FortSask

Strathcona County RCMP was on the scene of a police incident in Sherwood Park this morning. 

Police have reported that they were executing an arrest at a residence located on Groveland Road. 

Mounties did ask the public to avoid the area while they conducted this arrest and for local residents to follow the direction of officers on scene. 

There was no threat to the public during the incident. 

More to come...

Bad news for those looking to have a fire over the long weekend.

In Fort Saskatchewan, fire chief Todd Martens says residents can expect the municipal fire ban to stay in place.

"We still currently have very hot and dry conditions across the province," said Martens. "With the wildfires, a lot of municipalities are stretched thin." 

"[This fire ban] currently means no fire pits, no fire permits, no burning on public lands. All those types of things are still banned."

Martens is urging safety first and foremost this weekend.

Talks between WestJet and the pilots' union continue amid the countdown toward a Friday strike deadline, with the airline saying it has started to cancel flights ahead of the anticipated work stoppage.

Some 1,800 pilots at the carrier and its Swoop subsidiary are poised to walk off the job as of 3 a.m. eastern daylight time after the Air Line Pilots Association issued a strike notice Monday.

The Fort Saskatchewan and Lamont Regional Chamber of Commerce held a candidate forum for MLA candidates for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville. 

All five candidates met on Wednesday (May 17) evening at the Dow Centennial Centre, with Ian McCormack serving as the moderator of the event. Hundreds of residents were in attendance.

The panel featured opening statements from each candidate before a Q&A session, which led to their closing arguments.

Strathcona County RCMP is asking the public for more information on a Sherwood Park road rage incident that resulted in a serious assault. 

Police say the incident occurred on May 9 at about 5:15 p.m. when a black GMC Sierra and a white Toyota Tacoma were travelling on Broadmoor Boulevard between Highway 16 and Prairie Drive. 

Both vehicles reportedly stopped on the side of the road on Portage Lane and an altercation took place. 

The Federal Government's Advance Payments Program is delivered through the Alberta Wheat Commission's FarmCash program and is open to all producers across Western Canada.

Under the program, producers can access cash advances on over 50 commodities including crops, livestock, and honey.

Jason Lenz is committee chair for FarmCash and says they've been running the government's Advance Payment Program for about four years and this year have seen a significant increase in applications.

Four local hockey players were selected in the 2023 WHL Draft last week. 

Among them was one Fort Saskatchewan player in Keaton Verhoeff, who went fourth overall to the Victoria Royals, but there was also a trio of Sherwood Park kids who went in the later rounds as well. 

With the wildfire situation in Alberta and Saskatchewan, people are once again recognizing the harsh reality of just how dangerous they are.

For livestock producers there's not just the concern of getting your family and pets to safety,  but also your livestock.

Grant McLellan, CEO of the Saskatchewan Cattlemen's Association says livestock producers should look at developing an evacuation kit that includes your insurance information and more:

People are being asked to be extra cautious as wildfires burn out of control in some areas of the prairies.

With hot, dry conditions a simple spark off equipment or vehicles can quickly turn into a fire.

Individuals are encouraged to make sure they have fire extinguishers in the vehicle, equipment, and any off-road vehicles.

It's always important to be aware and follow any fire bans that may be in effect in your area.

The wildfire situation is growing across the prairies with a number of fires out of control in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

As the region deals with an influx of wildfire smoke, there is some concern that it could put a dent into people's long weekend plans. 

According to Environment Canada, this smoke is coming from the northern Alberta wildfires. 

"A cold front passed through the province [on Monday night] causing the overall flow to instead come from the northwest," said Sarah Hoffman with Environment Canada. "We're seeing some very poor air quality values across Alberta because of the smoke."