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Jasper evacuees to get information on phased re-entry of town today

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HINTON, Alta. – Details about when and how evacuated residents of Jasper will be allowed to return to their homes nearly three weeks after a wildfire forced them to flee will be announced today.

Parks Canada says Unified Incident Command will hold a virtual media briefing this morning to provide information on the phased re-entry into the town of Jasper.

On Saturday, Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland said the date when people will be permitted back into the town would come Monday.

Ireland said the dedicated work of the fire incident management team meant plans to re-enter the town safely were moving faster than expected.

About 20,000 visitors to Jasper National Park and 5,000 town residents were forced out last month due to fires, and flames destroyed one-third of the town’s buildings.

Parks Canada said over the weekend that 80 per cent of the northwest perimeter of the out-of-control wildfire that’s been threatening the town has been contained.

“Further risks to the Municipality of Jasper have been significantly reduced thanks to the hard work and dedication of amazing firefighters and other fire specialists from around the country,” the agency said in a news release on the weekend.

Officials have said key infrastructure in the town, including schools and the water treatment plant, was spared.

Parks Canada noted over the weekend that activity in the town was ramping up in preparation for the return of residents, including work to reconnect essential services to gas, water and electricity.

It also said information sessions were being planned to help residents navigate some logistical challenges following their return.

Bus tours of the town for evacuees, which began last week, are continuing this week. Authorities warn, however, the wildfire situation in Jasper National Park continues to fluctuate and the buses will only proceed if conditions allow.

The Alberta government said there were 115 wildfires burning across Alberta in the province’s Forest Protection Area on Sunday. Thirteen were classified as out of control, 37 are being held and 65 are under control.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 12, 2024.

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RCMP arrest second suspect in deadly shooting east of Calgary

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EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.

Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.

Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.

Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.

Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.

RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.

Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.

“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.

But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.

“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.

While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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26-year-old son is accused of his father’s murder on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast

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RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.

Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.

The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.

It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.

Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.

The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART strike continues after talks break with no deal

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VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.

Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”

However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.

McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”

About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.

McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.

He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.

The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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