FortSask

The McIntyre Ranch located south of Lethbridge is 130 years old and is one of the largest private landholdings in Canada.

The 22,000-hectare property is home to more than 150 species of plants and animals.

Grasslands are one of the most threatened and least protected ecosystems worldwide. 

This week is Native Prairie Appreciation Week, stats show that over 80 per cent of native prairies in Canada and around the world have been lost.

Here in Canada the vast majority of honey bee colonies (about 67 percent) are located in the prairies where 80 percent of the country's honey is produced.

Dr  Stephen Pernal, the National Lead for Apiculture Research program at AAFC's Honeybee research centre at Beaver Lodge (Alberta) says bees play an important role in agriculture.

A definitive opening date for the Lion's Pool on 104 Street in Fort Saskatchewan has been announced.

According to Shelly Brown with the Fort Saskatchewan Lions Club, the pool will open to the public starting July 3.

The reason for opening after Canada Day is due to funding and their staff.

"Because we have students that work for us, we have to wait until they're done school," said Brown.

Many residents may notice a mural painted on the pool back in 2022 by Robert Murray, who added an underwater aesthetic to the exterior of the pool.

The new and improved Transfer and Eco Station in Fort Saskatchewan is officially open.

On Thursday (June 22) morning, city officials met at the station for a presentation and tour of the new facility, paved with recycled asphalt.

Construction on the project began in August of 2021 with a budget of $4.27 million. 

"We've increased the size of the site from approximately 8,500 square metres to 14,700 square metres," said Sadie Miller, waste program supervisor with the city. "There's ample space to move around and safely collect bins."

A catastrophic implosion ripped apart the Titan submersible, killing all five people aboard as it was descending to the bottom of the North Atlantic during an expedition to the wreck of the Titanic, a U.S. Coast Guard official said Thursday. 

Several pieces of the minivan-size craft, including parts of its carbon-fibre hull, were found in a debris field on an otherwise clear section of the ocean floor, about 500 metres from the bow of the sunken luxury liner, Rear Admiral John Mauger, commander of First Coast Guard District in Boston, told reporters.

The Treaty 6 flag will now be a permanent fixture at Morinville Town Hall. 

The town held a ceremony on Wednesday (June 21) to raise the flag and commemorate National Indigenous Peoples Day. 

"We are proud to demonstrate our commitment to, and importance of our Indigenous neighbours, by flying the Treaty 6 flag year-round at Town Hall," said the town in a Facebook post. 

Mayor Simon Boersma was joined by the town council as well as Alexander First Nation Chief Arcand Jr for the ceremony. 

The search for a submersible carrying five people took a grim turn Thursday as the U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that a “debris field” was discovered by a remotely operated vehicle near the wreck of the Titanic.

The brief coast guard statement said experts were evaluating the find, but no other details were released.

The submersible Titan, operated by U.S.-based OceanGate Expeditions, lost contact with surface vessels on Sunday morning as it was nearing the famous shipwreck during a 3,800-metre dive that usually takes about two hours.

A COVID-19 memorial is coming to Strathcona County. 

At Tuesday's (June 20) council meeting it was decided that a memorial would be constructed to remember the people that lost their lives during the pandemic. 

"We were just looking at a way to recognize some of the hardships, challenges, and people we lost in Strathcona County due to the pandemic," said Diane Yanch, the acting director of recreation, parks, and culture for the county. "This was one way we can do that." 

The Federal Government has announced the next steps in a sustainable approach to pesticide management. 

Two years ago they paused the evaluation reviews on the maximum residue limits (MRL's) for pesticides.

Following consultation with stakeholders to better understand Canadians’ expectations about the pesticide regulatory review process and its transparency, Health Canada has restarted the science-based process of evaluating acceptable increases to pesticide residue limits, in line with international guidelines. 

Bakery giant Canada Bread Co. has been fined $50 million after pleading guilty to its role in a criminal price-fixing scheme that inflated the price of bread in Canada for years. 

It's the highest price-fixing fine ever imposed by a Canadian court, Competition Bureau Canada said Wednesday.

The settlement is a significant milestone in the competition watchdog's ongoing investigation into alleged bread price-fixing in Canada. 

It comes as record food prices fuel consumer discontent with Canada's food industry and fan distrust of grocers.