Federal Farm Credit and the Freedom Convoy

Response to a reader question

This is a special edition of Insight Intelligence brought to you by a reader question about this article. In this newsletter I unpack the reporting about the “list” of Freedom Convoy supporters, how the emergency measures were applied, and what it means for Canadians. Enjoy! And remember, if you’re a subscriber, you’re always welcome to send in your questions and I’ll do my best to answer them.

What the reports say

The Toronto Sun (and others) reported last week that Federal Farm Credit was compiling list of Freedom Convoy supporters. The report says that the financial institution was compiling lists of these supporters even after the emergency regulations were listed, and that staff were not to inform individuals that they were on the list.

There are a number of things that seem a bit off about this reporting. First of all, I couldn’t find a financial institution called “Federal Farm Credit”, except one in New Jersey. Instead, I think that the reports are meant to reference Farm Credit Canada, a “financially self-sustaining federal commercial Crown corporation” headquartered in Regina, Saskatchewan. Basically, this appears to be a financial institution serving the farming community with loans and financing. The second thing that seems off is the reporting itself — the article says that the last email about this issue was sent the day the emergency measures were rescinded. Anyway, shoddy reporting aside, some of you have questions about why this institution would do that. Let’s take a look.