Cypress County ASB meeting highlights: Sponsorships, squirrels, and pushback on Bill C-293

Posted on December 31, 2024 by Ryan Dahlman

By Nerissa McNaughton
Southern Alberta Newspapers

Cypress County’s Agricultural Service Board (ASB) met on December 16. Sponsorships and grants were an important topic during the meeting. 

The ASB has approved a $500 grant for the Cactus Country 4-H District. Additionally, the ASB has, in previous years, committed $216 annually to the Heartland Training and Support Hub. However, funding challenges have recently impacted Heartland’s program delivery and during the 2024 school year, the program was paused due to insufficient funds. With new funding secured, Heartland is getting back on track, resuming presentations in schools across the province. 

Each year, Heartland requests financial support from the ASB, with funding levels based on the number of students educated the previous year. This fall, the organization is seeking $1,498.75 for the 2025 program, reflecting the average contribution since 2016. The decision made by ASB was to request more information from Heartland to see how the money would be used, what is involved in their presentation, which schools are being visited, etc., with a decision on a dollar amount of support determined at a later time.

ASB has been asked to provide $2,500 to Ag for Life in support of its Connecting Kids to Agriculture programs. Previous years saw $1,500 in funds annually provided to Ag for Life by the ASB. Ag for Life has changed their programming based on a number of factors, including reducing some materials. Questions were raised in the meeting about how and were the funds would be used, and it was also noted that new requirements on the ASB mandate actionable deliverables be mentioned by the recipients they help fund. In light of this, more information is requested from Ag for Life before the ASB provides sponsorship.

Under informational items, it is noted that Wheatland County has issued a letter via email to The Honourable Minister RJ Sigurdson. The letter discusses how Richardson ground squirrels pose a serious challenge in southern Alberta, causing significant economic damage to crops and creating hazards for livestock. 

The cancellation of strychnine-based products, effective March 4, 2023, has further complicated efforts to manage squirrel populations, leading to higher costs and additional time management challenges for agricultural producers. Wheatland County has raised concerns about the lack of effective alternatives and seeks an update from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada regarding the possibility of financial compensation and transitional support for producers.

Additionally, they have inquired if Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation will consider replicating Saskatchewan’s study on alternative RGS control methods. They have also requested the introduction of a compensation program for crop losses caused by these squirrels, modeled after Alberta’s existing wildlife damage programs. 

To mitigate these and related challenges, Wheatland County actively implements initiatives such as funding hawk posts and offering a “Ro-Con” rental skid unit for humane, non-toxic population control. 

They stress in the letter the necessity of a multi-pronged approach and urge provincial and federal advocacy to address the destructive impact of Richardson ground squirrels on agriculture.

Further in informational items, two agricultural disasters were declared regarding “extreme loss of honey production” in Birch Hills County and the M.D. of Smoky River No. 130 – the latter citing losses between 60 per cent and 90 per cent of the average annual production from the hives.

Among other items on the agenda, numerous letters from local districts, towns, and counties expressed mutual opposition to Bill C-293, an Act regarding pandemics and preparedness. While recognizing the importance of mitigating pandemic risks, serious concerns are raised about the Bill’s potential to harm Alberta’s animal farmers. Granting Ottawa the authority to label operations as “high risk” and shut them down could lead to abrupt closures of key facilities, destabilizing supply chains, and endangering the livelihoods of workers in the agricultural and agri-food sectors.

Learn more about these topics by viewing the agenda and minutes online at http://www.cypress.ab.ca/p/minutes-agendas.