VIDEO: Yuill family commits up to $5M to boost Medicine Hat-region agriculture school

(Video Credit: Jett Schwaier/CHAT News)

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Bill Yuill says the project stood out because of its focus on practical, hands-on education and its potential to prepare young people for careers in the region.

“We got involved with the Prairie Road School Division. They came around and talked about what they’re doing. It’s a different kind of education,” Yuill said.

“More hands-on, more technical, more in-your-face kind of stuff. So, when it came around, it was their idea to get into the agricultural business. It makes a lot of sense here in southeastern Alberta.”

Yuill says the school will go beyond traditional agriculture training, giving students opportunities to develop skills in several trades.

“They’re going to have a beehive section of the school here. So, it’s not just cattle, it’s not just ranching; the kids will come out here with a trade,” Yuill said.

“They can make a living with what they do, welders, electricians.”

The latest funding will support an agricultural technology shop expansion, heavy equipment training centre, livestock complex and specialized industry equipment.

Prairie Rose Public Schools superintendent Reagan Weeks said the donation will help create a regional learning resource for students, while also opening opportunities for people outside the school division.

“The incredible generosity of Bill and Elizabeth Yuill is mind-blowing,” Weeks said.

“I’m not even sure I have words to capture how grateful we are for this contribution, and we’re just really excited that our students are going to have the opportunity to learn in this type of cutting-edge facility.”

Weeks says the project has generated an unprecedented level of enthusiasm among students and staff.

“It feels like it’s tailor-made for Prairie Rose and our rural students, and the level of enthusiasm and just eagerness for this to come to fruition surpasses anything I have seen before,” Weeks said.

The school is also working with Medicine Hat College and other partners to provide students with credentials, safety training and access to technology needed for careers in agriculture.

Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation Minister Tara Sawyer said the facility will help students explore career opportunities and gain practical experience.

“This is an opportunity for urban students who have an interest in agriculture to be able to come here and explore and find the avenues of employment opportunities,” Sawyer said.

She says the school will also help address the need for more people entering the agriculture industry.

“We have a need to have more youth or just people in general in agriculture, and we know this is not just for a rural student,” Sawyer said.

Sawyer said hands-on learning will help students understand the demands of working in the industry while discovering whether it is the right career path for them.

“To be able to have them right here, their hands-on learning to discover, not only [is it] a great way for them to discover, is it something that they really are interested in,” Sawyer said.

“To have a full knowledge of the hard work that goes into being in agriculture. Because it is not easy and it is not for everyone, because it is not a Monday-to-Friday, 9-to-5 job when you’re in agriculture.”

Sawyer says the investment will have an impact well beyond the initial development.

“There’s other agriculture schools that are popping up, charter schools and things, because the interest,” Sawyer said.

“We have a world to feed, and we are a province that does it incredibly well, so we’re building the next generation here.”

She also highlighted the importance of partnerships between high schools and post-secondary institutions in expanding opportunities for students.

“How incredible that a student in high school [is] graduating from college at the same time before they’ve even graduated from high school with practical learning skills that they can take on,” Sawyer said.

The Yuill School of Agriculture is expected to begin welcoming students in September 2027.

by Jett Schwaier

VIDEO: Yuill family commits up to $5M to boost Medicine Hat-region agriculture school

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