FortSask

Since packing up a small suitcase and leaving her home in Ukraine with her six-year-old son, Iryna Mishyna has found solace in helping other families in similar situations find some stability.

Her own situation, however, is still less than certain.

The 35-year-old was granted a temporary visa to work in Canada while she seeks refuge from the war, but her son Nikita is one of nearly 279,000 Ukrainians whose applications are still waiting for a response.

A key topic of discussion at farm meetings over the last few weeks has been the insect forecast.

The Prairie Pest Network released the provincial insect forecast maps this week.

During Alberta's Agronomy Update insect technologist with Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation Dr Shelley Barkley told producers that not only did grasshoppers increase in numbers in 2022, but also in area.

You can start watching for grasshoppers in May or June in areas where we saw lots of them in 2022. 

It's looking like we are in for some up-and-down weather this Family Day long weekend. 

According to Environment Canada meteorologist Kyle Fougere, the weekend will have a warm start.

"We are having temperatures that are a little bit above normal, which is kind of nice here in February," said Fougere. "Typically, this time of year we see a high of  -3 C, and a low of -12 C."

The forecast expects daytime highs in the positives on Saturday and Sunday.

Alberta Health Services (AHS) announced that the Shigella outbreak that impacted Edmonton's inner-city population is over.

The outbreak was declared last summer. Over several months, 206 people were diagnosed with Shigella, with 139 of those people requiring hospitalization.

At one point, the population of infected individuals doubled in less than a month. 

With no cases reported in the last two weeks, AHS has declared the outbreak over, but they do expect to see sporadic cases appear in the months to come.

Strathcona County has opened up nominations for the 2023 Awards of Excellence.

Residents have until March 27 to nominate those who give back to the community and diversify the local economy. The award ceremony will then take place at Festival Place on June 1.

A local curler will be taking part in this year's national men's curling championship, the Tim Hortons Brier.

Hosted in London, Ontario, the nine-day event features the best curlers from around the country, including Sherwood Park's own Brendan Bottcher.

Bottcher has been in the game a long time, winning the World Junior Curling Championships in 2012. He skips for one of the wild card teams in the Brier.

Bottcher had actually formed a new team in 2022 consisting of former Olympians Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert.

Family Day has been a recognized holiday in Alberta for over 30 years as a day to celebrate family values, and communities around the area are gearing up events to help people get out and about. 

Here is a list of ways to spend your Family Day: 

Fort Saskatchewan 

Fort is hosting their first Winterfest since 2019 at the Fort Heritage Precinct Grounds on Monday (Feb. 20) from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Harbour Pool is also hosting a free swim on Monday from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The Weston Family Foundation has announced  $10 million in funding to help promote more adaptive and resilient agricultural lands in Canada.

Research shows that improving soil health on farmland is one of the largest and most immediate ways to improve biodiversity and mitigate climate change.

Healthy soil organic matter helps to improve water retention, supports carbon sequestration, and makes agro-ecosystems more resilient and better able to recover and adapt to environmental stresses such as drought and floods.

An audit commissioned by the federal government has found that Hockey Canada did not use public funds to settle sexual assault cases or pay for related legal fees.

Sport Minister Pascale St-Onge called for the audit in June after media reported that Hockey Canada had settled a $3.55 million sexual assault lawsuit. She requested the investigation to ensure that public funds had only been used to support amateur hockey.

The new superintendent for Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) has been announced.

EIPS' Board of Trustees appointed Sandra Stoddard as the division's new superintendent and chief executive officer. Her first day on the job is Canada Day. 

Stoddard currently serves as associate superintendent of support for students at EIPS, a job she's had for the last six years.