Edward Hitchins

A driver escaped serious injury following a single-vehicle incident on the Alaska Highway this week, according to the Fort St. John RCMP. Police say they received a report at around 6:20 p.m. on March 20th about a minivan that had hit a light pole in the area of 104th Street and Highway 97. Mounties confirmed that the crash was related to a medical emergency. The driver was uninjured and taken to hospital as a precaution. Police say there is “nothing criminal” about the incident. Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Metroland account holder. If you do not yet have a Metroland account, you can create one now (it is free). To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile. Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation

The Peace River Regional District (PRRD) board has authorized the purchase of components for the district's server cluster to CDW Canada for $81,433.05. PRRD Chair Brad Sperling and Chief Administrative Officer Shawn Dahlen were authorized to sign an agreement with CDW Canada after the directors made their decision during a board meeting on March 21st. The contract is for purchasing nodes for the PRRD's SCALE Computing Hyper-converged Infrastructure (HCI) server cluster. According to the district, the cluster has been a key piece of infrastructure, which has supported operations within the PRRD and provided robust performance since it was implemented in 2017. However, three out of the four nodes comprising the cluster have reached their “end of life” phase, which, according to the PRRD, would significantly impact the district's operations. “As of mid-2024, software upgrades, technical support, and services for these aging node clusters will no longer be provided,” said a report to directors. “This situation poses a significant risk to our operations, as the absence of necessary maintenance and support could lead to system vulnerabilities and potential disruptions.” The purchase to replace the nodes will give the infrastructure an upgraded lifecycle for the next six to seven years without compromising performance or security, said the report. The PRRD says the cost of the nodes is under the budgeted amount of $125,000, and the regional board approved the purchase as a supplemental item in 2024. CDW Canada specializes in technology for business, government and education and is a subsidiary of the CDW Corporation of Illinois. Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Metroland account holder. If you do not yet have a Metroland account, you can create one now (it is free). To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile. Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation

The Fort St. John RCMP says a two-vehicle incident in Fort St. John on March 22nd resulted in no injuries. Police responded to a crash involving two cars at the intersection of 93rd Avenue and 96th Street. The Fort St. John Fire Department responded to the crash along with the RCMP. There is no further information available at this time. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button. Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be a registered Metroland account holder. If you do not yet have a Metroland account, you can create one now (it is free). To join the conversation set a first and last name in your user profile. Sign in or register for free to join the Conversation

No one was injured in a vehicle fire on the Old Edmonton Highway on March 29th, according to the Pouce Coupe fire department.

The Philippines Consulate General's office is scheduled to visit Fort St. John later this month and will be offering remote services for Filipino nationals who call Fort St. John home.

Registration for the Emperor's Challenge race will open on April 7th.

The province's energy regulator has confirmed a sour gas leak occurred near Pouce Coupe on April 3rd. The leak occurred at an Ovintiv well pad, about 5.3 kilometres southeast of Pouce Coupe, just after midnight on Sunday morning and was detected via an on-site air monitoring device. “The leak was identified as coming from a surface casing vent of a natural gas well,” said the British Columbia Energy Regulator (BCER) in a statement. “At the time of the leak, the operator mobilized services, stopped the leak, and is continuing to monitor the site while determining root cause and replacing any defective equipment,” said the BCER, noting that it will be conducting follow up inspections. According to the energy regulator, all leak reports are handled “quickly and effectively” should incidents like this occur. “Upon leak detection, the operator activated their Emergency Response Plan, which included air monitoring, site access control measures, and notifying the six residences within the emergency response zone,” said the BCER. An emergency response plan is an outline which, according to the BCER, ensures “permit holders meet all regulatory obligations through field inspections, engineering assessments, and the planning, training, and exercising of emergency response.” The energy regulator says no gas was detected off-site, and it will continue to investigate the cause of the leak. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

The Emergency Support Services (ESS) team in Hudson's Hope is assembling a list of residents who require extra assistance in the case of a wildfire evacuation. According to a letter from ESS Director Kelsey Shewfelt, they want this list to include individuals with mobility challenges, limited access to technology, those lacking a support system, and residents with limited transportation options. “Giving this information will allow us to ensure these individuals will receive the necessary assistance in the event of an evacuation,” the statement reads. “The list will only be accessed by authorized personnel in the event of an emergency.” Residents or those close to someone needing assistance in case of an evacuation are asked to contact the ESS office by calling (250) 783-8859 or emailing [email protected]. This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or activating the close button.

Clearview Elementary and Junior Secondary is hosting School District 60's annual badminton tournament this Thursday and Friday.