Delegates participating in the Canadian Society for Bioengineering convention Food, Fuel and Fibre for a Sustainable Future enter the ‘Green Garage’ site at the University of Manitoba’s Alternative Village during an August tour.

U of M showcases alternative building materials

‘Hempcrete,’ soy-based roof panels and other Manitoba-grown biomass products 
are tested and evaluated at University of Manitoba’s Alternative Village

It looks like any other shipping container, but what’s inside could help boost food security in remote areas of the country one day. Biosystems engineers at the University of Manitoba are perfecting a self-contained unit which includes a biomass boiler that produces up to 56 kW of heat. The unit also has a Stirling engine



A hemp plant in Alberta. (Jennifer Blair photo)

Flower growers turn to weed ahead of legalization

Winnipeg | Reuters — Some Canadian flower growers are turning to weed, with the country’s plan to legalize marijuana for recreational use expected to spur a spike in legal sales of the drug. While medical marijuana is already legal in Canada, the Liberal government said in April it will introduce a law in 2017 to


(Jennifer Blair photo)

End of reefer madness could clear air for Canadian hemp

CNS Canada — Anticipated legislative changes for marijuana production could spill over to hemp, according to the head of an industry group — but this year, Canada’s hemp producers are struggling to meet a surprise demand increase from Asia. “There’s lots of discussion with things changing in the marijuana arena; hemp also falls in that

Slow licensing process shuts out hemp growers

Slow licensing process shuts out hemp growers

The Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance wants hemp production and processing rules streamlined so it can compete

Would-be hemp growers are being forced to take a pass on the speciality crop this spring because of bureaucratic shortfalls. The seeding deadline for full crop insurance coverage for industrial hemp was June 10, but some farmers still had not received a licence from Health Canada to grow the crop, while others gave up earlier



A river flows freely in early Manitoba spring

A river flows freely in early Manitoba spring

Our History: March 2000

A photo of water running in spring on the Assiniboine River near Brandon is not unusual, but this shot from the previous week ran in our March 9, 2000 issue. A story alongside reported that the winter had been one of the warmest on record, with widespread snow cover not showing up until December, and


Archaic regulations threaten Canada’s hemp industry

Archaic regulations threaten Canada’s hemp industry

Hemp is not marijuana, yet its regulators still treat it with suspicion

Canada has been a leader in hemp production and its utilization since production was legalized in 1997, but now it risks being supplanted by the United States because of archaic Canadian laws, Kim Shukla, executive director of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA) says. “We have a world-leading industry here in so far as the

(Jennifer Blair photo)

Red tape seen costing hemp growers market share

CNS Canada — Canadian hemp producers are missing out on a potential billion-dollar market opportunity due to government regulations, an industry group warns. Canadian hemp farmers are only permitted to use certain parts, the stalk and seeds, of the plants they grow. As a result, the growers are missing out in the market, said Kim