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Information and Key Contacts
National & Prairie Drought Conditions
The federal and provincial government departments listed below can provide information on national and Prairie drought conditions and have designated spokespeople to be your first point of contact on specific topics. To help you reach the right person to answer questions in a timely manner, a general description of some of the topics each department may be able to help you with has been provided.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA)
Key Contacts for National and Prairie Region:
Ted O'Brien
Agroclimate Specialist
AAFC-PFRA
National Agroclimate Information Service
Tel.: (306) 780-6000
Fax: (306) 780-8229
E-mail: obrient@agr.gc.ca
(Alternate)Aston Chipanshi
Climatologist
AAFC-PFRA
National Agroclimate Information Service
Tel.: (306) 780-7680
Fax: (306) 780-8229
E-mail: chipanshia@agr.gc.ca
Key Contact for Alberta:
Brian Bell
Senior Hydrological
Engineer
AAFC-PFRA
Tel.: (403) 292-5640
E-mail: bellb@agr.gc.ca
Key Contact for Saskatchewan:
Gordon Bell
Senior Hydrological
Engineer
AAFC-PFRA
Tel.: (306) 975-6410
Fax: (306) 975-4594
E-mail: bellg@agr.gc.ca
Key Contact for Manitoba:
John Zyla
Winnipeg
Tel.: (204) 292-5640
E-mail: bellg@agr.gc.ca
Key Contact for Quebec:
Gaètan Bourgeois
Research Scientist
AAFC
Tel.: (450) 346-4494
E-mail: bourgoisg@agr.gc.ca
PFRA can provide timely information on the impacts of climatic variability on water supply and agriculture on the Prairies and promote ideas and activities for groups or individuals to reduce drought vulnerability. The PFRA Drought Watch web page has several current maps that can be downloaded or printed in high-quality formats.
We can respond to queries such as:
- Dugout levels and pasture carry over conditions assessments
- Deviations from normal precipitation levels
- Rural water development program
- Planning for, and managing drought
- On-farm and group or community water supplies and management
- Tax deferral
- Emergency dugout pumping
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada General Information:
Canadian Agricultural Stabilization Program (CAIS)
Ellen Funk, (204) 984-5751
Advance Payments Program
Michel Masse, (613) 759-6289
Crop Insurance
George Pikor, (613) 759-7518
Commodity specific questions and production forecasts:
Glenn Lennox
Wheat Analyst
(204) 983-8465
Chris Beckman
Oilseeds Analyst
(204) 984-4929
Joe Wang
Coarse Grain Analyst
(204) 983-8461
Stan Skrypetz
Special Crops Analyst
(204) 983-8972
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada -
Alberta Lethbridge Research Centre
Key Contact and Media Spokesperson:
Dr. Sean McGinn
Agricultural Meteorologist
Tel.:(403) 317-2225
Fax: (403) 382-3156
E-mail: mcginn@agr.gc.ca
Hugh McLean
Weather Technician
Tel.: (403) 317-3317
Fax: (403) 382-3156
E-mail: hmclean@agr.gc.ca
Dr. Frank Larney
Research Scientist
Soil Conservation
Tel.: (403) 317-2216
Fax: (403) 382-3156
E-mail: larney@agr.gc.ca
The Lethbridge Research Centre can best offer a local perspective on the meteorology, relative to climatology as they operate climatological stations (with Environment Canada) at several locations in Alberta. The Centre can provide climatological information such as; Year 2000 was the 8th driest on record at Lethbridge.
They can respond to queries such as:
- Drought and Wind erosion risk
- Local drought conditions and impact
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Saskatchewan Research
Centres
Key Contact and Media Spokesperson:
Semiarid Prairie Agriculture Research Centre
Dr. Herb Cutforth
Agricultural Meteorologist
Tel.: (306) 778-7259
E-mail: cutforthh@agr.gc.ca
Saskatoon Research Centre
Owen Olfert
Research Scientist
(general crop pest numbers)
Tel.: (306) 956-7288
E-mail: olferto@agr.gc.ca
Scott Research Farm
Stewart Brandt
Research Agronomist
Tel.: (306) 247-2011
E-mail: brandts@agr.gc.ca
Environment Canada
Key Contact and Media Spokesperson:
Manitoba
Jay Anderson
Prairie Storm Prediction Centre
Winnipeg
Tel.: (204) 984-7923
E-mail: jay.anderson@ec.gc.ca
Alberta
Dan Kulak
Warning Preparedness Meteorologist
Edmonton
Tel.: (780) 951-8607
E-mail: dan.kulak@ec.gc.ca
Saskatchewan
Bob Cormier
Warning Preparedness Meteorologist
Saskatoon
Tel.: (306) 975-6911
E-mail: bob.cormier@ec.gc.ca
Environment Canada can provide timely information regarding weather and
climate across the prairie provinces. Visit their website at www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/canada_e.html.
The Environment Canada website also provides Seasonal
Forecasts.
They can respond to queries such as:
- Precipitation amounts at various locations
- How this year's precipitation compares to other years (including averages,
maximums and minimums)
- Meteorological causes of this situation, el nino/la nina
- Precipitation and temperatures forecasts for the next 1-5 days or 3-6
months
- Information about reported severe weather and safety tips on how to reduce
its impact by making good choices
Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development
Key Contact and Media Spokesperson:
Lloyd Andruchow
Branch Head, Program Development and Evaluation
Program Services Delivery
Tel.: (780) 427-3338
Fax.: (780) 427-5921
E-mail: lloyd.andruchow@gov.ab.ca
Ralph Wright
Soil Moisture Specialist
Tel.: (780) 427-3556
Fax.: (780) 422-0474
E-mail: ralph.wright@gov.ab.ca
Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development can provide timely information regarding Alberta's weather and climate.
Queries such as:
- General information on Alberta's climate and weather (current and historical)
- Soil moisture levels
- Agricultural weather summaries (monthly, annual and precipitation-to-date maps)
- Climate normals
- Crop conditions throughout the growing season
- Provincial government programs and Safety Nets
- Drought management information
Alberta Environment
Key Contact and Media Spokesperson:
Communications Division of Alberta Environment
Tel.: (780) 427-8636
Tel.: (780) 427-2700
Fax: (780) 422-4086
Alberta Environment can provide timely information associated with dry conditions and/or water use, forests, fish and wildlife and several other topics.
They can respond to queries such as:
- Alberta's water supply conditions and forecast
- Operation of Alberta's water infrastructure to meet a variety of needs
- Water management within Alberta
- Water Quality
- Flood forecasting
- Transboundary water agreements within Alberta
- Fisheries and wildlife management within Alberta
- Forest protection and wildfire hazard assessment for Alberta
University of Lethbridge
Key Contact and Media Spokesperson:
Dr. Dan Johnson
Insect Ecology
University of Lethbridge
Tel.: (403) 329-2040
E-mail: dan.johnson@uleth.ca
They can respond to queries such as:
Province of Saskatchewan
Key Contact and Media Spokesperson:
Terry Karwandy
Agrologist
Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
Tel: (306) 787-5956
E-mail: tkarwandy@agr.gov.sk.ca
Malcolm French
Communications Manager
Sask Water
Tel: (306) 694-3017
E-mail: MFRE@saskwater.com
Province of Manitoba
Key Contact and Media Spokesperson:
Andrew Nadler
Agriculture Resources/GIS Specialist
Manitoba Agriculture and Food
Tel: (204) 745-5646
E-mail: annadler@gov.mb.ca
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