Portfolio
Rural hamlets struggle with housing crisis
Joanne Richards lives alone outside Conklin’s boundaries with her dog David, a Rottweiler-pitbull cross who chases bears and coyotes.
At 50, Richards has spent six years on Crown land, living in an RV with a ramshackle shed built onto it.
During a September interview at her home, Richards’ roof was leaking. A few feet above her bed, a plastic garbage bag sagged under the weight of accumulated rainwater.
'It's gone. It's all gone'
Wildfire empties Fort McMurray as flames enter city
More than 80,000 residents of Fort McMurray are wondering if they will have a home to return to, after a fire that started Sunday quickly overwhelmed firefighters and the city’s resources, breaching the city. It is the largest evacuation in Alberta’s history.
As of 6:20 p.m., the municipality ordered the evacuation of all of Fort McMurray. While some communities were ordered to head to the Anzac Recreation Centre, located approximately one hour south of Fort McMurray, people in all areas north of Gregoire were told they must go to Noralta Lodge.
Don Scott wins Wood Buffalo mayoral race
Local lawyer and former PC MLA Don Scott will be the next mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, winning nearly triple the vote count of his closest rival Allan Grandison.
According to the municipality’s unofficial election results, Scott won 69 per cent of the vote, compared to 24 per cent for Grandison.
According to the municipality’s unofficial election results, Scott won 69 per cent of the vote, compared to 24 per cent for Grandison.
'East of the Rockies'
Reliving Japanese-Canadian internment
It is July 4, 1942, months after the attack on Pearl Harbor. A 17-year-old girl named Yuki and her family leave their home in Vancouver for the last time.
Like thousands of other Japanese-Canadians, they are forced inland by the Canadian government under the War Measures Act to internment camps in eastern British Columbia.
When Yuki and her family arrive in the old silver mining town of Slocan, they find harsh, cramped conditions.
Pipe dreams
Rural water Andsewer systems still a luxury for some
Kirk Reid knows something about water conservation, living in a house without plumbing in Conklin.
Twice a week, a truck fills up five barrels stored around the back of his home with 285 gallons of water. Reid, along with his mother and his girlfriend, use that water for bathing, cooking and washing laundry.
‘Online Aspirations’
CONNECTING RURAL ALBERTA TO A HIGH-SPEED FUTURE
Shane DeBock knows the frustration of poor internet service. He deals with it constantly on his family farm a half-hour drive west of Barrhead. While his wireless internet service is good enough for checking market prices, he still has to go online late at night or early in the morning to download large files.
DeBock, who is the Alberta Barley region five director-at-large, said that the greatest consequence of his unreliable internet access is a reluctance to use wireless-dependent farming technology.