Saskatchewan is reporting 13 cases of E. coli in September, up from the usual less than four. Public health authorities are still investigating the cases to determine if they are related to the beef recall from XL Foods in Brooks, Alta. However, the ministry reminds people to use safe handling and cooking practices at all […] Read more
Stories by Karen Briere
Food, fundraising campaign kicks off
Food bank use has increased 13 percent in 2012, says Farm Credit Canada CEO Greg Stewart
Those who grow food in Canada might be surprised to learn that 900,000 of their fellow citizens use food banks each month. They might also be surprised that 600 food banks are located in rural areas, where it’s easy to see the abundance of food being grown. Farm Credit Canada last week launched its annual […] Read moreSCA has new CEO
The Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association has appointed Craig Douglas as its chief executive officer. Douglas had been serving as interim CEO since May and was previously the association’s policy analyst. The SCA collects the beef checkoff from more than 20,000 beef cattle producers in the province. “The SCA is excited to have someone with Craig’s experience, […] Read more
Rural internet users in Sask. get reprieve
SaskTel has been given more time to reconfigure its network, which means rural internet customers won’t lose their high-speed service at the end of this year after all. Industry Canada said Sept. 28 it had extended the cutoff to March 31, 2014, after hearing concerns about 8,000 rural Saskatchewan SaskTel customers that could be left […] Read more
Former Sask. lieutenant governor dies
Former Saskatchewan lieutenant governor Sylvia Fedoruk died yesterday at age 85. Born in Canora, Sask., in 1927, Fedoruk was a physicist who worked on the cutting edge of cancer treatment through radiation. She was involved in the development of the world’s first cobalt 60 therapy machine. Along with a distinguished academic career, she was also […] Read more
Sask. harvest well ahead of average
Warm, dry and windy weather has allowed Saskatchewan producers to combine 89 percent of the 2012 crop as of Sept. 24. The province’s weekly crop report said another eight percent is ready to combine or swath. The five-year average is 70 percent combined and 21 percent ready for harvest. Southern areas are furthest advanced with […] Read more
Feds watching hog situation closely
WINNIPEG — Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz says it’s critical to maintain hog supply going into Canadian packing plants but he said ad hoc payments to troubled producers aren’t the way to make that happen. The minister told the Canadian Farm Writers’ Federation annual conference he was closely monitoring the pork industry after the recent […] Read more
Western growers, businesses urged to pile high, dig deep for HayEast
A campaign has begun to move hay into drought-parched areas of Eastern Canada. HayEast 2012 is looking for hay, transportation and cash to help producers in Ontario and Quebec. Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan president Norm Hall said he saw first-hand the dried-out hay stands and stunted corn crops during a recent trip to Ontario. […] Read more
CFIA closes Moose Jaw office
The agency will continue to serve businesses needing on-site CFIA staff
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency plans to close its district office in Moose Jaw, Sask., next spring and provide service from Regina. However, Bill Jameson of JGL Livestock in Moose Jaw said CFIA has told him a veterinarian will still work in the city to provide the services his company needs. “We’re probably the largest […] Read moreCandidates seek NDP leadership
Two more contenders have entered the race for Saskatchewan’s NDP leadership. Ryan Meili, a Saskatoon doctor who finished second to Dwain Lingenfelter in the 2009 contest, and Trent Wotherspoon, MLA for Regina Rosemont, both announced their candidacy Sept. 14. There are now four candidates, all men, running for the job of leader of Saskatchewan’s opposition. […] Read more