Generosity is coming in many forms for the thousands of people displaced by catastrophic floods that swept over parts of southern Alberta last month. Athletes are donating winnings, children are holding bake sales and musicians have held impromptu concerts. Okotoks resident Jennifer Zaffino, who owns Backbone Chiropractics, is raising money with a Come Hell or […] Read more
Barbara Duckworth
Stories by Barbara Duckworth
Parts of High River still under water as residents begin returning
HIGH RIVER, Alta. — More High River residents will be allowed to visit their water damaged homes, but only from a distance because their neighbourhoods are still under water. On July 4, a media tour of the worst affected areas in the north side of the community showed water is still halfway up car doors […] Read more
Staying power of tags examined
ID retention issues | The CCIA also wants reports of readout problems
The Canadian Cattle Identification Agency wants to hear from producers when ear tags fall out or fail to work properly. A national tag retention study is ongoing, and problems can be taken up with the manufacturers, said CCIA manager Brian Caney. Reported failures include tags that don’t read, die or fall out. The agency also […] Read more
Cattle risk management is a numbers game
Controlling losses | With small margins in the feedlot business, operators must closely monitor their operations
Knowing what he knows now, Greg Appleyard would have found someone to help with risk management 10 years ago. The former owner of Cattleland Feedyard at Strathmore, Alta., had to learn the hard way as he spent 20 years plotting a course through the vagaries of the beef and grain markets. “Eight years ago, if […] Read more
River overflows; High River saturated
Community worst hit | Residents forced to leave until infrastructure repaired, water safe
HIGH RIVER, Alta. — Seeing is believing the tragedy that has befallen High River. The worst flood in Alberta history has blitzed this town of 13,000, making it the hardest hit of the 23 communities that were in a state of emergency following heavy rains across the southern half of the province starting June 20. […] Read moreThe show will go on — with adjustments, says Calgary Stampede president
The Calgary Stampede is going to be staged come hell or high water, Stampede president Bob Thompson said June 24. “Throughout our 101 year history, we have never cancelled a show,” said Thompson. Crews are working feverishly around the clock to pump out millions of gallons of water from buildings and clean up the grandstand, […] Read more
Diagnosing trichomoniasis poses challenges
Herd health | Tests for venereal disease in cattle aren’t 100 percent accurate, says vet
Trichomoniasis is a venereal disease of cattle that has been detected in Alberta with serious consequences. When a veterinary practice at High River, Alta., diagnosed it in cattle that had occupied two grazing reserves in southern Alberta, patrons were forced to take serious steps to get rid of it. It is a protozoan organism that […] Read moreScientists focus on rogue proteins
Classical or atypical prions | Research leads to categorization of prion-related livestock diseases
BANFF, Alta. — There are little pieces of research into prion biology that link to form a chain of knowledge about a family of fatal neurological diseases in mammals and humans. Cattle may be infected with BSE, sheep and goats succumb to scrapie and the wild deer and elk population are vulnerable to chronic wasting […] Read moreDamage extensive from historic flood
Emergency aftermath | Officials begin to assess damage from flood that saw thousands evacuated
The worst flood in Alberta history has caused at least four deaths and inestimable property damage. There are three confirmed dead in the High River area and an elderly woman was found dead in her apartment in inner city Calgary. There are no confirmed numbers of missing people who may have been stranded in their […] Read moreAlberta 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
