As the Starland Seed Cleaning Plant in Delia nears 60 years in operation, the co-operative that manages the facility is looking toward the future with a new plant.
The existing plant in Delia was built in 1959 and began operations in 1961. Since then, the scale of farming operations, and the equipment needed, has gotten bigger than the plant can handle.
“It’s an ambitious project,” said secretary for the Starland Seed Cleaning Plant Co-operative, Al Hampton. “It’s something we need as the existing facility is not able to do much more.”
The current facility was built to accommodate equipment of the time--mostly two and three ton vehicles--and not the bigger trailer units used by farmers today.
Starland County released a survey in June to area farmers to assess their needs and desires for the new facility. The current estimated value of the project is $5 million and Hampton says the co-operative is “fairly ambitious” about raising funds.
They are also looking at how to incorporate the old facility into the new structure as it has been an integral part of the community for many years.
A consultant from Lewis M. Carter of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan has been hired for the project, and the co-operative has secured a loan in principle according to Hampton, though they must meet certain parameters.
“To launch a project like this, you’ve got one viable shot at it,” Hampton told the Mail. Hampton added, “Stakeholders want to see what is in it for them.”
The new facility would also benefit the community by creating new jobs. Current projections indicate the facility would be able to hire two to three employees, and Hampton noted, “A value-added component (for the new facility) would be cleaning grains for export.”
To export, the new facility would need to accommodate larger trailers as well as freight containers, though it would open the plant up to a “competitive, niche market.” If exports go well, Hampton is hopeful the facility could hire as many as five or six employees.
While the job numbers may seem low, the creation of jobs for a small, rural community like Delia can have immense benefits.
“It can mean the difference between graduates staying in the community or leaving to find jobs elsewhere,” Hampton said.
Starland Seed Cleaning Plant Co-operative will hold its annual general meeting later in the year, though no date has been set at this time. As the co-operative is made up of farmers, Hampton said the meeting would need to wait until the end of harvest, “as soon as the last combine is finished,” though this may not be until October or November.
Hampton is hopeful if all goes well shovels could break ground as early as April 2021.

The third phase of the Wheatland Regional Corporation (WRC) waterline project will soon be underway to deliver treated, potable water to the hamlet of Rosebud.

Tollifson Cable Service Ltd. was selected as the winning contractor for the project, with a total tender of $2,970,386.48.

Rockyford Mayor, and chairman of the WRC board, Darcy Burke told the Mail, “Construction (on Phase Three) will begin at the end of August.”

He added, providing there are no unforeseeable delays, the project will be completed by October 31 and residents currently receiving services will not see any disruptions in service.

A regional partnership between villages and hamlets within Wheatland County formed the Wheatland Regional Water Partnership in 2017. The villages of Rockyford, Standard, and Hussar, as well as the hamlets of Rosebud and Gleichen are included in the initial partnership, which then formed the WRC.

Mayor Burke noted the initial application for the project was approved in its entirety by Alberta Transportation, though it was broken down into several phases of completion dependent on funding availability.

The first phase of the project completed development of a regional water hub in Standard with a delivery pipeline to Gleichen. Water is drawn from the Western Irrigation District and piped to the treatment plant in Standard.

Improvements and upgrades to the new treatment facility, and a delivery pipeline to Rockyford were part of the second phase.

The third phase will extend delivery to the hamlet of Rosebud, supported by provincial funding through the Water for Life grant.

Burke noted a fourth phase of the project will provide water service to the hamlet of Hussar and “could be part of the shovel-ready infrastructure program.”

In total the project has meant investments in eastern Wheatland County of approximately $60 million and Burke says the waterline provides “benefits to all.”