FortSask

The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Marie-Claude Bibeau, has launched a new recruitment process for membership in the Canadian Food Policy Advisory Council.

The Council was created as part of a commitment in 2019 to support greater collaboration in understanding complex and interconnected food systems issues from diverse perspectives to make meaningful and sustainable progress.

It provides advice to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food on addressing challenges and opportunities across Canada’s food systems.

Two members of the Piranhas Swim Club of Fort Saskatchewan will be representing Alberta on the national stage next week.

13-year-old Grace Laybourne and 14-year-old Hudson Charron will be swimming at the 2023 North American Indigenous Games, hosted in Halifax from July 15 to 23.

Laybourne and Charron have been friends since kindergarten, and both of them picked up swimming at a young age.

"My sister started competitive swimming one year before me, and I just really liked watching her. I joined the Piranhas when I was about five," said Laybourne.

A portion of Fort Saskatchewan's River Road will permanently close to vehicle traffic later this month. 

The city announced that the section north of the Lion's Campground entrance all the way up to 119 street will close to traffic on July 26. 

This move was initially announced back in March as the city was had various concerns ranging from road damage to reckless driving. 

Excessive rain back in 2017 caused a portion of the road to collapse. 

There's some more construction going on in downtown Fort Saskatchewan.

Construction crews have reduced a portion of 99 Avenue from four lanes to two, closing down the northbound lanes. 

This construction affects the area between 101 Street and 103 Street. 

There is no word on how long the construction will last.

Construction is set to begin this summer for a new agricultural complex in Strathcona County. 

The $67.6 million Pointe-aux-Pins Acres project is expected to break ground on August 1. 

“Pointe-aux-Pins Acres celebrates the rural agricultural advantage Strathcona County uniquely owns,” said Strathcona County Mayor Rod Frank. “We have taken the time to listen carefully to design a space that meets a variety of hosting needs." 

Redwater RCMP have arrested and charged a man with arson in connection to the fire that broke out over the weekend.

On July 2 police responded to a residence after reports of an intoxicated person who was causing a disturbance. The suspect was located outside a business in the area and arrested for theft.

During the arrest police noticed a fire at an adjacent building and were told by witnesses that the arrested suspect had started the fire.

Leduc RCMP Drug Unit have seized over 30 cartons of illegal cigarettes. 

Police began an investigation into drug trafficking in the area back in April. As a result, Mounties executed a search warrant in the West Haven Terrace area.

Police seized 33 cartons of illegal cigarettes, and small portions of meth, cocaine, and psilocybin. 

Simon Nathan, a 57-year-old resident of Leduc, was arrested and charged with selling unpackaged tobacco.

Nathan was released from custody with a court appearance set for late July at the Leduc provincial courthouse.

A blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) health advisory has been issued by Alberta Health Services (AHS) for a nearby lake.

AHS issued the advisory in late June after the algae was spotted at Astotin Lake in Elk Island National Park.

Blue-green algae occurs naturally during calm and warmer weather, usually between July and September. Health risks caused by blue-green algae exposure include:

The planet's temperature spiked on Tuesday to its hottest day in at least 44 years and likely much longer, and Wednesday could become the third straight day Earth unofficially marks a record-breaking high, the latest in a series of climate-change extremes that alarm but don't surprise scientists.

Canadians eligible for the GST credit are expected to receive a special payment today to help with the rising cost of groceries.  

The payment, which the Liberal government is calling the grocery rebate, was promised in the spring budget to help Canadians cope with food inflation.

The Canada Revenue Agency says approximately 11 million Canadians will receive the additional money alongside the regular GST credit payment.