Reading Time: 5 minutes The paramedic service is stretched to the breaking point and increasingly, there are no ambulances available when a rural resident suffers a medical emergency, say officials representing those first responders. “There’s 60 per cent more calls for 911 today than we were seeing about 10 years ago,” said Mike Parker, president of the Health Sciences […] Read more
Ambulance shortage leaves Alberta’s rural residents at risk
Increasingly, the closest ambulance is ‘an hour away,’ say both paramedic association and union
CBOT weekly outlook: Corn up, but highs may not last
MarketsFarm — Corn, wheat and soybeans were all trading on a positive note at the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) just days before the winter holidays. According to Scott Capinegro, a broker for Barrington Commodity Brokers at Lake Barrington, Ill., a greater appetite for risk by investors and inclement weather have both supported the markets. […] Read more
Are puppies, plants and backyard chickens still popular?
Nearly two years on, how are newbie pet owners, gardeners, and poultry enthusiasts making out?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Puppies, plants, and backyard chickens became hot trends when the pandemic took hold — but are they still popular almost two years in? Pandemic pets “At the beginning of the pandemic, we were swamped with people,” said Sharla Willis, who has operated a dog-breeding business for 16 years with her mother Dorrie Nelson. “We did […] Read more
U.S. grains: CBOT wheat nears two-month low
Corn declines; soy ends firm
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat futures fell nearly four per cent on Wednesday and European wheat fell three per cent as a bumper Australian harvest and signs of continued competition from Black Sea supplies added to technical pressure, traders and analysts said. Corn followed wheat lower while soybean futures ended modestly higher after monthly […] Read more
Covid precaution sees one event cancelled, another go virtual
Reading Time: < 1 minute Citing “the risk of a fifth wave,” organizers have cancelled FarmTech for a second year. “With the recent announcement made by the Alberta government’s ongoing work to protect Albertans from COVID-19 and the possibility of increased cases and transmissions this winter, we made the difficult decision to postpone FarmTech 2022,” said Janine Paly, chair of […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: New investments cause for optimism
Sector looking forward beyond challenges of 2021
MarketsFarm — Canada’s pulse industry had to endure more than its fair share of challenges and obstacles in 2021, domestic and abroad. Nevertheless, the national organization representing pulse growers, traders and processors feels the industry will be strong in the New Year. An already tight supply situation became tighter in 2021 as drought in Western […] Read more
Elevators hope mandatory vaccination doesn’t disrupt operations
New regulations will require all federally regulated employees to comply early in 2022
Canada’s major companies hope their operations won’t be disrupted when Ottawa requires federally regulated employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 starting early in 2022. “It depends on whether employees that aren’t vaccinated will get vaccinated, or would they leave their jobs,” Wade Sobkowich, executive director of the Western Grain Elevator Association (WGEA) said in an interview […] Read more
Audit finds Canada failing migrant farmworkers on COVID-19, housing inspections
Toronto | Reuters — As the COVID-19 pandemic raged, federal government inspectors frequently deemed the employers of migrant workers compliant with health and safety rules despite a lack of evidence, according to an Auditor General report released Thursday. While Canadian provinces and territories set housing standards, the federal government is responsible for ensuring tens of […] Read more
U.S. EPA proposes biofuel mandate cuts
Proposal seen as boost to pandemic-hit refiners
New York | Reuters — The Biden administration proposed on Tuesday a reduction in the amount of biofuels that U.S. oil refiners were required to blend into their fuel mix since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The long-awaited decision offers some relief to the U.S. refining industry after the health crisis slammed domestic demand […] Read more
Strike averted at Cargill’s High River beef plant
Deal that hikes wages by 21 per cent and offers large bonuses receives majority backing
Workers at Cargill’s beef packing plant in southern Alberta have voted in favour of a contract that will hike wages by 21 per cent and provide improved health benefits. “The contract is the best of its kind and presented unprecedented gains in this time of economic and political uncertainty,” United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) […] Read more
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