By David Boles, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, St. Albert Gazette
June 29, 2026
By nature, farmers are an eternally optimistic bunch.
John Guelly certainly considers himself as one.
“A lot of us don’t know any better,” quipped Guelly, standing in a rain-drenched field at his farm in Westlock County, west of Edmonton. “Generally speaking, it’s a good way of life.”
To be a farmer, especially in Western Canada, you have to be optimist. Just this year alone, producers have had to deal with drought-like conditions, drenched fields, and skyrocketing fuel costs due to the Iran war launched by U.S. president Donald Trump’s administration.
The rain alone in the last few weeks has quite the effect on Guelly’s fields.
“It’s not wet, it’s muddy,” he said.
The precipitation has been much needed for Alberta, as it had been pretty dry heading into the summer. However, there’s such a thing as too much rain and Guelly believes we’re getting close to that point.
“It’s frustrating because we’d like to get out there. Farmers are typically fixers and there’s nothing you can fix when there’s too much rain or not enough rain,” said Guelly. “Unless you’re too dry and you’ve got irrigation. But that’s not an option here.”
Provincial data taken at Dapp monitoring station just north of Westlock shows over 128 millimetres of rain has fallen since June 1.
Environment Canada data shows it’s been even wetter in the Edmonton region, with the national weather office saying we’ve seen well over 200 millimetres of rain since the month began.
“Depending on the station in the city, (Edmonton normally gets) between 70 and 75 millimetres for June,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Jennifer Kowal. “That’s three times more than what you normally get.”
With more rain coming and above average temperatures expected this summer, people are going to need to stay hydrated, avoid the heat directly and be cautious.
For Guelly, who grows canola and grapeseed and has been working the farm for decades, he’s ready to brave the conditions for another year.
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And for that matter, many more after that.
“It’s a great lifestyle. You’re typically you’re your own boss,” said Guelly.
