FortSask

CP has been given the green light in its takeover of Kansas City Southern Railway.

The US$31 billion purchase will create the first single rail line connecting Canada, the U.S. and Mexico covering nearly 33,000 kilometres of track.

The merged railway will be known as Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC), with CP's chief executive Keith Creel as CEO, and Calgary as the global headquarters.

CP's assistant vice-president of sales and marketing for Canadian grain, Elizabeth Hucker says the new CPKC will benefit Canadian grain shippers by opening new markets and ports.

With Spring just around the corner, will the weather catch up before the season starts?

According to our forecast, we'll see daytime highs in the positives for the next week, with temperatures dipping into the negatives overnight.

The warmest days are tonight and next Thursday (Mar. 23), which are both expected to hit a high of plus 6.

As for the coldest, that will be on Sunday (Mar. 19) with a low of minus 12 overnight. Although tonight has only a low of minus 9, the wind chill will feel closer to minus 12.

The 2023 Alberta Schools' Athletic Association (ASAA) high school basketball provincials started earlier this week. 

Five local teams are competing in various tournaments around Alberta, trying to prove their standing among the best the province has to offer. 

Here is a look at how each local team has fared so far: 

Boys: 

3A: 

On the boy's side, Morinville and Strathcona Christian have been playing in the 3A tournament in Wetaskiwin. 

The Fort Saskatchewan RCMP is warning residents about a new type of scam. 

Constable Lauren Mowbray says the local detachment has been receiving more calls about something called a 'nanny scam'. 

"We’ve seen an influx of calls recently with a new scam going around, but using the same old tactics," said Mowbray. 

RCMP has lifted a shelter-in-place.

The order came Friday (Mar. 17) morning after police received a report of a man with a weapon near H. A Kostash School in Smoky Lake.

Police say that the incident has been determined to not be criminal, and there was never any threat to the public.

The school is no longer in lockdown, and no more updates will be released.

A Smoky Lake school was put on lockdown after reports of a man with a weapon. 

RCMP say that they received a report on Friday (Mar. 17) morning about a man with a weapon near H. A. Kostash School in Smoky Lake. 

The school was put in lockdown and police asked residents in the area to stay in their homes. 

An investigation found that there was no criminal activity and no actual threat to public safety. 

A few new french immersion courses will be coming to Sturgeon Composite High School. 

Sturgeon Public Schools (SPS) made the announcement last week. It will become the first high school in the division to offer french courses. 

"Up to now we have had two of our schools with the french immersion option," said Lauren Walter, the marketing and communications manager with the division. 

Canada's inflation rate likely took another dip last month, but with many Canadians still struggling with the cost of living, the federal government is facing pressure to deliver more help in the upcoming budget.

Statistics Canada is set to release its February consumer price index report on Tuesday, giving its most up-to-date reading on inflation ahead of the federal government's budget on March 28. 

Desjardins and RBC are both forecasting the inflation rate fell to 5.4 per cent last month, down from 5.9 per cent in January.

Students at Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) got a surprise visit from a very special guest earlier this week. 

Emerance Maschmeyer, an Olympic gold medalist and goaltender for the Canada women's national ice hockey team, took some time on Wednesday (Mar. 15) morning to read a story to 47 grade one and two classrooms through a video call.

The Bruderheim goalie said this wasn't her first time reading for the kids.

"Last year when I did the same thing, I heard later on that I read to my younger cousin's classroom," said Maschmeyer.

Strathcona County is considering ways to regulate panhandlers in the community.

On Tuesday (Mar. 14), Ward 2 councillor Dave Anderson brought forth a motion that would create a report on panhandling in the community, along with proposed solutions.

These solutions include bylaws, fines, and even community support services.