FortSask

Alberta is increasing the Feeder Association Loan Guarantee Program to $150 million.

Under the program, feeder association members use the guarantee to secure capital to buy beef calves and sheep.

Those animals are then fed for a number of months before being sold at market.

Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation Nate Horner says it's a popular program for producers.

Federal agriculture minister Marie-Claude Bibeau was in Regina on Saturday.

During her visit, she toured Canadian Western Agribition and met with agriculture stakeholders to discuss the government's new Indo-Pacific Strategy. 

She held two roundtable discussions: one with the Canadian Cattle Association, and a second with several Canadian agriculture associations.

Organizers are extremely pleased with the response to this year's show on all levels. 

While final numbers aren't in yet, attendance for the six-day event is expected to hit 100,000.

Exhibitors were happy to be back at the show, with buyers showing a strong interest as sales topped $1.67 million dollars.

This year's show welcomed more than 1,200 international guests from 63 countries.

Genetics were sold to buyers from Australia, Germany and the United States.

Disc golfers of Sherwood Park will now be able to enjoy their sport in the city. 

Strathcona County approved the implementation of a six-hole course at Greengrove Park. 

This follows a five-month pilot project over the summer that saw a five-hole course at the same location. 

The addition of another hole will allow players to play the course three times for a full 18-hole experience. 

Disc golf is similar to golf but, instead of hitting a ball into a hole, players throw a frisbee-like disc into a basket. 

Two people were killed in a collision on Highway 16 on Monday (Dec. 5) morning. 

Police say they were called to the collision at about 1:40 a.m. on Highway 16 at Highway 855, just south of Mundare. 

An investigation found that a car travelling southbound collided with a semi-truck headed in the opposite direction. 

The two people inside the car were pronounced dead on the scene. 

No details regarding the identity of the deceased have been released. 

RCMP is continuing to investigate but does not expect any further updates to be provided. 

Reg Schellenberg was a well-known face and voice, who was well-respected in the beef industry.

The rancher from Beechy (Saskatchewan) was first elected to the Canadian Cattle Association in 2010 and became President of the organization earlier this year.

He served as co-chair of the Foreign Trade Committee, represented the CCA on the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency and co-chaired the Animal Health and Care Committee with Pat Hayes.

When commenting on his friend's passing, Hayes noted that Reg had a well-rounded view of the whole industry.

Five women from Fort Saskatchewan were awarded the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal for their outstanding service and citizenship.

Hosted by The Fort Saskatchewan Multicultural Association (FSMA) at St. Georges Anglican Church, the awards were presented by the association's founder, Lana Santana. 

"As you treat another, so, in truth, you treat yourself," Santana said during the ceremony.

These were the five women who were presented with the awards:

Oilers fans got to know the Fort Saskatchewan Food Bank a little better. 

The food bank was featured during an intermission of Wednesday (Nov. 30) night's game against the Chicago Blackhawks. 

Denise Rogers appeared on Sportsnet in an interview to discuss her experience with the food bank and the work that they are doing. 

Executive director, Kassandra Gartner, is grateful they were able to have such an opportunity. 

The Alberta government is crafting changes to be debated next week to reverse the section of a bill that gives cabinet unfettered power to rewrite laws behind closed doors without legislature approval, the province's premier said Saturday.

Danielle Smith told her Corus radio talk show that her sovereignty bill was never supposed to give cabinet such sweeping authority, adding her government wants to make it clear in law that this is not the case.

“You never get things 100 per cent right all the time,” Smith told her radio listeners.

After more than three decades of baking, Tracy Lafond has retired.

Lafond has spent the last 32 years working at the Redwater IGA as a baker.

"When I first got the job, it was February 5, 1990," Lafond said. "It's when they first opened the bakery of the IGA."

Lafond was the first baker they hired.

"I learnt from the ground up."

Despite not having any prior baking experience, Lafond took to the new job easily. 

"I did take commercial cooking at NAIT."