FortSask

A wave of high-profile cyberattacks has recently hit hospitals, businesses and organizations in Ontario, including the LCBO this week and Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children and Scouts Canada in December.

The Canadian Press spoke with cybersecurity experts about whether cyberattacks are on the rise, why they are happening, and what people and businesses can do to protect themselves.

Are cyberattacks happening more often?

The RCMP have released a few more details regarding an assault that occurred last Saturday (Jan. 7). 

At about 8 a.m. that morning, police were called to the area of Highway 831 between Township Road 560 and Highway 29 just north of Lamont. 

Upon arriving they discovered a 46-year-old man on the road beside a vehicle. Emergency Services responded to the man and transported him to the hospital. 

Corporal Troy Savinkoff says the man was a resident of the Sherwood Park area and is in critical condition at the hospital. 

The City of Fort Saskatchewan wants to know what residents have to think about indoor recreation.

On the week of Jan. 9, households were delivered a postcard with a unique access code for a survey. The survey asks about the community's indoor recreation needs, including arenas, the Dow Centennial Centre, and Harbour Pool.

Students at Gibbons School are getting an up-close opportunity at the life cycle of fish. 

The school recently applied for the provincial Fish in Schools program which gives students the chance to raise Rainbow Trout from the egg stage to the fry stage. 

The program comes with a grant that supplies 65 Rainbow Trout eggs collected from the Bow River as well as the proper tank to raise the fish. 

A local mentorship program is helping to create meaningful friendships 

Brent Porteous, a Fort Saskatchewan correctional officer, has been volunteering at the local BGC for the last three years.

Born in Ontario, Porteous used to volunteer in the Big Brother program. After moving to Fort Saskatchewan, he wanted to see if there were any local programs similar to what he had in Ontario.

He found out about the BGC and their mentorship program after purchasing a house in Fort Saskatchewan three years ago.

Local Girl Guides members are very excited about their new change. 

Back in November, the organization announced that they would explore renaming their Brownies program in an attempt to make racialized girls feel more welcome. The program encompasses the Girl Guides branch of girls between the ages of seven and eight. 

Federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said Thursday the Liberal government is "not hiding" from the travel debacle that unfolded over the holidays, while airline executives largely blamed the chaos on Mother Nature. 

Members of the House of Commons transport committee spent the day grilling corporate and government officials on who bears responsibility for one of the most hectic travel seasons in memory — and how a repeat can be prevented.

A First Nation in Saskatchewan says ground-penetrating radar has discovered more than 2,000 areas of interest and a child's bone was separately found at the site of one of the longest-running residential schools in the country.

Star Blanket Cree Nation Chief Michael Starr said Thursday it shows the harsh truth of what happened within the walls of the Qu’Appelle Indian Residential School.

“It was unthinkable. It was profound. It was sad. It was hurtful," Starr said Thursday. "And it made us very angry what had happened to our young people here."

There was a smaller pea crop on the prairies last year.

Peas are a popular crop in farmer rotations, as the nitrogen left behind from a pulse crop is beneficial to the next crop.

Market Analyst Chuck Penner with LeftField Commodity Research says the smaller green pea crop last year was a good rebound from 2021 and allowed the market to move a little above yellow peas.

He says that's keeping the market somewhat supported.

The Fort Saskatchewan Community Band have played their way into January's Half Grand Helping Hand. 

The band, which includes players of all skill levels, took home the $500 prize for this month. 

Cathy Williamson, who serves as the treasurer of the band, was on hand to accept the prize at South Fort Chev on Thursday morning (Jan. 12). 

"We're putting that money toward our percussion department," said Williamson. "We've got some equipment that needs to be repaired and we're hoping to acquire some new instrumentation to fill out the band."