FortSask

The 2023 Alberta Provincial Election is just days away and the race is as tight as ever between the United Conservatives (UCP) and the Alberta New Democrats (NDP). 

As you head to the polls, it might be a good idea to know who will be on the ballot beforehand. 

To help make this easier, here is a list of all the candidates running in the four regional districts. 

Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville: 

UCP: Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk (incumbent)

NDP: Taneen Rudyk 

Independent: Kathy Flett

Advantage Party: Kelly Zeleny 

The annual Bike Rodeo is returning to Fort Saskatchewan.

On June 4 at the Taurus Field parking lot, local members of municipal enforcement will be providing helmet fittings, bike tune-ups, and even an obstacle course for the young cyclists of Fort Saskatchewan.

"We try to make sure we do it at least once a year," said Richard Pratch with municipal enforcement. "Last year I think we had 60 kids show up with their parents."

This year, municipal enforcement is hoping to bring that turnout up to around 100 kids.

Cooler weather and scattered rain showers have been helping as fire crews work to control the wildfire situation in the prairies.

Elizabeth Hucker, assistant vice-president of marketing and sales for bulk with CPKC says the railway hasn't been directly impacted adding they've been working with government agencies and provincial authorities.

Some big questions will linger ahead of Monday (May 29) as Albertans head to the polls:

• Which party will form government?
• How many ridings will change hands?
• Who will be our local MLA's?

Tune in to MIX 107 to find out the answer to these and many other questions. 

The FortSaskOnline newsroom will have full coverage of the election including results in our local ridings.

Justin Pautonnier gives updates throughout the evening beginning just after 7 p.m.

A Florida man pleaded not guilty to human smuggling charges Friday in a case linked to the discovery last year of a family of four migrants from India found frozen to death just steps from the Canada-U.S. border. 

Steve Shand, 48, waived the reading of the indictment before entering the plea via videoconference as part of a brief but long-awaited arraignment in Duluth, Minn.

A class at Ardrossan Elementary is one of three winners in Elk Island Public School’s (EIPS) Minecraft Design Challenge.

The challenge involved students building a prototype of the new Sherwood Heights Junior High School replacement in Minecraft. Students also needed to follow infrastructure standards and landscaping guidelines in their prototypes.

Claudia Klippenstein, a fourth-grade teacher at Ardrossan Elementary whose class was one of the winners, said the process of designing, planning, and building the school took a total of four months.

Lamont County will be providing some funding assistance to the Village of Chipman to help fund a $1.8 million bridge replacement. 

Last year it was discovered that the bridge located on Range Road 185 had serious issues. Traffic control measures were put in place to limit vehicles to the interior portion of the bridge. 

The Canadian Wheat Research Coalition Chair Jake Leguee says the Coalition is a collaboration between the Alberta Wheat Commission, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission, and Manitoba Crop Alliance.

"The Canadian wheat research coalition is set up between the three organizations with a three-year hosting commitment. So, Sask Wheat hosted it for three years and then it flipped over to Alberta and now it's flipping over to Manitoba."

Insect damage especially to newly emerged seedlings is always a concern for producers.

Farmers across the prairies will want to be monitoring for cutworm damage and flea beetles. 

The Prairie Pest Management Network says growers should also keep an eye out for diamondback moths and grasshoppers.

According to the report, grasshopper eggs have already started to hatch across Alberta and western Saskatchewan with reports of grasshopper nymphs in both provinces.

That puts the grasshopper hatch about 10 days earlier than normal. 

It could be yet another smoky weekend in the region. 

After a few clear days, light smoke has returned to the area, sparking fears that another weekend could be plagued by poor air quality. 

"[The smoke] is a lot more diffused than it was before," said Sarah Hoffman with Environment Canada. "Still a lot of active wildfires...and some fires not too far away from the Edmonton area." 

"In comparison to the start of the May long weekend, [the smoke] will be a lot less intense."