Vegreville District Office

Assistance available

The Vegreville District office works with producers and businesses to help them take advantage of new opportunities and expanding markets. Staff work closely with producers, businesses, communities and other levels of government to develop and promote land management and water development systems that are good for the economy and the environment.

The Vegreville District uses its skills to help clients to do the following:

• identify regional land and water resource-based economic opportunities
• identify needs and develop land and water resources
• develop concepts into viable proposals
• ensure projects are implemented effectively and in an environmentally sound way
• establish the links and contacts needed to make projects happen

Through the Rural Water Development Program (RWDP), PFRA provides technical and financial assistance to rural residents and communities in the planning and development of secure water supplies. PFRA provides to rural residents technical services, information and advice on land and water related opportunities that will foster rural growth. PFRA staff monitor long term contracts for marginal land use signed under earlier Permanent Cover Programs (PCP I and PCP II) and provide information and advice to clients regarding economic opportunities for those lands.

In conjunction with the PFRA Shelterbelt Centre located at Indian Head, Saskatchewan, the Vegreville District office provides technical assistance in shelterbelt planning and provides tree seedlings to farmers and conservation groups for field & wildlife plantings.

District description

The Vegreville District contains the municipalities of Beaver (CO09), Smoky Lake (CO13), St Paul (CO19), Strathcona (CO20), Two Hills (CO21), Vermilion River (CO24), Minburn (CO27), Lamont (CO30), Wainwright (MD61) and Bonnyville (MD87).

The region is characterized by a mix of forest and farmland. It marks the southern limit of the closed boreal forest and northern advance of arable agriculture. Underlain by cretaceous shale, this hummocky to kettled plain is covered by calcareous, glacial till and significant inclusions of relatively level lacustrine deposits. The area is also dotted by a large number of small lakes, ponds and sloughs occupying shallow depressions. The region is classified as having a subhumid low boreal ecoclimate with the mean summer temperature being 14 degrees Celsius and the mean winter temperature being -13.5 degrees Celsius. The annual precipitation is approximately 450 mm.

The soil type and the climate, as well as the proximity to a large population base in the City of Edmonton results in a wide variety of agriculture. Over 70% of the district is farmland with spring wheat and other cereals, oilseeds, forage and livestock production being the dominant industries. Other land uses include forestry, hunting, fishing and recreation.

For further information feel free to contact the Vegreville District Office.