Latest news with #FortSaskatchewan
CTV News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
Part of Highway 15 closed in Fort Saskatchewan due to lost semi load
The intersection of Highways 15 and 21 in Fort Saskatchewan was closed Wednesday morning after a semi driver lost their load of pipe. Police issued a traffic advisory around 9:15 a.m. saying Highway 15 is closed in all directions. Highway 21 has been reduced to one lane. 'Although it is still passable, drivers should expect delays,' Mounties said.
CTV News
12-06-2025
- CTV News
650 grams of cocaine, ecstasy seized near Edmonton, 2 charged
RCMP seized over $68,000, 300 grams of cocaine and 350 grams of ecstasy among other illegal substances during a bust in Fort Saskatchewan. (Supplied) RCMP have charged two people after seizing 300 grams of cocaine and 350 grams of ecstasy at two Fort Saskatchewan residences last month. Over $68,000, 1.6 pounds of mushrooms, 728 doses of LSD, six pounds of marijuana, two pounds of hashish and 68 cartons of illegal cigarettes were also seized at the residences. Smaller quantities of GHB and other controlled substances were also found. Search warrants were executed at homes on Durran Bend and Roseberry Lane in Fort Saskatchewan. Police say the two people face various charges and are to appear in Alberta court on July 10.
CTV News
09-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
‘No one wants to see that on their credit report': Direct Energy customers frustrated after being mistakenly reported to credit bureau
'I was so stressed out,' said Terri Wattie, a Calgary resident who recently found a derogatory mark on her credit report, courtesy of Direct Energy. She said she received an email from her credit monitoring app on May 30, alerting her of the mark. 'It didn't equal up,' said Wattie, adding that she always pays her bills on time. 'No one wants to see that on their credit report. It's quite humiliating to get an email like that.' Wattie didn't know the derogatory mark on her credit report was a mistake until she read CTV News Edmonton's story about the incident. 'If it wasn't for that, I honestly would not have had any idea what was going on because Direct Energy did not reach out to me,' said Wattie. In a statement, Direct Energy confirmed that during a reconciliation with its third-party collections agency, ICE Collections, a 'subset' of customers were 'inadvertently' reported to the credit bureau. CTV News Edmonton reached out to ICE Collections but did not receive a response. Kristy Kolodychuk also received a notification from her credit monitoring app, alerting her that a Direct Energy bill had gone to collections. The Fort Saskatchewan resident hasn't been a Direct Energy customer since February 2024. 'I never got any correspondence from Direct Energy,' said Kolodychuk, adding that the company sent her an email after she had called them and asked for one for her records. 'I'm just very surprised that a company like this has some kind of privacy breach and doesn't actually individually reach out to their customers or at least send a mass email the moment it happens,' said Kolodychuk. Direct Energy said the incident was not a breach. 'We want to assure customers that they were not subject to any collections activities,' said Megan Talley of Direct Energy. Had she been trying to get a mortgage or a loan, Kolodychuk said she would be in some 'serious trouble.' Wattie and her husband were planning to buy a new car in the coming weeks. The couple was worried the derogatory mark on their credit report would impact their interest rates. 'If we were applying for a mortgage, everything could have gone out the window,' said Wattie. 'I don't think they realize how much of a stressful situation this is for people.' Direct Energy plagued with problems Since moving customer service centres to foreign countries, customer complaints have ballooned. Lea Williams-Doherty reports. Since the incident on May 30, both Kolodychuk's and Wattie's credit reports were wiped clean of the derogatory mark. 'All erroneous entries have been completely expunged from customers' credit reports,' said Talley. 'It's as if it was never there.' Talley said only those who were actively monitoring their credit reports would have noticed. Direct Energy did not make reports of the incident, and said it was made aware by customers contacting the company directly. Since Kolodychuk hasn't been a Direct Energy customer for over a year, the utilities company agreed to send her a cheque with the $200 credit. But she was perplexed as to why they would still have her information on file. 'Our record retention policy is informed by legal and audit obligations,' said Talley. 'For former Direct Energy customers, that ranges from three to seven years, depending on the type of record.' Wattie was told she would receive a $200 credit to use on her bill as compensation for the incident. But she doesn't think it's enough. '$200 in this day and age is nothing,' said Wattie. 'Half the time, $200 doesn't even cover half of a month's bill.' 'For the stress and anguish I went through over the last week, I really don't think that's sufficient.' She said she might consider a different provider after this incident. Direct Energy said it was sorry for the inconvenience, and if customers still have concerns, to contact its customer service team. Equifax Canada encourages consumers to request and review their credit reports on a regular basis. 'By doing this, consumers can ensure that their report contains accurate and complete information,' said a statement from Equifax Canada. Equifax said if a consumer finds information on their credit report that is believed to be inaccurate or incomplete, they can file a dispute with Equifax and/or the company that reported it.
CBC
09-06-2025
- General
- CBC
I'm an aunt who chooses to be childless. Merchandise with passive-aggressive mom digs gets under my skin
This First Person column is the experience of Nicole Starker Campbell, who lives in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ. My sister-in-law, Laura, handed me a gift wrapped in Christmas paper, apologizing for what she said was a tacky present. I unwrapped a coffee mug and held it up for a look. The yellow-and-dusty-rose colour scheme and random pink paintbrush stroke pattern signalled that this cup was made in the '80s. Judging from the tiny chips on the bottom, it had seen some use. But printed on the side of the ceramic cup was, "For a Very Special Person," and below that, the word "Aunt." Laura and my niece, Serene, had been browsing in a thrift shop when Serene saw the mug and declared she wanted to give it to me for Christmas. Laura suggested they pick out a brand new mug, but my niece looked at her with eyes the same blue as mine and said, "But it says, 'For a very special person.'" Most of the text wore off years ago, yet that cup is still one of my favourites. I love my nieces and nephews to pieces and happily advertise that I'm a proud auntie. But when I recently saw another mug decorated with the phrase "Aunts … Like Moms, Only Cooler," I paused. This cup was less a tribute to aunts and more of a passive-aggressive dig. While many mothers are also aunties, this alluded to a comparison that concludes childless aunts are cool and moms are not. In other words, women stop being fun and interesting once they have a child. The us-against-them trap This false chasm existing between mothers and childless aunts is just a construct pitting women against each other. I think most of us live in the vast grey area between two polarizing stereotypes: that all women want to be mothers and that all childless women hate kids. In fact, there's no "womaning" better, there are just different choices. Even so, I admit that I still get caught in the us-against-them trap sometimes. Years ago, while chatting with a friend as she made us coffee, we began talking about the question of when to have children. She had decided it was time for her and her husband to start trying. Sitting at her kitchen island, I explained that I'd never wanted children and wasn't going to have them. As she reached into the cupboard for coffee mugs, she replied, "Oh, don't worry, you'll have kids one day." As if to say, you'll come around. My friend didn't ask why I felt the way I did and didn't seem interested in a conversation about the different choices that women make. At the time, it felt like she'd simply dismissed my feelings as being wrong. WATCH | Why fewer people are planning to have kids | About That: Why fewer people are planning to have kids | About That 1 year ago Duration 10:05 Research suggests a significant shift over the last two decades in the number of North American adults who are planning on having kids. Andrew Chang explores three main reasons for the generational change. I now realize my friend wasn't trying to intentionally dismiss my decision not to have kids. Rather, it was a lack of understanding about why I would make a choice that was different than hers. Most of the women in our friend group have felt the pull of motherhood. I haven't. I love kids, but I've never wanted any of my own. The responsibility of being a mom has always been far too daunting for me, and being an aunt is where I thrive. Most of the moms I know are cool — and their kids think they're cool, too. These mothers have living room dance parties with their sons and daughters, shepherd their children through mental health challenges or have even parented their kids through tough divorces. For all my advocating for, and defending of, the ability to not choose motherhood, I realize that children are still central to my identity. Growing up, I used to visit a favourite aunt who never had children. Some of my favourite childhood memories involve driving around Seattle in her Corvette, talking, sipping iced mochas and listening to Wham! Now, I'm making those memories with my nieces and nephews. I enjoy babysitting my nieces and nephews, bringing them to the water park, buying them cool YA books and taking them on trips. They've come to stay with me for a fun weekend visit and also when they needed support during a challenging time. As an auntie, I get to love my siblings' and friends' sons and daughters, and be involved in their lives, free from the pressures of parenthood. I'm happy to play an important supporting role. Serene is now in her early 20s. This past Christmas she gifted me a bright pink coffee mug that says "Best Aunt Ever." To my nieces and nephews, just being their aunt is enough, and I'm cool with that.
CTV News
04-06-2025
- CTV News
Fort Sask. home closed after almost 100 calls to RCMP, multiple arrests
12 Elizabeth Drive in Fort Saskatchewan can be seen in a Google image from September 2023. (Photo: Google Street View) Alberta Sheriffs have shuttered a home they say was disrupting a neighbourhood in Fort Saskatchewan with drug and criminal activity. The home at 12 Elizabeth Drive was the source of 25 complaints between January and August 2024 – including complaints of suspicious persons, assaults, drug possession and drug trafficking. Alberta Sheriffs report that RCMP arrested several occupants of the property throughout the year, and EMS and RCMP attended two drug overdoses at the home that September. 'Since 2022, RCMP have had almost 100 calls for service ranging from disturbances, assaults, mischief and thefts at this property,' said Fort Saskatchewan RCMP Staff Sgt. Scott Lande. A warning letter was sent to the property owner and primary resident in November. The Alberta Sheriffs' Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit closed it Wednesday at noon using a community safety order. The property will be boarded up, fenced off and all the locks will be changed. Everyone there was made to leave – including the former property owner – and no one will be allowed onto the property for 90 days. 'I want to thank SCAN and the Fort Saskatchewan RCMP for their dedication in helping residents take back their neighbourhood by shutting down a long-standing problem property that put the community at risk,' said Mike Ellis, minister of public safety and emergency services. Since it was created in 2008, SCAN has issued more than 130 community safety orders.
