Key facts
- Storms from May 31 to June 2 dumped 100 to 150 mm of rain on northeastern Alberta.
- Fields north of the Yellowhead Highway from Vermillion to St. Paul were waterlogged.
- Some growers are returning canola seed as fields are too wet to plant.
- In southern Alberta, the rainfall was beneficial for crops struggling with drought.
- Some farmers in Vermillion have thousands of unseeded acres.
Heavy storms in northeastern Alberta between May 31 and June 2 have caused significant crop damage, leading some canola growers to abandon planting for the season. Regions north of the Yellowhead Highway, from Vermillion to St. Paul, received between 100 to 150 mm of rain, saturating fields. Cheryl Westman, a farmer near Vermillion and an Alberta Canola director, reported that about 70% of her canola was planted, but the remaining 30% is uncertain due to the excessive moisture. She noted that seed dealers are seeing farmers return canola seed because their fields are too wet. In contrast, southern Alberta, which historically struggles with drought, benefited from nearly 150 mm of rain in the Lethbridge to Taber region, with farmers like Alan Hampton in Rowley welcoming the precipitation for crops already in the ground. Agronomist Catherine Kerkhoff confirmed the desperate need for moisture in the south, though acknowledged some low-lying areas might experience crop loss. Despite the challenges, Westman expressed optimism for seeding remaining acres, a sentiment common among farmers.