HighRiver

From Alberta to Manitoba, residents across the Prairies are out of their homes, while others remain on edge as wildfires inch closer to their communities.

The Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in Saskatchewan has imposed an evacuation order for more than 1,800 residents of Pelican Narrows, 412 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.

They are to flee to PAGC Urban Services, also known as the Margo Fournier Centre, in Prince Albert.

A new report is warning the annual levy charged to Alberta oil companies to fund the cleanup of orphaned oil and gas wells remains too low to keep up with the rate of surrendering.

The report, written by former University of Calgary Public Interest Law Clinic lawyer Drew Yewchuk, says this year's levy rate combined with low rates in previous years is leading to an estimated funding shortfall of $1.2 billion.

The spray park in the northwest part of High River opened today.

It was scheduled to open last Friday, but was delayed due to water testing.

It will also be open tomorrow until the Thursday to Sunday schedule kicks in.

It's open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Thursday to Sunday until June 30th, when they open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

It needs to be 18° Celsius or warmer in order for the spray park to open.

The Town of High River also reminds you to please use the parking lot adjacent to the park instead of parking on the street.

The Americas Agriculture and Food Security Forum will be held at Olds College and run parallel to the G7 meeting in Kananaskis.

The agenda for this year’s G7 Leader’s Summit contains no discussions of agriculture or food security, but one organization is aiming to make up for what the G7 lacks at an event of it own.

The Canadian Cattle Association's (CCA) Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) program is extremely popular. 

The CCA program was developed in 2010 as a succession tool for the industry; since then, the program has had over 200 graduates.

The CYL program is geared towards people 18 to 35 from across Canada involved in various aspects of the beef supply chain.

Cailey Church, the CCA's Youth Leadership Co-ordinator says the program pairs the participant with a mentor in their specific area of interest for nine months.

Seated in a brand-new throne and surrounded by dignitaries, King Charles opened Parliament Tuesday with a show of royal tradition — the first throne speech delivered by a reigning monarch in Canada in nearly half a century.

Reading from the speech — which is drafted by the federal government and lays out its policy priorities — the King proclaimed the "True North is indeed strong and free" and reaffirmed Canada's sovereignty while underscoring the "unprecedented" challenges the nation faces.

The Picture Butte Feeder Co-op (PBFC) in Alberta is fully operational again.

The Feeder Associations of Alberta note that this has been an exceptionally trying time for the PBFC's members, whose operations were put on hold through no fault of their own. 

Earlier this year, the province suspended the group's access to the Feeder Association Loan Guarantee Program (FALGP) following an investigation and concerns relating to financial mismanagement and regulatory issues.

Farmers have been experiencing some rain delays, but seeding is still ahead of the five-year average of 59 per cent complete.

Alberta's latest crop report shows provincially 73 per cent of the 2025 crop is now in the ground. 

The South is furthest ahead at 87 per cent seeded, followed by the Central, North West, and North East regions. The Peace Region is now at  61 per cent seeded up from 27 per cent last week.

An agricultural ecologist makes the case for building the supply managed model rather than losing it in trade talks.

A Canadian agricultural ecologist says the supply management model is one worth building on, not destroying.

Claude Caldwell, professor emeritus at Dalhousie University and a former federal researcher, said regional and rural-urban divides have developed that send mixed messages to politicians and negotiators, and he worries about upcoming trade negotiations.

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Alberta's livestock producers will benefit from increased funding for the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Diagnostic Services Unit. 

Agriculture and Irrigation Minister RJ Sigurdson says the government is investing $9.5 million over three years, with $3.5 million being allotted each year. The funding is earmarked for the continued development of a full-service veterinary diagnostic laboratory in Calgary. 

He says the province has been supporting this project since 2020 and has been closely monitoring its impact as it continues to grow.