FortSask

Health Canada says some manufacturers of kids' pain and fever medications are now operating "at double or triple their normal volumes" in an effort to address a months-long shortage. 

Chief medical adviser Dr. Supriya Sharma said in a press briefing Friday the government is working with the industry to address the supply crunch ahead of flu season.

There's a growing concern over the need for more veterinarians in rural areas, especially for large animals.

The challenge is not only trying to get people involved in the industry, but also in trying to get them to set up their practice in rural areas and focus on livestock production.

Manitoba has announced plans to address their shortage of rural vets.

The government has reached an agreement with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM) at the University of Saskatchewan to include another five students from Manitoba for 2023-24.

Thanksgiving weekend is always a busy time with family and friends.

A time to gather, share memories and give thanks.

Darren Ference, Chair of the Turkey Farmers of Canada says it's also the time of year when a lot of people will be sitting down to enjoy a traditional turkey dinner.

The long weekend is here, but is it safe to light up a backyard fire? 

Even though the temperatures in the region are slowly dropping there is still a fire restriction in place for Strathcona County. 

This is due to a lack of rain in recent months which has led to dry conditions. Under the restriction, recreational fires are still allowed as long as they are covered with a screen and at least three metres away from combustible material. 

Cooking a Thanksgiving turkey can be risky if you don't know what you're doing. 

Alberta Health Services (AHS) is encouraging people to take the time to make sure they are following the proper steps. 

They have provided the following tips to make sure your Thanksgiving feast stays disease-free. 

Strathcona County RCMP is warning the public of a rise in scam calls. 

The specific scam, which has been reported 13 times in the area recently, involves scammers calling elderly victims and convincing them that their grandchild has been arrested and that they need to pay for their bail. 

Most times the scammer would ask for $6000 or more and would then send a courier to collect or ask the victim to send the money to a bank account. 

A member of James Smith Cree Nation was wrongfully accused by RCMP of killing an individual during the stabbing attacks last month in the community and in the nearby village of Weldon, Sask. 

Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore said evidence shows Damien Sanderson did not kill anyone during the rampage and was killed by his own brother.

Blackmore said Myles Sanderson killed Damien Sanderson and 10 others on Sept. 4. Eighteen people were injured. 

"Myles Sanderson committed all of the homicides alone," Blackmore said Thursday. 

Danielle Smith has won the United Conservative Party (UCP) leadership race.

Smith captured 53.8 per cent of votes on the final ballot and will be Alberta's next premier.

"I'm back!" the former leader of the Wildrose Party said in her acceptance speech.

Travis Toews finished second with 46.2 per cent of the vote. 

Smith will become Alberta's 19th premier, she replaces Jason Kenney who held the role for three years. 

According to the UCP, about 82,000 mail-in and in-person votes were cast. 

We have a raccoon sighting!

In a social post, city resident Ragan Suderman shared some pictures of the rodents from her house in Old Fort Saskatchewan. 

Suderman's footage shows three raccoons from early Wednesday morning (Oct.5).

While rare, and most active at night, the rodents are spotted from time to time in the area.

Raccoons feed on both vegetation and meat. Some of their favourites include fruits, nuts, amphibians, insects, rodents and bird eggs. At times, they've been known to scavenge human trash and snack on roadkill.

Even more farmers are recycling their used plastic containers this year, as Cleanfarm is continuing its recycling program.

Cleanfarm is a stewardship organization that operates across Canada. In the prairies, they work with around 800 collection sites to help out with operations.

The results from their latest news release show that more and more recyclables are being sent into the program.

Director of Stakeholder Relations and Policy Kim Timmer says that this year was their highest ever.