Fire burns Sask. equipment dealer

Jul 24, 2018

Damages to the John Deere dealership in Rosthern is estimated to be millions of dollars

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

A blaze at a central Saskatchewan farm equipment retailer caused an estimated $20 million in damages.

Rosthern, Sask. firefighters responded to reports of a fire at Cervus Equipment’s John Deere dealership around 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. Crews from five other departments assisted in extinguishing the fire by about 3:00 p.m.

The flames leapt higher than the two-storey building and onlookers heard explosions as the fire intensified, Sean Nichol, an eyewitness to the incident, told The Canadian Press yesterday.

Cervus management are appreciative of the quick response from emergency crews and witnesses. No one sustained any injuries during the incident.

“My sincere appreciation goes out to everyone who reported and responded to this incident,” Graham Drake, CEO of Cervus Equipment, said in a statement Sunday. “Our top priority is safety and right now we’re focused on ensuring the area is safe.”

Rosthern Fire and Rescue photo

The company is developing a plan to keep operations running while the building remains closed. Investigators are determining a cause for the fire.

The dealership employs about 30 people, who will temporarily work out of trailers or be relocated to Saskatoon and Prince Albert locations during this time.

“We’re making sure that our employees are taken care of and then of course our customers, ensuring they’re notified and aware we’re going to continue to service them (and) continue to carry on business as best we can,” Mark Samber, health and safety manager with Cervus, told CBC yesterday.

The outpouring of support for the business and first responders is representative of the small town, residents say.

“So many helping hands! That shows a good community. Thank you all!” Trudy Migneault posted on Rosthern Fire and Rescue’s Facebook page yesterday.

“It’s such a great and powerful thing to see communities pull together in tragic times of need,” Shannon Greene posted yesterday. “Thank you to everyone.”

Rosthern Fire and Rescue photo

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.