A queen bumblebee collects floral resources for her nest.

Environmental threats put bumblebee queens under pressure

Insecticide exposure and declining floral diversity are jeopardizing key pollinator group

Reading Time: < 1 minute Spring is a busy time for bumblebee queens. After emerging from hibernation, their to-do list includes making nests, laying eggs, and keeping their larvae warm and fed. It’s physiologically demanding, and the stakes are high: the success of the colony depends on a queen. In a recent study, researchers at the University of California Riverside […] Read more

New case of equine infectious anemia

Reading Time: < 1 minute A new case of equine infectious anemia has been detected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in Ponoka County, the office of the Chief Provincial Veterinarian reported in early July. One case involving one horse in Clearwater County was confirmed in April and another case, also one horse, in Strathcona County in February. Another case […] Read more



There were real cows too!

There were real cows too!

Reading Time: < 1 minute The first Breakfast on the Dairy Farm event of the season drew more than 700 people to the Van der Gun Dairy on June 23. In addition to a free breakfast, there was a bouncy house, face painting, a petting zoo, and barn tours. There are two more Breakfast on the Dairy Farm events this […] Read more


(Dave Bedard photo)

CP’s signal maintainers ratify three-year deal

Signal and communications employees with Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) have voted to accept a tentative three-year deal that helped end a 33-hour work stoppage in late May. CP and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) System Council No. 11, which represents 360 CP signal maintainers, announced Friday the union’s CP members had voted 78 […] Read more

The Port of Churchill in 2015. (CNS Canada photo by Jade Markus)

Proposed deal ‘fallen apart’ for Hudson Bay Railway

An acquisition deal-in-principle for northern Manitoba’s Hudson Bay Railway appears to have collapsed and the line’s current owners warn the railway may now be down for yet another shipping season. Hudson Bay Railway (HBR), a subsidiary of Colorado-based shortline operator OnmiTrax, announced Tuesday “it now appears that this transaction has fallen apart.” The proposed sale […] Read more


This CP Rail graphic shows how new hopper cars and longer trains will eventually up the capacity of a unit train by nearly 45 per cent.

CP joins CN in rejuvenating grain hopper car fleet

New-generation hopper cars are shorter, 
carry more grain, and are faster to load and unload

Reading Time: 2 minutes CP Rail says it will spend more than $500 million on new high-capacity grain hopper cars. The company announced last month it has ordered 1,000 new hopper cars and expects to see more than 500 of them in service by the end of the year. “These new rail cars will revitalize our fleet,” said CP […] Read more

Ensuring legumes aren't seeded too deep is a critical step in establishing a high-legume pasture.

Going beyond grass: The case for forage legumes

Alberta producers offer the wisdom of their experience — and their gains — from high legume pastures

Reading Time: 2 minutes If you’re fearful that seeding pasture with legumes will be a waste of time and money, several Alberta producers have some tips for you. A new video from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry features producers offering their advice — some of it hard earned — on topics such as seedbed preparation, nutrients, and weed control. Having […] Read more


(Dal.ca/agriculture)

Fire shutters Dalhousie ag campus’ main building

The Cox Institute, the main building on Dalhousie University’s agricultural campus, has been closed down by a Wednesday night fire believed to have caused substantial damage. No one was reported to be injured in the fire, the Nova Scotia university said via Twitter. According to local media the fire broke out Wednesday evening in the […] Read more

A+W’s Beyond Meat Burger. (A+W/CNW Group)

A+W to launch pulseburger next month

Canada’s second-biggest burger chain plans to roll out a new non-meat burger in the Canadian market starting in July. A+W Food Services of Canada on Thursday announced a July 9 release date for what it’s dubbed the Beyond Meat Burger at all its restaurants across the country, in what CEO Susan Senecal called “the fastest […] Read more