Okotoks

Canada’s dwindling farmland base and rising rental costs threaten the country’s agricultural sustainability, researchers warn

Canada’s agricultural sector faces mounting pressure as the country continues to lose farmland to urban development, while some existing acres sit vacant.

That’s according to new research released by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.

Competition for sales is expected to heat up as Russia expects a bigger crop following last year’s disappointing harvest
 

Canada will likely be facing more competition in pea export markets this year.

Russia’s production is expected to rebound after a disappointing 2024-25 harvest, said Gaurav Jain, analyst with AgPulse Analytica.

He is forecasting 5.01 million tonnes of production in 2025-26, up from 3.92 million tonnes last year.

Firefighters from across the Foothills are gearing up for the annual Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge on June 8.  

Among them is Okotoks Firefighter Nicole Byrne, who is preparing to scale the 1,370 stairs in Brookfield Place in her equipment, for the third year.  

Okotoks Pride is celebrating Pride Month with a Stronger Together Pride in the Park event this Sunday.

It's taking place at Ethel Tucker Park from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.

There will also be a Pride flag raising at the Okotoks Municipal Building at noon to kickstart the afternoon.

Hosted by Karla Marx, it features mainstage entertainment, an artisan market, lawn games, a kid zone, and DJ Nzane.

The mainstage entertainment includes drag shows with Pound and Zumba getting everyone limber with Tamara Boivin.

Abandoned wells are a significant environmental and safety risk. These wells can act as a conduit and allow contaminated surface water to enter the well and severely impact water quality, posing risk to drinking water supplies, as well as plant, animal and aquatic life.

Abandoned wells, especially large diameter wells, are also physical hazards that can result in injury or death to humans or animals who may accidentally fall in. Proper decommissioning of these wells is crucial to protect our water sources and improve public safety.

Saskatchewan farmers now have 97 per cent of the provincial crop in the ground, but now face the challenge of dry conditions.

Don't be surprised if you see a procession of police vehicles moving through Okotoks in the coming days.

Preparations are underway for the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, and members of the police escort team will be running drills ahead of the event.

The training exercises will involve personnel from the Calgary and Edmonton police services, the RCMP, and Alberta Sheriffs.

The federal government's grain monitor Quorum Corporation released its weekly performance update for Grain Week 42.

Space in primary elevators is good - as road bans remain in effect across the prairies, country stocks dropped to 2.34 million metric tonnes. 

Total Western Port terminal stocks increased to 1.52 MMT in Week 42, utilizing 79% of the working capacity.

West Coast unloads were 6,332 cars and 2,051 for Thunder Bay.

The total average terminal out-of-car time (OCT) increased to 15.2% from 6.0% the previous week. 

If you are wanting to escape to the mountains this weekend, keep the lighters and matches at home.

The Forest Protection Area of Alberta, which is just West of Foothills County, is under a Fire Ban, as of June 6.

Under this ban, all outdoor wood fires are prohibited, and existing fire bans are suspended.

That includes all outdoor wood fires on public and private land, designated firepits, backyard firepits, barbecue charcoal briquettes, fireworks, and exploding targets.

The BeGrainSafe program is making significant strides in enhancing safety for farmers. rural firefighters and emergency responders across Canada. This initiative provides specialized training and equipment focused on grain entrapment rescues, a critical need in the agricultural sector.