FortSask

A key research announcement coming out of Saskatchewan will benefit producers across the prairies.

Agriculture Minister David Marit announced a total of $17.6 million in crop-related research in 2023.

The Girl Guides of Canada have renamed the Brownies to Embers.

It came down to two choices voted on by current and past members with the other choice being Comets. 

The organization says the reason for the change is so racialized girls can feel welcome.

It did however create controversy right across the country with many saying the decision was 'too woke'.

The change takes effect immediately however it won't be fully adopted until September 1 as it will take time to get everything changed over.

It's been a big year for Sherwood Park Paralympian Lisa DeJong.

In 2022, DeJong became the first Canadian to win silver in para snowboarding at the Paralympic Winter Games. She was also awarded a Strathcona County Award of Excellence later in the year.

DeJong had her left leg amputated just below the knee when she was three years old. Growing up in a ski family, she eventually branched out into snowboarding. In 2019, at 29 years old, DeJong began to compete professionally.

One of the worst cases of extreme speed from 2022 was in our own backyard. 

In a recent release sent out to highlight the work of Alberta Sheriffs, an incident involving a 25-year-old man travelling 203 km/h in a 100 km/h zone on Highway 21 just outside of Sherwood Park was reported.

The exact date of the incident and the punishment for the offender was not disclosed. 

This was just one of many cases that were handled by Alberta Sheriffs in their first year with expanded authorities. 

The Do More Agriculture Foundation will look at better understanding the state of mental health awareness, educational offerings, and resource delivery in the Canadian ag sector.

The overall goal is to identify current gaps in mental health resources for the industry as a whole, and more specifically the gaps that exist for traditionally underrepresented and marginalized groups.

They'll be collaborating with Wilton Consulting Group, Openly, and Psychotherapist Bonnie Taylor to conduct: workshops, an environmental scan, key informant interviews, surveys, and focus groups.

The Dow Centennial Centre (DCC) has made changes to its hours on statutory holidays.

Before the New Year, the DCC was closed for all stat holidays. This included days such as Easter, Family Day, and Thanksgiving. 

Starting on Jan. 2, the DCC is now open on most stat holidays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

However, the DCC will still be closed for some holidays. These days include:

Plans for an extensive transit expansion that would have connected Fort Saskatchewan to the surrounding communities have been shot down by Edmonton. 

During budget deliberations last month, Edmonton city council decided to withdraw as a member of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Transit Services Commission (EMRTSC). This led to the commission announcing in early January that they planned on winding down operations. 

A Nelson, B.C., police officer who died in an avalanche earlier this week is being remembered as a gentle man who looked out for those who were new to the force.

Const. Wade Tittemore, 43, died Monday while off-duty, skiing with a colleague just north of Kaslo, B.C.

Nelson police Chief Donovan Fisher said Tuesday that Tittemore will be missed terribly in the small force of 20 officers.

Fisher called Tittemore a hard worker, a skilled officer and a dedicated family man who was a mentor and example to many junior officers.

Are Fort Saskatchewan residents getting a good deal on gas? 

The Alberta government recently suspended the provincial fuel tax and touted that people could save up to 13 cents per litre at the gas tanks. 

Fort Saskatchewan gas prices have seemingly been affected, moving from an average of $1.23 a litre before Christmas to an average of $1.18 per litre in early January. 

So, how do these prices stack up as compared to others? 

A collision near Morinville was causing delays. 

On Tuesday (Jan. 10) afternoon, RCMP responded to a multi-vehicle crash on Highway 2 near Township Road 564 just north of Morinville. 

Emergency crews closed the highway for a time but everything is now clear. 

No information on the nature of the collision or if any injuries were sustained has been released. 

More to come...