When the calendar turns to August, there’s one thing southern Albertans can look forward to — the start of Taber corn season.  Vendors line the streets with booths selling fresh market corn in a  scene that’s become a local tradition.
That’s all in serious jeopardy this year, however, as Friday-night’s hail storm that ripped through the Taber area will put a serious wrinkle in those plans.  “Most of us have been hit,” said Taber-area corn grower David Jensen.  “We only had one field that wasn’t hit.” Snapped corn stalks and devastated fields are common sights just  outside town, as Jensen added local growers are still assessing the  damage.  “There’s definitely going to be a problem,” he said regarding this  summer’s corn supply, as Jensen added some damaged fields may yet  yield some corn. “If some of it does come back, it’s going to be late.” From what he has heard, every grower was hit to some extent, some  worse than others. “Some are write offs. Some are just gone — there’s no two ways about it.” Jensen added he plans to be out Aug. 1 with fresh market corn, but  just how long Taber corn will be available, or in what quantities, are still a guess. But make no mistake, some of those clamouring  for corn will likely face a disappointing summer, as even before the hail, less corn was seeded this year compared to 2012. “Valgardson never grew any corn this year,” said Jensen, as he referred to local grower Gary Valgardson, whose trademark Valgardson super sweet corn has been sold for years in the area. “You take that out of the mix, and now with the hail, we will have some serious shortages.” Jensen estimated there were 150-200 fewer acres of corn seeded this  spring, but of the acres that were put in, he said 2013 was shaping up  to be a banner year. “It was the nicest crop we’ve had in 10 years. Overall, with potatoes  and everything it was the nicest, but that’s what happens.”

EDMONTON – Premier Alison Redford isn’t waiting until Wednesday to head to Ontario for the opening of the annual premiers’ conference.

She’s already there.

She’s in Toronto to meet, as she regularly does, with leaders in the investment banking community to discuss economic growth in Alberta. But this time she’s making an extra stop to meet with officials of the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

She doesn’t call it an arm-twisting session, but you have to wonder if that’s what it’s all about given how she had to browbeat some foot-dragging insurance companies into honouring sewer backup claims after last month’s disastrous flood.

“I want to make sure that moving forward from sort of an institutional level that Alberta is getting fair treatment with respect to how insurance companies will be dealing with property issues and evaluation of property,” said Redford in a telephone interview from Toronto.

Redford’s post-flood badgering won’t end there. She will discuss the flood at this week’s premiers’ conference not as an item in itself but as something of a cautionary tale about the need for everyone to better prepare for future disasters.

“It’s going to be important for us to come together as provinces and talk about how these sorts of disasters impact us and what we do in terms of long-term mitigation in partnership with each other, and also with the federal government to make sure we’re not only responding to these circumstances, but doing everything we can in terms of infrastructure,” said Redford who wants the federal government to help cover the cost of mitigation projects. As Redford points out, Ottawa has to cover 90 per cent of disaster assistance anyway, so it might as well invest money now to save money later.

It’s not Redford’s intention to come up with a national plan for flood mitigation at this week’s Council of the Federation meeting. That’s not how the council meetings work (when they work at all). Instead, when the conference wraps up on Friday, we’ll probably see a communiqué that begins with the premiers’ eight favourite words: “The premiers called on the federal government to …”

It’ll be relatively easy for the premiers to agree on something as noble as disaster mitigation, especially if they’re asking Ottawa to pay the tab.

Then there are the issues where differences will appear in the premiers’ solidarity even if the cracks are hairline thin, as is the case with their reaction to the federal government’s new Canada Job Grant program designed to help train 130,000 Canadians.

The program will see Ottawa clawing back the $300 million it gives to the provinces and territories each year under the current Labour Market Agreements set to expire in 2014. Many premiers want the power to opt out of the new and potentially problematic system “with full compensation.”

Alberta, though, isn’t dead set against the program that might actually help ease the province’s chronic shortage of skilled labour.

Redford admits she has questions about how the program will be administered, but her criticism is muted. “I think that we’re very supportive of making sure it’s a fair program.”

Redford is not itching for a fight with her colleagues, and, in fact, says she’s not out to grab “sexy headlines,” but to find areas of common interest.

In return, she’s looking for support for a Canadian Energy Strategy. Redford, along with two other premiers, will be submitting a report updating the council on the progress of the strategy that’s designed to co-ordinate each province’s energy plans, whether it’s a national electricity grid for Manitoba’s hydro power or new pipelines to ship Alberta’s bitumen to Asia.

Again, don’t expect anything to be resolved or announced on this issue, but at the very least, Redford is hoping to avoid a repeat of last year’s battle with B.C. Premier Christy Clark over the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline.

That’s not to say there won’t be tension among the premiers. Oddly enough, this week’s meeting might get interesting over a topic that itself is a bit of a snoozer: Senate reform. Or, more accurately, Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall’s support for a national movement to abolish the Upper Chamber.

The two premiers are close allies, but on this issue Redford can’t seem to help herself from scolding Wall.

“Let’s pull back a little bit and understand we actually have a Constitution and we have processes that we do need to follow with respect to Senate reform,” said Redford, sounding a bit like the professor lecturing a naive student. “Simply saying that we don’t like the Senate and it should be abolished is not a constructive contribution to what we want the outcome to be. People may decide that they don’t want a Senate, others may decide that they want it to be equal, elected and effective — not everyone will decide they want it to be equal — but that’s where the conversation has to take place. To simply say we don’t like it and let’s vote on it is not how we do things in Canada.”

A polite dispute between premiers over the constitutionality of Senate reform might not make for the sexiest of headlines — but, hey, it’s the Council of the Federation. That’s about as sexy as it gets.

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© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON – A study of thousands of environmental problems in Alberta’s oilsands has found that fewer than one per cent have drawn any enforcement action.

Independent researchers Peter Lee and Kevin Timoney have assembled a database of more than 9,000 environmental incidents since 1996.

The incidents vary from unplanned releases into the Athabasca River and the discovery of unregistered waste sites, to excessive smokestack emissions

The study concludes the province’s records on environmental contamination are incomplete and riddled with errors, leaving no way to really understand industry’s impact on the region.

The researchers also found that enforcement action was only taken in 0.9 per cent of the more than 4,000 cases where an oilsands facility broke an operating condition.

Timoney says the same problems recurred time and time again, suggesting environmental performance isn’t improving.

Both Lee and Timoney are environmental researchers who have been critical of the oilsands in the past.

The current study is not published in an academic journal, but has been peer-reviewed.

The Alberta government may adopt new rules to deal with building in flood-prone areas, Premier Alison Redford said Thursday.

• Listen: Political analyst weighs in on the premier’s actions in High River

“It doesn’t matter where you live in this province, we cannot continue, as a provincial government, to say to people, ‘It’s okay to build in a floodway’ — it’s not the right decision,” said Redford.

“We think that if people have the information with respect to that they’ll make constructive choices, take responsibility for their life and move ahead.”

The premier insisted decisions should be made quickly so residents have the information before rebuilding.

Funding to rebuild

Redford said the province has been clear from the start that its disaster recovery program will provide funding for uninsurable losses.

• Calgary flood victims eligible for up to $10K

The province pledged up to $10,000 for flood victims to rebuild homes and lives, but says there could be more in the future.

“The $10,000 is an initial payment,” said Redford. “People should not assume that is all they are going to get.”

She said the province handed out more than 36,000 prepaid debit cards to flood victims around the province, worth a total of $62 million.

High River recovery

Redford also addressed recovery efforts in High River, Alta. — one of the communities that was hit hardest by the June 20 flooding.

• Boil water advisory lifted in most parts of High River, Alta.

The provincial state of emergency ends Friday, but Redford said the town will still be under a local state of emergency as it rebuilds.

Much work is still needed, but the local government can now lead the effort, she said.

“I’m very confident moving forward that tomorrow morning, people can continue to know that all the systems are in place that are going to ensure that everything carries on as effectively as it has before.”

Rebuilding underway

The Town of High River was also given $50 million to keep essential services up and running.

Redford said 90 per cent of High River residents are now back home.

• High River residents return to flood-ravaged homes

She said the roughly 20,000 tonnes of garbage removed from flood-damage houses is equivalent to the amount taken out of the community in the last 10 years.

Associate Minister Rick Fraser and other provincial officials appointed to flood recovery will remain on the ground in High River to provide support to the town in its rebuilding efforts.

Volunteers still needed

Redford said there is still a critical need for volunteers to help clean up the flood-ravaged community just south of Calgary.

Roughly 15,000 volunteers have responded to the call so far, according to the Mission Possible organization that has been on the ground in High River since July 1.

• Volunteers head to High River to help flood victims

The group says it is waiting for a further assessment of homes affected by flooding to begin a new phase of recovery. Many of the group’s volunteers are also heading to Siksika Nation east of Calgary today, which was also devastated by flooding.

Members are currently helping companies collect the garbage removed from homes, which litters the streets of the community. Volunteers are asked to report to the High River rodeo grounds to check in and receive a safety orientation.

Insurance apology

Major insurance companies continue to have a change of heart, after earlier rejecting residential flood claims.

• TD Insurance to cover sewer backup after flood victim anger

The latest, AMA Insurance, took out a full-page newspaper ad today to apologize to its customers. It says it is reversing some of its claim decisions.

High River homeowner Deborah Spence is relieved AMA Insurance has softened its stance. Her family learned yesterday afternoon that the company had reconsidered and will now cover them for damage caused by a sewer backup.

“It’s an absolute disaster that … the province has never seen the likes of,” she said. “That was the basis on which they took a closer look and have approved us for sewer backup.”

Other insurers to recant include the Royal Bank of Canada and TD Insurance.

Provincial financial support

The province committed an initial $1 billion to support the recovery efforts and provide financial support to municipalities and First Nations that experienced uninsurable infrastructure damage. That money is also to cover costs incurred for emergency operations and response.

There were 28 local states of emergency in place at the height of the flood. That number has now dropped to six.

The province says disaster recovery program centres, which opened rapidly in communities across southern Alberta after the flood devastation, will remain open to address the needs of every flood victim.

The disaster recovery centres in High River located at the Welcome Centre at the High River rodeo grounds and Foothills Youth Foundation are open until July 16.

CALGARY – For many Albertans, August is synonymous with Taber corn. But the famed sweet cobs could be hard to come by this year, due to a hailstorm earlier this month that pounded crops in southeast Alberta.

David Jensen of Jensen’s Taber Corn said the vast majority of his corn stalks were broken or flattened in the July 5 storm. While he still hopes to get a decent crop off (damaged corn plants will usually put out secondary shoots and start over), there’s no way he’ll be ready to harvest by the first of August. In fact, it could be mid-August or later before any of the coveted golden ears start showing up for sale.

“It’s going to be late, and I think there might actually be a shortage this year,” Jensen said, adding there was already going to be less corn this year because one of the retirement of one of the Taber area’s major growers. “There were fewer acres seeded this year.”

Sweet corn is not a crop that grows easily in this province, said Alberta Agriculture crop specialist Harry Brook. While silage corn can be grown throughout Alberta, even as far north as the Peace River country, corn for human consumption requires very warm growing conditions. Only a small pocket in the southeast corner of the province — the Taber area — can boast the heat and sunshine needed to make growing sweet corn worthwhile.

“Almost invariably, we just don’t have the heat,” Brook said. “When you come right down to it with the whole Taber corn thing, it’s a very small area that is pretty much providing the corn to the rest of the province.”

That means that one storm can wreak havoc with supply. Bob Kendall, manager of Crossroads Market in Calgary, said he’s already heard from his suppliers that the Taber corn crop has been virtually “wiped out” by hail.

“It’s like the B.C. farmers with their cherries. If they get a frost, it can wipe out a whole crop,” Kendall said. “(Taber corn) is a popular item, but that’s part of farming. You take your chances. We’ll still offer other types of corn here, like B.C. corn.”

A warm September could go a long way toward helping this year’s corn crop bounce back and ensuring farmers get a decent yield in the end. But Melonie McKee, manager of the Millarville Farmer’s Market, said sales in September are never as good as sales in August, when kids are still out of school and barbecue season is in full swing.

“Our numbers are lower generally anyway, in those last few market days, so it will make a difference,” she said.

Jensen — who is also president of the Alberta Corn Growers Association — warned that a late corn crop could lead to more instances of “counterfeit” corn. For years, corn growers have been fuming about what they say are fraudulent corn sellers trying to pass off lower quality produce as Taber corn.

Jensen said if people have any doubts, especially about corn purchased at roadside stands, they should ask to see a certificate of authenticity that includes the name and phone number of the farm.

“With the crop being late, you’re probably going to see corn out there that’s not Taber,” he said.

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© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald