Ian McDonald
Ian began his career in broadcasting in 1972 and joined Global Lethbridge in 1979. “Lethbridge is a wonderful city to live, learn and raise a family in,” says McDonald.
As the agribusiness reporter, Ian loved sharing “information that matters” with people.
He also reported for many years focusing on agriculture with a daily segment in the news and a variety of weekly and other stand-alone shows.
He considers it a tremendous privilege to have been awarded an Honourary Membership in the Alberta Institute of Agrologists. Other highlights include doing shows and reports from the former Soviet Union and on another occasion, from the Netherlands.
He’s had the opportunity to travel to a number of other countries, visiting Tanzania and Kenya in Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and years ago a ski trip to Austria, Italy and Switzerland. Not afraid of adventure, he has also bungee jumped and thoroughly enjoys his big motorcycle.
Away from work Ian has spent many years singing tenor with Vox Musica, a university/community choir whose director is also the conductor of the Lethbridge Symphony Orchestra. Ian also sings on worship teams at church and is involved in a number of community service groups. Ian has a wonderful wife and two great daughters. He really enjoys people and being able to listen, learn and share community information that’s important to them.
Contact Ian McDonald
Video Archives
Author Archives
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Growing Industrial HempThe farmers will use the no-till technique to grow industrial hemp. No-till has a lower environmental impact than conventional farming and gives them a better bottom line.May 12, 2014
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Repairing last year’s hail damage"It really made a big racket," Turnbull said. "The windows I thought were coming in. It was very bad."May 7, 2014
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Southern Alberta cheese makers win national awardsMore awards for people who farm and produce food in southern Alberta . Two cheese producers in the Lethbridge area topped their categories at the Canadian Cheese Awards in southern Ontario. Noble Meadows Farm, which produces plain, soft goat cheese, was named the farmstead cheese in Canada while Crystal Springs Cheese northwest of Lethbridge won...Apr 17, 2014
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To tip or not to tip"Tips are really important. In Canada it's kind of just a given to tip if you think the service went well and to do a little bit extra."Apr 14, 2014
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Travel Alberta Road Show"We're about second in Canada as far as the concentration of good tourist attractions."Apr 8, 2014
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Extreme career makeoverThe competition is a unique way to help students get a college education.Apr 4, 2014
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Stop dutch elm disease – don’t pruneElm trees, which are very popular in the city and on farms and other places in the country are susceptible to Dutch Elm Disease, a fungus that is spread by a tiny beetle.Apr 2, 2014
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Growing poppies for medicineFarmers in southern Alberta may soon add poppies to the list of crops they grow.Apr 2, 2014
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COOL appeal deniedThe U.S. Court of Appeals denied an appeal by North American meat industry groups to overturn mandatory Mandatory Country of Origin Labeling legislation.Mar 31, 2014
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Producers lock in crop pricesAn increasing number of farmers are showing interest in locking in the price they will sell their crops for this year. Prices for some crops are better than others and some farmers might shift from growing traditional crops by adding peas, flax, soybeans or other crops to their operations. “I just looked at some prices...Mar 28, 2014
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Soil moisture – enough to seed into?Farmers will soon be seeding this year’s crops, in spite of the snow that’s now on the ground and they’ll be hoping for good soil moisture to get crops off to a good start. Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development says soil moisture in southern Alberta was pretty good going into winter last year. Snow that...Mar 27, 2014
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International buyers concerned about grain shipmentsCanada produces high quality grain however much of the record crop farmers grew last year is sitting on the prairies because of difficulties moving it to port and loading it onto ships for export.Mar 25, 2014
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Prion research helps prevent BSEBSE shook the livestock industry when it showed up in a cow eleven years ago. The disease did not remain in Canada’s herd but work to prevent it intensified. BSE is a prion disease. Prions are a problematic protein associated with BSE in cattle, chronic wasting disease in deer and elk and scrapie in sheep....Mar 20, 2014
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Fewer cattle improve prices for producersAlberta’s beef has made a name for itself around the world. However the number of cattle in the province has dropped significantly in recent years. “We’re now down 24 percent in total beef cow numbers in Alberta since 2005 and so the liquidation over the last eight years has been significant,” said Brenna Grant from...Mar 18, 2014
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Industries sacrifice for waterThe water emergency in Lethbridge had an impact on industries in the region. Lethbridge is home to many industries including food processing, manufacturing and a host of others. They also helped conserve water until the situation was rectified. Industries that require water met with officials at city hall to come up with the best ways...Mar 14, 2014
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Businesses impacted by water emergencyMany Lethbridge businesses have temporarily closed or changed the way they operate because of the water emergency. Grocery stores, restaurants, food processors, even the big Home and Garden Show at Exhibition Park are reducing the amount of water that they use. “Our primary interest right away is the impact on food processors,” said Cheryl...Mar 13, 2014
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Encouragement from the Man in MotionCanada's Man in Motion offered some words of encouragement to farmers this week.Mar 12, 2014
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Encouragement from the Man in MotionCanada's Man in Motion offered some words of encouragement to farmers this week.Mar 12, 2014
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Farming SafelySouthern Alberta is no stranger to farming or the dangers that come with it. This is Canadian Agricultural Safety Week, a week set aside each year by the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association to highlight the importance of farm safety. According to the Farm Safety Centre in Raymond, south of...Mar 10, 2014
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Grain farmers urged to call members of parliament over grain backlog"That's a great concern for me being a western Canadian farmer, I can't sell my own products in my own country because the railways won't get it there."Mar 6, 2014
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Agricultural Job Fair in Lethbridge"Agriculture suffers the same way as most other industries do, They're more or less constantly in need of workers and as the industry grows that gets more and more critical."Mar 4, 2014
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Growing hemp on Alberta farmsFive years ago there were 8,000 acres of industrial hemp. This year the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance expects 100,000 acres with about a quarter of them in Alberta.Feb 28, 2014
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Protecting small cropsLarge crops have access to things that smaller crops sometimes don't have even though the crops are important to producers, consumers and the economy.Feb 26, 2014
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Ag Expo comes to southern AlbertaAg Expo's 350 exhibitors are expected to draw more than 20 thousand people showing the size, importance of value of the agriculture and agri-food industry in southern Alberta.Feb 25, 2014
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Farm to generate electricityThe goal of GrowTEC Farm is to reduce farm inputs including water, fuel, electricity and synthetic fertilizers by 20 percent, increase net yields by 20 percent and do it all by the year 2020Feb 24, 2014