The first in a series of prescribed burns will take place between May 8 and 16 on a crested wheat grass field in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park. Personnel from Saskatchewan’s parks and environment ministries will conduct the burns as they try to convert the field back to native grassland. Saskatchewan Landing is located along Lake […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Sask. extends on-farm water program
Saskatchewan’s water infrastructure program for farms and ranches will continue for another five years. The federal and provincial agriculture ministers announced $65 million in funding for four different components of the program: on-farm, communities, value added business development and irrigation in-fill. The cost share depends on which component the applicant uses to obtain a secure, […] Read more
Water levels dropping in west-central Sask.
Water levels are dropping around the beleaguered Saskatchewan communities of Radisson and Borden, northwest of Saskatoon. The Water Security Agency’s Patrick Boyle said Saturday the water had dropped about 10 centimetres overnight at Radisson. There is about a 12-hour delay between what happens in Radisson then happening in Borden. Boyle said water levels in Borden […] Read more
Sask. braces for weekend flooding
Southern Saskatchewan and emergency crews are bracing for the weekend as the long-awaited warm temperatures bring floodwater with them. Crews that normally fight fires are being added to the flood response team to allow for a widespread effort, said emergency management commissioner Duane McKay. Unlike the 2011 flood, which was concentrated in southeast Saskatchewan, the […] Read more
Mill rate cap intended to protect industrialproperty owners
The following are the classes of municipal property (distinct from provincial property classes), which are used by all municipalities, except cities, in a formula to calculate taxes. Different property classes may be assigned different percentages of assessed value to determine a taxable assessment:
Saskatchewan has set a limit on the mill rate factor that municipalities can apply to their property taxes this year to ensure fairer tax distribution among property classes. Government relations minister Jim Reiter said he has also asked officials to review all tax tools after a small number of rural municipalities used the mill rate […] Read moreFlood risks ease in some areas, rise in others
Cooler weather forecast ahead of much warmer temperatures for the weekend of May 4-5 could ease the flood risk in some parts of Saskatchewan, provincial officials said April 29. Water Security Agency spokesperson Patrick Boyle said warmer temperatures late last week produced quick increases in outflow on tributaries and resulted in localized flooding. “In those […] Read more
Saskatchewan grass fire burns up to 5,500 acres
An intense grass fire raged through southwestern Saskatchewan last weekend, burning thousands of acres of old vegetation in Grasslands National Park. Larry Grant, reeve of the Rural Municipality of Val Marie, said the fire started sometime before noon April 27 and was under control by about 10 the next morning. It began on agricultural land […] Read more
Shelterbelt sale plans stalled
It appears the federal government is just beginning the process to sell its tree nursery at Indian Head, Sask., a year after it announced it was accepting offers for the facility. A coalition of farm organizations and municipalities interested in operating the nursery met with a federal official last week, who told them the legal […] Read more
Ex-crop insurance workers may have pension claim
Former employees of Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. could be eligible for pension benefits even if they haven’t worked for the company since the 1980s. Those eligible include farmers who worked part-time as adjusters between 1981 and 1999. Crop insurance is seeking former workers to resolve claims under a settlement agreement reached several years ago. “It […] Read more
Ag industry remembers researcher Guy Lafond
Ag contributions His work contributed to direct seeding, precision farming and conservation practices
A memorial celebration will be held May 4 in Indian Head, Sask., for zero-till pioneer and crop researcher Guy Lafond. The long-time Agriculture Canada scientist died April 27 from cancer. He was 59. His wife, Enid Oddleifson, to whom he was married for 32 years, son Eric (Jessica Parker) and daughter Gaetane survive him, along […] Read more
