Brandon Hog & Poultry Show
The rebranded Brandon Hog & Poultry Show will take place Tuesday December 9th at the Keystone Centre in Brandon. The one day show opens at 8:30am, and concludes with the Pork Quality Competition winners announced and live auction. •
Banff Pork Seminar
Banff Pork Seminar 2026 is taking place January 6th -8th at the Castle in the Rockies the Banff Springs Hotel.
Keynote speakers include Lisa Bishop-Spencer, Jerry Shurson, Brett Stuart, Rupert Claxton and Gerry Friesen. Breakout sessions include topics on Succession Planning, Piglet Gilt and Sow Management, Disease and Building & Technology.
Online registration now open. $460 Regular In-Person Registration (upto to December 20, 2025). $510 Late In-Person Registration (December 21, 2025 to January 8, 2026)
Latest updates are found on the website, banffpork.ca
For more information contact Ashley Steeple, Conference Coordinator, PH: 780.492.3651 or Email: pork@ualberta.ca •
Manitoba Swine Seminar
Save the date, the Manitoba Swine Seminar will be held February 4th & 5th, 2026. Latest updates on the website. Registration opens January 2nd. For more information contact Patti Clement at 204.981.8042 or
E: info@manitobaswineseminar.com
W: manitobaswineseminar.com •
Saskatchewan Livestock Expo
The 16th annual Saskatchewan Livestock Expo will take place Thursday February 19th, 2026 in Swift Current, SK. The one day show will be held at the Kinetic Exhibition Park, featuring a trade show, door prizes, live auction and of course the Cramer Cup series.
The one day trade show is sold out, if you wish to be included on the wait list if any cancelations please contact Doug. Latest updates available on the website,
cramereventmanagement.com.
A block of rooms are held at Days Inn, Swift Current call 306.773.4660 and let hotel know you are part of the Saskatchewan Livestock Expo.
Any questions contact Doug Cramer 306.520.3553 or email sklivestockexpo@gmail.com•
H@ms District Meeting Schedule
The h@ms district meetings will take place thought Western Canada. Wednesday March 11th in Swift Current starting at noon, at the Coast Hotel. Tuesday March 17th at the Travel Lodge in Strathmore also starting at noon. Followed by Thursday March 19th at the Oakville Community Centre starting at 3pm. Please contact the h@mas office to pre register. 204.233.4991 •
Alberta Pork Spring Meetings
The Alberta Pork regional spring meetings will take place in mid March. March 16th in Grande Prairie, March 17th in Red Deer, Drumheller on March 18th concluding in Lethbridge on March 19th. •
APC Industry Award Nominations
Now is the time to send in your nominations for the Alberta Pork Congress Industry Awards.
Lifetime Achievement Award (Honours individuals who have played an integral role in advancing the pork industry in Alberta and celebrates their long-term commitment and unwavering dedication to the industry).
Farm Team Award (Recognizes the farm unit which operates in an exemplary manner through commitment and longevity of the staff with virtues of hard work and cooperation, celebrating dedication of the team toward working together for the success of the farm).
Pork Industry Ambassador Award (Honours individuals or companies whose efforts reflect a commitment above and beyond the accepted expectation of the pork industry in Alberta. It recognizes individuals or companies whose actions have become a valuable asset to the pork industry and acknowledges those whose actions have become models for peer recognition).
Rising Star Award honours an individual who has been a part of the Alberta pork industry for less than 5 years and planning a career in the industry.
For more information or to nominate either a individual – team, please contact the Alberta Pork Congress office at 403.542.7906 or email info@albertaporkcongress.com. Deadline for nominations is March 6th.
Awards will be presented at the Alberta Pork Congress Banquet Wednesday June 10th. Visit our website to make your nomination online albertaporkcongress.com •
Manitoba Pork AGM
Mark your calendars for the Manitoba Pork Annual General Meeting Thursday April 9th, at the RBC Convention Centre in Winnipeg. More details will be available once closer. •
Montana Livestock Expo
The one day Montana Livestock Expo will take place on April 29th in Great Falls MT. For details, registration contact Doug Cramer at 306.520.3553 •
Hutterite Manufacturing & Associate Expo
The Hutterite Manufacturing & Associate Expo is a unique shopping experience where you can find a variety of household, farming, and building supplies made with unbeatable quality.
From farming supplies including kitchen and bath cabinets, metal fabrication, metal roofing and siding, and so much more! This is a must-visit event for DIY enthusiasts, contractors, and homeowners alike.
Will take place at the Red River Exhibition Park in Winnipeg August 13th & 14th, 2026. For details contact Alana Fehr at 204.888.6990 ext 109 or C: 204.383.0040 or
email: alana@redriverex.com •
AHC Focuses on Five Strategic Goals in its 2025-2023 Strategic Plan
As a leader in One Health and One Welfare, Animal Health Canada’s mission is bringing together federal, provincial and territorial governments and industry organizations in partnership to protect and advance the health and welfare of farmed animals in Canada. AHC has listed five strategic goals to accomplish between 2025 to 2030:
- Strengthen disease prevention, preparedness and response capacity
- Resilient disease surveillance
- Strengthen antimicrobial resistance/antimicrobial use (AMR/AMU) activities
- Advance farmed animal welfare
- Improve long-term organizational resilience •
Ear Tags That Melt Away
Alterra Innovation of Steinbach, Man., has developed an ear tag for pigs that melts away in scalding hot water used in packing plants.
The traditional tags used for the Pig Trace program need to be cut off by packing plant staff.
Inventor Ellery Burton said his biodegradeable ear tags are safe and keep plastics out of landfills and the environment.
They could also be used for cull sows and other livestock, he said. •
— By Jim Romahn
Canadian Pork Council Launches PigLEARN Platform to Transform Swine Barn Worker Training
A new online learning platform is modernizing how swine operations across Canada train and manage barn staff. The PigLEARN platform, developed by the Canadian Pork Council (CPC), provides swine producers with a centralized system to deliver structured training, certify learning progress, and document compliance across their workforce.
Officially launched in March, PigLEARN was designed to meet the growing need for standardized onboarding, biosecurity preparedness, and continuous education across swine production systems. The platform currently includes 86 industry-developed training modules, with an additional 10 modules soon to be added.
A Game Changer for Workforce Development
According to Mark Fynn, Training Resources Coordinator with the CPC, PigLEARN functions as a full learning management system (LMS) tailored specifically to the swine industry. It enables employees to log in, access modules, and complete training online, while managers can assign modules, schedule completion timelines, and track progress in real time.
Key training areas include:
• Barn entry and biosecurity protocols
• Pig handling and welfare
• Group sow housing management
• Preparing pigs for transport
• Sow barn management and care best practices
“PigLEARN equips new and existing workers with a strong foundation before stepping into the barn,” Fynn explains. “This isn’t just about compliance – it’s about building confidence, improving animal care, and elevating overall barn performance.”
Customizable for Any Operation
One of the platform’s biggest advantages is flexibility. Individual producers can use CPC’s pre-built content, while larger companies can upload their own modules, training videos, and SOPs. Managers are also able to:
• Create user groups (by barn or role)
• Assign training schedules
• Track completion records
• Demonstrate compliance for audits or certification programs
This helps streamline onboarding, improves employee retention, and ensures consistent training delivery across multiple sites or barns.
Driving Professionalism and Accountability in the Barn
As the industry faces labor shortages and a growing reliance on new barn workers, PigLEARN provides a scalable solution to bring staff up to speed quickly while maintaining national standards for pig care and production efficiency.
The platform was showcased during the recent Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium, November 4–5 in Saskatoon, where producers had the opportunity to see it in action and explore implementation strategies.
How to Get Started
Producers interested in using the PigLEARN platform are encouraged to connect with their provincial pork organization to obtain access and onboarding support.
PigLEARN represents a major step forward in training innovation—delivering modern tools to meet the evolving needs of today’s swine industry. •
RDAR Helps Fund Wild Boar Research
Wild pigs are a growing threat to Alberta’s farms — damaging crops, spreading disease, and putting livestock at risk.
But there’s a window of opportunity: with populations still low, now is the time to act.
A research project, in collaboration with the Alberta Wild Boar Control Program, is using GPS-collared to track and manage invasive groups helping producers
- Reduce crop & pasture damage
- Lower disease risks
- Access better control tools & real-time data
Results will be shared directly with producers through practical guides, workshops, and on-farm support.
Enhancing the monitoring and control of wild pig populations using GPS technology
RDAR Invested over $660,000 in this project lead by Mathieu Pruvot from the University of Calgary
Why is this research important for Alberta agriculture?
Wild pigs are an invasive species in Alberta that cause significant crop and pasture damage and increase the risk of disease transmission to livestock, wildlife, and humans. While wild pig densities are expanding, Alberta populations are still relatively low creating a critical window of opportunity to enhance control efforts. This research is therefore essential for protecting Alberta’s agricultural productivity, biosecurity, and economic stability.
What benefits can producers expect from this research?
Producers can expect multiple benefits:
Reduced Agricultural Damage: Effective management of wild pigs will minimize crop and pasture losses.
Lower Disease Risk: Understanding wild pig movements and behaviours will help identify and mitigate the risk of disease transmission to livestock.
Improved Control Strategies: By testing and refining the “Judas Pig” technique (where GPS-collared pigs are used to locate and target social groups for management), the project will identify the most effective strategies for controlling wild pig populations.
Data-Driven Insights: GPS tracking of wild pigs will provide actionable information about their interactions with crops and livestock, helping producers anticipate and prevent damage.
How will these research findings reach producers on-farm?
The project collaborates with the Alberta Wild Boar Control program to deploy GPS collars and gather data on wild pig populations. Findings will be shared directly with producers through:
Practical guidelines for targeting wild pigs, including where and when to implement control measures.
Reports and resources on disease risk and crop damage mitigation.
Workshops and knowledge mobilization initiatives that provide hands-on support for producers, ensuring research insights are applied effectively on-farm.
By combining management efforts with research on wild pig behaviour, this project not only aims to remove the threat of wild pigs but also equips producers with the knowledge and tools to protect their livestock, crops, and economic interests. •
Welfare Committee Wants End to CO2 Stunning
An animal welfare advisory committee in the United Kingdom has called for an end to CO2 stunning of pigs before slaughter.
It has recommended it be phased out within five years.
The independent body advises the federal agriculture department.
The report states that exposure of conscious pigs to high concentrations of CO2 is associated with three major welfare concerns: pain, respiratory distress and fear.
The reports looks into the viability of other methods of stunning, including exposure to an inert gas mixture such as argon or nitrogen. It notes that there are ‘technical challenges’ to using inert gases in current CO2 systems or with modification.
If the United Kingdom adopts the advice, it might lead to a significant loss of Canadian pork exports to the country. •
— By Jim Romahn
Feds Up Support For Farmers
The federal government‘s budget includes a promise to increase the AgriStability compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and the payment cap per farm cap from $3 million to $6 million.
The Advance Payments Program for canola will add $97.5 million for the next two years to increase the interest-free limit on advances to $500,000.
But the budget cuts spending on agriculture research, closure of the Agricultural Climate Solution Living Labs. It said the entire research work will be streamlines and re-aligned. •
— By Jim Romahn
HyLife Fun Days Donates More than
100 Thousand Dollars to Local Charities
What started as a casual employee gathering has grown into a powerful tradition of giving. HyLife Fun Days, in collaboration with generous sponsors, has raised more than $1.7 million, to date, for local charities. This annual event that began in 2006, continues to evolve, expanding its reach and deepening its impact.
Each year, more than 1,000 HyLife team members, business partners, and community members come together to enjoy a gourmet meal prepared by the HyLife Culinary Team, participate in friendly sports competitions, and enjoy family-friendly activities like face painting, games, and more. It’s a time to connect, celebrate, and, most importantly, give back.
Each of the following projects received a $35,000 donation from HyLife Fun Days. In total, $105,000 was donated to local organizations that HyLife is proud to stand behind and support.
- Killarney Basketball Court Enhancement Project
- Steinbach Community Outreach
- Neepawa’s Yellowhead Community Recreation Centre. •
- Agriculture Groups Urge Caution on
Making Changes to USMCA
In a letter submitted to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, NPPC and more than 125 other agriculture and food organizations extolled the benefits of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to U.S. producers and urged USTR to be cautious when considering modifications to the trade deal. The United States, Canada, and Mexico are set to conduct a review of the trade agreement next July.
In separate comments, NPPC echoed the larger group’s strong support for the USMCA, noting it has been “instrumental in ensuring long-term success” as shown by the nearly $2.6 billion of U.S. pork exported to Mexico and almost $853 million to Canada in 2024. That made those countries the No. 1 and No. 4 export markets, respectively, for the U.S. pork industry.
The agriculture and food organizations pointed out that the USMCA’s provisions have facilitated and streamlined the flow of commerce throughout the three countries. The one on sanitary and phytosanitary measures, for example, increased regulatory transparency and ensured science-based treatment of agricultural commodities and products, while the USMCA chapter on dispute settlements has provided a mechanism for resolving barriers that otherwise would disrupt U.S. agriculture’s export market stability and growth. Additionally, many U.S. agricultural commodities benefited from new or expanded market access in Canada and Mexico under the deal, so any changes “should be carefully considered,” the organizations said.
The agreement also has helped integrate food and agriculture supply chains in North America, improving regional food security, particularly in rural areas, and further strengthening global competitiveness for food, energy, and industrial products that utilize agricultural inputs. •
Animal, Human, and Environmental Health are Connected; That’s the Foundation of
One Health.
Through national programs like PigSAFE|,PigCARE and partnerships with national networks such as the Canadian Animal Health Surveillance System (CAHSS), the Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians (CASV), and the Canadian Integrated Program for Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (CIPARS), Canadian pork producers monitor trends, share data, and continuously improve stewardship practices.
Together, we’re protecting our present and securing our future. •
SIP New Chair
Swine Innovation Porc announced Mark Ferguson was elected chair back on September 25th.
Mark joins René Roy (Vice-Chair) and Jorge Correa (Treasurer) on the SIP Board of Director’s Executive team. He succeeds outgoing Chair Arno Schober, who led the Board since 2021. •
Canada Pork Announces New Board Members
Strong leadership drives progress — and at Canada Pork – Porc Canada, our Board of Directors plays a vital role in guiding our organization’s direction, shaping strategic decisions, and ensuring we continue to deliver value to our members and to the Canadian pork industry as a whole.
We are proud to announce and warmly welcome our newly appointed 2025 Board of Directors:
Antoine Morin, Vice Chair, Brent Moen, 2nd Vice-Chair, Michele Fiorese, Rick Préjet, TJ Murray, and Trevor Lizotte.
Their experience, leadership, and dedication will be instrumental in advancing our mission and strengthening Canada’s pork sector both at home and abroad.
We also extend our sincere appreciation to our current Board members for their continued commitment and guidance, and to our outgoing members for their outstanding contributions and achievements over the past term. Your collaboration has been essential in helping us grow and represent Canadian pork with excellence. •
