File photo of an Ontario cherry orchard. (UpdogDesigns/iStock/Getty Images)

Pilot plan to cut red tape for reliable TFW employers

Farm employers can apply starting next month

Canada’s temporary foreign worker (TFW) program is set to give farms a head start in an express lane expected to cut the annual paperwork for that program’s most “trusted employers.” Federal Employment and Workforce Development Minister Randy Boissonault last week launched a three-year pilot meant to “help to address labour shortages and reduce the administrative

Vehicles leave Yellowknife on Aug. 16, 2023 on the only highway in or out of the city after a state of emergency was declared due to the proximity of wildfire. (Photo: Reuters/Pat Kane)

Prairie Forecast: Upper ridge to bring the heat

Issued Aug. 16, covering Aug. 16-23

After going through a couple of weeks of tough forecasting, with little agreement among the weather models, this forecast period is looking a little more stable with the two main weather models for our region in basic agreement. We start off this forecast with a low over Manitoba that is quickly moving east. To the


Smoke rises from a wildfire near Wildwood, Alta., about 100 km west of Edmonton, on May 5, 2023. (Photo: Alberta Wildfire/Handout via Reuters)

Alberta farmers granted late AgriStability entry

Enrolment deadline now Sept. 29

Any Alberta producers who were considering AgriStability — but only in hindsight — for the income stabilization plan’s 2023 program year now have until Sept. 29 to apply. Ottawa and the province announced Aug. 4 that they’ve reopened the jointly-funded program, as wildfires and/or “extremely dry” growing conditions have dragged on many Alberta producers’ work

(Alicat/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast Update: Low to chug through mid-week

Issued Aug. 13, covering Aug. 13-16

The weather models seem to have come to an agreement on the area of low pressure forecasted to come in off the Pacific around mid-week. It looks like the energy from this system will quickly spin up an area of low pressure over north-central Alberta on Tuesday. The low will then quickly deepen and track

A smoke column rises from a wildfire on May 4, 2023 near Lodgepole, Alta., about 30 km southwest of Drayton Valley. (Photo: Alberta Wildfire handout via Reuters)

Canada’s record-setting wildfires could persist for rest of ‘marathon’ summer

Country's fires account for over a quarter of world's carbon for 2023

Ottawa | Reuters — Record-setting wildfires in Canada could potentially continue burning at an abnormally high rate for several more weeks, though the spread of blazes is likely to start diminishing in September, according to federal projections released on Friday. Forest fires have engulfed parts of nearly all 13 Canadian provinces and territories this year,


Press package photo of a 2016 Ram 1500 Rebel Crew Cab 4×4 pickup truck. (Stellantis North America)

U.S. agency to probe Ram pickups over power steering issues

Includes Ram 1500 trucks from 2013-16 model years

Washington | Reuters — U.S. auto safety regulators said on Tuesday they were investigating whether 1.1 million older Ram 1500 pickup trucks should be recalled for power steering loss issues. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received 380 reports alleging intermittent or complete loss of power steering assistance in 2013-2016 model year Ram

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Drought Monitor map at July 31, 2023. (AAFC)

Prairie Forecast: Cooler and unsettled

Issued Aug. 9, covering Aug. 9 to 16

First off, I must apologize for not producing an update to the last forecast; I had the opportunity to do some backwoods camping, which meant I was off the grid for about five days. I’m back now, and from the weather model runs I’ve been able to check out, this forecast period is going to

(Viktorcvetkovic/E+/Getty Images)

Activists target Ontario hog farm with ransomware

'We are dealing with adversaries whose motivation is not money'

A ransomware on a small Ontario hog business is something a cybersecurity expert says needs more attention from the agriculture industry. Instead of cash, the attackers demanded the hog business owners publicly admit to what they alleged to be livestock mistreatment. The occurrence was unique and alarming, says Ali Dehghantanha, Canada research chair in cybersecurity


A rainy day on July 18, 2023 at the Ag in Motion outdoor farm show at Langham, Sask., west of Saskatoon. (Ag in Motion via Twitter)

Prairie Forecast: Summer heat to build back in

Issued July 19, covering July 19 to 26

It looks like the overall weather pattern is going to undergo another shift. After nearly two weeks of unseasonably cool and unsettled weather over the eastern half of the Prairies, with near-average conditions over the west, it looks like more typically summer weather will move back in. The massive area of low pressure that spun

A container terminal at the Port of Vancouver. (FangXiaNuo/E+/Canada)

B.C. longshore workers resume strike

Union caucus rejects federal mediator's proposed deal

The union representing longshore workers at Canada’s West Coast ports said its members would return to the picket line Tuesday afternoon after union leaders decided to reject a proposed agreement. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU Canada), which represents about 7,400 longshore workers at various Vancouver and Prince Rupert port facilities, said Tuesday afternoon