FortSask

Police have arrested a 19-year-old after an incident in Westpark.

On Sunday (May 1), the Fort Saskatchewan RCMP responded to a robbery in progress at a business on Westpark Boulevard. Reportedly, the targeted store was Liquor House.

Upon arrival, officers say they found a customer holding down the suspect behind the business counter and a store employee, whose face had been injured.

"It was determined this male was assaulted with a baton-style weapon and was working at the business at the time of the assault," the RCMP said in a release.

On Monday, Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial (FPT) Ministers of Agriculture met to discuss key areas of interest for Canada’s agriculture sector. The meeting was a precursor in the lead up to the Annual Conference in July.

Areas discussed included progress on the Next Agricultural Policy Framework (NPF), the successor to the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, which expires on March 31, 2023. Ongoing exchanges will set the stage for the upcoming Multilateral Framework Agreement (MFA) signing, which will see the realization of the Guelph Statement.

The Redwater RCMP hopes to hear from community members at the 2022 Detachment Town Hall.  

Residents who are served by the Redwater RCMP, including the communities of Abee, Amelia, Coronado, Egremont, Half Moon Lake, Lost Point Lake, Newbrook, Opal, Radway, Redwater, Thorhild County, and Sturgeon County (North and East of Gibbons) are invited to attend. People will be able to learn more and ask questions about policing in the area.

Cleanfarms is encouraging farmers to return even more empty single use jugs than last year.

“And that is no easy challenge,” said Cleanfarms Executive Director Barry Friesen. “In 2021, Canadian farmers returned more than 6.2 million small empty containers, up 12.5% over the year before. Farmers are doing a great job which means we’re closing in on 80% of the containers in the marketplace. But we’re not stopping there. We’re going after 100%.”

The Conservative party says six leadership candidates have cleared the final hurdles to getting their names on the ballot, while three others who did not make the cut are pushing back.

Pierre Poilievre, the bombastic Tory finance critic whose rallies have at times drawn thousands, and Jean Charest, the former Quebec premier who is appealing to more centrist Conservatives, are both candidates in the race to replace former leader Erin O'Toole.

It is Emergency Preparedness Week.

Emergency Preparedness Week takes place each year during the first week of May. This year's theme, "Emergency Preparedness: Be Ready for Anything," highlights the importance of being well-prepared in the event of an emergency. 

"We get all kinds of stuff in our province, with fires, floods, extreme weather, and we also have to be prepared for incidents involving hazardous materials," explained Brenda Gheran, executive director of NRCAER. 

Today marks the long-anticipated start of the 2022 NHL Playoffs. Sixteen teams will be battling it out for the glory of becoming Stanley Cup Champions.

I am a big Toronto Maple Leafs fan and have a huge passion for the game of hockey. This year, my Christmas present was to attend the Oil vs Leafs game, and I am so grateful Santa was on my side for that one! This year I foresee very physical games from every round.

Residents will be able to get rid of their extra yard waste this May.

From Monday (May 2) to Friday, crews for Fort Saskatchewan and Strathcona County will be picking up extra yard waste from households. Residents can leave an unlimited amount of yard waste out on their curb to be picked up on their regular collection day.

The waste must be put in brown paper bags and cannot exceed 50 lbs. Plastic bags will not be accepted.

Yard waste can include leaves, small twigs/branches, fallen tree fruit and garden trimmings. Large branches will not be picked up.

An Edmonton man has been given prison time.

In 2018, police found the body of 33-year-old Aldane Mesquita in a rural area of Strathcona County. Seven men were charged in the incident.

Mohammed Jawara was recently sentenced in court. He was given a verdict of 30 months in prison for kidnapping. He was initially also charged with first-degree murder.

Police are still looking for one man related to Mesquita's death. Christian Nyabirungu was charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping but has evaded being arrested.

What will Canada Day in Fort Saskatchewan look like this year?

The city has needed to create a modified celebration for the last two years due to COVID-19 restrictions in place.

Now, the city plans to hold Canada Day events this year. They are expecting a more normal celebration but are currently finalizing details.

An announcement on Canada Day is expected on May 16.