Bats are the most frequent sufferers of rabies in western Canada, with 17 cases reported in British Columbia so far this year, four in Alberta and six in Saskatchewan. Those numbers are far less than Ontario’s figures, where 37 rabid bats have been identified so far in 2020, along with three raccoons and six skunks. […] Read more
Farm Living
Evacuation lifted after elevator fire
UPDATED: October 9, 2020 – 15:25 CST – A large grain elevator in the western Saskatchewan village of Marengo was destroyed by fire on the night of Oct. 8. The Kindersley Fire and Rescue Brigade responded about 10:45 pm, followed by fire departments from Eatonia, Kerrobert and Oyen. Marengo is located about 45 kilometres from […] Read more
Sask. farmer takes off his 71st crop
Mel Paton, his two sons and their families farm 12,000 acres, a far cry from where he began as a 14-year-old in 1949
Mel Paton has been at this farming thing awhile now. At nearly 86 years old, his 71st harvest is in the bin. “It is one of the best crops I have grown and weather-wise, it’s been one of the best years, especially after last year,” said the veteran rancher and farmer. “But it can start […] Read more
Thanksgiving, Halloween celebrations will be different
How we celebrate Thanksgiving and Halloween is going to change radically this year. Large Thanksgiving family gatherings with an abundance of food and fellowship, and family Halloween outings for trick or treating aren’t advisable given the second wave of COVID-19 now rolling through the country. That provides opportunities for creating new traditions and remodeling old […] Read more
Alta. cattle operation provides tranquil haven
On the Farm: Blue Rein Ranch raises grass-fed beef while also offering animal-assisted mental health therapy services
FORT MACLEOD, Alta. — Up a gravel road and down a gentle hill lies a place of calm, where horses graze within sight of a big red barn, dogs drool over chew toys and cattle munch on prairie grass. It’s Blue Rein Ranch, where a sense of serenity is a valued commodity on Marvin and […] Read more
Complete overhaul coming this fall for Aeroplan program
November will bring so many changes to Aeroplan, Air Canada’s points program, that it essentially becomes a new program with new rules. It is difficult to say if the new Aeroplan is better or worse than the old one. It will depend on how you use it. A major difference is that the number of […] Read more
Young family turns old barn into new home
The ambitious project required years of planning, designing, permits, cleaning and work on weekends between day jobs
ONOWAY, Alta. — If Katie Hartfeil and Adam Turnbull’s three children are ever asked the etiquette question, “were you raised in a barn,” they can truthfully answer, yes. For almost 10 years, the family transformed the eight-stall hip-roofed horse barn, built in 1928, on the family farm, into their home. “They were wandering around here […] Read more
Iron contest – photo essay
The tracor pull event at the Coyote Flats Pioneer Village near Picture Butte, Alta., proves a good place for tractor renovators to compare notes. Photos by Barb Glen.
‘I’ve never missed a harvest in my whole life’
Pliers and baling wire help carry a Saskatchewan farmer through 77 consecutive harvests — and he’s working on his 78th
ST. BRIEUX, Sask. — With 77 harvests under his belt, Lucien Fagnou keeps climbing the combine ladder. He’s working on number 78. “I’ve never missed a harvest in my whole life. This is really the start of my 78th harvest now. I’m not finished yet,” said the 91-year-old farmer. In fact, Fagnou remembers the first […] Read more
Controlled burns planned for Suffield
Planned grass fires will occur Oct. 3-17 on Canadian Forces Base Suffield, north of Medicine Hat, in efforts to reduce grassy overgrowth in the northern part of the base. The Department of National Defence issued a notice Oct. 1 warning area residents about controlled burn plans in case they observe the smoke and see emergency […] Read more
