An Alberta veterinarian has been named the recipient of a national award for outstanding contributions to animal health. Dr. Duane Landals, of Onoway, Alta., has been given the 2017 Carl Block Award by the Canadian Animal Health Coalition. The award is in memory of Carl Block, who was chair of the CAHC when he passed
Landals named 2017 Carl Block Award recipient
The honour is to acknowledge a long career advancing animal health in Canada
New technique can quickly detect impurities in ground beef
The system would help fight food fraud and ensure food safety
If you’re worried about just what your ground meat or sausage may contain, help may be on the way. Researchers at the University of British Columbia have found a better way to identify unwanted animal products in ground beef. Food science students led by professor Xiaonan Lu used a laser-equipped spectrometer and statistical analysis to
No rest for weary canola plants
You’re not the only one who can’t get any ‘sleep’ during those sweltering summer nights
Turns out your canola plants just need to get a little rest. When high temperatures, especially at night, prevent them from “sleeping” properly productivity takes a hit, and now researchers from Kansas State University are trying to figure out why. What exactly is the plant doing at night? It’s not sleeping like humans do, but
Ottawa tightens rules on housing foreign farm workers
Housing meant for temporary foreign workers employed on a Canadian farm will now have to pass regular inspection before the farm can hire its workers. One of the requirements for farms hiring temporary foreign workers (TFWs) is that the farm provide workers with “adequate, suitable and affordable housing as defined by the Canadian Mortgage and
P.E.I. names new agriculture minister
Prince Edward Island’s minister of agriculture and fisheries has quit the post after announcing his decision not to seek re-election. Alan McIsaac, the MLA for Vernon River-Stratford since 2007 and the province’s ag minister since 2015, announced Wednesday he won’t run in the next provincial election, scheduled for October next year. “Given this, I feel
Food bills will rise in 2018
Weather conditions and a switch to convenience foods will drive the trend
The average Canadian family of four will be paying $348 more to feed themselves in 2018, with total expenditures pegged to rise to $11,948. That’s according to the eighth annual Canada’s Food Price Report jointly released Dec. 13 by Dalhousie University and the University of Guelph. “Canadians want to know what will impact the prices
Flax Council of Canada to shut office
The national promotional agency for Canada’s flax industry plans to move forward without a bricks-and-mortar office starting next month. The Flax Council of Canada announced Monday its downtown Winnipeg office, which it shares with the Manitoba Flax Growers Association, will close effective Jan. 31. Going forward, the council said it will “continue to operate on
Nitrogen reduction not the path
Reducing how much nitrogen enters a lake has little impact on algal blooms, IISD researchers say
If you take the nitrogen out of the equation for lake algal blooms it turns out you really haven’t changed things at all. According to researchers at the Experimental Lakes Area, operated by Winnipeg’s International Institute for Sustainable Development, that’s because many of the algae responsible for the harmful blooms can turn around and fix
The railway ‘spaghetti’ network
Our History: January 1975
The map of the rail network in Western Canada looked a lot more like spaghetti in 1975. In our January 2 issue, we reported that the federal government had announced the basic rail network of 12,413 miles would be protected until 2000, and that 6,283 miles would be reviewed. It was later announced that would
PHOTOS: This Old Elevator: December 2017
The Manitoba Historical Society wants to gather information about all the grain elevators in Manitoba
In the 1950s, there were over 700 grain elevators in Manitoba. Today, there are fewer than 200. You can help to preserve the legacy of these disappearing “Prairie sentinels.” The Manitoba Historical Society (MHS) is gathering information about all elevators that ever stood in Manitoba, regardless of their present status. Collaborating with the Manitoba Co-operator it is