STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.

Peace Region News

RCMP
High Level RCMP seize over 100,000 illegal cigarettes
In March, High Level RCMP's General Investigation section executed a search warrant at a business in Eleske. As a result of the warrant, 704 unstamped tobacco boxes were seized by Mounties, containing 200 cigarettes each; adding up to a total of 140,800 illegal cigarettes. Photo Courtesy High Level RCMP Now, an Eleske ...
42m ago
Read More
Flags at Half-Mast
County of Grande Prairie Council honours former Councillor Ross Sutherland
County of Grande Prairie facility flags are being flown at half mast, to honour former county Councillor Ross Sutherland, who recently passed away. Sutherland served on county council for eleven years, from 2010 to 2021, including a seven-year stint as Deputy Reeve from 2012 to 2019.In a post on social media, the Count...
2h ago
Read More
City
Municipal census begins
The City of Grande Prairie has started the municipal census today (Wednesday, May 1) to make sure the population count is accurate.The count is being done on the basis of calculations per capita for provincial and federal grants.Mayor Jackie Clayton encourages everyone to take part in the census. "Participation in...
4h ago
Read More
Wildfire Danger
Wildfire hazard high in GPFA, moderate in PRFA
GPFASome cool, wet weather means the wildfire hazard is down to moderate in the Grande Prairie Forest Area.A fire restriction remains in place. No new fire permits are being issued and existing ones are cancelled, restricted, or suspended. Safe wood campfires are still allowed.There have been 24 fires since January 1 t...
9h ago
Read More

Alberta

Alberta
Provincial government says funding for sexual assault centres increased in new budget
The provincial government says an additional $3 million is included in the new budget for Alberta's sexual assault centres. The government says in a release that this means the 15 centres in Alberta will get a total of almost $17 million in the 2024-25 budget year. The province says there is another $3 million to be ad...
23h ago
Read More
Trans Mountain pipeline expansion gets green light to open for May 1
CALGARY - The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is complete and the Canada Energy Regulator has given the go-ahead for the project to open. The regulator says it has approved the last remaining "leave to open" applications submitted by Trans Mountain Corp. Approval of these applications was required before th...
Apr 30, 2024
Read More
CyberSecurity
Retailer London Drugs closes stores in Western Canada due to 'operational issue'
Retail and pharmacy chain London Drugs says in a post on social media that it has closed all of its stores in Western Canada temporarily due to what it called an "operational issue."Various news outlets reported the company shared by email that it was a cybersecurity incident and that the store closures were ...
Apr 29, 2024
Read More
Multimillion-dollar cold storage facility coming to Coaldale
A significant investment is being made in Coaldale.The Government of Alberta has announced that a $222-million cold storage facility is being built in the town by NewCold, with construction to begin "almost immediately".The facility will offer capacity for Alberta food processors to boost production. Official...
Apr 29, 2024
Read More
Official Statement
Alberta's Mid-Sized Mayor's Caucus responds to "recent legislative developments"
Alberta's Mid-Sized Mayor's Caucus has issued an official statement, regarding "open dialogue" with the provincial government. Following the Conservative Party's announcement about the proposed Bill 20 and Bill 18. Bill 20, if passed in legislation, would see the provincial government gain more power over com...
Apr 29, 2024
Read More
Province adding funds for new firefighting equipment
The Government of Alberta is taking steps to better prepare for and respond to wildfires.The province will purchase two additional air tanker groups and two new night vision-equipped helicopters.These types of fire fighting helicopters were piloted during the 2023 fire season, and officials say it allowed for improved ...
Apr 29, 2024
Read More

Canada

Public servants to be in-office 3 days a week as of Sept. 9
OTTAWA - Federal public servants will have to work from their offices at least three days a week as of Sept. 9. The new rules also stipulate that executives will have to be in the office at least four days a week. The Treasury Board of Canada says the new rules are being put in place due to the benefits of interacting...
18m ago
Read More
Macklem says he doesn't think federal budget will have much of an impact on inflation
OTTAWA - Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says he doesn't think the federal budget tabled last month with have much of an effect on inflation. Macklem was testifying at a Senate committee alongside senior deputy governor Carolyn Rogers following the central bank's latest interest rate announcement. The governor sa...
23m ago
Read More
B.C's auditor general to review government's response to 2021 Lytton wildfire
LYTTON, B.C. - British Columbia's auditor general says his office is doing a review of the province's response to the 2021 wildfire that devastated the community of Lytton, B.C. Michael Pickup says in a video statement that the report will focus on the B.C. government's roles and responsibilities for disaster recovery,...
1h ago
Read More
CP NewsAlert: B.C. woman arrested over speech that praised Hamas attack
VANCOUVER - Police say a 44-year-old woman has been arrested in a hate-crime investigation over a speech in Vancouver that praised the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel. A statement from the Vancouver Police Department says the woman "referred to a number of terrorist organizations as heroes." More coming. Th...
1h ago
Read More
Human-rights advocates pan budget plan to detain immigrants in federal prisons
OTTAWA - Human-rights groups are urging Ottawa to reverse course on plans to allow immigrant detention in federal prisons, saying vulnerable people could be exposed to unreasonably harsh conditions. Ottawa can detain foreigners without charge when they can't be identified or when it is suspected they won't show up to h...
1h ago
Read More
Oil begins moving on Canada's $34B Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, Smith calls it 'monumental'
Canada's energy sector as well as the country's main oil-producing province celebrated Wednesday as the long-awaited $34-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion officially came online.Crown corporation Trans Mountain Corp. issued a statement Wednesday confirming that oil is now moving on the expanded pipeline, which ...
1h ago
Read More

World News

Arizona's Democratic leaders make final push to repeal 19th century abortion ban
PHOENIX (AP) - Democrats in the Arizona Legislature are expected to make a final push Wednesday to repeal the state's long-dormant ban on nearly all abortions, which a court said can be enforced. Voting wasn't complete but the Senate had the 16 votes it needed to advance the bill. Fourteen Democrats in the Senate were ...
1h ago
Read More
Wisconsin school district says active shooter 'neutralized' outside middle school
MOUNT HOREB, Wis. (AP) - A Wisconsin school district said an active shooter was "neutralized" outside a middle school in Mount Horeb on Wednesday, and no one inside the building was injured. Authorities said without giving details that the "alleged assailant" was harmed, and a witness said she had h...
3h ago
Read More
Tennis legend Boris Becker discharged from bankruptcy court in England
LONDON (AP) - German tennis legend Boris Becker was discharged from bankruptcy court in London after a judge found Wednesday he had done "all that he reasonably could do" to repay creditors tens of millions of pounds. Becker fell far short of repaying his creditors in full, but Chief Insolvency and Companies ...
8h ago
Read More
1 person dead, homes destroyed after tornado rips through northeastern Kansas
WESTMORELAND, Kan. (AP) - One person died Tuesday when a tornado ripped through the small city of Westmoreland in northeastern Kansas, destroying houses, RVs and outbuildings, authorities said. Pottawatomie County officials said on Facebook that a tornado struck the city of about 700 people Tuesday evening, destroying ...
11h ago
Read More
Police clear pro-Palestinian protesters from Columbia University's Hamilton Hall
NEW YORK (AP) - The pro-Palestinian demonstration that paralyzed Columbia University ended in dramatic fashion late Tuesday, with police carrying riot shields swarming the Ivy League campus, bursting into an administration building protesters took over the previous night and making dozens of arrests. A statement releas...
15h ago
Read More
Chinese scientist who published COVID-19 virus sequence allowed back in his lab after sit-in protest
BEIJING (AP) - The first scientist to publish a sequence of the COVID-19 virus in China said he was allowed back into his lab after he spent days locked outside, sitting in protest. Zhang Yongzhen wrote in an online post early Wednesday that authorities had "tentatively agreed" to allow him and his team to re...
17h ago
Read More