed instead. These costs are an unnecessary and preventable burden.

We cannot allow our export markets to close like this again. It is the government’s responsibility to protect Canadian farmers from predictable problems caused by the introduction of new GE crops that have not yet been regulated in our export markets.

Please support Bill C-474 and protect Canada’s farmers and our markets.

Sincerely,

CC: Hon. Gerry Ritz, Minister of Agriculture; Alex Atamanenko, NDP Agriculture Critic; Hon. Wayne Easter, Liberal Agriculture Critic; André Bellavance, Bloc Québécois Agriculture Critic