Lacombe

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) officially broke ground on the expansion of its Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing – Technology Access Centre (CIM-TAC) today. Scheduled for completion in fall 2026, the expansion will increase the facility’s size from 15,000 to 25,000 square feet. 

A Red Deer high school student has been selected to join the nation’s top high school football talent at the 2025 CFC Prospect Game in Hamilton, Ontario, later this month. 

École Secondaire Notre Dame High School’s Ben McAuley, a member of the school’s Senior Cougars Football Team, is one of 72 invitees to the game, which has been presented annually by Canadafootballchat.com (CFC) and The Sports Network (TSN).   

Alberta’s government is supporting apprenticeship training with an investment of $25 million for the expansion of the W.J. Elliott building at Olds College. 

To help address the increased demand for apprentices and skilled journeypersons, Alberta’s government is investing $25 million through Budget 2025 for the expansion and renovation of the W.J. Elliott building at Olds College.  

The Red Deer Rebels have announced that due to personal reasons, Dave Struch is unable to continue as the club’s head coach.

Struch joined the Rebels as Interim Head Coach in March 2024 and guided the club to a second-round playoff appearance. He was named full-time Head Coach prior to the 2024-25 season.

New mandate called good time to overhaul business risk management programs and other policies that could help agriculture

Prime minister Mark Carney will name his cabinet May 12, and the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute has some advice for the incoming agriculture minister.

Kody Blois from the Nova Scotia riding of Kings-Hants served briefly after Carney replaced Justin Trudeau and is a strong candidate to continue.

Follow all our Federal Election 2025 coverage here

CANTERRA SEEDS recently announced it would be acquiring Alliance Seed, saying the move would strengthen their seed business and expand distribution across Western Canada.

The pedigreed seed operation will continue to operate as a standalone brand under CANTERRA SEEDS’s umbrella, with key staff transitioning to maintain continuity and customer relationships.

Brent Derkatch, CEO of CANTERRA SEEDS says Alliance Seed has built an impressive portfolio and a network supported by committed seed growers. 

It appears the recent trade tensions between the U.S. and China are delaying the proposed merger between Bunge and Viterra.

China has not yet approved the $34 billion merger between the two ag giants. 

The deal has received antitrust clearance from the European Union and Canada, but the transaction remains stalled in China
 due to what many people say is a result of trade tensions between the United States and China.

The merger was originally announced in 2023. 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has declared a primary control zone for avian influenza in Manitoba.

The CFIA says it has declared the Rural Municipality of Boissevain-Morton a primary control zone.

The status means that specific measures are being implemented to prevent the spread of the disease through movement restrictions and permits.

To date, 17 premises in Canada have been identified as being infected with AI, including two in Manitoba, three in Saskatchewan and one in Manitoba.

The government isn’t thought to be in a hurry to impose a large duty on yellow peas as it takes steps to reduce food inflation.

India’s pulse trade is pushing for the government to implement a large tariff on imported yellow peas.

Bimal Kothari, chair of the India Pulses and Grains Association, recently told the Hindu Businessline that he wants to see a 50 per cent import duty on the crop to ensure the landed price is equivalent to the government’s minimum support price for desi chickpeas.

The Canola Council of Canada's 2024 grower survey asked growers to identify the diseases, weeds, and insects posing the greatest economic risk to the crop. Flea beetles topped the list once again, maintaining their position from the 2022 and 2020 surveys.