Conflicts, compensation | Grizzly bears designated as a threatened species
CARDSTON, Alta. — A rancher from Glenwood, Alta., received first-hand experience with livestock predation from grizzly bears last year, as well as the compensation that followed. Fifty lambs disappeared from his pasture along the Belly River in October. He was eventually compensated for 16 of those animals because the others couldn’t be confirmed as grizzly […] Read more
Barb Glen
Stories by Barb Glen
Bear DNA collection tallies 100 grizzlies
Project to determine bear populations and whether problem bears cause majority of issues
KIMBALL, Alta. — Ranchers in southwestern Alberta frequently see grizzly bears on their land. Sometimes they see them from a distance and sometimes from uncomfortably close up. Just how many grizzlies are in the region? Andrea Morehouse, co-ordinator of the grizzly bear monitoring project, has an answer devised from two years of hair sample collection. […] Read more
Agriculture escapes serious damage
It’s hard to describe something as lucky when it’s in the midst of an event as devastating as the floods that stormed through southern Alberta two weeks ago. But reports of agricultural damage and livestock losses caused by the flood have so far been minimal. While High River remained destroyed and Calgary continued its cleanup, […] Read more
COOL revisions could slip into farm bill deal
Avoid Canadian retaliation Farm bill negotiations open the door to revise COOL to adhere to WTO rules
Negotiations around the United States farm bill could provide a chance for Canadian livestock producers to seek changes to American country of origin labelling. John Masswohl, director of government and international relations for the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, said June 25 that since the U.S. Senate approved the farm bill and Congress rejected it, further negotiations […] Read morePreparing to break some eggs
Alta. egg breaking plant | Co-operative can produce liquid eggs and eggshell membranes
There’s one plant, one customer, many members and many plans. Egg Processing Innovations Co-operative (EPIC), which has been operating since April, is the only egg-breaking plant in Alberta. It has equipment to break eggs, separate eggs, pasteurize product, package liquid eggs into totes and separate membrane from eggshells for use in other products. “It took […] Read more
Alberta in cleanup mode
$1 billion in provincial emergency funding | Ottawa will also contribute toward recovery
The difficult and expensive process of cleanup after Alberta’s worst flood in history began earlier this week. The province announced $1 billion in emergency funding June 24 as a first phase in recovery from the damage inflicted in at least 25 cities, towns, rural communities and municipalities. Government officials were not willing to speculate on […] Read moreCherry deal hinges on pest protocol
Chinese inspectors are expected in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley next month to undertake the next step in a recent trade deal involving cherry exports. David Geen, vice-president of the B.C. Cherry Association, said growers are pleased with the new market access announced two weeks ago by federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz. He estimated sales could […] Read more
Prairie appreciation festival
ELKWATER, Alta. — With fluffy clouds occasionally hiding the sun and gusty winds blowing the prairie grass like waves on a green ocean, it was a good day to appreciate the prairie. The prairie appreciation festival held June 8 near Elkwater drew a few dozen participants to explore grassland biodiversity, grass, forb, shrub and insect […] Read more
Lessons from Slave Lake recovery will assist officials with flood plan
Donations of clothing were being solicited and accepted last week in the wake of flooding that displaced many Albertans. Clothes and household items will be needed by some, but in many cases gift certificates for grocery or clothing stores or donations to the Red Cross and community organizations are more appropriate. Judith Kulig, a health […] Read more
Alberta flooding updates
Updated: 3:20 p.m. Thursday June 27 CST A trio of weather events combined to create the worst natural disaster in Alberta history, said an Environment Canada meteorologist. Bill McMurtry said the combination of the magnitude and location of the rain, the intensity of the rain and the precipitation falling as rain, even high in the […] Read more
