FortSask

The mayor of a Mexican city caught up in a wave of drug cartel violence last week wasted little time reassuring Canadians and other foreign visitors that his city is safe for travellers.

Edgar Gonzalez, in a video posted online by the City of Mazatlán, strolled through his city's historic centre on Friday, shaking hands and posing for pictures with tourists.

From the frosty throes of a Canadian winter, the land of conquistadors and Frida Kahlo can seem a million miles away. 

But that's not the way North American diplomats, trade experts and business leaders see it — and they hope the continent's leaders have a similar vision as the so-called "Three Amigos" gather this week in Mexico City. 

"The potential for North America is immense," said Eric Farnsworth, the former Clinton-era White House official who now leads the D.C. office of the Council of the Americas and the Americas Society.

A made-in-Alberta film is topping the Netflix charts.

Let Him Go starring Kevin Costner and Diane Lane was the number one Netflix film in Canada prior to the weekend.

The film tells the story of a retired couple who recently lost their son and must rescue their young grandson from his abusive stepfather.

Scenes were shot in locations such as Calgary, High River, Drumheller, Fort Macleod, Didsbury and Bragg Creek in 2019. The movie was released in November of 2020.

Another Fort Saskatchewan World Junior gold medalist is changing WHL teams. 

On Sunday (Jan. 8) night, the Everett Silvertips traded Olen Zellweger to the Kamloops Blazers in exchange for a large return that included four players and 10 draft picks. 

The full trade breaks down as such: 

If you've been near the Rotary Amphitheater lately, you may have noticed an interesting new addition to the area. 

An ice sculpture featuring Fort Saskatchewan's logo has been put up right beside the ice slides. 

Jenelle Hart, parks services manager with the city, said that the slide was put together by Edmonton-based ice sculptors.

"We sent over a vector file to Ice on Whyte. They're the company who constructed the ice slide for us," Hart said.

Colton Dach has become a local celebrity. 

The former Fort Saskatchewan Ranger and now Canadian World Junior gold medalist, was at the JRC on Saturday (Jan. 7) to take in a U18 AAA Rangers game. 

Dach took part in a ceremonial face-off before the game and hung out with eager fans in the concourse, signing autographs and taking photos. Some were even lucky enough to hold Dach’s gold medal. 

It was a moment that Dach was happy to be a part of. 

Fresh off winning gold at the 2023 World Junior Championships, Colton Dach will now be suiting up for a different WHL team for the rest of the season. 

Dach was involved in a trade on Saturday (Jan. 7) morning that saw the Kelowna Rockets move the Fort Saskatchewan native to the Seattle Thunderbirds in exchange for Ty Hurley, Ethan Mittelsteadt, a first-round draft pick in 2024 and two conditional draft picks.

The deal comes days before the WHL trade deadline on Tuesday (Jan. 10). 

Fort Saskatchewan RCMP responded to a serious assault that seemingly occurred near a highway.

On Saturday (Jan. 7) morning at about 8:25 a.m., police were called to Highway 831 between Township Road 560 and Highway 29. 

Upon arriving at the location near Lamont, they found a man on the highway beside a vehicle. 

Emergency services responded and transported the man to the hospital with undetermined injuries. 

RCMP remained on the scene for several hours as they investigated. The road is now open. 

More to come...

Those looking to get some quick and easy winter fun now have another option to choose from. 

The Cardiff Park skating trail is now open for all ages to enjoy in Sturgeon County. 

The trail opened up back on December 20 and includes two looping trails that people can skate on. They also have a more traditional ice surface that can be used for more leisurely skates. 

The trail will be open every day from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. 

Darkness shouldn't be a problem as lights turn on at 4 p.m. every afternoon to make things that much better. 

The federal government says 1.8 million Canadians travelled to Mexico in 2022. Some of the more popular tourist spots include Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, Mazatlan, Playa Del Carman and Puerto Vallarta.

Travel agents say direct flights from many locations and all-inclusive resorts are a major draw.

But, like other travel, it's not without risks.