Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s easy to assume homelessness is a big-city issue. While not as visible, the shortage of adequate, affordable housing is also a very real challenge faced by many rural communities. “I’m a strong believer that everyone deserves a place to call home,” said Joshua Benard, the passionate project manager for a Sustainable Housing Initiative at […] Read more
Homelessness a hidden problem in rural Alberta
Affordable rental units, especially for families, are in short supply in most small towns and rural areas in the province
Chuck the crystal ball — protect your downside
If you’re worried about missing big rallies and don’t like delivery commitments, then consider options, says David Derwin
Reading Time: 5 minutes David Derwin has one piece of advice for farmers wondering where markets will go in 2017: “Expect the unexpected.” “A lot of the marketing advice out there is about trying to guess where the market is going to go, and I think too much time is spent there,” said Derwin, an investment adviser with PI […] Read more
Prince Rupert needs to be part of rail transport revamp
Expanding the northern B.C. port should be a key part of $10.1-billion plan to improve transportation
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Port of Prince Rupert should be a major beneficiary of Ottawa’s $10.1-billion pledge to revamp transportation routes to international markets, says one of the world’s biggest pulse exporters. “Prince Rupert is a major opportunity — when we look at Pacific gateway access, we need a balanced approach between Vancouver and the Port of Prince […] Read more
Green jobs eligible for wage subsidy
A new Career Focus Green Jobs program is offering wage subsidies to help employers with an environmental focus hire new graduates, a federal release says. The program targets small- and medium-sized businesses to help reduce the cost barriers of hiring new graduates by subsidizing their salary by 50 per cent to a maximum of $13,500 […] Read more
Farm debt at record highs — but top lender not worried
While FCC says most farmers can handle their debt load, financial expert Merle Good says some are ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farm debt has hit a record high, bringing back some unpleasant memories of the 1980s debt crisis. But we’re not there yet, said farm business expert Merle Good. “In 1980, we had huge inflation and huge interest rates,” said Good, a longtime tax specialist with the provincial government who now runs a private consulting business. […] Read more
Study says irrigation delivers big dollars to Alberta economy
Study also finds irrigated crop and livestock production have created 38,000 direct jobs and another 17,000 ones in food processing
Reading Time: 2 minutes Every cubic metre of water delivered for irrigation creates $3 to the province’s GDP and $2 in labour income. This is one of the key conclusions in a study funded by the Canada-Alberta Growing Forward 2 program and commissioned by the Alberta Irrigation Projects Association (AIPA). The study also shows that for every dollar of […] Read more
Klassen: Various views on the feeder cattle market
If you talked to three Western Canadian cattle buyers this week, you probably would receive four different views on the market. Certain auction barns were reflecting an average week-over-week decline of $3 to $5 but feature strings of cattle were back up to historical high prices. Early sales in the season are like tryouts at a […] Read more
China has deep problems, but offers opportunity for our food sector
Straight from the hip: The Asian titan is deeply in debt and its economy under stress, but it needs high-quality and safe food
Reading Time: 3 minutes China has always been regarded in the West as a superpower. But despite its recovery from the 2008 financial crisis and the perceived recent growth, China is estimated to be $23.3 trillion in debt — which is up $15 trillion in the past five years. The world’s largest user of steel (46 per cent) and […] Read more
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