FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — The fire that caused 80,000 people to evacuate their homes and affected the Canadian economy when it reduced oil production got a lot of attention in 2016. It was slightly more than one year ago that residents of Fort McMurray, Alta., fled the flames that destroyed more than 2,500 homes and […] Read more
Barb Glen
Stories by Barb Glen
Soil reclamation puts bison, bacteria and plants to work
FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — Bison play a role in reclamation efforts at Syncrude’s Mildred Lake Oil Sands Mine. When the oilsands were depleted at this site north of Fort McMurray in the late 1970s, the company began reclamation projects involving development of a bison herd, lake formation and the Sandhill Fen project. The bison element, […] Read more
Disaster review report suggests improvements
An independent review and report on the Alberta government response to the 2016 wildfire in the Fort McMurray region, released June 8, contains 31 recommendations upon which the government says it will act. KPMG’s post-incident assessment report identified successes and failures in handling the fire, which burned 1.5 million acres and had an estimated economic […] Read more
Soil from the ground down
The 2017 Alberta Soils Tour in the Athabasca region, held May 29-31, was initially planned for 2016 but postponed because of a major forest fire. About 55 participants visited various sites to examine soil and its components in undisturbed areas, and also to see how different types of soil respond to forest fires, floods and […] Read more
It’s a chicken barn horror story
An animal cruelty case in British Columbia rocks the poultry industry as calls grow for answers and solutions
Disturbing, sadistic, sickening and reprehensible: these are the adjectives used by the Canadian chicken industry and the British Columbia SPCA to describe an undercover video made public June 12 that shows workers abusingchickens. The video was shot by a worker with the Mercy for Animals group at operations in B.C.’s Fraser Valley. It shows chicken […] Read more
Topsoil health on slippery slope
CLARESHOLM, Alta. — About one tonne of topsoil is lost for every one to two tonnes of grain produced on prairie fields. That is Nicole Masters’ assessment of soil-loss severity. The agro-ecologist and biological education specialist from New Zealand gives “soil schools” to farmers and ranchers as she seeks to improve soil health and by […] Read more
Growers warned to scout canola for flea beetles
Flea beetles are feeding on canola crops in some regions of the Prairies this spring, and growers are being advised to scout for the pests. Whether they take action will depend on number, level of damage and crop stage, but the type of flea beetle involved is also important. Crucifer flea beetles, which are solid […] Read more
Flames extinguished, but return re-ignites pain
FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. — When the residents of Fort McMurray fled the ravages of a wildfire last spring, they didn’t know that re-entering their burned city would be even more difficult. Jordan Redshaw, communications manager for the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo, found that to be true. He was on the emergency response team and […] Read more
Study shows pronghorn like barbed wire fence changes
The friendliness of wildlife-friendly fencing is under study on southeastern Alberta ranchlands. The focus is on pronghorn, also known as antelope, which crawl under fences rather than jump over as they move around this northern part of their native range. The Alberta Fish and Game Association has spearheaded fence modification efforts for about six years, […] Read more
Is Canada’s national animal a boon or a pest?
Beavers: love them, hate them or ambivalent? A recently launched survey seeks to learn Alberta landowners’ attitudes about one of Canada’s national symbols. Alberta’s Cows and Fish society has partnered with the Miistakis Institute, a non-profit research group associated with Mount Royal University, on a survey to assess landowners’ knowledge and perception about beavers, their […] Read more
