George Lee
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Macleod Gazette
The impending closure of the 119-year-old Lacombe Research and Development Centre levels a “massive blow” to the future of Prairies innovation, Lacombe-Ponoka MLA Jennifer Johnson told the legislature.
Johnson said last week that the federal government is ignoring the value and impact of one of Alberta’s oldest and most important agricultural institutions.
“This centre has been a staple for research specifically tailored to the Prairies and our unique needs,” she said. “From developing robust crop varieties to improving livestock feed, the work done here is designed for local producers — not offices in downtown Ottawa.”
More than 100 researchers and other staff lose their jobs with the closure, Johnson noted.
The decision follows federal government statements that it would cut about 40,000 jobs from the national public service, streamline operations and increase efficiencies.
But in Johnson’s opinion the feds can’t see the field for the stalks of barley, mistaking short-term gain for down-the-road losses. Every dollar invested in agriculture generates $20, $40 or more in returns, she estimated.
Founded in 1907 by the Lacombe Board of Trade, the institution began its life as an experimental station to promote the town and attract settlers, according to a virtual exhibit posted by the Lacombe Museum.
“From weddings on the picturesque grounds, to evening visitors out for a walk, to cattle sales in the pavilion, the grounds serve the local community of Lacombe on a regular basis,” says the exhibit.
“In a sense, this was always the goal of the station: to give visitors a glimpse of the possibilities of the Parkland region that surrounds Lacombe.”
The centre soon became renowned for its pioneering research, helping the community 30 kilometres north of Red Deer grow into a major rural hub for one of the most arable and agriculturally productive areas of the province.
The station led the way on specific gene function discoveries in cattle and swine, introducing innovative livestock breeding and modern carcass evaluation techniques.
In the 1950s researchers Howard Fredeen and J.G. Stothart codeveloped Canada’s first domestically developed livestock breed. In the Lacombe hog’s heyday in the 1970s and 1980s, it was the fifth most popular breed in Canada and heavily exported.
Because there are just two federal swine research centres in Canada, the Lacombe closure could threaten global competitiveness in the industry, the Canadian Pork Council and Swine Innovation Porc said in a joint statement.
Lacombe County has warned that the closure puts at risk 119 years of continuous, publicly funded agricultural data and unique, undisturbed research plots.
The county and the City of Lacombe have created a joint taskforce to lobby the federal government to reverse the closure decision.
Johnson noted that scientists at the centre were the developers and early adopters of technology used to predict the marbling of cuts, “framing a path to value-based grading and branding of Alberta beef.”
She added: “When that kind of knowledge disappears, it’s not easily replaced.”
Over recent years the centre has hosted more than $5 million in applied research projects focused on things like improving livestock production, developing disease-resistant and drought-tolerant crops, optimizing soil and forage management, and supporting sustainable farming practices.
“Cutting this centre jeopardizes the very tools and expertise that keep western Canadian agriculture competitive, resilient and on the cutting edge of innovation so that we can continue feeding the world,” Johnson concluded.
“The message is clear: agriculture cannot thrive without strong, locally grounded research.”
Statements from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada shared with news outlets in late January confirmed that the government is closing research and development centres in Lacombe, Guelph, Ont., and Quebec City, along with four satellite research farms.
The move is among savings over three years identified by the department “while remaining focused on its core mandate.”
The department is reducing its workforce by about 665 positions, and more than 1,000 employees were issued notice on Jan. 22.
It’s striving to “balance fiscal discipline, quality service delivery for Canadians and economic growth,” Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada said.
Decisions to make cuts were “guided by a careful review of the department’s science activities, sector priorities, capacity and infrastructure.”
