FortSask

A fundraising auction and concert during Ag in Motion  raised nearly $300,000 for STARS.

The Field of STARS gala has raised more than $1.7 million dollars since 2018.

This years event featured Juno and CCMA award winning recording artist Jess Moskaluke and Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Major.

Show Manager Rob O'Conner says the agriculture sector recognizes the vital role STARS plays for farmers and producers. 

Agriculture Minister Nate Horner is at the Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Agriculture Minister's Conference in Saskatoon this week. 

He's cautiously optimistic heading into the discussions around the next ag policy framework. 

"We've been a long ways apart on a few things, some things the provinces desperately want to see in the deal. We haven't had any of those formal talks yet, but we're still optimistic. We're hearing rumblings from the Federal Minister's team that some of our conditions may be able to be reached."

The Parole Board of Canada has granted the trucker who caused the deadly Humboldt Broncos bus crash day parole for six months. 

Following an emotional, seven-hour hearing at Bowden Institution on Wednesday, the two-member board panel said Jaskirat Singh Sidhu will get full parole after those six months if he follows all conditions, including no contact with the families of the victims. 

Sidhu was sentenced to eight years after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving charges for the 2018 crash that killed 16 and injured 13. 

Canada's annual inflation rate spiked to 8.1 per cent in June according to new data from Statistics Canada (Stats Can). It's the largest yearly change in 39 years.

The climbing inflation rate came largely from gas prices, which were up over 50 per cent when compared to a year ago, Stats Can says in its report on Wednesday (July 20).

Excluding the cost of gasoline, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the country was up by 6.5 per cent.

It's championship time for the Fort Saskatchewan Junior Rebels lacrosse club. 

According to Dave McGarva, Rebels general manager, the team is young, and the season has been up and down, but nonetheless successful for the group. The Jr. Rebels finished the regular season third in the North division with a 10-win, 10-loss record.  

Ashley Rosenow has donated a custom mural to the hospice wing at the Rivercrest Care Centre in Fort Saskatchewan.

Rosenow, the owner of the design company Illustrious Interiors, was contacted by The Heartland Community Hospice Foundation to do the mural prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hospice foundation decided to go with a landscape image related to Fort Saskatchewan. 

“They were hoping to have something that was really peaceful looking,” said Rosenow.

Lamont County has renamed three roads to honour the original Ukrainian settlers of the area. 

County resident Lorraine Pullishy-Aas advocated to council to have the roads renamed; after reviewing her application, they confirmed that all the policies needed to make the changes were approved.

“To me, the roots of our family and Ukrainian culture are very important to maintain,” said Pullishy-Aas. 

The following roads have been renamed:

Alberta NDP health critic David Shepherd says ambulances in Edmonton-area communities are spending more time in the capital city than their home base. 

According to Alberta Health Services data acquired through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIP) request, there were 13 “Red Alerts” in Edmonton, totaling about 20 minutes in May 2019. In May 2022, there were 859 “Red Alerts”, totaling 24 hours and 42 minutes. 

Federal, Provincial, and Territorial Agriculture ministers are meeting in Saskatoon this week.

The clock is ticking to finalize the next Ag Policy Framework with current programs set to expire March 31, 2023.

Federal Agriculture Minister Marie Claude Bibeau says the discussions are moving forward in the right direction.

"I'm hopeful that we will reach a consensus for the cost share portion of the new partnership agreement, in the way that will reach the objectives that we have jointly agreed to (in the Guelph Statement)."

A parole hearing is scheduled to take place today for a former truck driver who caused the deadly Humboldt Broncos bus crash.

Jaskirat Singh Sidhu was sentenced to eight years after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving charges for the 2018 crash that killed 16 and injured 13.

Singh went through a stop sign at a rural Saskatchewan intersection and drove into the path of the junior hockey team's bus as it was on its way to a playoff game.

Sidhu, who has been serving his sentence at a prison in Bowden, Alta., is asking to be released pending possible deportation.