A leader in southern Alberta's cattle ranching community died in a vehicle crash while helping fight wildfires along the Alberta/Saskatchewan border on Tuesday night. Cypress County officials have identified the firefighter as James Hargrave, 34, a volunteer with the fire station at Walsh, Alta., about 50 km east of Medicine Hat. Alberta's Agriculture Minister Oneil[...]
Former Manitoba ag minister Harry Enns, 78
Harry Enns, a former rancher and Manitoba's agriculture minister in Gary Filmon's administration during the 1990s, died Thursday at age 78. Enns, a provincial politician for 37 years, represented the Lakeside riding north of Winnipeg in the province's Interlake region, including the communities of Teulon and Stonewall. He first came to the legislature in what[...]
Alberta Liberals' ag critic crosses floor
Alberta's provincial Liberal caucus has lost its agriculture, rural development and municipal affairs critic to the governing Tories. Bridget Pastoor, the MLA for Lethbridge East since 2004, announced her decision Monday at an Edmonton press conference alongside Premier Alison Redford, who described Pastoor as a "dedicated and hard-working representative for her constituents." Pastoor, 71, had[...]
RCMP seek cattle auctioneer's alleged abductor
A suspect in what's alleged to be a botched abduction of prominent Alberta livestock auctioneer Blair Vold has been seen on candid cameras. RCMP at Ponoka, Alta., north of Red Deer, on Monday released new colour photos of a man allegedly trying to use Vold's bank card at a CIBC branch at nearby Wetaskiwin. The[...]
H1N1 arrives in Manitoba hogs
The pandemic flu strain H1N1 has crossed over to hogs in various areas of Manitoba, causing only "very mild" effects in assorted feeder barns, nursery barns and sow barns. The Manitoba agriculture department's chief veterinary officer, Dr. Wayne Lees, delivered that assessment last week on ProMed, an online archive operated by the Massachusetts-based International Society[...]
Parched Alta., Sask. get livestock tax deferrals
The annual round of federal drought designations, which provides income tax deferrals for ranchers in affected areas, starts off this year with 26 jurisdictions in Alberta and 76 rural municipalities in Saskatchewan. Ranchers in the municipalities designated by the federal government can defer a portion of tax owing on income from breeding stock sold due[...]
Mobile poultry processor funded for B.C. interior
The federal government's plan to diversify regions of British Columbia where infestations of mountain pine beetle have hit the forestry sector will include funds for a mobile poultry-processing unit. The federal Western Economic Diversification department will put up $220,000 through its two-year, $33 million Community Economic Diversification Initiative (CEDI), for the Cariboo-Central Interior Poultry Producers[...]
Alta. incorporates ALMA
The Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) expects to be better able to form industry-government partnerships now that it's incorporated, the agency said Monday. The agency, which reports to provincial Agriculture Minister George Groeneveld, got its incorporation status Monday. "This is an important step in creating a successful partnership with industry and transitioning to a[...]
Trade lawyer, rancher join ALMA
Canada's former chief NAFTA negotiator and the operations manager for a well-known Calgary-area ranch are the newest board members for the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency. Agriculture Minister George Groeneveld named John Weekes and Cherie Copithorne-Barnes to ALMA's board on Monday. "Their combined experience in international trade and beef production systems, in both Alberta and[...]
Two cattle die of anthrax in Sask.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed two more fatal cases of anthrax in cattle in two different communities in Saskatchewan. The most recent case was confirmed Monday in the Rural Municipality of Big River, about 130 km northwest of Prince Albert. CFIA also confirmed a case on Saturday in the RM of Harris, about[...]
