ECA Review - 2024-03-14

More documents

Recommendations

Info

12 M arch 14'24 HANNA/CORONATION/STETTLER, AB. ECA REVIEW Salute to Agriculture / Farm Safety Farm safety includes being rail-safe Canadian Agricultural Safety Association With nearly 45,000 kilometres of active railway tracks and roughly 40,000 railway crossings from coast to coast, many Canadians encounter trains daily. That’s especially true in rural areas, where many farms are located near railway tracks. “In 2022 there were 232 incidents between trains and vehicles or people in Canada that resulted in 66 fatalities and 43 serious injuries,” explains CN Police Constable Michael Reid. “Many of these incidents occurred in close proximity to the victim’s residence and each one may have been preventable.” Did you know that given their large size, trains often appear to be farther away and travelling much slower than they actually are? But don’t be fooled. It takes the equivalent length of 18 football fields for the average freight train, which travels at speeds up to 100 km/h and can weigh tens of thousands of tonnes, to come to a stop. So, while farm machinery is larger than most other vehicles, they are still no match for trains. And with most farm crossings being passive (not having warning lights, bells, or gates), it’s essential to take extra care to ensure safety. Safe crossings When approaching a crossing, always open cab windows, turn off radios and fans, SOLD Call Dallas Ellerby Your Farm & Ranch Specialist 403.578.8105 LAND FOR SALE CROP LAND 4500 acres - Chinook area 6000 acres - Cereal area 2400 acres - south of Hanna 1 Quarter - south of Veteran GRASS LAND 16 quarters - south of Veteran 90 quarters - Youngstown area 2 quarters - south of Veteran remove headsets and listen for oncoming trains. Look in both directions and look around obstructions like mirrors and windshield pillars. Keep in mind that winter conditions can be particularly hazardous and require extra care, as snow can muffle the sound of approaching trains and ice can cause your machinery to slide into crossings. Once you’ve determined it’s safe to cross, ensure your machinery is properly lined up with the railway crossing; having the wheels cross tracks at a 90-degree angle will prevent heavily loaded equipment from tipping over. You also want to check that there is enough room on the other side of the tracks to fully clear the crossing without stopping and that the back of your equipment won’t be within five metres of the tracks if you have to stop on the other side. Be aware of your equipment It’s important to note that not all farm machinery can easily cross www.greaterpropertygroup.com GREATER PROPERTY GROUP 1/4 section north of Veteran - 90 acres broke, home site, 16’ x 76’ mobile home, 40’ x 60’ SOLD shop & working corrals. Owner willing to subdivide acreage out. cancow@ xplornet.com railway tracks. An example is lowslung equipment, which should never be used to cross since it can get caught in the tracks. Turn to Secure, Pg 16 Here for You. OK Tire Castor 5501 - 50 Ave., Castor, AB 403-882-4040 Sand & Gravel, Concrete & Garbage Bin rentals (call for competitive pricing) FILIPENKO BROS. CONSTRUCTION LTD. Bus. 882-3311 - Fax 882-3312 Castor, AB filibros@hotmail.com Saluting Canadian Agriculture MP 403-578-3299 DAMIEN.KUREK@PARL.GC.CA 1.800.665.4358 • @DCKUREK WWW.DAMIENKUREK.CA Think Safety, Farm Safety Farm Country, Stay Alert 240336C0
ECA REVIEW HANNA/CORONATION/STETTLER, AB March 14'24 13 Salute to Agriculture / Farm Safety Proud to Serve Our Farmers & Ranchers Farm lifestyle is a balancing act Cont’d from Pg 9 “The entire lifestyle is a balancing act,” she says. Farm kids tend to grow up fast, says Keddy, and certain expectations are often put on them, whether intentional or not, because of what they grow up around and experience. “But even still, it is our responsibility as parents to not put them in an environment that could be unsafe and to give them the tools and knowledge necessary to keep them safe,” she explains. “While you’re trying to work, while you’re trying to run a business, you’re also trying to teach the kids the skills needed to be safe every day on the farm. And that definitely does take some careful and conscious balancing.” Maritime Ag Women’s Network One of the outlets that Keddy has used to help balance different priorities has been the Maritime Ag Women’s Network. Keddy co-founded the Facebook group with her friend Amy VanderHeide nearly 10 years ago after they attended the Atlantic Farm Women’s Conference and wanted to stay connected with the women they met there. “We realized we were all going back to our farms and it is isolating living on a farm, so when you find those connections, it’s really meaningful,” Keddy explains. “There is a need for connection, for information, and advice – be it with business, kids, or safety.” The need for such a group became clear as its membership grew steadily, reaching over 1,000 members. As Keddy notes, it’s no secret that agriculture is rooted in old traditions. And while much progress has been made, many of the traditional expectations of women’s role in agriculture still exist. The Facebook group, she says, has helped highlight the unique experiences of farm women. “Safety is a prime example of something that falls to women as the traditional caregivers and they are the ones most often who are balancing the kids with the farm work. For me, I did have the interest and passion for safety, but that’s not the case for everyone and safety often becomes a woman’s Celebrating responsibility regardless of their interest in it,” explains Keddy. “It’s an immense amount of pressure, and when you’re working stressed is when accidents happen and things get missed.” While individual experiences will differ depending on location and commodity, Keddy points out that women in agriculture share many similar barriers, challenges, and stressors. “The Facebook group has helped a lot of women to realize they are not alone and that there are other people in the same situation as them. And that can really make a world of a difference to someone,” she explains. There’s no question that raising kids on a farm can bring many stressors and unknowns. However, despite the challenges, it’s a lifestyle that Keddy says she would never change. But she notes that the lifestyle comes with a responsibility that she and her husband share to instill safety in the next generation. “The bottom line is that we want them to grow up knowing that safety really has to be your number one priority,” says Keddy. “Because without it, you may not have a farm.” CASA raises awareness about the importance of safety through Canadian STETTLER FLOORING & Paint Box 278, #2, 4707-42 St., Stettler, AB T0C 2L0 Phone 403-742-5813 shane@stettlerflooring.com Box 178, Coronation Alberta, CANADA T0C 1C0 PHONE: (403) 578-3810 FAX: (403) 578-3041 PLANT MANAGER: Glen Hartel • Paint • Carpet, Vinyl, Hardwood, Laminate, Tile • Blinds Farm Health & Safety Week Think Safety First, It Saves Lives. 5002-50 Ave, Castor, AB 403-882-3950 Fax 403-882-3555 Agricultural Safety Week (CASW), the third week of March. Family Owned and Operated 4606-40St. Stettler, AB • 403.742.2869 www.jtautobody.ca Serving Stettler and Area since 1974 We appreciate and salute you. REG 1974 Calf Shelters $ 1,649 99 Stettler Building Supplies Ltd. Stettler Building Supplies Ltd. Make use of your windows. Valleymere Angus For power outages, emergency power troubles and service requests, contact the distribution system operator for FENN REA: ATCO Electric Phone toll-free: 1-800-668-2248 FENN RU ELECTRIFICAT ASSOCIAT Tips Annual for Spring Cleaning and C General Meeting Monday, March 25 Spring can be an erratic season but your windows can help equalize the temperature. Leave your blinds/drape open when it’s colder so the sunlight can warm up you home and close them when it is warmer. 7:30pm at Big Valley Legion Hall Main Street, Big Valley, Alberta Change the direction of airflow on your ceiling fan. For more In winter, information let the fan please push warm contact air down towards the Jolena floor. Hullmann This means at 403-323-0738 the fan is rotating or clockwise. In spring when fennrea@gmail.com dusting those fan blades, switch the direction (set the fan to rotate counter clockwise) and draw air upwards, cooling the room and ensuring constant airflow. Turn that fan off when you leave. SHELTER Your Investment Fans don’t actually cool down the room, they create a wind chill effect on the skin. Leaving your fan on when you aren’t in the room just moves the air around; it doe not cool. Check the fridge’s door seal. Your refrigerator uses up to 11% of your home’s energy so make sure the seals on your refrigerator and freeze doors are clean and tight. New Look! Clean the sliding door track now that the weather is warmer. If your home has a sliding glass door, clean out the track. Dirt and grit in the track can ruin the door’s seal and create gaps where heat or cold air can escape. 4201-49 th Ave., Stettler, AB Close the flue. 403 743 0684 When www.stettlerbuildingsupplies.ca cleaning out your fireplace after a winter of cozy fires, make sure you close the flue (damper) because heat rises and the chimney is the fastest way out durin colder nights. SPADY Black Angus Yearling Bulls FOR SALE 403-740-3652 Travis 403-741-2840 Ty Travis & Halley SPADY Alliance, AB Box 31,F Phone 1-4 Email: fe ww
Page 1 and 2: Rivercrest 76 Yrlgs 76 Yrlgs 16 Hfr
Page 3 and 4: ECA REVIEW HANNA/CORONATION/STETTLE
Page 11: ECA REVIEW HANNA/CORONATION/STETTLE

ECA Review - 2024-03-14

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?