RCMP give information on police presence in Lamont

Some residents noticed more police than normal around Lamont on Sunday (Apr. 17).

At around 10:30 p.m., an officer tried to pull over a vehicle outside of Lamont for not having its tail lights on. However, the vehicle refused to stop and took off.

"This is, unfortunately, a common occurrence that vehicles just don't stop for us," explained Fort Saskatchewan RCMP Constable Lauren Mowbray.

Fort Saskatchewan settler featured in historical novel

An Edmonton-based author is releasing a book about Canadian homesteaders, including a story in Fort Saskatchewan.

Tales from the Homestead is an upcoming novel from Sandra Rollings-Magnusson. Rollings-Magnusson is an associate professor of sociology at MacEwan University and an antique enthusiast, having studied the homesteaders of western Canada for over 30 years. She's written several academic journals on the topic, as well as two previous books.

Thieves steal ground wires from 22 power poles in Fort Saskatchewan

The Fort Saskatchewan RCMP is looking into a crime you don't hear of all that often.

On Mar. 15, Fortis Alberta employees were working on power lines in the area of 94 to 98 Avenue and 95 to 104 Street, when they noticed something strange. 

The employees reported that multiple ground wires had been removed from 22 power poles in that area, with each pole missing between six to eight feet of copper wire.

"The removal of ground wires is extremely hazardous for both the offender and the Fortis employees who are working on these lines," stated the RCMP in a release.

2021 tough year for Canadian Western Agribition

Canadian Western Agribition has reported a loss for 2021 but believes it was valuable to final stage their 50th show.

Past President Chris Lees says it's always difficult to report a loss, but notes COVID played a big part in the $321,000 deficit.

"You know, we were down 25 to 30 per cent on livestock entries and, the same at the gate coming in. We've been somewhere in the neighbourhood of 120,000 to 125,000 people come through the gates. Last year we had 85,000."

He notes the good news is they were able to finally put on their 50th show.

MP Garnett Genuis trying to make bystander awareness training commonplace

Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan MP Garnett Genuis has put forward a new motion.

He is trying to promote bystander awareness and training so it becomes as commonplace as first aid.

Genuis explained every time there's an act of violence or other criminal activity, people will talk about the victim or the perpetrator but he doesn't believe enough attention is given to the bystanders that may see something or even be able to help.

Extreme heat should be labelled a natural disaster, new report urges

Governments should consider extreme heat a natural disaster as climate change raises the risk of soaring summer temperatures in much of Canada, a new report says.

Irreversible Extreme Heat, penned by experts at the Intact Centre on Climate Change at the University of Waterloo, says "Canadian alarm bells should be ringing" about the risk of intense heat.

"Extreme heat is kind of a disaster waiting to happen," said lead author Joanna Eyquem, managing director of climate−resilient infrastructure at the Intact Centre.

Portion of Highway 21 reportedly closed due to collision

Radioyeg - Scanner Radio says a portion of Highway 21 was closed due to a multi-vehicle collision. 

According to the social media page, the highway in Strathcona County was shut down at Township Road 540 as of 10 p.m. It has since reopened. 

"One of the drivers involved apparently collided with two vehicles that were involved in a collision minutes earlier," the post says. 

Emergency crews responded to the incident. 

Road conditions on Tuesday were poor due to the heavy, wet snow. 

Fort Saskatchewan and area under snowfall warning

The region is about to get a big dump of snow.

Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the area. There has already been snow mixed with rain falling throughout the day, but that should transition into snow as the temperatures cool down in the evening.

Up to 15 cm of snow is expected to fall Tuesday night (Apr. 19). It should end Wednesday morning.

The weather agency advises everyone to be prepared for quickly changing and deteriorating travel conditions. Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow.

Police still looking for suspect, interviewing witnesses of Brant Hotel armed robbery

The investigation into an armed robbery on Wednesday (Apr. 13) is ongoing.

Around 9:01 p.m., an unknown man entered the lounge of the Brant Hotel in Fort Saskatchewan, fired a black shotgun and demanded cash. He stole an unknown amount of money before shooting the gun a second time and fleeing the scene in a grey Honda sedan.

One man was injured but was released from the hospital shortly after.