News Article: ‘Cherished and essential’ industry finds a friend in school project slated for southeastern Alberta

Credit: George Lee, The Macleod Gazette, Local Journalism Initiative
Published: November 2, 2025

A multi-billion-dollar Alberta industry with rural roots – literally and figuratively – will reap the benefits of a new educational champion in Cypress county, the legislature heard last week.

The Yuill School of Agriculture will give high school students “the knowledge, skills and hands-on training they need to thrive in one of Alberta’s most cherished and essential industries,” Justin Wright said.

The collegiate school’s development “marks a significant milestone for public education and opportunity in southeastern Alberta,” said Wright, the UCP member for Cypress-Medicine Hat and the parliamentary secretary for rural health, south.

Construction is set to start next spring on 76 acres of land just southeast of Medicine Hat on the south side of the Trans-Canada Highway. Opening of the school is slated for the fall of 2027.

A Prairie Rose Public Schools news release says the school for grades 10-12 “marks an important step forward in advancing agricultural education and workforce development in Alberta, combining industry partnerships, community collaboration and innovative learning opportunities for students.”

Support from the Alberta government includes $725,000 towards start-up expenses. The Yuill Family Foundation donated land worth about $1 million and $600,000 towards construction. In partnership with Neubauer Farms, Prairie Rose will operate the school.

Students will be able to earn certifications, complete dual-credit courses and gain practical experience in crop and livestock management, agri-business, greenhouse operations, agricultural technology and other areas of the industry, says the school division release. 

Neubauer Farms and the school division will work together on the school’s design and curriculum “to balance academic learning with industry-relevant experience.”

Wright told the legislature: “Agriculture is more than just an industry in Alberta. It’s the heart and soul of our province. It’s where our values, culture and entrepreneurial spirit were born. It’s a force that has shaped the resilient and tight-knit communities we proudly call home.”

He continued: “With the creation of the Yuill School of Agriculture, we’re investing in future generations who will carry forward Alberta’s proud legacy of agriculture.”

The Yuill family has a storied history in and beyond Medicine Hat, going back to the development of the clay pottery industry in the earlier 1900s. The establishment of CHAT-AM and CHAT-TV in the 1940s and 1950s foreshadowed the Yuills’ advancement of cable broadcasting.

The family is also big in sports franchise ownership and league development, including the ownership of the Medicine Hat A’s, a farm team of the Oakland A’s. It became the Medicine Hat Blue Jays and operated for 25 seasons as an affiliate of the (not this year) World Series-winning Toronto Blue Jays.

Since its founding in 2007, the Yuill Family Foundation has put more than $9 million worth of philanthropy towards capital projects and programs.

For new collegiate schools, Alberta’s 2025 budget included $22 million in start-up funding over three years and $43 million in capital supports.

The province’s website says that collegiate schools “bring together students with similar interests to benefit from enriched programming, specialized facilities and enhanced learning opportunities through a unique delivery model.”

Collegiate schools provide “a clear pathway” into post-secondary education and careers in students’ chosen fields, the site says. Eligible are public and accredited private schools that meet program criteria.

Agriculture and the agri-food industry contributed about  $10.3 billion to Alberta’s GDP in 2023 and employed more than 83,000 people, published sources say.

Wright concluded: “The is more than just a school. It’s a promise to our youth, our province, and our future.”