January
- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation, as well as the prorogue of Government until March.
- Trudeau also stepped down as Federal Liberal Party leader, when a new successor was named.
- Albertans were invited to participate in one of the in-person engagement sessions being held across the province, including in this area, on the Restructuring of Provincial Healthcare.
- An International cybersecurity incident has taken place involving PowerSchool, the software vendor that provides Student Information Systems to School Divisions across the country.
- Locally, The Peace River School Division, the Holy Family Catholic School Division, the Fort Vermilion School Division, and others were affected.
- Peavey Mart announced the closing of all retail stores in Canada, including stores in High Prairie and Peace River.
February
- 42 Wildland Firefighters from Alberta came home from battling blazes in California, including many from the Peace Region.
- A 5.2-magnitude earthquake was triggered in an area northeast of Grande Cache.
- The Alberta Legislature reconvened for the Spring Sitting, with the 2025 budget on everyone’s mind.
- Construction began on the La Crete Maternity and Community Health Centre, expanding health care services in northwestern Alberta.
- The Driftpile Cree Nation and the Federal Government signed an agreement to affirm the Nation’s inherent right to self-governance over its children, youth, and families.
March
- Lesser Slave Lake MLA Scott Sinclair, a UCP member, critisizes the government for lack of funding to his riding, thus leading to his removal from caucus.
- The 2025 Budget projected a $5 billion dollar deficit, after an $8 Billion dollar surplus in 2024.
- $311 million over three years is invested by the Provincial Government to expand Hwy 686, near Peerless Lake.
- Provincial Grant Money earmarked for the replacement of St. Thomas More School in Fairview.
- The Provincial Government invests money for the building of the new La Crete Rec. Center.
- A significant Measles Outbreak in John D’or Prairie leads to widespread cases across the Province.
- The Federal Government announced the end of the federal carbon tax effective April 1.
April
- The Provincial Government invests $330 Million Dolars into rural Health Care Center projects, including in Valleyview, High Level, and Spirit River
- The Provincial Government invests $6.9 million to expand the Lakeshore Regional Police Service detachment building which serves Driftpile Cree Nation, Kapawe’no First Nation, Sawridge First Nation, Sucker Creek First Nation and Swan River First Nation.
- The Provincial Government earmarks $1.1 million to help school boards develop plans for school building projects, including the Peace River School Division, and Conseil Scolaire du Nord-Ouest.
- Peace River-Westlock MP Arnold Viersen, and Grande Prairie MP Chris Warkentin were overwhelmingly re-elected in the 2025 Federal Election.
May
- Peace River MLA Dan Williams changes portfolios in a cabinet shuffle, moving from Mental Health and Addictions, to Municipal Affairs.
- Canada Post issues 72-hour Strike Notice.
- Fire Bans issued in Northwestern Alberta, because of dry terrain.
June
- The Alberta Court of King’s Bench has overturned Peace River School Division’s decision to disqualify former trustee Moise Dion.
- The Provincial Government introduces a phased approach in residents paying for vaccines for COVID-19.
July
- The Provincial Government introduces a new 8% personal income tax for income up to $60,000, a reduction from the previous 10% rate.
- A 39-year-old man from Grande Prairie dies on Lesser Slave Lake after five boaters became stranded on a sandbar.
- Alberta RCMP issued a province-wide alert after a 16-year-old died from a fake pill laced with a deadly opioid.
August
- The Alberta government announces $114.6 million in funding for 86 infrastructure projects across the province, with over $17.6 million allocated to 14 projects in the Peace Region.
- Lesser Slave Lake MLA Scott Sinclair officially gets ousted from the UCP Caucus for being publicly against the 2025 Provincial budget.
September
- The Alberta government invests $1 million to the planning phase of expanding skilled trades and apprenticeship education at Northwestern Polytechnic.
- The Alberta government commits an additional $10 million dollars over four years to enhance women’s shelters across the province, including in Fairview.
- The Provincial Government pushes back the completion date of the Peace River Bridge Project to 2027, citing more setbacks.
- Canada Post begins a Nation-wide strike, with government reform directives, financial challenges at Canada Post, and union resistance to changes perceived as threats to jobs and service standards, being the reasons.
- Alberta’s teachers overwhelmingly reject the province’s most recent contract proposal, paving the way for a province-wide strike.
October
- For the eighth year in a row, Alberta’s Minimum Wage stays at $15.00 per hour, thus becoming the lowest wage in Canada.
- Alberta’s 51,000 teachers commenced a province-wide strike, impacting over 700,000 students across 2,500 schools, which lasted for three weeks.
- At the same time, the Teachers’ Employer Bargaining Association issued a lockout notice to the Alberta Teachers’ Association.
- Students return to class after a three-week stoppage, as Teacher’s are mandated back to work by the Provincial Government.
- Northwestern Polytechnic vote to close the Fairview Campus at the end of the school year.
November
- The Provincial NDP put forward a motion in the Legislature to raise the minimum wage in Alberta.
- Diploma Exams and PATs are cancelled in January because of the Teacher’s Strike.
- The Alberta government has established the Class and Complexity Cabinet Committee, that includes Mike McMann, the Superintendent of Fort Vermilion Schools and President of the College of Alberta School Superintendents.
- The Alberta government is considering raising speed limits on certain rural divided highways from 110/h to 120 km/h.
- The Alberta government has unveiled the province’s new licence plate design, marking the first major update in more than four decades.
- The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, the union representing Alberta’s health-care workers, have reached a tentative agreement with the provincial government, narrowly avoiding strike action with only literally a minute to spare.
- Canada Post and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers reached an agreement in principle on a new contract, temporarily easing tensions and concerns about potential service disruptions during the busy holiday season.
- The Health Sciences Association Alberta ratified a new collective agreement with Alberta Health Services and provincial health agencies, concluding nearly two years of negotiations.
December
- Alberta’s government invests over $4 million into dual credit programs, enabling high school students to earn both high school and post-secondary credits simultaneously.
- The provincial government invests $2 million to assist Alberta’s four francophone regional school boards in pre-planning 20 potential future school projects, including in High Level and Slave Lake.
Keith Hopper, Trending 55
