FortSask

Weather warnings remain in place across the country as major storms continue to dump snow and freezing rain on Quebec, Ontario and B.C., and batter the Atlantic provinces with heavy rain and powerful winds.

Hundreds of thousands of customers have been left without power in the final hours before Christmas, with hydro crews working around the clock to get the lights back on.

A Hydro-Quebec spokesman said about 1,000 workers were repairing power lines to restore electricity to approximately 355,256 customers as of early Saturday morning.

What was Christmas like in Fort Saskatchewan over 140 years ago?

While the Fort's first Christmas in 1875 isn't documented, a journal entry by Fred Bagley a year later highlights some of the festivities. 

According to officials from the Fort Heritage Precinct, Bagley was one of the original 20 North West Mounted Police (NWMP) members to start the area's fort. Bagley would've arrived at the same time as Inspector William D. Jarvis. 

Local police want to make sure everyone is safe over the holidays. 

The holiday season tends to be a time when people let their guard down a bit, making them more vulnerable to theft. 

Crime prevention is important during the season, especially when packages with gifts and cards have the chance to be stolen.

A Morinville man is facing charges of child luring and sexual assault. Police say there could be more than 100 victims.

On Tuesday (Dec. 20), the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit said Imesh Ratnayake, a 21-year-old man from Morinville, has 18 charges laid against him for child luring and sexual assault.

Ratnayake was first arrested back in July for the same charges involving six children. 

A local darts celebrity is back home after a European trip. 

13-year-old Jaxson Danis was in the Netherlands earlier this month to take part in the World Dart Masters tournament. 

Jaxson, who has a fear of flying, said that it was a bit of a stressful start to the trip. 

"I watched movies the whole time," Jaxson said. "We lost our luggage on the flight." 

The family landed in Amsterdam on a Tuesday (Dec. 6) but wasn't able to get reunited with all their luggage until that Friday (Dec. 9). 

Being outside this past week has been nearly unbearable, but things are looking a lot better for Christmas. 

Today (Dec. 23) is expected to be the last day in a while that will have heavy windchills in the -30 C range. 

Christmas Eve is looking a lot more manageable, with a daytime high climbing to -15 C with a chance of snow in the morning to help get you into the festive spirit. 

There is a good chance that snow continues into Sunday (Dec. 25). The daytime high for the big day is looking like -13 C with a mix of sun and cloud. 

With the holiday season just around the corner, Canada Post is busier than ever. 

Delivery agents are bustling around streets, making sure holiday cards, letters, and parcels reach the right people. 

With the harsh winter elements posing a safety risk, Canada Post is reminding homeowners to do their part by keeping a clear and safe path to their homes.

Removing snow and ice from walkways, stairs, and the path leading to your mailbox are just some of the ways to help keep delivery agents safe. 

A major winter storm bearing down on Ontario and Quebec cancelled flights, closed schools and threatened widespread power outages Friday, with an Environment Canada meteorologist warning of a possible once-in-a-decade weather event. 

Environment Canada predicted strong winds, heavy snowfall and possible flash freezing, issuing winter storm warnings for most of Ontario and Quebec. 

"We may only see one of these storms every five or 10 years," said Environment Canada meteorologist Mitch Meredith. "I've only seen a couple of storms like this in the last 20 years." 

It should come as no surprise that over time pastures and hay yields can start to decline.

There are a number of reasons for that decline from nitrogen loss, to environmental conditions like drought, low-productivity soils or grazing management strategies.

With the rising costs of land and fertilizer prices, climate conditions and more, it's important for producers to recover the productivity of the land.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is heading to Jamaica after Christmas for a one-week vacation with his immediate family.

The Prime Minister's Office says Trudeau will remain in constant contact with Ottawa during the trip and continue to be briefed and updated on issues.

The PMO also says it checked with the federal ethics commissioner in advance of the travel to make sure it follows guidelines.

Trudeau had been found in violation of conflict-of-interest rules in 2017 after a 2016 vacation he took to the Aga Khan's private island in the Bahamas.