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CBC
20-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
2 northern Alberta municipalities declare agricultural disasters due to dry conditions
Two rural municipalities in northwestern Alberta are sounding the alarm over extremely dry conditions that local officials say are threatening the livelihood of many cattle ranchers in the region. On July 8, the Municipal District of Greenview, located about 400 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, declared a municipal agricultural disaster for its livestock industry. With widespread dry weather persisting throughout the region, the neighbouring County of Grande Prairie also declared an agricultural disaster on Friday due to similar concerns for their livestock herds. In a new release on Monday, the M.D. of Greenview stated that the decision was made because of unprecedented drought conditions and significant grasshopper infestations in the region, which are causing hay and pasture lands to fail. Bill Smith, the deputy reeve for the M.D. of Greenview and a fourth-generation rancher, said he can't remember a time when the region saw this many consecutive years of dry conditions. "I've asked some of the old-timers that I know, and none of them say they've ever seen it this bad, because on top of how dry it is, it's these grasshoppers that are just hammering us." The exceptional drought conditions are leaving ranchers concerned they won't have enough hay to feed their livestock, said Smith. "I should be getting 3,000 bales a year, and I'm probably going to hit 500 [bales this year]. Last year, there were about 1,000. This is about as severe as it's gonna get for us." Smith said the dry conditions are being compounded by throngs of grasshoppers that are devouring any new plant growth in the area. "Now, we have these grasshoppers, and they're just flying right now, and they are like a combine going across the field. They're just sucking up any quality [hay] that we have." Tyler Olsen, the reeve for the M.D. of Greenview, said he is very concerned that the local drought conditions will result in a serious lack of feed for the region's cattle herds through the fall and winter. As a result, he said these conditions could force ranchers to preemptively liquidate their herds. "There are producers that are looking at selling already. They just can't make it through the fall with what they have," said Olsen. Olsen hopes that declaring this agricultural disaster will help bring awareness to some of the needs of the municipality's livestock industry from both provincial and federal governments. Parts of the province have been dealing with extended periods of drought and that's taking a toll on some agricultural industries. The municipal district of Greenview in northwest Alberta has declared a state of agricultural disaster for the region's livestock producers. Tyler Olsen is the reeve of the district, and Bill Smith is the deputy reeve for the area, as well as a fourth generation rancher. In an open letter to Alberta's Agriculture Minister RJ Sigurdson, Olsen asked for the M.D. of Greenview to be included in the regions that are eligible for the federal livestock tax deferral program. He also requested additional mental health support for farmers struggling with the worsening conditions for their livestock. "It's their livelihoods that are failing now, and that's gonna be harsh for them. Their minds are part of the whole thing, and if we can't protect those too, then it's going to be even more detrimental." In a statement to CBC, the provincial Agricultural Ministry stated that it provides grants to multiple organizations that offer agriculture-specific mental health support for farmers. The ministry also said the province is committed to continuing advocacy efforts at a federal level on behalf of livestock producers affected by extreme weather conditions. It said that as a result of this advocacy, more eligible regions in Alberta have been able to access federal financial support. Smith said that many ranchers in the area may be forced to leave the livestock industry entirely due to the current difficult conditions.
CTV News
15-07-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Alberta municipality declares agricultural disaster over livestock
Edmonton Watch The municipal district of Greenview says unexpected drought conditions have led them to declare an agricultural disaster regarding livestock.
CTV News
14-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Drought and infestation prompts livestock agricultural disaster in western Alberta
A western Alberta municipal district is seeking provincial aid after declaring an agricultural disaster for the livestock industry last week. The Municipal District of Greenview, which includes Grande Cache, Fox Creek and Valleyview, made the announcement July 8 after farmers faced months of drought and grasshopper infestation. • The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App Reeve Tyler Olsen, a Grande Cache council member, sent a letter to the minister of agriculture and irrigation disclosing concerns for farmers as some have begun tilling under the lay and contemplating early herd liquidation. 'The ongoing lack of precipitation over the past year, compounded by minimal spring runoff, has left pastures and hay lands severely depleted … In addition, grasshopper infestations have exceeded action thresholds across the region, further damaging what limited forage had managed to grow,' said Olsen. In the letter, the council member urged the minister to include Greenview's eligibility to the federal Livestock Tax Deferral program as many farmers are anticipating below-average crop quantities. 'Our producers are the backbone of not only our local economy, but also Alberta's and Canada's, and they need our full support now more than ever,' said Olsen. According to the Provincial Crop Report released on July 4, only 21 per cent of hay and pasture land in the Peace region was rated as 'good' or 'excellent' while 79 per cent was deemed 'fair' or 'poor.' CTV News Edmonton has reached out to the provincial government for comment.
CTV News
12-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Here's the latest on wildfires and evacuations across Alberta
Alberta has a total of 56 wildfires burning in its Forest Protection Area as of Thursday morning. Twenty-three of those fires are out of control and five are being held. The MD of Greenview cancelled an evacuation order for Greenview No. 16 just after 9:30 a.m. The Forestry Trunk Road is now open, Alberta Emergency Alert said, but asked people to use caution in the area. For more information on the latest evacuation orders and alerts, visit Alberta Emergency Alert.
CTV News
11-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Forestry minister says more federal funding would make a big difference in wildfire preparedness, prevention
Minister of Forestry and Parks, Todd Loewen, speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the wildfire situation in the province. Minister of Forestry and Parks, Todd Loewen, speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the wildfire situation in the province. Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen speaks with Alberta Primetime host Michael Higgins about the wildfire situation in the province. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. Michael Higgins: Evacuation orders have been expanded in the County of Grande Prairie, as well now as the Municipal District of Greenview. What's that say about conditions up in your corner of the province? Todd Loewen: It's definitely dry and we've had quite a bit of lightning that came through earlier that created a bunch of fires. And with high winds that we've been having, it's a perfect scenario for these forest fires to ignite and to grow, and that's the problem. There's a lot of fire in the landscape right now, and with the high winds we've been having, they've been growing exponentially as well. MH: Whether it's the northwest or anywhere else, how would you frame the start of wildfire season in our province and the degree to which it's testing Alberta's ability to respond? TL: The first three weeks of May wasn't that bad. We had a high number of fires, but we were able to get on them quick, and weather conditions allowed us to control those fires pretty quickly. But the last week of May and into June, the lightning came through, and it has a static capacity. As far as our firefighting ability, we've been bringing in resources from other provinces and from other states, and soon here we'll be bringing in people from outside the country, some American crews, Australians as well, maybe even Costa Rica, maybe Mexico. We'll see who has firefighters to spare. We're working through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, and they arranged a lot of our people to come in and help from around the world and across the country. MH: Other provinces, including Ontario, now have requested assistance from the federal government. Where is Alberta in that queue? Is it in the queue? TL: The only help we've ever had from the feds, really, has been when we use the military, and of course, they do provide some funding along the way, too. It'd be nice to see more and more help from the feds. We send a lot of money to Ottawa that they distribute. It'd be nice to have a lot of that coming back to Alberta and helping with the firefighting situation. MH: What degree of communication do you have with the minister of emergency management and community resilience, newly elected Alberta MP Eleanor Olszewski, and how do those communications compare with dynamics that played out in the wake of that destructive fire in Jasper last year? TL: I haven't communicated directly, but that communication might be going on through our emergency services minister, Minister (Mike) Ellis. I reached out to Manitoba, the minister there, talking about the situation they have there. Earlier in the season, we were actually providing help to Manitoba and to Ontario, because we were a little on the slower side early in May, but now we need our resources back, and so they've all moved back home. Now we're asking for help from across the country and around the world. MH: We set up the conversation on expanding calls for a national fire service. The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs says we're the only G7 country without a national fire administration. Where does Alberta's government stand on those calls? TL: We haven't come up with anything particular that we want to focus on when it comes to that strategy. We know that we have a good organization here, Alberta Wildfire does great work, we have good personnel here. When it comes to resources, I think that's where we could use some help from the feds. Again, we transfer a lot of money to Ottawa and Ottawa doesn't transfer that much back. If they could transfer some of that back to help us with our fighting wildfire, that'd be appreciated. MH: Fighting wildfires, that is a provincial responsibility, isn't it? TL: Yes, it is. Other than the national parks. MH: OK, so how different an approach do you see the federal government needing to take to this whole conversation? What or could that involvement look like to come from the feds? TL: We'll be in further conversations as time goes forward, but as it is right now, we could use the resources, the financial resources, to be able to bring in the help that we need. The federal government right now, they're not set up to fight fire at all right now –other than Parks Canada; they have their own firefighting abilities and crews and things like that. The provinces have that. If the feds wanted to get in, if they were to help pay for some of the expenses that we have, that would be a big help. And again, we have the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre that we work with. That's a great organization that really does help link us up to resources. MH: We're only approaching mid-June, many weeks left. How concerned are you about where this wildfire season is headed? TL: Always concerned. You never know what the weather is going to bring and what's going to happen. The majority of our issues right now were started by a band of dry lightning that moved through the province and followed by 30-degree temperatures and high winds. If we can avoid situations like that throughout the rest of summer, we might not be in too bad of shape, but we already have enough hectares on fire right now that we do have a long summer ahead of us, working on getting those fires extinguished.
