Despite the ongoing war, a friendship built in Ukraine allowed an Alberta company to import hemp seeds to Canada in the hopes of growing the plant to produce a desired fibre.
The Canadian Rockies Hemp Corp., based in Bruderheim, Alta., approximately 40 minutes northeast of Edmonton, imported seeds from the Institute of Bast Crops in northeast Ukraine, part of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences.
The plan was to grow hemp for bast fibre, which can be used in a range of products including fabrics, textiles and packaging.
"It took us several months to be able to organize it, it was something," Aaron Barr, CEO of Canadian Rockies Hemp Corp., told CTV's Your Morning on Wednesday.
"The fact that they're able to get it done during these times but they continue to live their lives as normal as possible — and it's pretty remarkable to see what they're able to do."
Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered its second year in late February, with many eastern regions still occupied by Russian forces.
The idea to bring hemp seeds from Ukraine was years in the making, Barr says. Countries such as Ukraine have a lot of knowledge and technical expertise when it comes to hemp and many of their varieties developed for bast fibre are on the same growing latitudes as Alberta farmers.
"So we've imported those genetics, unfortunately through the wartime, to be able to have Alberta farmers growing hemp for bast fibre and yielding a much higher percentage of fibre in that plant," Barr said.
Since Ukraine has not allowed men to leave the country, he says they had to hire Hungarian drivers who could get around Russian checkpoints, driving through fields and woods to bring the seeds across the border into Poland, where they moved to Germany before flying out to Canada.
Once in Canada, Barr says, the seeds were planted in three trial areas in southern and central Alberta last year to prove to Health Canada that they meet the standard for industrial hemp.
Health Canada defines industrial hemp as a cannabis plant where the concentration of THC is 0.3 per cent or less.
"So essentially, you could smoke a whole field of this stuff and it would never get you high," Barr said. "It's grown and intended for industrial applications."
Having met that threshold, Barr says, the seeds can be certified and readily available to Canadian producers.
But beyond their business relationship, the situation in Ukraine is also personal for him.
"I have Ukrainian heritage myself, my mother's Ukrainian. Very tough to see people that are just like us going through this type of death and displacement," he said.
Watch the full interview with Aaron Barr at the top of the article
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
A part of downtown Vancouver looked a whole lot different than usual this week, as the crew from the hit TV show The Last of Us prepared for a shoot.
When Damon Langlois visited the beach as a boy, he never would have imagined how significant sand would become in his life.
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Video of a suspect lighting a Richmond Hill barbershop on fire earlier this week has been released by police.
Mandatory Alcohol Screening has been in place in Alberta for the past few years and a move by the Ontario Provincial Police to begin enforcing breath samples at all traffic stops is being applauded by local victims of impaired driving.
Many in Calgary’s film industry are worried about the potential sale of another iconic downtown theatre, and what it could mean for the local arts scene.
Animal shelters across the province are finding themselves frequently at capacity -- or more.
Photographers will tell you that one of the best times to capture incredible images is just after sunrise or right before sunset. That time is known as the golden hour. It's the light that starts each day, offering hope and wonder about the day ahead. Griffin Bell exemplified that hope and light in a way that few others ever will.
Residents of an Orléans neighbourhood are voicing their frustration as overnight work on Stage 2 LRT causes disturbances for those living next to the construction site.
Two registered nurses from Ottawa and Kingston have been an integral part in the delivery of a baby on board a flight heading to Dubai.
Quebec Premier François Legault reiterated that the pro-Palestinian encampment at McGill University must be dismantled while police remain 'on the lookout for new developments.'
A Quebec judge overseeing the trial of a person accused of killing a cyclist with their car has raised concerns that an amendment to the province's language charter could cause 'undue delays' for trials held in English.
Quebec singing legend Celine Dion has praised a Montreal DJ for creating a mashup featuring one of her songs with U.K. producer Majestic.
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Federal tax changes could soon make it difficult for people to find a family doctor, says the Alberta Medical Association.
More than 15 years after the death of Michelle Hadwen, police are still searching for the person responsible for her death.
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
Fishery officers seized nearly 30 kilograms of elvers at a Yarmouth County, N.S., holding facility on Wednesday, arresting three people in the process.
An initiative called the Mandatory Alcohol Screening (MAS) program is designed to cut down on the number of drunk drivers on the road in the Halifax area.
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
A Manitoba man who pleaded guilty to keeping the funds raised from an ice-fishing fundraiser for the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba has been handed a sentence of 18 months house arrest.
A city committee has given the green light to an oversized garage, where no permit was pulled.
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Premier Scott Moe's Saskatchewan Party has received millions of more dollars in donations compared with rivals ahead of this year's election.
The North Central Family Centre (NCFC) has launched a capital campaign to help aid in the completion of a major project they are in the midst of building.
More than 100 teachers at the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB) are learning they have been declared surplus will likely be out of a job as of Aug. 12.
People living in Puslinch, Ont. may have the answer to why their water smelled so bad last year.
Kaitlyn Braun, the Brantford, Ont. woman who previously admitted to deceiving doulas and is facing similar charges again, is not seeking bail at this time, her lawyer said Friday.
A lesser known fixture of Saskatoon's skyline is coming down for repairs and renovations.
The Major Crime Section of the Saskatoon Police Service has taken over the investigation into the death of a 30-year-old man, marking the city’s 9th homicide in 2024.
Richelieu Hardware Canada Ltd. was fined a hefty $260,000 for a workplace safety violation leading to a serious worker injury.
The jury deciding the fate of a man responsible for a fatal firebombing in Sudbury found him guilty of three counts of first-degree murder Friday afternoon.
Three men from southern Ontario and a man from Texas have been fined a total of $16,700 for illegal hunting and fishing in September 2021.
A New Hamburg family is feeling deflated after buying a new Toyota hybrid truck.
Neighbours east of Dorchester are demanding action after an alleged attack by dogs.
The Aamjiwnaang First Nation near Sarnia says it has recorded benzene levels 424 times above acceptable levels coming from a nearby chemical plant.
Three people were found guilty on Friday afternoon of sex-trafficking related charges involving teenaged females.
A trial date has been set for an Ontario senior facing allegations of historical sexual offences involving children.
On Thursday night, 30 firefighters battled a destructive fire that broke out in a facility in Bracebridge Ont.
A driver was handed a three-month licence suspension for allegedly speeding while impaired on Highway 11 in Muskoka.
A lesson learned at school saved a life Thursday.
Essex County OPP investigators are asking for help in identifying an individual involved in a shooting incident in a Leamington parking lot.
The Windsor Police Service (WPS) has arrested a suspect for allegedly pointing an airsoft pistol at pedestrians and passing vehicles in downtown Windsor.
At the Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association in Central Saanich, it was all hands on deck Friday preparing for a Royal visit.
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
When Damon Langlois visited the beach as a boy, he never would have imagined how significant sand would become in his life.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
An emaciated dachshund is now recovering thanks to a Good Samaritan who found the pup near a biking trail in Kelowna, according to the BC SPCA.
Search and rescue crews have been called in after a vehicle belonging to a missing senior was located near a rural intersection outside of Kelowna Tuesday.
Animal shelters across the province are finding themselves frequently at capacity -- or more.
Lethbridge police say impaired driving is to blame in a fatal crash that killed a 25-year-old man on Thursday.
The bell at Erle Rivers High School in Milk River, Alta., will ring for the last time on June 26, as the 114-year-old school is scheduled to be torn down to make way for a new K-12 school.
The de-rostering of thousands of patients at the Group Health Centre in Sault Ste. Marie was the centre of attention at a town hall Friday organized by the Algoma chapter of the Ontario Health Coalition.
The Chi-Cheemaun ferry arrived at Manitoulin Island on Friday morning to kick off its 50th season on the Georgian Bay.
Phase 1 of the reconstruction of Queen Street in downtown Sault Ste. Marie is getting underway, although it will be scaled down from the original plan.
A funeral is being held today for hockey broadcasting legend Bob Cole in his hometown of St. John's, N.L.
Richard Martin is spending this year's fishing season on land after he says a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer broke his left leg in three places during a protest last month that shut down the provincial legislature.
Tributes continue to pour in for Bob Cole as his family has confirmed a funeral will be held for the legendary broadcaster Friday in St. John's, N.L.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.
Foreign interference by China did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections won by Justin Trudeau's Liberals, a federal commission of inquiry has found.
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
A New Brunswick woman suffering from sarcoidosis, a disease that limits your lung capacity, is in need of a double lung transplant.
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Google's preeminence as an internet search engine is an illegal monopoly propped up by more than US$20 billion spent each year by the tech giant to lock out competition, U.S. Justice Department lawyers argued at the closings of a high-stakes antitrust lawsuit.
Many species of animals form social groups and behave collectively: An elephant herd follows its matriarch, flocking birds fly in unison, humans gather at concert events. Even humble fruit flies organize themselves into regularly spaced clusters, researchers have found.
China on Friday launched a lunar probe to land on the far side of the moon and return with samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side.
Quebec singing legend Celine Dion has praised a Montreal DJ for creating a mashup featuring one of her songs with U.K. producer Majestic.
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
One of the organizers of a month-long boycott of Loblaw-owned stores says she met with the grocer's president and CEO Per Bank on Thursday afternoon.
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Ontario is set to clamp down on bad employers with big fines. Labour Minister David Piccini says his government will introduce legislation next week that will see fines increased for violations of the Employment Standards Act.
Two registered nurses from Ottawa and Kingston have been an integral part in the delivery of a baby on board a flight heading to Dubai.
Italy's Ministry of Health has banned the popular wellness trend of "puppy yoga" amid concerns that the puppies used in the practice could be exploited and mistreated.
A Montreal astrologer and horoscope writer just got a boost on his retirement budget, after winning Loto-Quebec’s Grande-Vie prize, which comes in the form of $1,000 a day for life.
A new study suggests women's sports have a solid market in Canada.
The Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Darvin Ham on Friday after two seasons and a 90-74 regular-season record.
A funeral is being held today for hockey broadcasting legend Bob Cole in his hometown of St. John's, N.L.
Drivers in Saskatchewan will now lose their licence for a week and their vehicle for a month if they are caught committing certain high-speed and dangerous offences on the road.
Auto sales last month totalled 164,000 units, higher than April 2023, which was the weakest month for sales last year.
Rolls-Royce is vastly expanding its factory in Chichester, England. The BMW subsidiary is adding five new buildings with construction planned to start next year.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
