One member of a recent discussion says the environment will suffer if water use in the province expands too much
The question is apt: does Alberta have enough water to grow? The University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy put that question to a three-member panel Oct. 20. Two said the answer is yes. The third said maybe but there will be trade-offs. Earlier this month the federal and provincial governments announced an $815 million […] Read moreNews
Trade mission restrictions throttle market information flow
Commodity and trade groups are feeling the effect of not being able to conduct in-person intelligence gathering because of COVID-19 rules
Few organizations have been more directly impacted by COVID-19 than the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership. STEP used to organize 40 to 45 national and international trade missions every year. “Since the pandemic has occurred we haven’t had one international in-person mission,” said STEP president Chris Dekker. The organization has hosted more than 50 virtual […] Read more
Dairy sector impatient on trade compensation
Canadian dairy farmers say they’ve waited long enough for the compensation Ottawa promised them for market share losses from trade deals. Dairy Farmers of Canada president Pierre Lampron and vice-president David Wiens said last week that they have heard the promises but not seen much money. Dairy farmers received a first payment of $345 million […] Read more
Alta. freezes energy sector’s municipal taxes
Province freezes property taxes on new oil and gas wells and pipelines for three years, saying it will kickstart investment
After hitting the pause button on plans to help Alberta’s oil and gas companies by reducing taxes levied by rural municipalities, the provincial government said it has come up with a solution that will help both sides. “I feel with our decision today, we have balanced the needs of both municipalities and the oil and […] Read more
Websites promote Canada’s barley, wheat crop quality
The Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre has launched a new website that allows domestic and international users of Canadian barley to learn more about the quality of Canada’s new barley crop. The website, located at barleyharvest.ca, includes photos, videos and updates on crop quality. It was developed to provide information normally provided through western Canadian […] Read more
Energy industry-climate change called balancing act
Alberta premier recognizes that the energy sector must focus on the environment, but he says oil and gas companies already do a good job
Alberta must be able to “walk and chew gum at the same time” when it comes to promoting projects such as oil and gas pipelines, said premier Jason Kenney. Access to capital for the energy sector increasingly “requires a demonstration that companies and governments are serious about improving their environmental performance — reducing their CO2 […] Read more
The year Halloween took an explosive turn
One too many spooky tricks pushes a farm family over the edge, forcing them to take drastic nighttime action
Halloween brings back some humorous memories of Halloweens past when I was a kid, and some that were not so humorous. We grew up on the farm where I still live, just a half mile south of our little community of Dapp, Alta. There were more people there then, plus a few businesses — all […] Read more
Trade opportunities with China still considered possible despite problems
Despite Canada’s tortured relationship with China, the giant market still holds enormous opportunity for Canadian agriculture, says Doug Horner. “We are still going to see significant growth in demand coming from China,” said Horner, the former Alberta agriculture minister who now heads the Canada China Synergy Group, which advises Canadian companies on how to approach […] Read more
Dairy sector given dire warning about future
New report says Canada could lose half its dairy farms by 2030 if supply management isn’t ‘fundamentally changed’
The Canadian dairy industry must radically restructure to become financially viable, to retain public support, and to survive the likely loss of market protection. That’s the view of three analysts who looked at the industry’s viability and trends, as well as public attitudes toward dairy farming. “Canadian’s do not want to see the end of […] Read more
NCC land purchase expands conservation area in Sask.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada buys 307 acres of land west of Saskatoon, which will continue to be used for grazing
A national non-profit conservation organization has expanded its landholdings in central Saskatchewan. The Nature Conservancy of Canada announced earlier this month that it has acquired 307 acres of land near Asquith, Sask., west of Saskatoon. The NCC bought the land from a local landowner for an undisclosed price. The land consists of native and tame […] Read more
