This week will see Washington State Department of Agriculture staff destroy a third nest of Asian Giant Hornets, making this year the most active yet for hornet hunters. The invasive insect, which can measure up to five cm in length, is at the most active stage of its lifecycle right now, seeking out animal proteins …
NEWS
Don’t blame the wildfires
While this year’s wildfire season was routinely described as unprecedented, numbers from the Insurance Bureau of Canada point to the costs being a blip next to other natural disasters. Together, insured damages from this year’s wildfires amounted to a mere $155 million, split between just two fires – the Lytton wildfire, at $78 million, and …
Hello, status quo
This week’s federal election means the next parliament will look an awful lot like the last one, despite minor changes in representation for BC farmers. While the votes have yet to be fully counted at this writing, federal Liberal leader Justin Trudeau won re-election in his riding to become prime minister of his second minority …
BC blueberry crop down 30%
BC Blueberry Council estimates point to a 30% reduction in this year’s harvest. The council collected levies on 185 million pounds of berries last year. This year, it expects to collect levies on just 135 million pounds. “Crops are estimated to be down approximately 30% due to various factors, including the [late June] heat dome …
Dam oversight lacking
BC’s auditor general says the province is not doing its job when it comes to ensuring the safety of dams in BC, raising the risk of failures such as the 2010 collapse of the Testalinden Dam south of Oliver that swept away vineyards and farm equipment. “Our audit concluded that the ministry has not effectively …
Wildfire state of emergency ends
The provincial state of emergency triggered by this year’s wildfires is over. Originally declared July 20, the state of emergency officially ended at 11:59 pm on September 14. “Cooler seasonal weather and precipitation, combined with the hard work of firefighters from BC, Canada and abroad to contain and extinguish fires, means that BC can allow …