Temperatures hitting summer heights this weekend

The final weekend of April is looking to be a warm one.

According to our forecast, the daytime highs for this weekend will be around 20 C, with overnight lows dipping to around 3 C.

"Not all models agree that those temperatures will be reached," said Terri Lang, a meteorologist with Environment Canada. "But certainly some warmer temperatures than what's been seen as of late."

Lang added that these temperatures are not out of the ordinary for this time of year.

"The 30-year average high for this time of year is 14 C, so it's a little bit above average."

Alberta government provides details for Highway 15 interchange project

The provincial government has given an update on the proposed new interchange at Highway 15 and Highway 830 north of Fort Saskatchewan. 

On Monday (Apr. 24) morning, transportation minister Devin Dreeshen was joined by MLA Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk and Strathcona County mayor Rod Frank at the Strathcona County Fire Station 4 to give an update on the project. 

Input is needed for new the Labour Market Information survey on agricultue

The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council is looking for input from the Ag sector for its new Labour Market Information survey.

The survey provides key information on the labour market that will help identify labour shortage issues by better understanding how workforce needs have change.

The new data will help policymakers guide future action on the growing workforce crisis in the ag industry.

Each year a number of temporary foreign workers are brought in to help meet the shortage of agricultural workers.

CFA calls on Ottawa to implement contingency plan

Farm organizations across the country continue to raise concern about the potential impact the PSAC strike could have on the Ag sector.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture sent a letter to the Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau last week asking the government to take urgent measures to ensure adequate contingencies are in place ( such as an Essential Service Agreement  ) that would ensure any strike action would not unduly impact the movement of agriculture products and that all programs continue to be delivered uninterrupted.

New report from FCC focuses on farmland rental rates

Statistics show that around 40 per cent of Canadian farmland is rented. 

Farm Credit Canada has released a report that could help producers make decisions about buying versus renting land.

FCC's rent-to-price ratio for cultivated land looks at cash rental rates and crosses that information with the Farmland Values Report data. 

Moose spotted in Fort Saskatchewan over weekend

Fort Saskatchewan residents were greeted by a couple of moose walking through the city over the weekend. 

Opportunistic photographers were able to capture a couple of the ferocious animals walking on the street and lazing in backyards. 

Though beautiful creatures, dealing with a moose can be extremely dangerous and precautions should always be taken when coming in close contact with them. 

Moose usually aren't aggressive but that can easily change if they are provoked or see a threat to their young. 

Public-service strike: Union stepping up picketing efforts starting Monday

Canada's biggest federal public service union is preparing to ramp up its ongoing strike by moving picket lines to strategic locations such as ports on Monday, as both sides continued to accuse each other of poor communication.

In a Sunday interview with The Canadian Press, Public Service Alliance of Canada National President Chris Aylward said civil servants need to further affect the economy to push Ottawa for a solution.

Spring Seeding is not that far away

Seeds turn into plants, plants make grain and grain in the bin turns into money. The rate you seed your crop establishes your overall plant population in the field. Plant population in the field establishes the tone for your yield in the subsequent harvest. Combined with your seed’s thousand kernel weight (TKW) and expected seedling survival rate, your seeding rate can be determined through a simple equation.

Asphalt scammer reported in Fort Saskatchewan

An asphalt scam has been reported in Fort Saskatchewan.

Police are alerting residents to this active scam, which involves someone offering to pave driveways for a cheap price with money upfront.

Once the money is given to the suspect, they take pocket it and cut contact. 

Similar reports have been made in Morinville, Edmonton, and the surrounding area. Police believe that a rental vehicle is being used by the suspect to escape detection.

Fort Saskatchewan RCMP is asking anyone who encounters this scam to contact their local detachment.

'Very difficult situation:' Canadians in Khartoum take shelter amid violence

Abdelgadir Eltayeb and his family have no electricity, dwindling food and water, and haven't been able to venture far from the home in Khartoum where they took shelter after violence exploded in Sudan's capital this week. 

The Canadian, who is visiting relatives in Sudan with his wife and two children, says fighting between the country's army and its rival paramilitary force has unleashed chaos.

"It’s a very difficult situation," the 68-year-old said in a phone interview from Khartoum on Friday.