File photo of moose in a Saskatchewan field. (BobLoblaw/iStock/Getty Images)

Saskatchewan expands wildlife testing to include bovine TB

CFIA probe of cattle herd finds 10 infected so far

Recent confirmed cases of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in a Saskatchewan cattle herd have led the province to expand its annual wildlife monitoring program for chronic wasting disease (CWD) to also include TB. The province each year since 1997 has asked hunters to submit heads from harvested deer, moose and elk to test for CWD. It

File photo of beluga whales in Hudson Bay off Churchill, Manitoba. (Lynn_Bystrom/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast Update: Manitoba in retrograde

Issued Oct. 7, covering Oct. 7-11

If you have followed my forecasts over the years, you will know that the term retrograde is almost always associated with bad weather. Well, an area of low pressure about to come on shore over Eastern Canada is expected to retrograde, or move westward, ending up around James Bay by Monday or Tuesday. How will


Conservative agriculture critic John Barlow speaks Nov. 24, 2021 in the House of Commons. (Screengrab from supplied video)

Anti-activist bill back before Commons committee

Bill adds protections for biosecurity, farmers' mental health, Barlow says

A bill to create harsher penalties for unlawful entry onto farms and biosecure zones is back before the House of Commons after a previous iteration died on the order table in 2021. Conservative MP John Barlow brought forward Bill C-275, “an Act to amend the Health of Animals Act (biosecurity on farms),” as a private

Let’s remember that warm, dry September

OUTLOOK | The various weather models lean toward near-average precipitation ahead

I know I say this nearly every month, but wow, did that last month go fast! Maybe it was all the nice warm weather we saw across much of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and even into Alberta. Before we do our monthly look back and then peer ahead to see what the last three months of the

File photos of Yukon ranchland. (StockstudioX/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast: Building western ridge to bring warming trend

Issued Oct. 4, covering Oct. 4-10

Last week’s weather forecast played out close to what the weather models were predicting. Western regions saw cooler-than-average temperatures move in, while eastern regions saw a brief return to summer-like temperatures. This pattern was a response to an area of low pressure that spun up over the central U.S. during the second half of the


File photo of Lake Winnipeg at Grand Beach Provincial Park. (IanChrisGraham/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast Update: Wet weather for southern Manitoba, southeastern Saskatchewan

Update issued Oct. 2, covering Oct. 2-4

The strong area of low pressure that the weather models have been forecasting to impact the eastern half of the Prairies on Tuesday and Wednesday is starting to take shape. The latest model runs show the low pushing northward into western Manitoba early on Tuesday morning and then moving off toward northwestern Ontario by late

New South Wales Rural Fire Service firefighters walk through a hazard reduction burn in Sydney, Australia, Sept. 10.

Fire risk rages Down Under

Australia declares El Niño as heat wave sparks bushfire concerns

Strong winds and a rare, intense heat wave early in the Southern Hemisphere’s spring fanned dozens of bushfires across Australia’s southeast in the second-last week of September. Authorities issued extreme fire danger warnings Sept. 20 for the greater Sydney region, home to more than five million people. More than 600 firefighters and emergency personnel were

Early-spring and late-fall frosts

The Winnipeg area may see a record-long frost-free stretch this year

It’s time to talk about fall frost and the length of this year’s frost-free season. So far, most areas of agricultural Manitoba have not yet experienced frost – or have they? Data for major centres shows a number of locations came close to frost on Sept. 12, and I found 10 to 15 locations did


Provincial party leaders go head-to-head during a pre-election debate hosted by the Association of Manitoba Municipalities in April.

AMM puts heat on infrastructure as next week’s election looms

Municipal funding should be higher on the priority list, association says

Municipal leaders say all parties appear ready to provide steady funding for municipalities, but aren’t giving infrastructure enough airtime as the provincial election draws near. “We need to see more,” said Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett in a Sept. 20 news release. “Building and maintaining core infrastructure – from water and wastewater to broadband – is a

File photo of autumn colours around Lake Diefenbaker in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park. (Nancy Anderson/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast: Summer tries to hang on

Issued Sept. 27, covering Sept. 27 to Oct. 4

For being this far into fall, the weather models have been surprisingly accurate. Heck, I didn’t even need to send an update for the last issue! Not sure if I can be as optimistic for this forecast period, as we are moving deeper into fall and starting to see the first hints of winter trying