Economic Hit from Prairie Drought Could Be ‘Like Losing Ontario Auto Sector’ – The Energy Mix: While droughts are a normal part of the agricultural cycle, this one
extends “from Vancouver Island to southern Quebec, down into the United
States, into California, right into Mexico,” Pomeroy told CBC. “It’s
enormous.”

The impacts will show up quickly in a part of the country that
depends on water for irrigation, hydropower, potash mining, and fossil
production, CBC says.

“Back about 20 years ago, there were four years where there was a
C$10-billion hit to the western Canadian economy from drought and 41,000
jobs lost in Saskatchewan alone. So there’s an impact,” Pomeroy told
the national broadcaster. “It’s like losing the automotive industry out
of southern Ontario.”

That dire future may not be far away, said Starbuck, MB canola grower Chuck Fossay.

“If we don’t get a rain, a nice, gentle, soaking rain in probably the
next two weeks, we’re probably talking a crop failure out here in
Manitoba,” Fossay said. “Dry is dry and nothing grows without water.
That’s just a fact of life. You need water to live. And if you don’t
have enough water, nothing grows.”

Economic Hit from Prairie Drought Could Be ‘Like Losing Ontario Auto Sector’ – The Energy Mix: While droughts are a normal part of the agricultural cycle, this one
extends “from Vancouver Island to southern Quebec, down into the United
States, into California, right into Mexico,” Pomeroy told CBC. “It’s
enormous.”The impacts will show up quickly in a part of the country that
depends on water for irrigation, hydropower, potash mining, and fossil
production, CBC says.“Back about 20 years ago, there were four years where there was a
C$10-billion hit to the western Canadian economy from drought and 41,000
jobs lost in Saskatchewan alone. So there’s an impact,” Pomeroy told
the national broadcaster. “It’s like losing the automotive industry out
of southern Ontario.”That dire future may not be far away, said Starbuck, MB canola grower Chuck Fossay.“If we don’t get a rain, a nice, gentle, soaking rain in probably the
next two weeks, we’re probably talking a crop failure out here in
Manitoba,” Fossay said. “Dry is dry and nothing grows without water.
That’s just a fact of life. You need water to live. And if you don’t
have enough water, nothing grows.”Read More