FortSask

An initial report that six houses were affected by a fire early Sunday morning (Oct. 16) has been updated to eight. 

Emergency services were called to a blaze in Waterford Court at around 4:30 a.m.

"The back side of the building was completely engulfed when the fire department got on scene," the City of Fort Saskatchewan said in a Facebook post.

No injuries or fatalities have been reported. 

The cause is still under investigation. 

Emergency services responded to a fire in Woodsmere Close early Sunday (Oct. 16) morning. 

The City of Fort Saskatchewan says at least eight townhouses were affected. 

Gary is a Waterford Court resident who lives several doors down from where the fire began. He and his wife were at home when the blaze started.

"I looked out my window and saw all the trucks," he said. "From what I understand it was burning for half an hour at least before I realized it was burning."

A fire tore through multiple townhouses in Woodsmere Close. 

At around 4:30 a.m. on Sunday (Oct. 16), emergency services responded to a 911 call regarding a structure fire.

Eight homes have been affected by the blaze. 

"The Fort Saskatchewan Fire Department continues to work and we are asking the public to remain clear of the area to give emergency services workers room to work," RCMP said in a release. 

The cause of the fire remains under investigation; no injuries are known at this time. 

As of 3 p.m., Woodsmere Close is open to traffic. 

Redwater RCMP has laid a variety of charges on a man and woman. 

In late September, police were called to a rural property after reports that unknown individuals were damaging a cattle pasture gate and staying in a stolen camper on the property. 

Upon investigation, RCMP say they found a man and woman in the camper who attempted to flee when approached. 

Their escape was foiled after they backed into a tree and became stuck.

The commander of the Canadian Armed Forces is calling on the country to rally behind its military as it faces an unprecedented personnel crisis that he says is threatening its ability to protect and defend Canada.

“We’re here to defend our way of life, now and into the future,” chief of the defence staff Gen. Wayne Eyre said. “So we need a whole-of-society effort to help us bring the Armed Forces back to where it needs to be for the dangerous world ahead.”

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating two officer-involved shootings in the area.

The first shooting was just after 3 a.m. on Oct. 10. A Strathcona County RCMP officer was conducting patrols on Highway 16 near Ardrossan when the officer noticed a white BMW SUV with a stolen license plate.

Inside the vehicle was two people -- a man driving, and a female sitting in the passenger seat. When the officer ordered them to leave the vehicle, one of the occupants shot at the officer. 

Alberta RCMP handed out over 2,500 tickets this Thanksgiving long weekend, but how many of those were in Fort Saskatchewan?

RCMP says that 18 tickets were handed out to speeders in Fort Saskatchewan. One driver was even caught with a suspended license and had their car impounded. However, not a single impaired driver was pulled over the entire long weekend.

In fact, between Fort Saskatchewan, Strathcona County, and Morinville, only a single person was charged with impaired driving.

Sherwood Park can add another NHL player to their list. 

Defenseman Kaiden Guhle, who was born and raised in the community, has cracked the opening roster for the Montreal Canadiens for the 2022/2023 NHL season. 

He made his NHL debut during Montreal's home opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday (Oct. 12). 

Guhle played on Montreal's top defensive pairing alongside veteran David Savard. Despite it being his debut, Guhle led both teams in ice time with just over 22 minutes. 

The inquiry into the federal government's use of the Emergencies Act is expected to hear first-hand testimony about the impact February's "Freedom Convoy" protest had on the people and businesses in downtown Ottawa. 

The first six witnesses are expected to give their testimony Friday. 

- Ottawa lawyer Victoria De La Ronde is the first witness on the list. 

-- Zexi Li is the 21-year-old public servant who filed a class-action lawsuit against Freedom Convoy organizers and participants on behalf of her fellow downtown Ottawa residents.

It's the end of an era for a building in Morinville. 

In late September, the Town of Morinville approved the sale of the building that was formally the site of 'The Zoo' bar and hotel with a condition to demolish it. 

The building came under town ownership earlier this year through tax forfeiture. 

Tracy Dalzell-Heise, manager of communications and legislative services for Morinville, says the property could be sold without a motion from the town council. 

"The sale price was based on the appraised value that it received," said Dalzell-Heise.