FortSask

Canada and the United States have agreed to share more information about the smuggling of guns across their shared border.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino says Ottawa has signed four new or updated agreements with Washington that allow the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency to exchange more data with partners south of the border.

Mendicino says the agreements under a rebooted Canada-U.S. Cross-Border Crime Forum will allow more information-sharing with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The Canadian Grain Commission has implemented some new procedures with the PSAC strike continuing.

CGC head of communications Remi Gosselin says with 65 per cent of their employees out on strike operations have been significantly impacted.

"The CGC has been able to implement contingency plans to work with grain companies to identify priority cargo. So that those can continue and that grain exports can continue to flow from Canada."

He says there are about 140 grain inspectors across the country in Port locations that are currently on strike right now.

Fort Saskatchewan RCMP is investigating a Valentine's Day incident that left the JRC with significant damage

Police say that, on February 14, an unknown person or group entered the JRC and caused a fair bit of damage to the facility's ice plant. 

The early estimate of the damages was $125,000 and it is suspected that the person(s) responsible were targeting the copper wire in the machinery. 

An investigation into the matter has not yet been able to identify a suspect in the case. 

A couple of local athletes will be playing in the 2023 Alberta Senior Bowl next month. 

Both Sturgeon Composite running back Stefan Visscher and Salisbury receiver Sam Bowen will play for the North team in this year's game. 

"It feels good, it's something I have been striving towards for the past four years," said Visscher. "I remember getting cut three years in a row and it's just really rewarding to be finally recognized for all the hard work." 

The Canadian Agricultural Partnerships five-year pulse cluster research program wrapped up at the end of March.

The total value of research under the Pulse AgriScience Cluster was over $17 million, with $11.1 million coming from the CAP AgriScience Cluster program.  

Downtown Edmonton was quite the scene on Thursday (Apr. 27) night. 

A large grassfire ignited alongside the river valley and threatened two large hotels in the downtown core. 

Firefighters responded to the scene just after 9 p.m. after reports that the fire had ignited the patio at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel, which sits right beside the iconic Fairmont Hotel MacDonald. 

Employees inside the Courtyard were able to capture some terrifying footage as the blaze got closer to the hotel: 

A new federal law will require digital platforms such as Netflix, YouTube and TikTok to contribute and promote Canadian content. The Liberals' Online Streaming Act passed its final vote in the Senate Thursday and received royal assent. 

The bill updates the Broadcasting Act to bring online streaming platforms under the regulatory authority of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

It also sets steep penalties for digital platforms that don't make Canadian content available to their users in Canada.

A hotel patio caught fire due to a large blaze in the Edmonton river valley on Thursday (Apr. 27) night. 

At about 9 p.m. fire crews were called after reports of the fire igniting the patio at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in downtown Edmonton, which stands directly beside the iconic Hotel Macdonald. 

"After about an hour and 15 [minutes] with a lot of hard work we were able to get it under control," said Corey Cremer, the acting fire chief on the scene. "No injuries, just a lot of damage to the courtyard patio." 

A large fire broke out in the Edmonton river valley near the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald on Thursday (Apr. 27) evening.

According to Corey Cremer, the acting fire chief on the scene, crews responded to the fire just after 9 p.m. and were able to get it under control in just over an hour.

Videos posted online show flames rising up the hillside in front of the hotel.

The majority of the damage was done to the Courtyard by Marriott's patio. No injuries were reported. 

A fire restriction is in effect for Lamont County.

On Thursday (Apr. 27), the county announced that a fire restriction would be in place immediately.

"This restriction is due to a rapid deterioration of conditions, due to the extremely dry and heavy fuel load in our area currently," wrote the county in a release.

The restriction is in effect for all Lamont County rural areas, including hamlets.

All active fire permits are now cancelled, and no new fire permits will be issued. Fireworks and exploding targets are prohibited during the restriction as well.