May 2019 – 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 9, 2019May 9, 2019

PRAIRIE SCRIBBLER – CROSSROADS THIS WEEK, VOLUME 17, NUMBER 8

***Original published in Crossroads This Week, March 29, 2019***

Local Flooding Forecast – Spring 2019

Spring in Manitoba seems to have sprung with a vengeance. Was it really that long ago when we were suffering through what seemed to be an endless cold snap? This balmy weather is welcome to winter weary Manitobans and has people dreaming of drinks on the deck and steaks on the ‘barbie’. But wary old-timers are wise to Mother Nature’s annoying spring habit of washing out roads, turning fields into lakes, and filling up their basements.

This is why the experts at the Manitoba Hydrologic Forecast Centre (HFC), the local Rural Municipality offices, and the Little Saskatchewan River Conservation District have been looking into their crystal balls to determine how prepared local government agencies should be with regards to local area flooding this spring.

Degefa Senbeta, Senior Forecaster for the Province’s HFC, says that for the Oak and Little Saskatchewan River waterways, “There is a possibility of moderate flooding of localized areas.”

As for the stretch of the Upper Assiniboine from the Shellmouth Dam down to Brandon, the HFC assessment is, “Based on the current information we have and possible future weather conditions, there could be a risk of moderate flooding along the Assiniboine River, especially flooding of low-lying areas and agricultural lands. The water levels will be below the dike tops therefore there should be no major flooding.”

In anticipation of the spring melt, the Province has been drawing down the level of the Lake of the Prairies for a number of weeks. For now, Degefa says, “There have been no issues downstream of the Shellmouth dam this year caused by the drawdown.”

The water management of the Shellmouth dam has been a persistent, sore spot with farmers and area residents along the stretch of the Upper Assiniboine River that runs from the dam to the ring dike system at St. Lazare. RM of Sifton Councilor, Stan Cochrane, says “This season looks okay for now as long as we don’t receive a significant weather event. We have had an ongoing issue with the government’s water management of the Shellmouth Dam since 1995. There are Saskatchewan drainage issues that exacerbate the water flow plus the province doesn’t seem to know how to regulate a proper inflow and outflow program.”

Mr. Cochrane is also the Chairman of the Assiniboine Valley Producers and runs a mixed farm near Griswold. He and other farmers all along the Upper Assiniboine perennially have been dealing with flooding issues on their farmland due to controlled flows from the upstream dam.

A spokesperson from the Little Saskatchewan River Conservation District (LSRCD) provided some insight on historic trouble spots associated with their watershed management area. Spokesperson Colleen Cuvelier says that the Oak and Little Saskatchewan Rivers will occasionally flood over their banks. Generally, the worst flood seasons will cause some road washouts and pasture land flooding. Colleen does not expect a bad season in her area.

Over at the Harrison Park Rural Municipality, the Public Works Acting Foreman Kevin Tyschinski says this should be a normal season as far as the spring freshet is concerned. “The sloughs were so dry by the end of last summer, they will hold lots of runoff. Meanwhile, our department is getting ready to steam out any problem culverts or to dig out the odd drain. Our RM has 1000 miles of ditches but they are well maintained and kept clear of grass and trees.”

The rest of the local RMs echo this assessment. They are keeping an eye on known trouble spots. Other than a few blockages due to ice, snow banks, frozen culverts or pesky beavers, nobody is foreseeing any major flooding issues.

If you do see a problem developing, the advice is to call your local RM office and they will task their Public Works department to send out personnel and equipment to deal with the issue.

The public can also access the tools and reports from the Hydrologic Forecast Centre website (https://www.gov.mb.ca/mit/floodinfo/index.html) for Daily Flood Reports, Media Bulletins, and real-time water flow data for select monitoring stations around the province.

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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 – CROSSROADS THIS WEEK, VOLUME 17, NUMBER 4

Celebrated Equine Artist – Shannon Lawlor

***Original published in Crossroads This Week, March 1, 2019***

Former Kenton Artist Chosen for Ducks Unlimited National Art Portfolio

Celebrated equine artist and former resident of Kenton, Shannon Lawlor, is among those whose work is now up for auction as part of Ducks Unlimited Canada’s (DUC) 2019 National Art Portfolio.

Shannon’s winning entry, Klasa, follows on last year’s winning DUC National Art Portfolio entry entitled Amigo. The artist sits among rarified company as her prints are included in the small offering whittled down from hundreds of submissions. She is also a rarity as a female artist who is competing in a genre dominated by men.

Shannon, who still has close family ties to Kenton, described her journey to becoming a self-employed Western style artist like this: “Growing up, I focused on two things, horses and drawing. When I wasn’t at home in town, I was out at the barn with the horses. Although rural Manitoba was a great place to grow up, I have made Alberta my home. The connections and networking for my art style were not available back home, so I sought opportunity out West. Perhaps, when I want to slow things down, I might swing back to Manitoba for that unique rural lifestyle of my childhood.”

With no formal art training, Shannon uses an ‘intuitive desire to put pencil to paper that has been there since before she could spell. She has carried her sketchbook from the prairie of her youth to the finest Arabian breeding farms deep in the heart of Poland.’ She then transforms her sketches to incredible works of Western art via the medium of acrylic paint on Baltic birch plywood.

According to her website, her work hangs in the most authentic ranches of the Canadian West, as well as office towers, hotels, and urban homes. You would have to be a serious art collector if you wanted one of her creations as even her prints can run into the thousands of dollars. But patrons of equine art would definitely find the investment worthwhile.

Shannon’s humble beginnings have never diminished her drive and sheer talent. She has a critically acclaimed international reputation and has received numerous accolades. Besides the DUC prints and recognition, over the last decade her work has been exhibited at numerous North American Western and Equine art shows. She has been featured on several covers of Agricultural and Horse magazines. Since 2008, she has been a prominent feature artist at the Calgary Stampede. Then in February 2020, she will be honoured with a Fellowship and as a Master Artist for a prestigious ‘Art of the Cowgirl’ gathering at Corona Ranch near Phoenix, AZ.

“My art has been my life for about 15 years and I am honoured that organizations like Ducks Unlimited Canada see fit to feature it. I support DUC’s conservation efforts and I feel good about submitting my work to this worthy organization.”

The purpose of the National Art Portfolio is to spark an appreciation for conservation through the emotional connection Canadians have with nature. The 2019 collection highlights the importance of Canada’s natural environment to Canadian lifestyles.

“Among our greatest challenges in wetland conservation is transforming how people relate to the natural world,” says Karla Guyn, CEO of DUC. “Artists have a unique ability to evoke people’s feelings about the importance of our land, water, and wildlife.”

DUC has partnered with artists on the National Art Portfolio since 1986. The auction of the annually released collection raises funds for DUC’s conservation work. Shannon’s winning entry, along with the other seven prints on offer for 2019, can be viewed at www.ducks.ca/2019NAP.

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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

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.

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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.