THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013
VOL. 91 | NO. 29 | $4.25
Farewell to Emmie Former WP columnist offered advice, worked to improve rural life | P. 20
Federal cabinet shuffle
SERVING WESTERN CANADIAN FARM FAMILIES SINCE 1923
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Gerry Ritz stays on as agriculture minister | P. 2
WWW.PRODUCER.COM
SEE CALGARY STAMPEDE COVERAGE ON P. 74, 75 & 81
Dark clouds point to a severe thunderstorm west of Oungre, Sask., on July 13. This system was later classified as a tornado warning for the Estevan area and points eastward. |
NOTANEE
BOURASSA PHOTO
WEATHER | STORMS
Severe storm destroys crops | Tornadoes wreak havoc across southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba BY KAREN BRIERE REGINA BUREAU
Severe weather that slammed southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba has ended harvest hopes for some farmers. Hail losses ranged from light to 100 percent in an area from Weyburn, Sask., to Pipestone, Man., from the July 13 storms. Murray Bantle, chair of the Canadian Crop Hail Association and chief operating officer of Co-operative Hail Insurance Co., said claims had come in from areas reaching just west of Winnipeg. “We’re going to be busy guys,” he said, referring to adjusters. At least two tornadoes were confirmed in Saskatchewan. One was seen about 14 kilometres south of Minton and another near Redvers. The possibility that a tornado had struck in Pipestone, where the skating rink, community hall and hundreds of trees were damaged, had not yet been confirmed. Manitoba premier Greg Selinger
toured the community July 15 to see the damage first-hand. The reeve of the Saskatchewan Rural Municipality of Griffin, about 30 kilometres east of Weyburn, said he was positive a tornado went through a yard south of the community. Stacey Lund said crop losses in the region are significant and many will be a total loss. “No doubt about it,” he said. “You can adjust it out the truck window.” He estimated 60 to 70 percent on his crops will be complete writeoffs, with the rest at 30 to 80 percent. “Really there’s nothing untouched south of Highway 13 where we farm,” he said. His barley and wheat crops were headed and nothing remains. Canola was in full flower, and he has little hope it will recover. “These plants are sawed in half six different ways and drove into the ground. (The hail) took it from waisthigh and headed or full-flower to zero flowers and chopped up like a salad.” Hail ranging from the size of quar-
ters to the size of grapefruits was reported in the storm band. Grain bins are strewn throughout the region and several houses were damaged. Windows and their casings were smashed and farm equipment mirrors were broken. Hail punched holes in vinyl siding.
See weather online at www.producer.com or look for updates on Facebook and Twitter. Earl Duncan’s yard near Griffin, Sask., sustained the worst damage that Lund had heard about. The wind destroyed a machine shed and drove the lumber from it through the walls of the house. It also blew over pumpjacks near Manor, Sask., and drove rail cars off the siding at Carnduff, Sask. Lund said there are a lot of dead birds on the ground and he believes livestock that couldn’t get to shelter must be bruised after
being hit with such large hail for several minutes. Haying operations were already running late in the area and now cattle producers have lost their hay crops. Lund said he hopes to get his destroyed cereals baled for his cattle. He needs more than 2,000 bales to get through the winter. “We’ve got a hundred and some made, and our hay got nailed into the ground,” he said. Lund added that most farmers in his area have crop insurance or spotloss hail coverage and will at least get some money. However, the payments won’t come close to what the crop would have been worth. He said it was one of the most beautiful crops he’s ever seen. “It’s pretty demoralizing,” he said. Meanwhile, in southern Alberta farmers continue to assess damage after four hailstorms affected a region from the Blood Reserve to Bow Island earlier this month. SEE STORM DAMAGE, PAGE 2
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u|xhHEEJBy00001pzYv#:^ JULY 18, 2013 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Box 2500, Saskatoon, SK. S7K 2C4 The Western Producer is published in Saskatoon by Western Producer Publications, which is owned by GVIC Communications Corp. Publisher: Shaun Jessome Publications Mail Agreement No. 40069240
Dark skies spell trouble for fields