By Jaryn Vecchio
Photo via pixabay.com
Fort McMurray is seeing a slight rise in active COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, announced on Tuesday 456 new cases across the province.
This raises the provincial total to 117,767 with 11,096 currently active. There are also 740 Albertans in the hospital for the virus, 119 of which are in ICUs.
Locally, Fort McMurray added 12 new cases and 11 additional recoveries which raises the active total to 169.
The rural areas added one recovery which puts the total of active cases at two, while another two people in Wood Buffalo National Park continue to have the virus.
By Jaryn Vecchio
Jan 19, 2021 2:44 PM
The potential cancelation of the Keystone XL pipeline may not be as devasting a hit to the energy sector as many currently believe.
That’s according to Tim Pickering, CIO of Auspice Capital, who spoke on Fort McMurray Matters on Tuesday to discuss the future of the project.
CBC News first reported incoming U.S. President Joe Biden planned to rescind the pipeline’s permit on his first day in office later this week.
Pickering says Keystone was more of an added benefit instead of a need as all the barrels would be landlocked.
“If we got full global access, tidewater access… the long-term benefit is far greater.”
By Jaryn Vecchio
Fire Chief Jody Butz with a local dispatcher // Photo supplied by RMWB
Alberta Health Services is officially taking over EMS dispatch across the RMWB.
The province’s plan to consolidate the service into AHS’s system officially took place on Tuesday which means dispatchers working in the provincial centres will now be in charge of sending out ambulances in the RMWB.
The move, which was announced back in August, has been met with a lot of pushback from the RMWB and Regional Emergency Services.
Fire Chief Jody Butz tells Mix News their data shows local dispatchers send out ambulances around a minute faster.
By Jaryn Vecchio
Outside view of Willow Square // Photo supplied by government of Alberta
Willow Square is set to welcome its first residents in the coming months.
Construction on the $102 million continuing care centre has officially finished after it started back in the spring of 2018.
The centre, located at the corner of Hospital Street and Franklin Avenue, currently has 108 beds with the capacity to add an additional 36.
Minister of Infrastructure Prasad Panda tells Mix News they’ve officially transferred control of the property to Alberta Health Services.
“They’re doing a thorough cleaning as we speak and they have to install the new medical equipment and furniture and they also have to stockpile the necessary supplies.”