Saskatchewan game farmers can pursue a class-action lawsuit against the government for negligence, the Supreme Court of Canada has unanimously ruled. The case stems back to 2004 when about 200 elk farmers launched the legal action against the Saskatchewan government for changes it made to chronic wasting disease surveillance programs. Roger Holland of Maidstone, Sask., […] Read more
Karen Briere
Stories by Karen Briere
Sask. fertilizer plant sold to Yara Int’l
The owners of Saskferco have announced a deal worth $1.6 billion just weeks after officially confirming the nitrogen fertilizer plant was for sale. Mosaic Co. and Investment Saskatchewan announced July 14 that their jointly owned plant at Belle Plaine, Sask., had been sold to Yara International ASA of Oslo, Norway. Lyle Stewart, minister responsible for […] Read more
Partnership to support biomass biofuel
A new public-private partnership in Saskatchewan will explore second generation biofuel and bioenergy production. Canadian Green Fuels (CGF), the Saskatchewan Forest Centre and the University of Regina signed a memorandum of understanding July 10 to each contribute $50,000 annually for the next five years, either in cash or in kind, to fund research into new […] Read more
Sask. likely to shell out more for natural gas
SaskEnergy is proposing a 40 percent increase on natural gas bills this fall due to higher commodity prices and increasing delivery costs. The Saskatchewan crown utility has applied for a rate hike to $10.21 per gigajoule from $6.57, effective Oct. 1. It also wants to increase basic monthly delivery charges starting Nov. 1. SaskEnergy chief […] Read more
Sask. employee fired after pasture probe
An employee has been fired and RCMP are investigating after a “financial irregularity” was discovered at a Saskatchewan provincial pasture. A preliminary internal investigation has found that an estimated $20,000 is involved, said acting deputy agriculture minister Scott Brown. The problem was discovered April 7 during a review of financial systems at Grainland pasture near […] Read more
Storms hammer prairie crops
Wild weather caused widespread crop and property damage in southern Saskatchewan last week. Much of the damage was attributed to July 10 storms that rocked the entire grain belt. A day earlier a wide band of hail flattened crops northwest of Swift Current. Environment Canada meteorologist Bob Cormier confirmed three tornadoes touched down: in the […] Read more
Animal activists tout message; producers often on defensive
SASKATOON – An American horse industry spokesperson warned Saskatchewan beef producers recently to make sure they know who is driving the animal welfare agenda. Animal activists are much better at getting their side of an issue out to the public, said Norm Luba, executive director of the North American Equine Ranching Information Council in Louisville, […] Read more
Writers, artists honour literary festival founder
MOOSE JAW, Sask. – Some people thought Gary Hyland’s vision of bringing together writers and readers to celebrate Canadian literature in his prairie hometown was too visionary. “Some thought he was out of his mind,” said Irene Grobowsky, the promotions and office manager for the Saskatchewan Festival of Words. “He called in a lot of […] Read more
Stolen computer prompts lawsuit
A Regina law firm has launched a class action lawsuit on behalf of 32,000 farmers whose personal information was contained on a computer stolen from the Canadian Canola Growers Association. Lawyer Pat Alberts of the Merchant Law Group said almost 100 people have called him since the action was issued. The computer was stolen March […] Read more
Ag projects get funding
The Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan (ACS) has announced $1.1 million in funding for three projects. The Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities will receive $420,000 for its research into more economical and environmentally friendly methods of gopher control, while two projects designed to help First Nations youth become involved in agriculture through programs such as 4-H […] Read more
