Issues & Insights

Alberta Environment and Parks (AEP) is changing the way its temporary diversion license (TDL) applications are processed. Effective April 4, the process will move from the use of the Water Act Temporary Diversion License Electronic Review System (WATERS) to the new Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS). Alberta shifts Water Act licenses to DRAS This shift…

“It’s about family.” It’s among the first words expressed by Dyce Bolduc and his daughter Kaitlynn. They’re sitting down over a few cups of coffee after morning chores on their farm in Stavely, AB, two generations of purebred cattle operations at Cudlobe Angus.  Dyce can remember in detail the first three purebred Angus cows his…

Alberta Beef Producers (ABP) is pleased that Canadian Pacific Railway (CP Rail) and Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC – Train and Engine Negotiating Committee agreed to enter into binding arbitration. “We are relieved that both parties have decided to enter arbitration,” said Dr. Melanie Wowk, Chair, ABP. “The beef industry is thankful to Premier Jason…

In 2018, Dr. Pat Burrage sold his veterinarian practice in Bluffton, Alberta to a young vet, thinking he would have a lot more time to spend with his family. He also thought he would find more time to talk to the Angus Cross and Longhorn herds on his farm just west of the central Alberta…

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are implementing a new policy to make it easier to for regulated animals to cross the border during emergencies. The Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) of Canada, Dr. Mary Jane Ireland, and the United States CVO, Dr. Rosemary Sifford issued the following statement:…

Wow, have you looked at the price of a steak lately? Canadian retail beef prices are at the highest level in history, inflating over 20% a year. A good steak or roast can cost $25-50 in the store; can you believe it? That is for an unbranded commodity product sold from a largely undifferentiated commodity…

Supply chain issues are affecting many products, including livestock identification devices. Shortage of raw material and staff absenteeism at manufacturing plants are now creating some noticeable delays. CDMV (CCIA’s distributor) is receiving some shipments periodically, but as the busy calving season is upon us, demand is exceeding availability for some products. It is important to…

Alberta Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) say they are taking further action on the Coutts border assembly. In a statement, Alberta RCMP say what “may have begun as a peaceful assembly quickly turned into an unlawful blockade.” “While the Alberta RCMP has been in a position to conduct enforcement, we have been engaged with protesters…

According to the Canadian Meat Council (CMC), there are currently over 150 loads of Canadian beef unable to pass the Coutts/Sweetgrass border crossing. “The longer this takes, it will cause more supply chain issues and this will affect everyone from producer to consumer,” said a CMC statement on Monday. “The beef industry is aware of…

Livestock producers in Alberta now have the option of using video technology for ante-mortem inspections. The province’s Video Ante-Mortem Inspection Program (VAMI) gives livestock producers the option to offer a humane death and ante-mortem inspection for animals that cannot be transported to a provincially-regulated abattoir. VAMI can be used if an animal is unfit for…