Ian Bell

RIVERS, Man. – A visit to Tim Clack’s place can quickly become a peaceful stroll into the past. Near his house is an assortment of metal-clad buildings, each of them housing a treasure trove of artifacts. Clack spends hours guiding a visitor through each of the buildings, pausing here and there to share some history. […] Read more

Melanie Rennie had her fingers crossed last week, awaiting word on whether a European investor will build a processing plant for exotic livestock in Manitoba. Rennie, a director for the Canadian Ostrich Marketing Export Team, said a decision by the investor is expected this week. If the decision is positive, the plant could start production […] Read more

Canadian potato growers remain under the watchful eyes of their American counterparts. There are rumblings south of the border that subsidies and trade restrictions are giving an edge to growers and processors in Western Canada. Part of the concern is based on expansion of Alberta’s potato industry. It was hoped that the potato industries in […] Read more

The Manitoba Heritage Federation is applying for an injunction to prevent demolition of the train station at Souris, Man. The owners bought the building for $6,000 and want to tear it down for salvage. A demolition permit, approved by town council last year, gives the owners until the end of 1999 to flatten the building […] Read more

Hunting season always means a flurry of activity at the Pat Waller home near Kenton, Man. Friends and relatives converge on the Waller farm with the hopes of tagging themselves a deer. Last fall, 35 deer were shot there, making only a slight dent in the population of four-legged foragers. “It’s really not a problem […] Read more

Small bugs are costing potato growers big bucks in Manitoba. Colorado potato beetles flourished last year and it appears they are poised to chomp even harder in the coming crop year, prompting growers across the Prairies to become concerned. Derek McLaren estimates his family spent close to $250,000 last year to combat potato beetles and […] Read more

Another Cinderella story may soon unfold in Canada’s crop industry. Canamaize, a short variety of corn, is being billed as a hardy crop with strong feed potential and a growing season of 95 to 100 days. The new corn variety will be seeded on 10,000 acres of prairie farmland this year. The company promoting the […] Read more

Police have not yet arrested or charged anyone in connection with a fire that tore through a poultry processing plant at Blumenort, Man., last fall. The Oct. 7 fire brought a temporary halt to production at Granny’s Poultry and caused more than $3.5 million in damages. The blaze happened shortly before the Thanksgiving weekend. Dozens […] Read more

SOURIS, Man. – A workshop here last week helped clear up issues surrounding Manitoba’s water resources. Those attending the workshop were told of the increasing water demand in Manitoba. The underlying question was how to best manage and allocate that resource in the future. The province hopes the public can help answer that question. The […] Read more

SOURIS, Man. – The province is candid about the backlog of people awaiting water rights licences in Manitoba. They can wait years before getting a decision from the province’s water licensing section. Irrigators account for a large part of that backlog, according to an official at a workshop here last week. The Souris workshop was […] Read more