South Mountain Press – MASTER OF NONE

May 9, 2019May 9, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 51 – Part 2

Canola Field – Image courtesy of the Canola Council of Canada

***Original published in South Mountain Press, April 5, 2019***

China’s Canadian Canola Boycott not Affecting Local Farmers – Yet

Ever since last December when Canadian authorities arrested Huawei executive, Meng Wanzhou, the Chinese government has been putting pressure on Canada to release the Chinese national who is facing extradition to the United States. Among the tactics employed by China has been the slowing down and now outright blocking of Canadian canola imports from the Winnipeg based, agribusiness company Richardson International. This begs the question of how is this going to affect the local farming economy and summer seeding programs.

After speaking to area farmers, seed companies, and elevator operators, it appears that at least for this season, farmers will not be changing their 2019 seeding programs due to this latest international trading spat.

Agriculture Canada spokespeople had no comment other than they are aware of the situation and people are working on it.

Jeremy Andreychuk, who farms north of Newdale, has no plans to change this year’s planned crop rotation of a combination of canola, wheat, barley, and oats. “We will seed our usual acreage of about 1250 acres of canola. Sure, prices for canola are a little lower but I think after this issue resolves itself, there might be a rebound. The Chinese market for canola oil is strong and most of them use it for cooking.”

Agriculture Canada literature backs up this sentiment. The Chinese have a large population with an oil-based cooking style. Due to the increase in their living standards and awareness of health and nutrition, they are demanding ‘higher-end and healthier oils with value-added nutrition.’ Growth for Canadian canola seed exported to China has grown from 2.9 million tonnes in 2013 to 4.8 million tonnes in 2018.

Local area seed companies are also backing up the assertions that farmers are not overly worried over this latest canola issue. Ron Knight of Knight Seeds in Hamiota does not foresee any major changes to grain farmer’s programs for this upcoming season.

As Ron explained, “Farmers had already pre-bought canola seed and signed contracts with the elevators by last December before this fuss started with China. In fact, I expect to see an increase in canola production in our area due to the poor soybean yields from last summer. Canola is a good crop to rotate to after growing cereals such as wheat.”

As for impacts to farmers if the dispute drags on, Ron was of the opinion that other grains and markets will take up the slack. For example, due to the lower hay production for cattle farmers, there is a higher demand for feed crops such as barley, oats, and corn. These commodities are trading above the 10 year averages and farmers were already increasing those acreages. In addition, Ron expects an increase in fall rye and malt barley plantings this year.

But according to Ron, trade disputes over Canadian grains and pulses are nothing new on the world trading scene. India used to import higher quantities of Canadian yellow peas until they imposed a 50 per cent import tariff back in November, 2017. Ironically, China picked up the slack in sales and picked up about 65-70% of Canadian yellow pea exports. But along with canola, those sales are also starting to slow.

As Ron said, ‘You have to remember, China is a major buyer of all grains, not just Canadian canola which is accounting for about 40% of our canola exports. All grain farmers and related Canadian jobs could be affected by the slow down. In the short term, grain is going to be stored longer on the farm and at the elevator. But this grain will have to start moving before next fall’s harvest starts to come in. Farmers can only sit on their full bins for so long before bills start to come due. I am starting to see a trickle of farmers getting squeezed this way. They can only wait so long before they will be forced to sell at a lower price. Farmers do not have the luxury of passing inflationary costs downstream, so if this issue doesn’t resolve in a timely fashion, it’ll be another hit to their bottom line.’

For people interested in the background of Canada’s grain trade, the Canadian Grain Commission has a comprehensive site with all sorts of statistics on the subject. For example, for the 2017/2018 crop year (runs from August to July), China imported 25% of Canada’s total crop exports. The main grains imported were wheat (7%), Barley (91%), Flax (58%), Canola (44%), Peas (67%), and Soybeans (44%). The numbers are the percentage amounts of total Canadian grain exports of each particular commodity. In 2016, canola seed and canola meal exports were worth $2.8 billion (CAN). Obviously, the Chinese market is immense when it comes to the financial well-being of Canadian farmers.

Bringing the economics of canola closer to home, the readership area of the South Mountain Press and Crossroads This Week held a farming area of approximately half a million acres of canola last year which produced about half a million tons of the oilseed. Roughly, the net value of the crop was $250 million (CAD).

As for worries about the quality of Canadian canola, all large Canadian exporters and producers of food such as Richardson International follow the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) protocols. The regulatory regime is extremely strict. Each delivery of grain is scrutinized numerous times and if need be, can be individually traced back to the source. Then before export, the Canadian Grain Commission conducts their own licensing and inspection requirements. In fact, even before the cargo ship leaves a Canadian port, the importer has to accept the shipment as satisfactory.

It is obvious that China is promulgating this farce of a canola food safety incident only as a thinly veiled political retaliation to the Huawei executive’s arrest. The practical upshot of the ploy is that it will probably result in the temporary lowering of commodity prices. Frankly, it’s laughable that a country which tried to cover up the lacing of its baby formula with poison would accuse Canada of selling them tainted seed.

But the general consensus from industry is the Chinese government cannot hold up the import of Canadian grains for long. There is too much of a demand from a billion, hungry, Chinese citizens.

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May 9, 2019May 9, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 51 – Part 1

Trinity Nylen posing with Premier Brian Pallister and MLA Greg Nesbitt at the Gala Supper Awards

***Original published in South Mountain Press, April 5, 2019***

Erickson Student to Receive Premier’s Volunteer Service Award

Trinity Nylen, a Grade 12 student from the Erickson area, has been chosen as one of the recipients of Manitoba’s 36th Annual Volunteer Awards. Trinity will be presented with a Premier’s Volunteer Service Award during a Winnipeg gala dinner on April 11^th.

According to Volunteer Manitoba, the Premier’s Volunteer Service Award (Youth Category) is meant to honour the efforts and dedication of outstanding volunteers in Manitoba. The youth leadership category recognizes young Manitobans (under 25) who have made considerable contributions to their schools, organizations and communities through volunteer work. The young volunteers serve as role models, encouraging other young people to give of themselves for the betterment of the community.

Trinity will be one of only four young Manitobans to receive this year’s prestigious honour.

Trinity says she is excited about the event and is glad she can share the experience with her parents. The self-deprecating, young lady has a bit of trepidation at the prospect of attending such a fancy event. After a lifetime of growing up on a farm, she is more comfortable wearing coveralls and crocs and not particularly used to a fancy dress and heels. But her mantra has been, “Be willing to put yourself out there for better results. Don’t be scared to try new things or to meet new people. Try to say ‘Yes’ as much as possible.”

Trinity’s life philosophy has served this 17 year old well and she has accomplished more in a few short years than many people will do in a lifetime. The Performance Benchmarks section of her Curriculum Vitae would contain: Has dedicated extraordinary efforts to raise awareness in my community about discrimination in its various forms and has shown leadership in affecting change. Has committed time in two different high schools to various committees including the Erickson High School Gay Straight Alliance, Student Council, C.H.A.N.G.E. (Citizens Helping All Nations Grow Equally), Model UN, Minnedosa High School P.R.Y.D.E (Please Respect Your Diverse Environment) and causes such as ‘Dressember’.

The Overview portion of her resume would read as: Passionate about social justice issues and has taken advantage of every opportunity to learn about human rights, including attending conferences on the topics of LGBTQ+ issues, mental health, and Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls. As part of the Erickson Gay Straight Alliance during grades Nine and Ten, involved in organizing two Human Rights Conferences for the entire Rolling River School Division.

During the Grade Ten Conference, the guest presenter was so impressed with Trinity that they invited her to Ottawa to attend the 2016 ‘Allyship in Action!’ Conference organized by the Canadian Center for Gender and Sexual Diversity.

As for hobbies and other interests, Trinity would list: Active in school sports, playing on the soccer, rugby and basketball teams. Balances all my activities while maintaining a job at a service station. Has also taken on positions to help in the community, such as assisting with volunteering for the Erickson Junior Curling program plus the ice-making, and cleaning at the town’s campground.

In her own words, Trinity explained the catalyst that caused her to become so passionate about advancing social justice issues. “I grew up in a small conservative community in rural Manitoba, one day in the fourth grade a boy in my class was being bullied because he was acting ‘gay’. At the time I did not know what that meant, however, I knew how those words made him feel. That night I came home from school asking my family at the supper table, what it means to be gay and why it would be so upsetting to my classmate. My parents explained to me what it meant to be gay and clarified there was nothing wrong with being gay, it just isn’t very common where we live. I didn’t know it then, but this first real interaction with discrimination sparked a passion within me that would lead me to help others.”

As a Group Leader for the Minnedosa High School P.R.Y.D.E. student group, Trinity explained the importance of helping to provide a community for students struggling to learn some of life’s ‘hows and whys’. She feels strongly about helping to provide an environment and awareness where it is okay to have other views. To her way of thinking, people should not be afraid to be different.

In a few months, after graduation, the plucky teenager will be participating in a six month SWAP Canada Exchange to New Zealand. Upon her return to Canada, Trinity would like to obtain a Bachelors of Social Work degree from the University of Manitoba.

More information on Volunteer Manitoba and a full list of this year’s Volunteer Awards recipients can be found at https://www.volunteermanitoba.ca/awards

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May 9, 2019May 9, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 50

***Original published in South Mountain Press, March 29, 2019***

Local Small Town Rinks Finish on a Strong Note

If you had to point to an iconic piece of Canadiana, it would be the image of folks enjoying a skate at the local arena. From the tiniest Atoms trying to figure out hockey to grandparents lacing up for a Sunday Family Skate, Canadians coast to coast have a strong affinity with the public ice rink. Indeed, for the smallest of communities, the local rink becomes the winter soul and focal point of the town.

The Erickson Recreation Centre and Skating Rink has the largest facilities in the area with artificial ice and a four sheet curling rink. The town held two major hockey tournaments and a large bonspiel this year. As reported by Quinn Greavett, the Eli Shannacappo Memorial Tournament in February was well attended and raised $1800 for the rink. The skating rink was a regular host to several hockey teams from Erickson and surrounding locales.

As everyone connected with these facilities are well aware, they are not cheap to run. Plus it takes the efforts of countless volunteer hours to keep the doors open. Erickson’s skating ice is put in by the Antiques hockey team and local resident Kris Koversky takes care of it for the season. All the scheduling, cleaning, maintenance and canteen operations are run by volunteers. Fundraisers, canteen sales, and the Sunday morning community breakfast raise the bulk of the yearly funding.

Annual costs for Erickson’s winter recreation facilities run about $60,000/year. One of the main expenses is hydro which just for the curling rink sits at $16,000/year. Unfortunately, over the last three years, that bill has climbed by over $3,000 which makes it difficult to concentrate on other areas in need of upgrading or renovations.

Thankfully, as Scott Gray from the Curling Committee explained, they have been able to stay ahead of the maintenance curve for the facilities. The committee tries to spend about $15,000/year on upgrades. The curling rink kitchen is their next big project and over at the skating rink, Quinn says they would like to upgrade to LED lights for the ice surface. Both of the facilities are holding their own and in fact the skating rink turned a bit of a profit this year.

It is nice to have these ‘fancy’ recreational facilities close at hand for competition between communities at an easy driving distance. But the smaller rinks in Onanole and Sandy Lake are just as popular. Old fashioned ‘natural’ ice and the whims of Mother Nature keeps these facilities running. Plus of course, there is that same small army of dedicated volunteers giving their time to the well-being of their respective communities.

As reported by Onanole Recreation President, Scot Shellborn, their rink’s ice went in early this year at the end of November. With the current warm spell, there will not be any more flooding but the ice should remain usable for several weeks to come.

Plenty of skating talent has come out of Onanole’s little community. Scot is proud to say that along with the hockey teams the ice is almost in continuous use by kids just out for a skate. In addition, the rink attracts plenty of adults. The Oldtimers team has picked up a couple of ringers, Reeve Jason Potter and Councilor Craig Atkinson. Then next year, after Councilor Wade Sholney returns from back surgery recovery, the Erickson Antiques will be crying the blues!

Like all the other facilities in the area, Scot says despite the costs of operation such as $1900/month for hydro, their rink is doing okay. In recent years, they were able to afford some improvements to the roof and insulation. The committee’s next major goal would be the installation of a cement floor to facilitate dryland training when summer visitors arrive to the area. Also, if they had a dry floor, the rink area would be able to accommodate functions for up to 400 people.

Smaller communities, who are just keeping up with facility operation costs, have a difficult time raising the funding for ambitious expansions or renovations. In the event of a major incident like a plant failure or a structural collapse, the community would probably just lose the facility forever. A decade ago, Onanole’s two-sheet curling rink collapsed due to snow and there was no real push to replace it. Over at Sandy Lake, although it is nice to have an ice surface for family skating, if something catastrophic happened, the community would not be able to afford to replace their rink.

Last year, the Federal and Provincial governments made a big deal out of announcing the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) and the $1.1 billion portion for Manitoba. Unlike the usual funding formula of each government level taking a third of the cost, the two higher levels will be covering upwards of 90% of the project funding. This will take the pressure off of the smaller communities who may not be able to raise the funds for a larger project.

Our smaller towns and villages are having a hard enough time fighting rural entropy. Given the importance of the community ice rink and the precarious nature of their continued well-being, perhaps some of these precious tax dollars should be directed towards these most Canadian of winter activities and facilities.

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May 8, 2019May 8, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 46

A Manitoba Hydro solar installation. *Photo: Solar Manitoba*

***Original published in South Mountain Press, March 1, 2019***

The Future of Renewable Energy in Manitoba

Energy. Literally, humanity’s existence revolves around harnessing various forms of energy. It started with ancient humans surviving the dark night by learning to make fire. Later, great civilizations sprung up by utilizing the wind to explore the world in armadas of ships. A patent for the first real internal combustion engine was granted in 1854 London and soon the world was taking advantage of what had been a relatively useless substance called crude oil. Finally, in the 20^th Century, humanity created the technical expertise to understand the very nature of the atom in order to produce nuclear electricity.

Now, in the 21^st Century, there is mounting pressure for the world to again change energy gears and embrace renewable energy. All governments, including Manitoba’s, have been tackling this issue for decades. But after many decades, has Manitoba made any meaningful headway with respects to replacing old energy technology with new ‘green’ energy technology?

To begin, where exactly does Manitoba derive our power and energy needs from? According to the Manitoba Hydro-Electric Board 67th Annual Report for the 2017/2018 fiscal year, this is how the numbers break down: the grand-daddy of power generation at 96.01% of all of Manitoba’s electricity is created by 15 hydro-electric stations. The natural gas (formerly coal) thermal generating stations at Brandon and Selkirk created .12%. Purchases excluding the wind farms in the south of the province accounted for 1.16% and wind power was 2.72%.

Also, according to Manitoba Hydro’s reports, over 280,000 private and business customers in 132 communities burnt over 2 billion cubic metres of natural gas last year.

In 2005, Manitoba Hydro partnered with a large Ontario energy conglomerate to create the province’s first wind farm by St. Leon. In 2010, Hydro partnered with a large US corporation for a second wind farm nearby in St. Joseph. Total capacity for the 133 wind turbines amounts to peak electricity generation of 258 Megawatts (MW). According to the Board’s Annual Report, the corporation has contracts to buy wind power from the two farms out to 2038.

According to figures starting in 2013, the wind farms have provided 2.6% of the province’s electrical production which amounts to 1 billion wind generated Kilowatt Hours (kWh). Hydro keeps the price paid for wind energy confidential but if you look through Hydro’s Annual Report it can be determined that compensation is in the range of 7.3¢/kWh.

So to meet Manitoba’s 21^st Century energy needs, would it make sense for the province to go into a massive wind expansion program? After comparing published costs of the new northern Keeyask Generating Station with the two wind farms, it appears that wind power could be millions of dollars cheaper to produce per MW capacity. But in order to meet the present generating capacity, the province would need over 7000 wind turbines covering an area over 10 times the size of Riding Mountain National Park. Then you return to the problem of what happens when the wind stops blowing (or blowing too much)? No spinning blades, no electrical generation. Just imagine Manitobans shivering in the dark this past February because of lack of wind.

Moving on to the other darling of the green movement, what about solar energy? According to Hydro Media Relations Officer, Bruce Owen, about 650 customers are generating their own electricity (primarily solar photovoltaic) of which they may intermittently sell their excess to Manitoba Hydro. Many of these self-generating customers probably took advantage of Hydro’s 2-year Solar Energy Pilot Program which ran out on May 1, 2018.

One such couple was Shoal Lake area farmers, David and Diana Hyde, who are in their third year of using their solar panel system. They have 72 standard size panels (about 3 X 5 feet in size) that are designed to create about 2/3rds of their farm’s electrical needs. Most of their excess power is produced in the spring and fall and they receive credits back for their winter usage. They were lucky as they were grandfathered into the old rates where they are credited at about 8¢/kWh whereas newer customers are only being compensated at 3.3¢/kWh (rates will increase to 4¢ beginning April 1^st).

Although the Hydes are happy with their system, they would not recommend solar to the average home owner. For example, they were able to write off their installation costs as a farm expense. The Hydro Solar Program was great while it lasted but with the lower compensation rates, they would need twice as many panels to replace their current system and their credited hydro this year ran out in January. It would be nice to have mobile panels that could follow the sun, especially in the summer, but Manitoba storms would wreck the panels. In their opinion, the only way solar makes fiscal sense would be for a homeowner who was too far away from the existing grid.

Manitoba Hydro still will provide assistance to homeowners and businesses who are interested in solar power but do not count on any good compensation deals in the near future. According to Mr. Owen, ‘Previously, the price paid for excess energy was aligned with the rate charged for residential electricity. However, the rate charged for residential electricity is structured to recoup the costs of not just electric generation, but also transmission, distribution, maintenance, billing, customer service, emergency response, etc. Those non-energy components account for the majority of the cost of delivering electricity. Therefore, to pay the full residential rate for someone to intermittently generate electricity would be to over compensate them beyond its actual value. The current method uses the previous year’s export spot market power price of electricity which is more equitable for all Manitobans.’

According to the Hyde family, a good solution for the low compensation hydro rates would be if people could just battery store the extra electricity. But in their opinion, current battery technology is too expensive and inefficient.

So despite some token efforts regarding the other ‘green’ energy generation technologies, it appears that Manitoba should stick with renewable hydro-electricity. Until there are technological breakthroughs that negate the fallibility and expense of wind and solar systems, it would make more sense to rely on an energy system that has already had a rock solid reliability of more than a century.

Blair’s LinkedIn Profile

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

May 8, 2019May 8, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 46

Erickson’s Flying Club has fought hard to keep the airport viable

***Original published in South Mountain Press, March 1, 2019***

Plans to Repave Erickson’s Airport Runway Ramp Up

With the anticipated Infrastructure Canada grant window expected to open sometime this spring, the Rural Municipality of Clanwilliam-Erickson is busy marshalling all efforts towards snagging their piece of the monies earmarked for rural infrastructure spending. Specifically, the Municipal Airport runway is in desperate need of repaving.

For those readers unfamiliar with the story of Erickson Municipal Airport (aka Neilson Field or by the Canadian aerodrome identifier CKQ6), here is some background on the facility.

In 1974, the quarter of land for the airport was bought through the Erickson Chamber of Commerce from Mrs. Ethel Sloane (née Neilson). A 2800 foot runway was built and the rest of the quarter grew canola and alfalfa. Interesting note, the proceeds from the agriculture sales were enough to pay off the property loan. Also that year, the Scandinavia Community Club transferred the old Scandinavia school (built in 1925 and closed in 1968) to the airport where it is still used as the Administration building.

Since the opening, the airport has been run by Flying Club members with oversight from the Airport Commission whose representatives come from the Club and Council.

In 1984, a Transport Canada grant was used to create the present 3000 by 75 foot asphalt, East/West oriented runway, taxiway, apron, and lighting.

With time, facilities at the airport grew to include aerodrome lighting upgrades, seven hangars for several private aircraft, on-site aircraft fueling and tie downs, and admin services for visiting pilots.

Presently, the Flying Club has 25 members and a Club Piper Cherokee. One of the highlights of the year is when the Club holds their long running Father’s Day Fly-In Breakfast held in conjunction with Erickson’s Little Valley Jamboree. Average attendance is about 300 people and up to 30 aircraft.

The Flying Club members volunteer many hours to keep the airport operating. They receive a small, yearly $2,400 Manitoba Airport Assistance Program grant to assist in the continued maintenance and operation of the airport. They own and operate the fueling facilities and provide fuel call-out services free of charge. Up until recently, they were also doing the grass cutting and snow clearing but the RM has started helping with those duties.

Now since the runway has not received much in the way of surface maintenance other than some crack filling through the RM, in 2017, it was recognized by the Airport Commission that the runway would need a major rehabilitation. September 2017, RM Council authorized WSP Engineering Services to study the issue at a cost of $9,786 + GST. The report came back recommending full replacement of the asphalt and sub-surface. Failure of the present runway was described as ‘imminent’ and the cost to replace was pegged at $1.2 million.

So here is the literal Million Dollar Question. How does a small RM come up with the cash to fix a runway that is already reported to be damaging aircraft propellers and fuselage?

First, the RM does have an Airport Reserve Fund that is sitting at approximately $50,000.

Next, the RM at their last Council meeting, discussed funding formulas in order to raise a $100,000 debenture to help pay for the project.

Also, surrounding communities have been asked for help and support. For example, last week a 10 person Flying Club delegation make a presentation to Harrison Park Council. They asked for and were promised a Letter of Support from Council. They also made the argument that since Onanole and area receives indirect economic benefits due to the airport, then perhaps it would be in the Harrison Park’s interests to also put a sum of money into the repaving project. Council is deferring that decision until after upcoming budget deliberations.

Another avenue that has been pursued, was to enlist the help of the local MLA, Greg Nesbitt. Mr. Nesbitt was a long time member of the Shoal Lake Airport Authority before his political career. In 2017, he was instrumental in helping that airport with their $342,201 runway rehabilitation.

In Mr. Nesbitt’s words, “I will endorse Erickson’s airport runway project with political support and my expertise. The project will need government funding and I can help the RM navigate the process. But they have to realize that government monies are meant as a hand up, not a hand out. There needs to be local buy-in and backing.”

But even with local goodwill and fundraising, the cost of the runway project to the RM would be prohibitive. The bulk of the funding will have to be borne by higher levels of government. This is where Infrastructure Canada and the Province can assist to keep the prop spinning.

Last summer, the Province announced the signing of a bilateral agreement that will provide more than $1.1 billion in federal funding through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) for infrastructure projects. It is a cost-shared program that will support infrastructure needs throughout Manitoba over the next 10 years. Also last summer, they called for Manitoba RMs to submit infrastructure Expressions of Interest (EOI) in order to prioritize infrastructure projects for 2019 to 2023.

The RM was able to submit an airport related EOI last fall as the runway rehabilitation would be eligible under the program’s Rural and Northern Communities Infrastructure Stream (RNCIS). The projected funding formula would be up to 60% Federal Funding, up to 33.3% Provincial Funding, and the balance covered by the RM.

After contacting the Infrastructure Canada Ottawa office, they did not provide a timeline for when the 2019/2020 grant application process would commence. The last word was the vague indication of sometime this spring. Depending on the timing of all the pieces falling into place, it might be challenging to catch this year’s construction season. Plus there is zero guarantee of the project making the cut and receiving either Federal or Provincial Funding.

Sadly, if the situation is not rectified soon, the runway pavement will continue to deteriorate until it becomes unsafe and unusable. At that point, Erickson’s aviation community and associated economic benefits will sputter and stall.

Blair’s LinkedIn Profile

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

March 29, 2019March 29, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 45

***Original published in South Mountain Press, February 22, 2019***

RM of Clanwilliam-Erickson Council February Update

The Council for the Rural Municipality of Clanwilliam-Erickson held their regular monthly meeting last Wednesday, February 13. Numerous agenda items vital to the running of the RM were discussed.

One of the main discussion points dealt with the current state of the Clanwilliam-Erickson Childcare Initiative and the soon to be opened ‘Little Hands Early Learning Center’ daycare. It was reported that opening was going to be delayed a month to April 1^st and all but four of the available twenty six spaces have been spoken for. The delay was due to renovations taking longer than predicted. Fundraising for the project continues with plans for a Casino Night, a Paint Night, and ongoing meat sales. Numerous donations of second hand items and monies have been gratefully received.

Council was asked to ‘bridge finance’ a progressive payment to the daycare’s contractors (who have worked in good faith without payment for two months) for the amount of $43,022.01. The Royal Bank loan for the project has been approved but there has been a short delay in disbursing the funds. It was stressed that there will be no cost to the RM and the money is expected to be replaced shortly.

In addition, it was pointed out that originally during the May 15, 2018 Special Meeting, the amount that Council was to serve as security and guarantor for was placed at $100,000. But when the August 24, 2018 Bylaw #55/18 was written up, the amount had increased to $175,000. There is some trepidation on Council regarding the size of the loan that the RM is covering but there is general agreement that the daycare will succeed and will be a much needed asset for the community and its continued prosperity.

Another important item of discussion related to subdivision plans by the South Ditch Lake Recreation Co-Op. President Lawrence Bertram has asked Council to consider some road closure and Crown Land Reserve issues that are preventing subdivision proposals from moving forward. For example, along the shoreline where the Co-Op cottages sit, there is a 99 foot Crown Reserve setback zone. Council has to apply to the Province to have this transferred to the RM.

Council is looking into further details on how to resolve the Co-Op’s issues so that Ditch Lake development can move forward.

As usual, there were many items related to the RM’s handling of waste.

First item to be discussed was the plans for a review of the Solid Waste Agreement with Rolling River First Nation at the end of the month.

There has been no major movement on the Four Winds Waste Management project. Complicating matters is the impending Keeseekoowenin First Nation Council Election. Meanwhile, Council is still entertaining ideas of sending the RM’s waste to the Franklin Evergreen site or entering into a contract with Municipal Waste Management of Souris.

Erickson’s lagoon site was discussed. The present sludge levels will be closely monitored and discharges into Leda Lake will be limited. There have been two emergency discharges into the lake over the last three years and there is a regular fall discharge. At some point sooner than later, the sludge levels will have to be dealt with.

Keeping with Provincial regulations, a RM employee will be sent to the Manitoba Water & Wastewater Association Conference for training. Also, an employee will be sent for mandatory Solid Waste Association of North America certification. By July 1, 2019, all landfills regulated by Manitoba Sustainable Development will be required to have a certified operator.

Carrying on with Erickson’s 2018 Residential Compost Pickup Pilot project, Council has given direction to initiate a Town Wide Compost Collection Program. Results from the pilot indicated that up to 60 tons of compost could be diverted from landfill annually. The environmental and economic benefits of composting locally only makes fiscal sense. Details of the program will be distributed to the public as they become available.

Infrastructure issues in the RM were discussed. If the Federal and Provincial grants come through for the repaving of Erickson’s airport runway, the RM will have to kick in an amount in the range of $100,000. Discussions were had on how the debenture could be raised. Also with infrastructure, snow plowing procedures and road sanding points were discussed.

Finally, all of these good plans by Council will need to be paid for. The Councilors and staff will be putting their noses to the grindstone during a series of special Financial Plan meetings being held at the end of the month. Line by line 2019/2020 budget items such as gravel expenditures, organization grants, staff costs, etc. will be decided upon.

The myriad of issues Council and RM Staff deal with keep them busy and they are never bored. They are tirelessly working for the betterment of their constituency and welcome everyone’s input and concerns.

Blair’s LinkedIn Profile

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

March 29, 2019March 29, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 44

***Original published in South Mountain Press, February 15, 2019***

Are Manitobans Ready for the New Federal Carbon Tax?

As Manitobans shiver during this February deep freeze, they probably will not be too keen on the imposition of the Federal Carbon Tax which is set to take effect on April 1^st. In fact, although Federal Carbon Taxes are not being collected at present, as of January 1^st the meter is running for Manitoba industrial emitters who will be subject to a Federal ‘backstop output-based pricing system’.

Premier Pallister is not buying the Trudeau government’s Carbon Tax scheme and put the brakes on the Province’s own Carbon Tax plan back in October. Hence, Manitoba was added to Trudeau’s ‘Naughty’ province list and will impose the new tax.

For the sake of this article, I will put aside the arguments of the advisability of government imposing a punitive, blanket ‘consumption’ tax which will result in dubious environmental benefits. Instead, the focus will be on how the new tax will affect Manitoban’s wallets.

Let’s start with the obvious taxes that will hit on April 1^st. To begin, every combustible fossil fuel from Aviation gasoline through to Combustible waste will be charged a yearly escalating tax on a per unit basis. A Cessna passing through Erickson’s airport will be charged an extra 4.98 cents/litre. Natural gas to heat Shoal Lake homes and businesses will cost an extra 3.91 cents/cubic metre. Propane for the weekend summer BBQ at the park will set you back another 3.1 cents/litre. Of course, the big one will be gasoline which will hit every litre of fuel with an extra 4.42 cents.

Remember, these are the initial rates. As the Liberal’s plan stands for now, the $20/tonne tax on fossil fuels will increase to $50/tonne as of 2022. For example, for April 2022, the extra tax per litre of gasoline will be 11.05 cents. Who wants to take bets that the rate will stay static if the Liberals are given another mandate?

Years ago, the Rural Municipality of Yellowhead Council was proud to have brought natural gas to the Town of Shoal Lake. According to Manitoba Hydro, the new Federal ‘Carbon Charge’ related to natural gas use for an average household will be an annual increase of about 13% or $88. In three years, it will be an increase of over 30% as the price per cubic metre climbs to an extra 9.79 cents. It will be even worse for businesses whose 2019 natural gas costs will increase 15-30% depending on their customer class and consumption levels.

Those parts of Manitoba’s industry who rely on fossil fuels are going to get hit hard by this new Carbon Tax. Once their share has been figured out, the amount charged will be retroactive to January 1^st.

Compared to the rest of Canada, Manitoba emits relatively little Green House Gases (GHGs) and has few Large Final Emitters (LFEs). But the province does have nine LFEs who account for about 10% of the Province’s GHG emissions. Some of the highest emitters on the list are the Brandon Koch Fertilizer Plant, the TransCanada Pipeline, the Graymont Faulkner lime plant, Vale Thompson Mining Operations, Husky Minnedosa Ethanol, Manitoba Kraft Papers, and three large Winnipeg landfill sites.

Each of these sites have been identified as facilities that emit at least 50,000 tonnes/year of carbon dioxide (CO2). By far and away, the Koch Fertilizer plant which uses enormous amounts of natural gas to create fertilizer, produces the greatest amount of GHGs at about half of the amount of all the other manufacturing facilities put together. The final cost to these facilities will be determined by complicated schemes, pricing systems, and/or cap and trade systems.

There will be a few Carbon Tax exceptions for farmers and commercial fishermen who will not pay extra tax on marked fuel. Other relevant proposed targeted Manitoba relief measures will be directed at rural residents, greenhouse operators, power plants generating electricity for remote communities, and Indigenous Peoples.

The preceding points are the obvious and direct costs associated with the new Federal Carbon tax. In fact, the government is claiming that the average taxpayer will receive more back in income tax than what they will pay in direct tax. As an example, an average Manitoba household should receive an extra $336 on this year’s tax return.

It is the insidious nature of the new tax that will make its true cost to the average Manitoban difficult to determine.

As an example, when the Koch Fertilizer plant gets their new bill for their natural gas use, the higher cost of producing fertilizer will in all likelihood be either wholly or partially passed on to farmers. Government and industry have been cagey about the final price of farmer input costs due to the new Carbon Tax. With regards to nitrogen fertilizer, one estimate from Dr. Mario Tenuta of the University of Manitoba puts the 2019 costs at an extra $7.63/acre for standard fertilizer application rates, climbing to $19.08/acre by 2022. Using 2016 Census data, the average Manitoba farmer with 1300 cropland acres would see a 2019 fertilizer bill increase of $10,000 growing to almost $25,000 by 2022.

On a smaller scale, this will be the same fate for every Manitoba company or consumer. Due to the nature of Manitoba’s economy just about every product, foodstuff, or service has a fossil fuel related component which is going to cost more to produce, manufacture, or deliver. It would almost be impossible to calculate the true costs of this escalating tax and you would have to be particularly naïve to believe that it will end up being revenue neutral.

Ostensibly, the Federal Carbon Tax is meant to wean Canadians away from fossil fuels, embrace ‘Green’ technology and energy sources, and to protect Canadians from the impacts of climate change. Soon enough with a Federal election this fall, we will see if Manitobans will embrace the Liberal’s vision of a CO2 free Canada despite the cost to the pocket book and the financial hits to our industries.

Blair’s LinkedIn Profile

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

March 4, 2019March 4, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 42 – Part 2

***Original published in South Mountain Press, February 1, 2019***

Logan McKillop Begins Western Canada Tour

Onanole musician Logan McKillop, accompanied by Winnipeg’s Sophie Stevens, recently began his latest Western Canada tour with a series of Westman shows including a packed house concert up in Onanole. In between gigs, Logan kindly spent some time with me to talk about his life, his music, and the pursuit of the great white buffalo.

From Logan’s press release, ‘In January/February 2019, Onanole, MB singer-songwriter Logan McKillop will be touring throughout Western Canada. He will be appearing on 21 stages across MB, SK, AB, and BC. Logan will be performing as a duo with accompaniment provided by Winnipeg pianist/guitarist/vocalist Sophie Stevens. Together, they will be introducing audiences to new songs from Logan’s upcoming album “Anchorless” (to be released on March 22nd, 2019).

Logan will be performing at a variety of venues including music festivals, cafes, community art spaces, lounges, and house concerts.’

This second album, which was funded with $10,000 raised through a Kickstarter campaign, follows Logan’s 20 song debut album “Prairie Sky” released in March 2013. A retro vinyl version of “Anchorless” along with CDs/download options will be offered to the public.

Logan performance style is a unique brand of melancholy, optimistic lyrics and soft guitar chords. His folksy crooning would be the perfect accompaniment for curling up by the fire on a brisk, winter evening while enjoying some quiet, self-reflection. Many of his songs dive deeply into the simple but complex stories of the everyday, ordinary people and places that he has encountered.

As Logan explains, “I base my songs on day to day life experiences and then share their stories. I also feel that as a songwriter, it is my duty to raise awareness on issues I feel that are important. Many of my songs are related to my personal experiences such as my mishaps with my first car or growing up in rural Manitoba. Some songs like ‘Gary’s Lament’ relate to people that I’ve met along all my travels. I find that my music appeals to a wide age range, teens to seniors.”

Hailing from an extremely musically inclined family, Logan was probably pre-destined to be a musician. His mother, Colleen, played in a Bluegrass band before concentrating on raising a family of four kids. His father, Cam, is described as an incredible musician. Logan has numerous aunts and uncles on both sides of the family with musical talent, including his Uncle Jim McKillop of Candle Lake, SK whom he will be touring with later in the spring. Then each of his siblings are active, talented singers, songwriters, and musicians. Even a couple of nieces are carrying on the family ‘business’ and actively playing and singing for audiences.

Logan’s musical path began shaping itself at a young age. He could have easily been a percussionist as his first instrument was the drums. Then a Christmas gift of a guitar helped him settle on his main form of musical expression. He has dabbled with the mandolin and banjo but he prefers the acoustic guitar. The works of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, the Irish Rovers, and Black Sabbath were his first few musical influences.

Over the years, Logan received the aid of numerous people who eventually helped him develop into a self-described ‘folk/roots singer-songwriter and storyteller’. In his own words, “From 2007 to 2010, I had my first taste of sharing my original songs when I was in a duo called the “Prairie Rovers” with local songwriter Troy Fleming (from Onanole). We recorded our first album in Troy’s Ditch Lake cabin.

Around the same time, my high school music teacher Tom Mathews introduced me to Martin Finnie and Jody Weger (the three of them were members of ‘The Farmers’). They were highly influential to me and showed me the ropes of what songwriting and playing in a band was all about. I ended up playing in several band configurations with Martin, Tom and Jody throughout the years (‘The Stray Arrows’ & ‘Old Bones Buffalo’).

I’ve played in several bands/accompanied several songwriters throughout the years (Sebastian Owl, The Micah Erenberg Band, The Route 10 Collective, Alana Levandoski, Carly Dow, Madeleine Roger, Brady Enslen, etc).”

Opening up more about his early years as a professional, touring musician, Logan described a life altering decision in October 2010 when singer/songwriter Alana Levandoski asked him to accompany her on a European tour. He had recently swapped vocational plans from Geology to the Jazz Guitar program at Brandon University. But he said yes to the tour, tossed his fate to the winds, had a great time, and decided ‘I want to do this!’

In due time, the budding, brash musician then boldly strode out on his first solo tour and ran head first into trouble in Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Logan is as much a storyteller as a singer and much of his show involves tales of his self-deprecating, humourous misadventures. Without spoiling the story of what happened in the Sault, it involves a wrong turn while searching for a Pizza Hut, U.S. border security, and a pocket full of weed. Then for good measure, his van got T-boned! Thankfully for his loyal fans, Logan did not listen to the deities and continued his singing career.

As for the rest of 2019, on the heels of this tour, Logan will off to the February Montreal Folk Alliance International Conference. Then he and his partner, contemporary folksinger Madeleine Roger, will do a Home Routes/Chemin Chez Nous Aurora Trail tour through Northern BC, Yukon, and North West Territories venues. Logan enjoys playing in Canada’s North and this will be his 4^th time doing this tour. Later in the year, there are plans to tour Alberta and Eastern Canada. Plus the summer will be busy playing in various Folk Festivals.

For local fans, Logan will be back in the area for his favourite small town music festival, Kelwood’s Harvest Sun Music Fest held this summer on August 16 – 18. Meanwhile, you can keep track of this talented young man through his website at www.loganmckillop.com.

Blair’s LinkedIn Profile

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

March 4, 2019March 4, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 42

***Original published in South Mountain Press, February 1, 2019***

Clanwilliam Farming Family Wins Conservation District Award

Recently, local Clanwilliam cattle ranchers Adele and John Popp, were presented with the 2018 Little Saskatchewan River Conservation District Award in recognition of their land stewardship practices. The Popp family received the award during the Manitoba Conservation Districts Association Awards Banquet held in Brandon on December 11.

The Little Saskatchewan River Conservation District was created in 1999 with the mandate to ‘facilitate and support integrated development and stewardship of water and land resources within watersheds, in ways that assure ecosystem health and sustainability through engagement of local citizens.’

Since the Conservation District’s inception, they have recognized families and organizations who have made contributions that align with the CD’s vision of stakeholders focused upon the land, the water and the other natural resources within its watersheds.

John Popp, who originally emigrated from Germany with his family, has over 20 years of experience in the livestock industry and has a Ph. D. in Ruminant Nutrition. In 1998, he and the family moved back to the Clanwilliam family farm to take it over from his parents. Since then, he and his family have been active stewards of their land and promoting sustainable farming management practices.

Along with ranching, John runs the company Big Bear Genetics Ltd. John’s late father, Werner Popp, had the dream of introducing the Bavarian Fleckvieh cattle breed to North America and started the process in 1999. Today, John continues his father’s vision of promoting Fleckvieh lines to North American beef and dairy producers. Part of the couple’s herd of 170 Red Angus acts as a recipient herd for top quality Fleckvieh dairy embryos.

Adele, who hails from a Saskatchewan grain farm, is an active partner with her husband and runs the farm while John is away on company business. From the fall of 1992 to the spring of 1993, she was with the International Agriculture Exchange Association in Australia. As a trainee, Adele was placed into the home of a host family in the town of Marysville, Victoria (approximately 1.5 hours from Melbourne). She chose a livestock exchange and was matched up with a beef cattle operation that did a lot of rotational grazing of yearlings and cow calf.

Adele has taken her knowledge and overseas farming experience and has since applied it to the running of their own cattle operation. She is very active in studying their farm’s soil nutrition and exploring different methods of land regeneration.

The couple’s children, Viktor and Hanna, also shared the Award with their parents. Both kids have been active with running the farm. Viktor is in his third year of Engineering at the University of Manitoba in the faculty of Biosystems Engineering. He took an 8 month work experience job with MacDon Industries as a test technician. His position involved the operation of prototype combine header out in the field, collecting data, writing reports, and acting as a liaison between the cooperating farmer and company.

Hanna is a high school student at Erickson Collegiate. Along with helping out on the farm, she is active in the local 4-H Beef Club. Through 4H public speaking competitions Hanna qualified to speak at the 2018 Royal Winter Fair at the Canadian Young Speakers Association competition.

The Popp family is well deserving of their recognition in light of their contributions to agriculture and land stewardship. They are happy to share their knowledge and experience and welcome visitors to ask questions and tour their Clanwilliam operation.

Blair’s LinkedIn Profile

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.

March 4, 2019March 4, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – SOUTH MOUNTAIN PRESS, VOLUME 11, NUMBER 41

Scott Gray, member of the Daycare Board, at the new Daycare site in Erickson

***Original published in South Mountain Press, January 25, 2019***

Erickson’s Little Hands Early Learning Center Nearing Completion

In just over a month, Chrystal Shellborn’s vision of an Erickson professional daycare center should be up and running. Remarkable progress has been made by this young lady and her dedicated volunteers who have only been working on the project for the past year with the opening of the ‘Little Hands Early Learning Center’ projected for March 1st.

About a year ago, when Chrystal returned from vocation training with a young family in tow, she realized there was a desperate need for daycare spaces in the Erickson, Onanole, and Sandy Lake area. After enlisting support through an appeal on social media, other young mothers came to her aid and planning began for building a daycare facility.

A non-profit organization called the Clanwilliam-Erickson Childcare Initiative was formed to oversee planning, fundraising, and implementation of the project. The group is comprised of Chrystal as Chair, other interested young mothers, and former local RM Councilors Scott Gray and Tami Johnson.

Working closely with the Rural Municipality of Clanwilliam-Erickson, the Childcare Initiative was able to secure monies to help with start-up costs, property purchase, and renovations. During a Special Meeting of Council on May 15, 2018, a $15,000 grant was awarded to assist with the organization’s start-up costs. In addition, the Council agreed to serve as security and guarantor for the Childcare Initiative’s Royal Bank $100,000 loan for the purchase and improvements to the vacated Erickson Royal Bank property on Main Street near the Co-op.

According to Scott Gray, the former building’s owners were very reasonable with their selling price once they became aware of what the property was going to be used for.

As Chrystal describes it, ‘The Clanwilliam-Erickson Childcare Initiative started with concerned mothers who were frustrated with the lack of childcare availability in rural Manitoba – specifically the area of Erickson and the surrounding communities. This group is dedicated to the rural communities and want to revitalize our little towns while benefiting the children. Not only will daycare help to keep and attract new families, it will also make strides in our economic growth to keep our ‘tiny’ Manitoban towns alive. Also, by locating the daycare center in one of Erickson’s vacant business buildings, we can help revitalize the town’s business district and economy.’

Currently, the old bank building is undergoing $150,000 of renovations in order to convert the former teller, office, and vault spaces to play, learning, and rest areas for infants and toddlers. Local contractors are well on their way to finishing the new kitchen and children’s areas. They are also busy replacing the building’s old propane furnace and adding washroom facilities. At the rear of the building, a fenced play area will be created.

Chrystal says that the space will be able to accommodate four infants and twenty two toddlers. Hiring interviews for a Director, Early Childhood Educators, and Childcare Assistants have recently begun and a waiting list for the first ‘Little Hands’ has been created.

An ambitious undertaking such as this would not have been possible without significant financial and volunteer support from the community. Chrystal and the other members of the Childcare Initiative appreciate the generous financial support from the following organizations: the Lions Clubs of Erickson and Sandy Lake, the Erickson Compass Credit Union, the Erickson Heritage Co-op, the Community Development Corporation, and the RM of Clanwilliam-Erickson.

Once the daycare is up and running, it will become eligible for government operating grants. But that process can take up to two years for monies to be awarded.

Meanwhile, in order to keep the fees associated with running the daycare reasonable, Chrystal and her volunteers plan more fundraising activities. They plan a repeat of a successful ‘Paint Nite’, a Casino Night plus chocolate and meat sales. Also, the Childcare Initiative group would appreciate the donation of a gently used washer and dryer for the facility.

For people unfamiliar with what a ‘Paint Nite’ is, it is a fun way for aspiring artists to learn how to paint while enjoying a beverage or two.

For more information on the progress of the Little Hands Early Learning Center’s renovations or to contact the Clanwilliam-Erickson Childcare Initiative visit their Facebook page.

Blair’s LinkedIn Profile

Blair is a personification of a ‘Jack of All Trades and Master of None’. He has held several careers and has all the T-shirts. Time to add the title Blogger to the list.