Canadian forest fire centre responds to unprecedented wildfire season

Weather maps hang on the walls and precipitation reports flash across screens in the Winnipeg office where major decisions about Canada’s battle against an unprecedented wildfire season are made. 

Inside the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre headquarters in Manitoba’s capital, just east of the exact longitudinal centre of Canada, there are discussions on how best to battle blazes from coast to coast.

“It's definitely an unprecedented season," Jennifer Kamau, communications manager for the centre, said Tuesday.

Fort Sask Pride Week holds added significance this year

Fort Saskatchewan's Pride Week holds a bit of added significance this year. 

With the week officially getting underway on Friday (June 9) with a flag raising at Families First, organizers are expecting a week of celebration among a year that saw some concerning developments take place across the world. 

"This year for sure has been difficult across North America and the world," said Lauren Reid, the chair of the Fort Sask Pride Committee. "[There has] been a lot of changes and attacks on some of the gender-affirming policies." 

Calf Price Insurance deadline: June 8th

A reminder for livestock producers the deadline to purchase calf price insurance is Thursday, June 8th.

The Livestock Price Insurance Program is a risk-management tool that gives producers the opportunity to purchase price protection on cattle and hogs. 

The program is available in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba and provides producers with protection against an unexpected drop in prices over a defined period of time.

Saskatchewan's Livestock Price Insurance Co-ordinator Jodi Griffin says they've seen a resurgence in the program.

Synchronized swimming club takes home Half Grand Helping Hand

The Strathcona Synatics are June's winners of the Half Grand Helping Hand courtesy of South Fort Chevrolet and MIX 107! 

Having been a fixture in the community for the past 35 years, the Synatics are overjoyed to be able to have some extra cash to help out its members. 

"We want to keep the costs affordable so everyone who is interested can participate," said Deanna Bellamy, the president of the club. "[This] will be going [toward] trying to keep the costs of programs in a range that is affordable." 

Man charged after alleged Redwater break and enter

A man has been arrested in relation to an alleged break and enter in Redwater. 

RCMP report that, on the afternoon of May 14, officers received a complaint from a business owner who said he was alerted to the break and enter by an alarm.

Upon arriving, the business owner says they witnessed a man crawl out from under the fence surrounding the property with a bag in hand before fleeing the scene on foot. 

Mounties responded to the call and employed the help of the RCMP Police Dog Service to locate the suspect. 

Local WHL players miss out on Memorial Cup

A slew of local athletes were not able to capture junior hockey's greatest prize over the weekend. 

Three players from the area were involved in the Memorial Cup tournament.

Fort Saskatchewan's Colton Dach and Ardrossan native Jordan Gustafson playing in the championship game on Sunday with the Seattle Thunderbirds while Olen Zellweger, another Fort Sask kid, bowed out after losing a heartbreaking tiebreaker with the Kamloops Blazers. 

One injured in Bruderheim RV fire

One person has been injured following a recreational vehicle (RV) fire in Bruderheim.

On Sunday (June 4) evening, Bruderheim fire crews responded to the fire near Queen Street and 48 Avenue. 

One person was reported injured, but the extent of their injuries is unknown. There were no reports of damages to buildings.

No cause of the fire has been reported. 

Cyclist hit near Dow Centennial Centre

A cyclist was hit by a vehicle on Highway 21 in Fort Saskatchewan on Monday afternoon (June 5).

According to police, the vehicle failed to yield as the cyclist was crossing the road, which lead to the collision. 

The cyclist wasn't injured, and police have deemed that alcohol and speeding were not factors in the crash.

The collision took place south of 84 Street near the Dow Centennial Centre.

The driver was ticketed but will not be facing charges. 

U15 Arsenal takes home silver from Spring Challenge

It was a big weekend for the U15 Busters Pizza Arsenals.

The Fort Saskatchewan soccer team competed at the Edmonton West Zone Soccer Association's Spring Challenge, previously called the Slurpee Cup. 

"The girls were really excited to get into any tournament," said coach Brendon Lamarche. "The whole team was there."

In their Friday night game, the Arsenals secured a 3-1 win over Beaumont, before winning 2-1 against the Spruce Grove Saints the following day.