Red River College in Winnipeg plans to bring trades training to rural communities with two mobile training labs. Each lab is contained in a 53 foot trailer that has been converted to house a 950 sq. foot classroom. Diesel generators supply power, lighting, heating and air conditioning. Supply trailers, housing materials, training aids and additional […] Read more
Stories by Daniel Winters
Canadian border officers stand on guard for thee
There are lots of good reasons that border guards deny visitors entry into Canada. Suspected terrorists or common criminals looking to cause mischief aren’t going to breeze through customs. Of course, it has long been the practice of border guards the world over to turn away unkempt, malodorous and otherwise undesirable backpackers on the grounds […] Read more
Fuel prices spark more theft
Rising prices for fuel and grain are getting attention these days, including from thieves. Gasoline and diesel, both valuable, untraceable commodities that are always in high demand and easily resold, have long been targets of theft, even when fuel was cheap, said Staff Sgt. Mike Zens of Brandon’s Blue Hills RCMP detachment. Zens said theft […] Read more
Bovine TB case reported near Riding Mountain park
The discovery of a tuberculosis-infected cow near Riding Mountain National Park comes as no surprise to the president of the Manitoba Cattle Producers Association. Martin Unrau said that the association first heard about a suspected case in a herd near Grandview, on the north side of the park, a few weeks ago and had been […] Read more
Quality sprayer water getting harder to find
Farmers in some areas, especially in southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba, may have to look farther afield this season for clean, clear water to fill sprayer tanks. However, with the dry, cool weather so far this year, some farmers might get away without having to spray at all. In Manitoba, near Melita, ground zero for […] Read more
Manitoba halts school closures
The Manitoba government’s decision to halt further school closures except under exceptional circumstances has offered a glimmer of hope for parents and communities fighting to save their schools. Val Caldwell, a councillor for the Rural Municipality of Woodworth and member of a parents group fighting to save Kenton’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 school, welcomed the […] Read more
Alberta suffers heavy bee losses
Alberta has suffered higher than normal losses of overwintering bees for the second year in a row, but Manitoba and Saskatchewan saw some improvement over last year. Paul Laflamme, head of Alberta’s pest management branch, said preliminary results have found that in some areas, particularly in the Peace River region, losses have been as high […] Read more
Amazon biochar may fix soil
Researchers say a soil revitalization technique used by a lost civilization in the Amazon jungle could help reverse the damage done by global warming. What’s more, the process of creating “biochar,” similar to charcoal making, also offers the promise of an alternative source of energy and fertilizer derived from renewable sources. Cornell University biogeochemist Johannes […] Read more
Vet urges West Nile booster
The number of horses infected with West Nile virus is down since the peak of 445 cases in 2003, but that’s no reason to become complacent, says Gerald Ollis, Alberta’s chief veterinarian. Last year saw 111 cases: 46 in Alberta; 57 in Saskatchewan and eight in Manitoba. Veterinarians say widespread use of vaccines is probably […] Read more
Heirloom vegetables in growing demand
Never had success with watermelons in the garden? Maybe the supermarket seed you bought is the problem. “Variety is so important,” said Tanya Stefanec, a young entrepreneur who has turned a childhood fascination with rare and heirloom vegetable varieties into a thriving seed business. Instead of giving up, gardeners might have better luck with a […] Read more
