Heavy rains across much of Western Canada during the past week have resulted in high runoff and rising water levels in streams and river systems across the prairie provinces. In Saskatchewan, the province’s Water Security Agency (WSA) is advising the public of rapidly increasing water flows in the South Saskatchewan and North Saskatchewan rivers systems […] Read more
Author Archives
CN unveils big spending plans
Canadian National Railway will spend about $750 million this year to upgrade its western Canadian rail network. The company will spend approximately $445 million in British Columbia and another $305 million in Alberta on rail upgrades, maintenance and expansion projects. In B.C., planned upgrades include the construction of about 5.6 kilometres of double track near […] Read more
Northern Alberta farmers struggle with wet conditions
Persistent wetness in parts of northern Alberta has forced grain growers to leave hundreds of thousands of acres unseeded this spring, according to the provincial crop insurance program. Preliminary estimates suggest that more than 200,000 acres of insured cropland in the areas northeast and northwest of Edmonton and north of Highway 16 between Edmonton and […] Read more
Big train a-comin’ from southwest Saskatchewan
If you blink, there’s a good chance you’ll miss the ghost town of Antelope, Sask., located about 40 kilometres southwest of Swift Current along the Trans-Canada Highway. But there was no missing the massive grain train that was loaded a few kilometres west of Antelope by the South West Terminal. The SWT train, consisting of […] Read more
Cargill plans fertilizer centre
Cargill says it will begin construction this month on a new state-of-the-art fertilizer retail and distribution centre in central Alberta. The US$30 million facility will be located at Camrose, adjacent to the company’s existing canola crushing plant. The facility will allow farmers who deliver canola to backhaul fertilizer, saving time and reducing fuel consumption. Completion […] Read more
Cereals Canada names Alberta grain farmer as chair
Alberta grain farmer Todd Hames has been named the chair of the newly amalgamated Cereals Canada. Hames, from Marwayne, Alta., will lead the new organization, which merged with the Canadian International Grains Institute. Other western Canadian farmers named to the board include Hannah Konschuh, Brett Halstead, Jake Leguee, Glenn Tait, Robert Misko, Drew Baker and […] Read more
Grain movement “off the map”
Say what you will about COVID-19, but one thing is clear: The pandemic hasn’t had a negative impact on grain movement in Western Canada, or on export sales programs of some Canadian crops. Export shipments of major Canadian grains including milling wheat, durum, canola and pulses have been steady since the COVID-19 pandemic knocked the […] Read more
Groups urge AgriStability reform
Business risk management programs available to farmers need to be reworked and improved, according to witnesses providing testimony to the House of Commons agriculture committee. In particular, the AgriStability program requires immediate improvements to protect farm incomes against recurring economic losses caused by rising operating costs, lower net returns and unexpected market disruptions that affect […] Read more
G3’s new facilities expected to boost grain-handling speed
Canadian grain export company G3 has added two more pieces to its state-of-the-art grain handling network in Western Canada. This week, the company announced the official opening of two new high-throughput elevators in Alberta. G3 Morinville, north of Edmonton, and G3 Carmangay, about 150 kilometres south of Calgary, will feature the same high-efficiency infrastructure as […] Read more
‘What a great way to give back’
The Canadian Foodgrains Bank remembers long-time benefactor who donated 190 acres of farmland to the organization
Hard working, devout, determined and beholden. Those are a few of the words that could be used to describe the late Werner Zacharias, who farmed, preached the gospel and raised a family of five children near Fiske, Sask., along with his wife, Elsie. Generous is another, said Rick Block. “In late 2017, I was made […] Read more
