Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Applied Genomics Centre in Surrey has added a second lab space with an additional $1 million from the BC Knowledge Development Fund and funding from industry partners. The new space more than doubles the centre’s space. “It’s really about capacity – increasing the number of students that we can have and the …
BC snowpack runs off
High heat over the past two weeks has pushed the BC snowpack well below average for this time of year. The latest update to the BC Snow Basin Indices released May 19 indicate that many basins through the central Interior as well as across northern BC are well below average for this time of year. …
Vintners fine-tune estimates
With bud break underway, grape growers are finding that preliminary estimates of severe damage from an extreme cold weather event in late December are accurate. “Preliminary anecdotal reports indicate that our vintage 2023 winter damage modeling of a 50% crop decline is being realized,” a newsletter from industry association Wine Growers BC reported this week. …
Province funds climate readiness
The first few weeks of the growing season have seen BC farmers face unseasonal heat, wildfires and flooding. The events have underscored the importance of the Extreme Weather Preparedness for Agriculture program, which the province piloted last summer. The pilot is continuing this spring, with an additional infusion of up to $2.5 million. The new …
Temperatures, risks rising
Dry conditions last fall have set the stage for an early start to the wildfire season in northern and Central BC, where Fort St. John was put on evacuation alert earlier this week due to the Stoddart Creek and Red Creek wildfires. High temperatures are set to head south this weekend, according to the BC …
Northwest floods mobilize farmers
While the northeast of the province deals with fire, the BC River Forecast Centre upgraded its flood warning for the Skeena and Bulkey Rivers, which include the Wet’suwet’en and Gitxsan territories, Telkwa, Smithers, Hazelton, Kispiox and Terrace. For farmers living in the Skeena Region, especially along riversides, the past week’s unseasonably hot weather presents a …