FortSask

The Weston Family Foundation has announced  $10 million in funding to help promote more adaptive and resilient agricultural lands in Canada.

Research shows that improving soil health on farmland is one of the largest and most immediate ways to improve biodiversity and mitigate climate change.

Healthy soil organic matter helps to improve water retention, supports carbon sequestration, and makes agro-ecosystems more resilient and better able to recover and adapt to environmental stresses such as drought and floods.

An audit commissioned by the federal government has found that Hockey Canada did not use public funds to settle sexual assault cases or pay for related legal fees.

Sport Minister Pascale St-Onge called for the audit in June after media reported that Hockey Canada had settled a $3.55 million sexual assault lawsuit. She requested the investigation to ensure that public funds had only been used to support amateur hockey.

The new superintendent for Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) has been announced.

EIPS' Board of Trustees appointed Sandra Stoddard as the division's new superintendent and chief executive officer. Her first day on the job is Canada Day. 

Stoddard currently serves as associate superintendent of support for students at EIPS, a job she's had for the last six years. 

A Bev Facey football star is headed to the west coast. 

Aaron Parker has announced that he has officially committed to the University of British Columbia to play with the Thunderbirds. 

"I went there in the summer for a little cookout that they had," said Parker. "I just got a good feeling from the coaches and the whole UBC environment." 

In talking with the coaches, Parker added that he also thought he would fit in nicely with the team's style of play. 

Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) junior high students will have the chance to explore career and technology options for the future.

On every 'early out' day, EIPS students are invited to visit Fort Saskatchewan Senior High School as part of the Worker Bee Wednesday program.

The program gives students four options: 

Fort High is beyond excited to be welcoming prospective students to an in-person open house. 

The open house will be taking place at the school on Thursday (Feb. 16) night. This will be the first in-person open house at the school since 2020. 

"We've had two years in a row of the online open house, which is very difficult because we can show you pictures and talk about programming and flowcharts, but let's face it, that's a little boring," said Curtis Starko, the principal at Fort High. 

Strathcona County firefighters worked with local vets to save a dog who was pinned during a collision late last week.

On Thursday (Feb. 9), a three-vehicle crash happened on Baseline Road, with an SUV ending up on its side.

Two off-duty firefighters noticed the crash and immediately began to free people from the vehicles.

When emergency services arrived, they noticed a small dog who was pinned by heavy items in the trunk of the SUV. Firefighters used hydraulic spreaders to access the trunk and rescue the dog.

The federal government has announced some key funding to help resolve agriculture's current workforce challenges.

The impact of the pandemic hit the agriculture and agri-food sector hard, with plant closures, market fluctuations and supply chain delays resulting in a significant shortage and loss of skilled labour.

A Labour Force Survey in December of 2022 showed that 260,600 people were working in the agriculture and agri-food sector, down 12.5% compared to pre-pandemic numbers from February 2020.

A popular winter event is making its return to Fort Saskatchewan next week! 

Winterfest is being hosted by the Fort Saskatchewan Historical Society on Monday (Feb. 20) at the Fort Heritage Precinct grounds after a long three-year absence. 

"Winterfest started out, I believe, 14 years ago as a vintage snowmobile show," said Stuart McGowan with the historical society. "Over the years we started adding things like snowman making, we had dog sledding at one point, running around a snow track, and snow golf." 

There's a lot of interest in a private members bill put forward by Bloc Quebecois MP Luc Thériault.

Bill C-282 is a bill to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act - relating to supply management.

The bill would legislate the protection of supply-managed sectors in Canada by ensuring the federal government does not make market access concessions in future trade deals for supply-managed products like dairy, eggs and poultry.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture has come out in support of the Bill.