WestCentral

Country artist Amanda Hagel returned to her prairie roots Saturday, launching a new concert series at the Lyric Theatre in Swift.

The tour, These Roots That Take Me Home Country Roads, celebrates her latest release—a heartfelt rendition of John Denver’s classic “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

The concert marks the first stop in a series that blends Hagel’s musical journey with her rural upbringing near Lancer. It’s a full-circle moment for the singer-songwriter, who’s long embraced her roots in her music.

It all started when the next generation expressed a desire to be more involved on the family ranch.

“When we took over the ranch in 2007, it was just my wife Lisa and me,” recalls Edward Watson. “It was enough to keep us going. But in 2016 our oldest daughter decided she'd like to have more involvement, so we tried to find a way to get more out of the land we already had.”

Sun to Soil Regenerative Agriculture was born.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is reporting the presence of AI in three non-commercial poultry flocks in Saskatchewan last week, in the RM of Indian Head, the RM of Colonsay, and the RM of Lipton.

To date, one case has been found in a commercial poultry operation in Manitoba in the RM of Wallace.

Previous occurrences have been found in Ontario and Nova Scotia.

Most poultry and egg production operations already have biosecurity measures in place, but producers who maintain small flocks, should look at enhancing their on-farm biosecurity measures.

Prime Minister Mark Carney will have to navigate a delicate balance during his first in-person meeting with Donald Trump today, following months of the U.S. president targeting Canada with tariffs and taunts.

Carney and Trump will meet at the White House and the prime minister has said he expects "difficult, but constructive" conversations.

Carney has said the meeting will mark the beginning of a larger economic and security agreement between Canada and the United States.

Newly elected Conservatives and returning MPs are set to meet in Ottawa this morning as the party charts its path forward after last week's election loss to the Liberals.

Leader Pierre Poilievre, who lost his bid to continue representing the riding of Carleton after 20 years as the area's MP, will not be in the House of Commons when it opens later this month.

In a video posted on social media Monday afternoon, Poilievre says he has a lot to be thankful for after the election, including an expanded coalition of Conservative voters.

 Alliance will remain a 'standalone' brand under Canterra ownership.

The lone remaining shareholder in a pedigreed seed company formed by a group of independent grain handling companies in Western Canada is selling that business to another Prairie seed firm.

Canterra Seeds announced May 1 it has acquired Alliance Seed for an undisclosed amount, and will continue to operate Alliance as “a standalone brand under Canterra Seeds’ umbrella, with key staff transitioning to maintain continuity and customer relationships.”

SASKATOON — Canada has far fewer green peas than the government is reporting, says an analyst.

“Purely from a price perspective, markets believe the Canadian harvest was smaller than estimated by Statistics Canada,” Stat Publishing noted in a recent article.

Using crop insurance data, a “strong argument” can be made that growers planted 358,000 acres of green peas last year, well below Statistics Canada’s 463,000-acre estimate.

Stat believes the area has been over-reported since 2021.

Root rots are the number one disease issue for pulse crops, significantly impacting pea and lentil fields across the Prairies.  Studies show that the disease which thrives in warm, wet conditions can cause a yield loss of anywhere from 60 to 84 percent.

Last year, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture conducted a pulse disease survey, which focused on the root rot disease complex.

We had the chance to talk to Mayor Mitchell of Kerrobert to get an idea of what to expect in the community during May!

Highlights include:

• May 10–11: Free Dump Days — Metal and garbage bins will be available on the east side of Railway Avenue. For more info, check Facebook or call the town office at 306-834-2361.

• May 13 & 27: Spring Clean-Up — The town will collect leaves and grass in clear plastic bags only. Leave bags on your front boulevard.

A 62-year-old man is in custody after allegedly stealing a trackhoe and using it to target the RCMP detachment in Bonnyville, Alta., ramming five police vehicles and dumping boulders in front of the building.

Mounties say the bizarre and destructive incident began around 6:55 p.m. on May 3, when a trackhoe was stolen from a local business. The suspect, later identified as David Merko of Bonnyville, is alleged to have driven the machine through a fence before heading toward the nearby detachment.