Sask. MLA Bill Boyd charged with 4 environmental violations

Kindersley MLA and former Saskatchewan Minister of Economy Bill Boyd is facing multiple charges related to the alteration of Crown land near Eston, Sask.

Boyd and his wife operate a pedigree seed farm near Eston, according to his government biography online.

Boyd has been charged with three counts under the Environmental Management and Protection Act and one count under the Wildlife Habitat Protection Act.

The charges include altering wildlife habitat and ecological lands;altering the configuration of the bed, bank or boundary of a body of water;removing, displacing or adding sand, gravel or other material from the bank of a body of water; and removing vegetation from the bed, bank or boundary of a body of water.

The Saskatchewan government released the information in an email to CBC and said the charges stem from an incident during the spring.

A government representative said that the farmland in question onthree charges is Crown land owned by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The fourth charge relates to workalongthe South Saskatchewan River, which is regulated by the Water Security Agency.

Boyd is scheduled to appear in Kindersley provincial court on Oct. 10.

Boyd was ousted from the Saskatchewan Party caucus this week by Premier Brad Wall after Saskatchewan's Conflict of Interest Commissioner Ron Barclay concluded Boyd had violated the province's conflict of interest act.

Earlier this month Boyd announced he would resign as an MLA effective Sept. 1.

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