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COVID-19 UPDATE: January 15
On January 15, Alberta Health Services confirmed 785 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 115,370. 13 people passed away, which means 1,402 Albertans have now
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Provincial canola commission on: field conditions, how COVID has affected farming and more
We will be featuring more interviews related to farming and agriculture at the Trending 55 Newsroom. Our first interview is with Ward Toma, General Manager of the Alberta Canola Producers Commission. We covered a wide range of
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MLA Dan Williams talks about the relaxing of public health restrictions; when construction could start on Tompkins toll bridge
Peace River MLA Dan Williams joined the Trending 55 Hot Seat for our first discussion of 2021. Among the topics discussed with Williams include: the easing of public health guidelines when construction may start on the Tompkins
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School Buses – January 15, 2021
Peace River School Division Bus 80: Cancelled High Prairie School Division Bus 202: Cancelled Northland School Division Bus 414: Cancelled indefinitely. Students from this bus will be moved to 400 and 403. Bus 419 (Cougar): Cancelled Bus
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COVID-19 UPDATE: January 14
The provincial government says some restrictions will be relaxed as of Monday, January 18. Personal wellness businesses – such as salons and tattoo parlours, for example – can serve customers by appointment only. The province is also permitting
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Town of High Prairie to send letter to MLA Pat Rehn
The Town of High Prairie is in the works of writing a letter to Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pat Rehn concerning his lack of support and representation of the region. Residents and town council want to express
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Vast majority believe US Capitol riot last week could happen here, or anywhere
The results are in! Last week, we asked if you felt the raid that took place on the US Capitol Building last week could ever happen in Canada, or anywhere. An absolute majority of 83.5 percent are
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MLA Rehn removed from UCP Caucus
Premier Jason Kenney is kicking Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pat Rehn out of the government caucus. In a statement released by Kenney on his verified twitter account, he says in part, “I have repeatedly asked Mr. Rehn
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COVID-19 UPDATE: January 13
On January 13, Alberta Health Services confirmed 875 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 113,618. 23 people passed away, which means 1,368 Albertans have now
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Madu reaffirms committment of bringing more front line officers to Peace and Mackenzie regions
Justice Minister and Solicitor General Kaycee Madu was back on the Trending 55 Hot Seat to cover a wide range of topics. We asked him about: hiring more officers for rural Alberta his plans over the holidays
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Residents all across the Peace region say far-right publication a surprise in their mailbox
UPDATE – January 13, 2021 Canada Post is confirming that The Epoch Times was delivered to “some residences in Northwestern Alberta” on Tuesday. The spokesperson goes onto say that, “As Canada’s postal administration, Canada Post is obligated
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COVID-19 UPDATE: January 12
On January 12, Alberta Health Services confirmed 652 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 112,743. 38 people passed away, which means 1,345 Albertans have now
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NDP calling for public education on COVID vaccines
NDP Health Critic, David Shepherd joins the Trending 55 Hot Seat to answer several questions on how the province is handling the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines. One of the major suggestions the Edmonton City Centre MLA
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Schweitzer thanks Albertans who stayed home during the holidays
Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Doug Schweitzer joins us on the Trending 55 Hot seat with lots to discuss. Schweitzer tells us what he did over the holidays and praises everyone who has made the sacrifices
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COVID-19 UPDATE: January 11
On January 11, Alberta Health Services confirmed 639 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 112,091. 23 people passed away, which means 1,307 Albertans have now
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“That is not who we are in Grimshaw”, Mayor responds to post of man wearing KKK head cover outside post office
Town of Grimshaw Mayor Bob Regal says he is repeating something that he has said many times since Friday, “That is not who we are; that is not who Grimshaw is.” Regal made the comments after a
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COVID-19 UPDATE: January 8
On January 8, Alberta Health Services confirmed 1,183 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 109,652. 24 people passed away, which means 1,241 Albertans have now
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Dialysis clinic coming to High Prairie Health Complex
Construction of a new renal dialysis clinic at the High Prairie Health Complex is set to start this month. The construction of the new unit is expected to take around ten months. The facility is expected to
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Two people killed in suspicious Paddle Prairie Fire
A 62-year-old male and a 47-year-old female were found dead after a house fire. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, the High Level RCMP and Fire Department got a call of a property burning on the
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COVID-19 UPDATE: January 7
On January 7, Alberta Health Services confirmed 968 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 108,469. 24 people passed away, which means 1,217 Albertans have now
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Massive majority says vacationing public officials should be held accountable
The results are in and they are not close! In our first Trending 55 Newsroom Poll of the Week, we asked if elected officials who chose to take international vacations should be held accountable. Over 93 percent
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One Person Dead After Fire In Fort Vermilion
One person is dead after a residential fire that happened on New Year’s Day in Fort Vermilion. RCMP and the Fire Department were called to the scene at around 2:00 that morning. After the fire was extinguished,
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RCMP suggests rural residents report less serious crime online
If you report a crime online, it will be taken every bit as seriously as one that is called in, or reported in person. However, according to Constable Chantelle Kelly tells the Trending 55 Newsroom that a
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Fundraising continues for “Mighty Max” to get life-saving gene-therapy
Max Sych from Fairview, Alta was recently diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 2, a rare and debilitating disease. SMA is a rare disease which slowly takes away muscle strength in the entire body; losing the ability
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COVID-19 UPDATE: January 6
On January 6, Alberta Health Services confirmed 1,123 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 107,501. 25 people passed away, which means 1,193 Albertans have now
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Slave Lake Council asks MLA Rehn to step down; Rehn responds
Slave Lake Council is asking Pat Rehn to step down. While the Lesser Slave Lake MLA’s trip down south was referenced, the town says in a public letter to Rehn that it believes it is not being
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COVID-19 UPDATE: January 5
On January 5, Alberta Health Services confirmed 843 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 106,378. 26 people passed away, which means 1,168 Albertans have now
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MD of Peace throws is support behind exploring nuclear energy
The Municipal District of Peace is joining an effort to explore nuclear power. The Lac Cardinal Regional Economic Development Board penned a letter to council for its December 15 meeting. Councillors agreed to support the exploration of
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Nomination period now open for municipal elections
Candidates for municipal elections can file to run for office If you have even thought about running for a seat on a municipal or county council, this could be your year. On October 18th, people in the
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High Level RCMP searching for missing man
The High Level RCMP is asking for the public’s help in finding a missing man. According to the detachment, Arthur Joel Gallant was last seen the town on December 22. Despite extensive land and air searches, the 47-year-old
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High Prairie man found dead
The High Prairie RCMP’s search for a missing 47-year-old man has ended on a tragic note. According to the detachment, Scott Tomlinson was reported missing on December 24 and last seen in High Prairie on December 10. High Prairie RCMP Looking
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Ceci says Kenney’s response to vacationing officials a display of poor leadership
Municipal Affairs Critic, Joe Ceci is our first guest of 2021 on the Trending 55 Hot Seat. The NDP MLA for Calgary-Buffalo is furious that various public officials took an international vacation while many people were following
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UPDATE: Williams and Loewen were in Alberta over the break
Dan Williams and Todd Loewen did not leave Alberta. Williams, Peace River MLA and Loewen of Central Peace-Notley member respectively told the Trending 55 Newsroom that they stayed in the province. Lesser Slave Lake MLA, Pat Rehn
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Rehn posts statement on trip
Lesser Slave Lake MLA Pat Rehn says he is returning to Alberta. The UCP MLA posted a statement on his Facebook page. Rehn, as well as Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard and other government staff and MLA
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Four people dead in helicopter crash in Birch Hills
The Spirit River RCMP says four people passed on Friday following a helicopter crashing in a farmer’s field in Birch Hills County. Officers responded to a call from an emergency location transmitter that was dispatched by a Robertson R44
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Kenney accepts responsibility for senior government officials travelling out of province, country
Premier Jason Kenney says he became aware on Tuesday afternoon that Municipal Affairs Minister, Tracy Allard was out of the country. That is what Kenney told reporters in his first press conference of 2021 as he said
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Majority of poll voters expect restrictions to continue
The results are in for the final Trending 55 Newsroom Poll of the Week for 2020. The provincial government plans to reviews its public health restrictions on January 12, and we asked what you felt would happen.
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COVID-19 UPDATE: December 30
On December 30, Alberta Health Services confirmed 1,287 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 100,428. 18 people passed away, which means 1,046 Albertans have now
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COVID-19 UPDATE: December 29
On December 29, Alberta Health Services confirmed 879 new cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases in the province to 99,141. 26 people passed away, which means 1,026 Albertans have now
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Tolko Industries generously gifts Northern Lakes College High Prairie Campus campaign
On December 16, 2020, Tolko Industries Ltd. contributed $17,000 cash and an in-kind contribution of oriented strand board to the Northern Lakes College High Prairie Campus campaign. In recognition to the gift, NLC will dedicate a space
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Fort Vermilion School Division says no COVID transmission within its jurisdiction
Michael McMann says despite the challenges of 2020, finding positives for the year was not difficult. The superintendent for the Fort Vermilion School Division says one major accomplishment of this year has come in the lack of
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High Prairie emergency room is open to walk-in patients
According to Alberta Health Services, the emergency room at the High Prairie Health complex is open. According to Mayor Brian Panasiuk, town council reached out to AHS to find out what is happening with the emergency department.
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High Level RCMP looking for missing man
High Level RCMP are seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing man from Bushe River First Nations. 47-year-old, Arthur Joel Gallant has not been seen since December 22, 2020 in the area of 99 street and
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High Prairie Emergency Department Temporarily Closed
The emergency department at the High Prairie Hospital is currently closed right now. Alberta Health Services says it’s a temporary measure and is asking those who normally seek emergency care there to go to another nearby community.
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McLeod says lots of projects accomplished despite COVID-19 pandemic
Fairview Mayor, Gord McLeod says when the budget was passed earlier this year the tax rate was reduced by 1.5% in 2020; the second time it’s been lowered since 2013, otherwise the rate has stayed the same.
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Panasiuk Says Improving Internet Access A Priority For High Prairie
High Prairie Mayor Brian Panasiuk says improving high speed internet connection in the community is the Town’s biggest priority going into 2021. Panasiuk tells the Trending 55 Newsroom that they were hoping to improve that this year,
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High Prairie RCMP Looking For Missing Man
High Prairie RCMP are looking for a man who was reported missing late last week. Officers say 47 year old Scott Tomlinson was reported missing on Thursday and hasn’t been seen since December 10. Police believe he
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Absolute majority of poll voters says they will get the COVID vaccine
The results are in! In our most recent Trending 55 Poll of the Week, we asked if you would get the vaccine, now that it is being rolled out. Around 65.3 percent indicated they will get the
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Warkentin recaps difficult year; says Canada’s 5G network should be independent
As Grande Prairie-Mackenzie County MP Chris Warkentin thinks about the year that is about to come to an end, he tells us he never imagined living through a worldwide pandemic. “There are times when we had things
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Loyola concerned that COVID relief for businesses not enough
NDP Transportation Critic, Rod Loyola has been consulting with small businesses asking what types of support they need to ensure they can turn on the lights once pandemic restrictions are eased. Among the big concerns the Edmonton-Ellerslie
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