FortSask

A national freeze on importing, buying, selling or otherwise transferring handguns is a central feature of firearm-control legislation tabled Monday by the federal Liberals.

The measure does not ban handguns outright, allowing current owners to continue to possess and use them, but seeks to cap the number already in Canada.

"This is a concrete and real national measure that will go a long way towards keeping Canadians safe," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a news conference in Ottawa.

Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville MLA Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk has taken up recent comments about her expense claims.

According to official expense reports, Armstrong-Homeniuk billed $50,967 in 2020/2021 and $50,014 in the last fiscal year. Expenses included 49,851 kilometres of travel in 2020/2021 and 49,029 kilometres last year, in addition to claiming the maximum living expense allowance of $23,180 for a residence in Edmonton.

The current reimbursement rate for MLAs in Alberta is 50.5 cents per kilometre.

Dr. Calvin Howard says he first gained interest in the medical field during a science class at Fort Saskatchewan High School. 

"The first time I got exposed to the brain and was genuinely interested in something that we were being taught about was in my Grade 11 biology class with Shaun Grainger. [He was] teaching about neuroscience," said Howard.

"He was a great teacher. Super, super energized and got all the kids very involved. That's kind of where I caught the bug."

A Metis Fort Saskatchewan artist is happy to have her artwork displayed for public enjoyment. 

Angela Hebert was the adult visual artist selected for 2022 as part of Fort Saskatchewan’s Art in Public Places program. Her piece, Angels Among Us, is a beaded work on deer hide she started in the wake of 215 unmarked graves discovered at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in the summer of 2021.  

Police have located two missing girls. 

13-year-old Jay-Lynne Cochrane of Sturgeon County and 15-year-old Tyre Marie Danais of High Prairie were reported missing Sunday (May 29) but have since been located, according to RCMP.

"Thank you to the public for your assistance in this matter," RCMP said in a release.

Highway 15 east of Fort Saskatchewan was closed due to a collision.

Alberta 511 said both directions of traffic were closed on the highway near Range Road 213.

The incident was first posted on Sunday (May 29) at 8:15 a.m. — police and emergency cleared the incident in the afternoon.

More to come…

PST amendment changes were announced last week for multiple items in the agriculture sector, which the province is hoping will make the tax more equitable for the industry.

Some of the items included in the exemption were windbreaker panels, insulators for electrified livestock fences, and certain farm equipment attached to a registered vehicle.

Others were also made exempt retroactively back to 2016 and that included items like water and other liquid storage tanks, adjuvants, portable seed cleaners, and farm tractors.

The Morinville RCMP say a missing 26-year-old woman has been found safe.

Samantha Auigbelle of the Alexander First Nation was reported missing after she was last seen leaving her home on foot last week. Police issued a statement Saturday (May 28) evening confirming Auigbelle had been located.

“Thank you to the public for your assistance in this matter,” RCMP wrote.

A man suspected of violently attacking a woman in Fort Saskatchewan has been arrested after being on the run for a week.

RCMP say Jason Hipson was arrested Friday (May 27) evening without incident near a gas station on Palisades way in Sherwood Park. 

Two Fort Sask Falcons were selected to play in this year's Football Alberta Bantam Showcase. 

Mason Hillyard and Ashley McMaster were chosen to play in the showcase under the Edmonton Wildcats sponsored team.

Hillyard earned a starting spot at linebacker, helping their team win 22-2 against the Edmonton Huskies sponsored team.