Ian Bell

Which way do we turn next? That’s a question farmers in western Manitoba confront as the winds of change howl through. Guy Baudry and Jeff Lawson are among those watching the changes unfold. But they are optimistic. Baudry and Lawson are members of the agriculture committee for the Brandon Economic Development Board. The committee searches […] Read more

Prairie beekeepers reaped a bountiful harvest this year, with yields that could hit record levels in Alberta and Manitoba. Bee colonies were strong this spring because of the mild winter associated with El Nino. Favorable weather during the summer spurred on the honeybees. “It turned out to be a great year. Probably the best we’ve […] Read more

Dave Klippenstein voiced a sentiment shared by many in Western Canada’s farm industry this week. Although relieved the governors of South Dakota and other northern states of the United States had likely agreed to stop interfering with Canadian grain and livestock moving south, he wants assurances similar episodes won’t occur. “I think the governor of […] Read more

The challenge was staggering. Every fall, 200,000 tonnes of straw are to be gathered to feed the new strawboard plant built at Elie, Man. The question was how to manage the collection of straw from a 20,000-square-kilometre area? Isobord Enterprises turned to technology for the answer. The company is using a computer system to map […] Read more

ERICKSON, Man. – The clatter of construction spills through a metal doorway leading into the carpentry classroom at Erickson Collegiate. Students here are pounding nails, sawing boards and sanding wood in an effort to build shelves of their own design. Miranda Ledoux is among the industrious group of teenagers. The Grade 10 student appears cheerful […] Read more

Canada’s farming community could benefit from a $34 million centre that predicts natural disasters such as floods and droughts. The proposed Disaster Information Centre, to be located in Winnipeg, would pull together climate information to warn of natural disasters. Part of that information would be drawn from a satellite orbiting the Earth. David Barber, an […] Read more

Researchers have unraveled another part of the riddle about how to manage hog manure. They found that a controlled diet can greatly reduce the amount of manure produced. Control of a hog’s diet can also curb the amount of hydrogen and phosphorus excreted. The research was done at Agriculture Canada’s research centre at Brandon, Man. […] Read more

DUNREA, Man. – Norbert Carney weaves his way between piles of wood and scores of woodworking tools. His workshop appears to be in disarray, but he always manages to find the tool or block of wood that he’s looking for. Crickets chirp outside the shop while Carney gives a demonstration of how he hones wood […] Read more

Noise from a leaking pipe warned workers of impending trouble at Simplot Canada’s fertilizer plant in Brandon, Man., last week. The noise gave workers time to sound the alarm before leaking hydrogen was somehow ignited, spewing flames up to 10 metres long. The fire occurred Sept. 15 near the hydrogen recovery building of Simplot’s new […] Read more

With his fishing rod in hand, John Lysack ambles down a sloping path to the edge of the Assiniboine River. He plants his tackle box on the ground and casts a small yellow jig into the murky waters. “Whatever I catch I let go,” said Lysack, 68, while fishing near the 18th Street bridge in […] Read more