FortSask

With COVID and the war in Ukraine, international wheat markets have been thrown for a loop over the past few years.

This upcoming grain market year could bring something different: an entire year that's decided by the weather, at least in the North American market.

Ranulf Glanville, the Chief Market Analyst at DePutter explains why.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith visited the town of Gibbons to speak with constituents.

On Tuesday (Apr. 11) evening, Smith met with Morinville-St. Albert MLA Dale Nally at the Gibbons Community Cultural Centre.

Almost 500 people attended the event, some of which travelled from as far as Calgary. The event began with speeches from Nally and Smith before continuing into a Q&A with Gibbons residents.

Some of the topics brought up included healthcare wait times, addiction treatment, accessibility to mental health support services, and rising energy costs.

Fort Saskatchewan has begun its annual spring residential street sweeping. 

On Wednesday (Apr. 12) the city revealed the schedule for the week-long process with sweeping starting on Monday (Apr. 17). 

Residents will need to be on the lookout for signage and crews in their neighbourhoods as work gets underway. 

The priorities for the sweeping will be as follows: 

The Fort Saskatchewan RCMP saw a pattern of vehicle break-ins over the Easter weekend. 

According to the police, there were five reports of break-ins to vehicles, all of which included the suspect first checking for unlocked doors. 

If unlocked, the suspect entered the vehicle and targeted garage door openers to gain access to the garage. Several items were also taken from vehicles during these incidents.

As Mounties continue to investigate the break-ins, they're providing tips on how to prevent yourself from being a victim of these types of crimes: 

A Sherwood Park hospital will be expanding with some help from the province. 

On Wednesday (Apr. 12) morning, Alberta health minister Jason Copping was at the Strathcona Community Hospital to announce that the provincial government plans to invest $3 million into the facility over the next three years. 

"By investing in the Strathcona Community Hospital expansion, we are investing in the health and well-being of the community and people who need access to high-quality healthcare services close to home," said Copping.

Fort Saskatchewan will not be borrowing money for the Veterans Way expansion project. 

This comes after bylaw C2-23, which would have the city borrow $4.9 million for the project, was defeated by a 4-3 margin at Tuesday's (Apr. 11) city council meeting. 

Mayor Gale Katchur was one of the council members that voted against the bylaw. 

"Unfortunately, the province did not have any funding in their budget announcement [for the project]," said Katchur. "We will take the opportunity to apply for grant funding again." 

Lamont County Emergency Services honoured staff and volunteers through their first regional gala.

On March 11, Lamont County’s regional fire chief and reeve David Diduck and CAO Peter Tarnawsky recognized the efforts and commitment of their local emergency services.

“Working together as Lamont County volunteer firefighters and staff means we have a strong, coordinated response to events occurring across the county,” said Diduck. “It helps ensure that we have an effective response and safe communities.”

A woman is facing impaired driving charges related to a collision that killed a Fort Saskatchewan woman. 

Cochrane RCMP says the collision took place back in August on Highway 1A near Morley Road. 53-year-old Fort Saskatchewan resident Samantha Wylie was pronounced dead at the scene. 

After an investigation, police have charged 29-year-old Deirdre Snow, a resident of Stoney Nakoda First Nation, with the following:

A recent report by RBC says that in 2033, 40% of Canadian farm operators will retire, placing agriculture on the cusp of one of the biggest labour and leadership transitions in the country’s history.

Over the same period, a shortfall of 24,000 general farm, nursery, and greenhouse workers are expected to emerge.

They also found that 66% of producers do not have a succession plan in place.

The report includes a three-point plan for growth, with goals set for the short, medium, and long term.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has completed its investigation into an officer-involved shooting in Strathcona County.

On the morning of September 23, 2019, Strathcona County RCMP say they received a call from a woman saying that she was going to kill herself. The woman reportedly claimed to have been armed with a knife and a sword.

Two different RCMP units were sent to the address. As the officers approached the bottom of the woman's driveway, the woman allegedly exited her house while wielding a three-foot-long sword.