Thursday, January 25, 2018 North Battleford, Saskatchewan
Excitement building for Canada’s Agriculture Day Canadians are once again gearing up to celebrate their pride and passion for an industry that puts food on tables across this country and around the world every day. Canada’s Agriculture
Day will be held on Feb. 13 this year, marking the second annual celebration of the sector of the economy that employs one in eight Canadians – from farmers and their suppliers to food processors and retailers.
“It’s a time to showcase all of the amazing things happening in Canadian agriculture and help consumers see the connection to where their food comes from and the people who produce it,” said Candace
Everyone Loves the Sun
Farmer Rancher contributor Louise Luncberg went for her regular walk and found this fellow sunning himself on the sill of the bathroom window of an old school. Photo by Louise Lundberg
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Hill, manager of Agriculture More Than Ever, one of the driving forces behind Canada’s Agriculture Day. The first-ever Canada’s Agriculture Day on Feb. 16, 2017 inspired hundreds of events across the country, opened doors to food conversations through social media and showcased the industry to young people who attended a daylong, marquee event in Ottawa, alongside industry and political leaders. “Canadian agriculture is an innovative, vibrant and forward-thinking industry, which plays a significant role in our economy,” said Lawrence MacAulay, minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “As Canadians, we can be proud that we produce among the safest, high-quality food for our country and the world,” MacAulay said. “Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector contributes over $110 billion to our economy and Canada’s Agriculture Day is an excellent opportunity to take stock of our success and celebrate.” This year’s celebration promises even more events, social media conversations and will once again feature a roster of dynamic speakers in Ottawa geared to building a better understanding and appreciation of the industry, as well as inspiring young people to consider the career opportunities in agriculture and agri-food. Bob McDonald, best-selling author and host of CBC’s Quirks and Quarks, will be one of the Ottawa event’s keynote speakers. He is able to provide meaning behind some of the more complex scientific issues we face on this planet. “The future of agriculture depends on attracting youth, so we especially want to appeal to young people who are not always
aware of the wide range of career opportunities in agriculture,” Hill said. “It’s all about celebrating this dynamic and growing industry while engaging in fun, respectful and informative dialogue.” The key to successful Canada’s Agriculture Day starts with the participation of farmers, according to Crystal Mackay, president of the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity. Their most recent survey showed Canadians consider farmers among the most credible sources of information when it comes to making informed decisions about their food. “Farmers and the entire food system have a great story to tell which helps earn consumer trust and confidence in food,” Mackay said. “Consumers want to know more, and
Canada’s Agriculture Day is a great way to start the conversation in person and on social media.” Hill said to watch for events and activities happening in communities across Canada, including those sponsored by industry associations, businesses and Agriculture More Than Ever partners. Individuals can also participate by making a meal for your family with all Canadian foods, snapping a farm or food photo and sharing it on social media using hashtags like #CdnAgDay and #FarmLife, or by giving back to their community by volunteering at the local food bank or soup kitchen. For more ideas on how to celebrate Canada’s Agriculture Day or for a list of community events, visit AgDay.ca.
Saskatchewan breaks power use record over holiday cold snap Saskatchewan set a new power demand record during the extreme cold snap over the holidays. At 5:42 p.m. on Dec. 29, 2017, the total system load reached 3,792 megawatts (MW). The increase of 45 MW over the previous demand record is equivalent to the electricity required to power 45,000 homes. “We continue to see these records set every single year, sometimes multiple times in the same month, and there’s a good chance it will happen again before winter ends,” said SaskPower Vice-President of Transmission and Industrial Services Kory Hayko. “This is why we continue to invest roughly $1 billion every year to update and grow Saskatchewan’s electrical system. We need to make sure our growing province has the power it needs to thrive.”
The previous record of 3,747 MW was set on Jan. 12, 2017, and came after new records were hit twice already that month. Saskatchewan broke the summer record twice in July of 2017, and then again in August with a peak load of 3,470 MW. To meet growing power demand, SaskPower is expanding its generation capacity from approximately 4,500 MW now to 7,000 MW by 2030. We also plan to increase renewable electricity generation from 25 per cent today to as much as 50 per cent over that same time period. There are a number of ways to conserve power this time of year, including turning down the thermostat when no one is home, plugging in your car with a timer, and turning off your interior lights whenever possible.
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