Airdrie

Canada needs flexible, farmer-driven standards to guide regenerative agriculture, experts say

With producer and policy interest in regenerative agriculture growing across Canada, policymakers and industry leaders are debating how to standardize the concept without undermining its core principles or grassroots appeal.

Questions around standardization and regulation were front and centre during an April 30 webinar hosted by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.

Alberta's latest crop report shows seeding of major crops is significantly ahead of historical averages. Manglai, product coordinator with Alberta Financial Services Corporation, who helps compile the report, says seeding is now at 47 per cent, well above the five-year average of 26 per cent and the ten-year average of 29 per cent.

Breaking down the regional analysis, the South region leads with 76 per cent of seeding completed, followed by the Central region at 51 per cent  the Northeast at 37 per cent, the Northwest at 29 per cent, and the Peace region at 27 per cent.

The Manitoba government has announced a $1 million partnership to enhance veterinary care services in northern and remote communities, which will include mobile spay and neuter services. Agriculture Minister Ron Kostitsyn emphasized that this funding is a step in the right direction to ensure every animal receives timely and compassionate care.

Drivers heading southbound on the QEII from CrossIron Drive should expect delays overnight Tuesday due to a bridge inspection.

According to 511 Alberta, the on-ramp will see lane closures and a reduced speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour from 8 p.m. tonight to 6 a.m. May 21. Advanced signage will be in place.

Traffic is moving again on the southbound lanes of Highway 2 near CrossIron Drive, just south of Balzac, after an earlier motor vehicle collision caused delays Tuesday morning.

The incident was first reported at 8:02 a.m., according to 511 Alberta. Southbound traffic was congested for a short period while crews responded.

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Die, My Love, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Robert Pattinson, premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival on May 17. According to Variety, the film received a six-minute standing ovation following its world premiere and is in competition for the Palme d’Or.

The movie was filmed in Calgary, Okotoks, Didsbury and at a farmhouse near Balzac, according to production advocacy group Keep Alberta Rolling.

Another screen production filmed in Alberta also made headlines this month.

Alberta will become the first province in Canada to require inspections for all incoming watercraft starting June 1 to prevent the spread of invasive mussels.

The rule covers all motorized and non-motorized watercraft, including boats, jet skis, kayaks and paddleboards. Travelers must stop at an open inspection station when entering Alberta from the south or east. If no station is nearby, vessels must be inspected within seven days and before entering any Alberta waterbody.

A Calgary judge has ruled that Alberta can be sued over a 2014 crash near Cochrane that left a man quadriplegic after he struck a downed traffic sign on a provincial highway.

The ruling followed an application brought by Alberta’s Ministry of Transport to strike a lawsuit filed by Eugene Coolidge. The incident occurred at the exit from Highway 1 to Highway 22 in Rocky View County, identified in court documents as the 161A exit.

"The application is dismissed," wrote the Honourable Applications Judge J.L. Mason in the decision.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada deployed an investigator to Springbank Airport in Rocky View County, Alberta, on Friday, May 16, following an accident involving a privately registered amateur-built aircraft.

In a media release issued that day, the board said it had deployed an investigator to the airport and would be gathering information and assessing the occurrence.

Airdrie RCMP are reminding residents to report all suspicious or criminal activity—regardless of how minor it may seem—saying every report helps build a clearer picture of what’s happening in the community.

In a May 18 media release, the detachment stated that "timely and accurate reporting helps police better understand what’s happening in the community and supports both short-term investigations and long-term crime prevention strategies."