Mary MacArthur

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – Not many farmers get a second chance to start farming. Even though Bill and Heather Bickford are established farmers, buying a 9,000-acre ranch in the rugged Buick Creek area is like starting over for the northern British Columbia family. “I’m excited about it,” said Bill, who moved from Victoria to […] Read more

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – After seven years, hours of debate and several drafts, the code that guides the way bison are handled in Canada has been released. “It was a lot of work,” said Canadian Bison Association president Bill Bouffioux, who used the code of practice for cattle handling as his initial guide when […] Read more

For the last several years the Alberta Surface Rights Federation annual meeting could have been held in a phone booth. A perennial group of advocates listed their small successes getting seismic companies to plug shot holes or use biodegradable flags instead of metal. The successes were usually muted by sad personal stories of struggles against […] Read more

FORT ST JOHN, B.C. – Bill Bouffioux is a bit flustered this morning. A day earlier he’d forgotten to lock a gate and his bison got out of the corral. The bison didn’t wander far, but it took time on a cold winter day to separate the animals and draw them back into the corral. […] Read more

Alberta Agriculture officials plan to cut 150 full-time positions to help balance the department’s budget. In a letter to staff, deputy minister Brian Manning said the upcoming business plan calls for a “reduction of about 150 full-time equivalent positions to address budget requirements and restructuring needs.” Some job reductions will be achieved by eliminating vacant […] Read more

More than 355,000 Alberta students are back in their classrooms this week after the government on Feb. 21 ordered 22,000 striking Alberta teachers back to work. The three-week strike may not be over yet. On Feb. 25 the Alberta Teachers Association went to court to fight the government back-to-work order. Results were not available by […] Read more

A lack of money may shelve or scale down a study into the possible effects of the oil and gas industry on cattle and wildlife. Scientists must find at least $5 million by mid-March to finish collecting scientific information from thousands of cattle and wild animals across the Prairies. “This is a terribly important study,” […] Read more

NISKU, Alta. – For the first time in more than 70 years, Canadian Grain Commission inspectors are talking about the possibility of not identifying a sample of wheat by its looks. Instead, farmers would declare in a statement the variety of wheat they sell to an elevator or overseas. Chief grain inspector Len Seguin said […] Read more

Strong sales of discs, front-end loaders and post pounders have boosted the spirits of an Alberta agricultural manufacturing company. “We’re feeling better that things are improving,” said John Yannitsos, vice-president of Laniuk Industries, the parent company of Ezee-On Manufacturing in Vegreville, which produces a full line of agricultural equipment, and RJV Gas Field Services, which […] Read more

NISKU, Alta. – Alberta farmers attending recent Canadian Grain Commission meetings were solidly opposed to the commission licensing producer car loading facilities. But they weren’t alone. Albert Schatzke, one of two CGC grain commissioners, said he also believes producer car loading facilities shouldn’t be licensed. Farmers at meetings in Grande Prairie, Nisku and Vulcan told […] Read more