Nicole Hancock
Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony ...

Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.

Indigenous community hosts full moon ceremony to heal Chedoke Creek

producers

Canada and Manitoba Changing AgriRecovery Drought Programming to Provide Additional Support to Producers

Canada and Manitoba Changing AgriRecovery Drought Programming to Provide Additional Support to Producers

The governments of Canada and Manitoba are making changes to the AgriRecovery Drought Assistance Program to make it easier for producers to receive funding and to enhance financial compensation, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau and Manitoba Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson announced today. “Manitoba producers are working hard, and our government is committed to ensuring they are fully supported during this difficult time,” said Bibeau. “By making these changes to the AgriRecovery program in the province, we are making it easier for them to access funding that will help them when they need it most.”

Water shortage, quality issues could be in store for southwest Sask., WSA says

Water shortage, quality issues could be in store for southwest Sask., WSA says

For many southern Saskatchewan producers still reeling from last year’s drought conditions, a recent report on the spring runoff outlook may not offer much comfort. And perhaps no comfort at all, for those in the southwest. A news release, sent to accompany the Water Security Agency’s (WSA) March 1 report, states the organization “is currently expecting a below to well below normal snowmelt runoff response over much of southern Saskatchewan.” “Only areas east of Moose Jaw are forecast to receive near or above normal runoff,” the release reads.

Farmers need water to survive, P.E.I. Potato Board tells MLAs

Farmers need water to survive, P.E.I. Potato Board tells MLAs

The P.E.I. Potato Board made its pitch to Island MLAs on the importance of water to growing potatoes. The board appeared before a legislative standing committee looking for a sustainable irrigation strategy. Greg Donald, general manager of the P.E.I. Potato Board, says the industry is competitive and irrigation ensures producers can consistently meet customers' demands. He said irrigation also ensures potato producers can survive, especially as the province sees more drought conditions.

The Sprout: Water shortages hurting producers in the West

The Sprout: Water shortages hurting producers in the West

We start with a weather update, where a water shortage in Manitoba is creating challenges for the province’s cattle producers. “We’ve got surface water conditions that are the lowest that I (can) recall,” Tyler Fulton, president of Manitoba Beef Producers, told the Western Producer. “If the current moisture situation… is not unprecedented, we’d have to go back 40 years to find something similar.” Dry conditions also have farmers in British Columbia’s Saanich Peninsula are irrigating early thanks to an unusually warm spring. CTV News reports. Meanwhile, south of the border, drought conditions in the Western U.S. are worsening. As CNN reports, drought is being experienced in 88 per cent of the region — with all areas of California, Oregon, Utah and Nevada listed as being in a drought.

Dry conditions in southern Sask. cause concern for agriculture producers

Dry conditions in southern Sask. cause concern for agriculture producers

Dry conditions in southeastern Saskatchewan have experts concerned about what this might mean for farmers and producers. This winter Saskatchewan received an average 68.8 mm by the start of May. According to Environment Canada, southeast Saskatchewan has recieved 36.5 mm in 2021 so far. Agriculture and Agri-food Canada said that the snowfall in central Saskatchewan over the last two weeks is not enough to turn things around.

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