By George Lee, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Officials approved geographic boundaries last week for strychnine use in Alberta, as farmers and ranchers anticipated dialing back major losses caused by the Richardson’s ground squirrel and its burrowing, crop-chomping ways.
Described zones for emergency use of the otherwise banned neurotoxin blanket much of southern, central and north-central Alberta where the rodents have been prolific and destructive.
Stettler and Paintearth counties, along with the province’s sprawling Special Areas surrounding Hanna, Oyen and Consort, made the list of 49 zones. The area east of Calgary and Red Deer is widely considered home to the province’s costliest infestations of the rodents colloquially known as gophers.
Subject to strengthened mitigation and regulation, the poison landed a temporary approval last week for emergency use until November 2027 in Saskatchewan and Alberta. The decision followed behind-the-scenes discussions involving politicians and Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency.
The ban itself stems from evidence of the lethal poisoning of non-target species, especially species at risk like the swift fox and the burrowing owl. Another issue is occupational health risks to humans who handle strychnine while preparing poisoned bait.
Among approved areas in the south are Willow Creek, Lethbridge, Taber, Vulcan, Warner, Foothills, Cypress, Cardston, Forty Mile, Pincher Creek, Crowsnest and Ranchland.
Green-lit zones extend north through Foothills, Wheatland, Rocky View, Mountain View, Red Deer, Lacombe, Ponoka, Wetaskiwin, part of Clearwater, Camrose, Strathcona, Brazeau, Vermilion River, St. Paul, Westlock, Smoky Lake and Thorhild, among other areas.
R.J. Sigurdson, Alberta’s minister of agriculture and irrigation, told reporters last week that use of two per cent liquid strychnine on bait is the only effective option right now for controlling gophers.
Since the strychnine ban, Alberta has seen “massive crop loss, massive loss to native grasslands, massive risk to our livestock for injuries, and these are deeply concerning,” the minister said, noting that he’s even been informed of damage to natural gas lines.
“These are serious concerns. We are in an emergency. We need access to strychnine,” continued Sigurdson, the member representing Highwood constituency south of Calgary.
“The population has grown too fast. We need to get control of it so our farmers and ranchers can continue to do what they do best, which is feed families here and feed families abroad.”
Rejection Reversal
The federal regulator rejected an earlier joint Saskatchewan-Alberta application for a temporary emergency order, saying mitigation strategies it proposed like deep burials of carcasses and no surface baiting were neither new nor convincing.
The follow-up application filed last month by the two provinces won the feds over because of risk mitigation improvements, the scope of the gopher problem, and other challenges farmers and ranchers face like trade uncertainty and recent droughts.
A joint statement from the federal ministers of health and agriculture announced the new decision, saying governments worked closely in the lead-up to the latest submission.
The statement says the submission “contains additional restrictions and mitigation measures to lower the environmental risk to an acceptable level.”
Among the new measures are a reduced geographic scope and a revised poison stewardship program, says the statement from Health Minister Marjorie Michel and Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald.
“Innovative and collaborative efforts by all levels of government are needed to support the domestic agriculture industry, especially during this period of uncertainty,” the statement said. “Our governments’ shared commitment of supporting Canadian farmers, our economy and food security led us to work together to address a compounding threat.”
Tallying the Cost — Sort Of
No all-in calculation exists of the cost of gophers to farming and ranching, but the term millions of dollars is used repeatedly.
Annual risk to hay and native pastures alone — which isn’t the same as damages — is upwards of $800 million, the Alberta government claims.
An online survey of farmers and producers in a region of Alberta especially suited for gophers found that 99 per cent of respondents experienced damage to their land from the rodent during the 2024 growing season.
Producers “overwhelmingly indicated” that gopher-related damage was a significant concern, reported the Special Areas Board after collecting 110 survey responses.
Economic damages worth up to $50,000 were reported by 89 per cent of respondents, with the rest reporting higher tallies. Crop losses of up to 100 per cent were reported and some damage estimates topped $350,000.
Respondents wrote of reseeding costs, equipment damage and downtime, livestock injuries like broken legs, veterinary costs, the need to bring in feed to replace lost forage, and spending on ineffective gopher control options.
Long-Term Plan Needed — NDP
Heather Sweet, the NDP’s shadow minister of agriculture and irrigation, advised caution and long-term planning as the province moves forward on the federal approval.
The announcement “highlights the ongoing challenges faced by producers and rural communities,” she said in a statement emailed to The Macleod Gazette. “Any response to this issue must be informed by appropriate training requirements, clear safety standards and evidence‑based practices.”
Dealing with gophers is more than a short-term problem for emergency measures to address, she said.
“It requires long‑term, coordinated planning that considers environmental impacts, public safety, and the practical realities faced by landowners and municipalities,” said Sweet, the member for Edmonton-Manning.
She concluded: “Sustainable solutions will depend on proactive planning, consistent training and collaboration across jurisdictions. A long‑term approach will help ensure that management strategies are effective, responsible and aligned with the needs of communities over time.”
Visit alberta.ca/richardsons-ground-squirrel-control for the full list of geographic zones approved for strychnine use.
