China bans are a blow to farmers; Toronto has the lowest property tax, and more top news

The news Canadian professionals are talking about now, curated by LinkedIn’s editors. Join the conversation by clicking the hashtags below.

Canada’s farmers are reeling from the effects of China’s bans on exports. Canola producers say $2.7 billion in shipments have “slowed to a trickle”, while Soy Canada executive director Ron Davidson reveals not a single shipload of soybeans has been sold to China since December. Pork producers have shifted to other markets, but prices are suffering. Already-fraught relations between the countries deteriorated after Canada’s detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, with China retaliating with bans on soybeans, canola, pork and beef. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Toronto has the lowest property taxes of 35 major Ontario cities, a recent study has found. Real estate brokerage company Zoocasa reports Toronto rates are at roughly 0.615%, with Markham at 0.660% and Milton and Richmond Hill in the lowest spots with 0.686%. On the flip side, the cities with the highest property taxes were Windsor at 1.789%, followed by Thunder Bay 1.598%, Sault Ste. Marie 1.529% and North Bay 1.501%. A city official says Toronto’s low tax rate may seem like good news, but it’s coming at the cost of other city services. ? Here’s what people are saying.

A Canadian startup that recently raised $750,000 is looking to get simple prescriptions filled faster through a 15-minute online survey. Patients create an account, take a survey and the next available doctor issues the correct prescription. Felix Health's plan to speed up the health care system in Canada follows a trend of telemedecine companies that want to get patients in front of doctors faster and more efficiently. Canada ranked last in one study for wait times among rich countries. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Whether you get two weeks or eight months of parental leave, going back to work after having a baby can be an emotional rollercoaster. In order to ease this transition, the Harvard Business Review offers some guidelines. They recommend not making any rash decisions in the first two weeks when emotions will be running high. A mid-week start allows for a guaranteed shorter first week. Doing a dress rehearsal for what the work day would look like can help get you into gear. Keep the lines of communication with bosses open and honest, and consider joining a parental work group for support. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Meetings in the workplace can often feel like a drag. Communication and leadership experts tell CNN Business how to make meetings more productive and less of a time-suck. For starters, be thoughtful about who attends. Only invite those to whom the subject matters. Define the agenda and make sure participants know it going in. Try to encourage input from everyone who attends. If you're hosting the meeting, be mindful of how much you're hogging the mic, so to speak. And don't forget a call to action. ? Here’s what people are saying.

Idea of the Day: “When you really stop having fun then it’s time to change what you do,” advises Mauro Porcini, SVP & Chief Design Officer at PepsiCo.

“Own your own destiny like a sailing boat and steer it where the wind of happiness takes you. You need to understand when the wind is about to change and make the right adjustment early on.”

What's your take on today’s stories? Share your thoughts in the comments.

— Jessica Hartogs