Strathcona County seeing sharp rise in non-emergency 9-1-1 calls
Strathcona County has been experiencing a sharp rise in non-emergency 9-1-1 calls through the first five months of 2023.
The county is reporting that 26 per cent of the calls made to the emergency number this year have been the result of accidental SOS phone activation, pocket dials, hang-ups and even some claiming the wrong number.
These types of calls can make things difficult for operators.
Canada's potash industry just got a little bigger
Potash and Agri Development Corporation of Manitoba (PADCOM) officially commissioned the province's first ever potash mine.
The 250 thousand tonnes mine is located at Harrowby (16 kilometres west of Russell).
Premier Heather Stefanson and Economic Development and Investment and Trade Minister Jeff Wharton were among those on hand for Friday's event and tour.
Alberta's new Agriculture Minister is RJ Sigurdson
RJ Sigurdson, the MLA for the Highwood constituency was sworn in as the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation on Friday.
His biography on the government website notes that Sigurdson grew up working on 40-acre family farm north of Cochrane, and worked on nearby farms during high school.
Prior to first being elected to the Legislature in 2019 he worked with Avalanche Air Systems as a senior project/general manager and shareholder.
He also has extensive experience as a red seal sheet metal worker.
CPKC moving Canadian wheat to Mexico
CPKC's assistant vice president of sales and marketing for Canadian grain has been on the road meeting with customers and talking about the new destinations CPKC serves.
Elizabeth Hucker says they now offer a single-line haul for mills and feeders in the southern U.S., gulf ports, and into Mexico.
Prairie-wide grasshoppers are potentially a problem
Farmers are busy spraying and scouting fields for insect and weed concerns.
The Prairie Pest Monitoring Network newsletter helps to keep farmers up to date on potential insect concerns
Dr. Megan Vankosky is a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada and co-editor of the Prairie Pest Monitoring Network's newsletter.
Canada is stepping into the ring with the U.S. and Mexico
The issue is Mexico's decision to ban the use of biotechnology corn in tortillas and dough.
The Mexican president has said the intention is to gradually substitute the use of biotechnology corn in all products for human consumption and animal feed, and the rejection of applications for authorizations covering the importation and sale of certain biotechnology products.
The United States has requested dispute settlement consultations with Mexico under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
Wildfire roundup: What you need to know about blazes burning across Canada
Wildfires are burning dangerously close to a central Albertan town in what federal officials say is an "unprecedented" fire season across Canada. Here's a look at developments Sunday:
Central Alberta wildfires continue to grow
An official in Yellowhead County west of Edmonton says wildfires threatening the area continued to grow overnight but got no closer to evacuated communities.
That includes the town of Edson, Alta., where about 8,400 people were ordered to leave late Friday.
Man taken to hospital after rural fire in Strathcona County
Strathcona County Emergency Services (SCES) has given an update on the fire that hit a rural area of the county earlier this week.
The fire began on Wednesday (June 7) evening near Township Road 522 and Range Road 221.
"This was a fire that was in the center of a person's yard," said Devin Capcara, the deputy chief of operations with SCES. "The gentlemen who owned the place had a lot of vehicles, tanks, tires, and a lot of a lot in his yard."
Local MLAs retain position in provincial cabinet
Two local MLAs retained their position in Danielle Smith's provincial cabinet.
The premier announced her cabinet roster on Friday (June 9) morning which included both Strathcona-Sherwood Park MLA Nate Glubish and Morinville-St. Albert MLA Dale Nally.
Glubish will continue to serve as the Minister of Technology and Innovation, a role he has been in since October while Nally retains his position as the Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction.
Growing Canadian exports is a key focus for the new Indo-Pacific Agriculture office
This week Ottawa announced that the Philippines will be the official location for the new Indo-Pacific Agriculture and Agri-Food Office.
The office to be located in Manilla is a joint venture between Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Canadian Cattle Association President Nathan Phinney says cattle producers are encouraged to see the progress in establishing the new office and look forward to seeing it enhance market access opportunities in the region.