FortSask

Police are looking for the public's help in catching a liquor thief.

In late January, police responded to a theft of liquor from the Great Canadian Liquor Store in Morinville. 

Surveillance footage catches a man stuffing a bottle of liquor in his pants and walking out without paying.

The man is described as:

• A blue baseball cap with “YEG” written on the front.
• Blue plaid winter coat.
• Black sweatpants.

Police are asking anyone who can identify the suspect to contact the Morinville RCMP at 780-939-1600.

A lane has been closed on the Highway 15 bridge in Fort Saskatchewan.

Since Monday (Feb. 20) crews have been working on the bridge overnight. 

Crews have closed the outside lane of the bridge on the northbound side, which may cause minor delays.

According to the 511 reports of the construction, the cause of the lane closure is bridge maintenance.

Crews may also have to switch to the inside lane to finish maintenance, but regardless, one lane will remain open.

The lane is expected to be completely open again on Friday (Feb. 24) morning.

After a three-year hiatus, Winterfest returned to Fort Saskatchewan.

On Family Day (Feb. 20), the Fort Heritage Precinct grounds were filled with people taking part in various winter-themed activities.

Leslie Alkenbrack, vice president of the Fort Saskatchewan Historical Society, says that some of the activities included snow golf, s'mores, and a place to build snowmen.

"The kids were really creative. They created them on the ground and dressed them up with donations from one of our charity shops."

Ukraine wants Canada to lend its expertise — and donate crucial railway parts — to keep its embattled passenger and cargo rail system running as landmines and missile strikes threaten to stall the country's lifeline.

The rail system is vital to the war effort, and has been since the first days of the invasion that began one year ago this week.

Millions of people used trains to escape occupied cities and flee to neighbouring countries. Thousands of wounded soldiers and civilians were also transported by rail to hospitals in safer parts of the country.

New research using advanced technology suggests heavy oil facilities in Alberta and Saskatchewan are releasing almost four times the amount of a powerful greenhouse gas than they report to government. 

The research, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, pioneers new methods of measuring methane emissions that question current industry practice, said author Matthew Johnson, an engineering professor at Carleton University in Ottawa.

"A lot of these (reports) are done on ... estimates," said Johnson. "Clearly, they're not very accurate."

More than 36,000 people have signed a petition calling on the federal Liberals to live up to their election promise to ban the live export of horses for slaughter.

Statistics Canada data shows since the promise was made in 2021 more than 2,000 horses have been shipped from Canada to Japan where raw horse meat is a local delicacy.

Canadian singer Jann Arden initiated the petition because she believes the shipping of horses overseas is a cruel practice that has to end.

The City of Fort Saskatchewan is reminding residents that barking dogs could result in hefty fines. 

In a release earlier this week, the city mentioned limitations in the local animal control bylaw that involves barking dogs. 

"Dogs bark, it’s what they do naturally," said the city in the release. "However, it can become excessive if it persists for a long period of time." 

First-time offenders face a penalty of $150, while repeat offences double that penalty to $300. 

But what exactly does excessive barking mean? 

Fort Saskatchewan RCMP are looking for the people responsible for breaking into and damaging the Jubilee Recreation Centre (JRC). 

According to police, on Monday (Feb. 13) night, copper was stolen from the complex.

RCMP say that the theft caused about $125,000 of damage to the ice rink’s cooling system.

They currently do not have any suspects in the case.

If you have any information about this crime, police are asking you to contact the local detachment at 780-992-6100.

According to Gasbuddy.com, these are the cheapest places to find gas in the area over the long weekend.

These prices are as of 11 p.m. on Friday (Feb. 17).

Fort Saskatchewan

• UFA - $1.16 per litre
• Shell, 7-Eleven, Husky, Safeway, and Petro-Canada - $1.19 per litre
• Fas Gas, No Frills, and Co-op - $1.22 per litre

Edmonton

• Your Spot - $1.14 per litre
• Kikit - $1.15 per litre
• Centex - $1.18 per litre

Sherwood Park

The 2023 Canada Winter Games gets rolling this weekend! 

The national event will take place in P.E.I this year with athletes coming from all across the country to compete in their respective sports. 

Our region is well-represented with 17 local athletes and two coaches competing at the games. 

Here is a complete look at all the local athletes to keep an eye on: