ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS

Mrs. Helen Westmoreland of High River, Alberta passed away at the High River Hospital on January 13, 2026 at the age of 94 years. Helen is survived by her children, Mae, Brenda, Gloria, George, Rick, Terry-Lee, Deborah, Dale and their spouses, her grandchildren Jason, Kevin, Kyle, Tanis, Danielle, Gabriel, Riley, Jordan, Brendan, Marco and Jackson, and her great grandchildren, Evan, Joelle, Booker, Brahm, Madeline, J.R., Thea, Elena, and Paul, her sister, Ilene and -in-laws,.

It is with profound sadness that our family shares the unexpected news that our mom, our dad's loving wife and our children's and grandchildren's "Nanny" has passed away. During the night as she slept, she passed peacefully into eternity. Though we are grieving her loss, we are comforted by the knowledge that she is at peace. Born July 3, 1941, to Cyril and Dorothy Duncan, Gayle graduated from Thurmont High School, class of 1959. After graduation, she worked for Sutton Constr

The BC Highway Patrol is currently asking for anyone who might have seen or have video of the fatal crash which took place recently near Wonowon to come forward and contact the BC Highway Patrol. The aftermath of the collision on Highway 97 North near Wonowon with the black Dodge Caravan in the foreground and the green F350 and police vehicles in the background - RCMP photo Police were called up the Alaska Highway on January 26 around noon, following a head on collision that

Multiple tips came into the RCMP following the original media release for shots fired in Fort Nelson on January 19, leading to the arrest of one individual who will appear in court on April 23, 2026. Photo of multiple firearms and some personal belongings the police say are connected to the shots fired on January 18 - RCMP photo A search warrant was executed at a residence in Fort Nelson First Nation on January 22, following several tips from the community which led to a susp

Multiple search warrants were executed on January 23, stretching between Fort St. John, Cecil Lake, Charlie Lake resulting in eight arrests being made and their seizure of more than 50 firearms. Photo credit: Fort St. John RCMP Local RCMP were busy conducting search warrants in northern BC on January 23, including five in Fort St. John, one in Charlie and one in Cecil Lake. An investigation regarding local organized crime and

Bear Flat Dispatch.  January 19, 2026 It was recently reported that some individuals are negatively affected by the fumes when having to walk through the perfume and mascara department at the local Shoppers Drug Mart. That has never bothered me, but it does seem somewhat strange how everyone is routed through that particular section to gain access to the entire store, including the pharmacy and post office departments.  I always thought it must just be a marketing ploy.  Howe

Local RCMP responded swiftly on January 18, after reports of shots being fired at a residence on Chalo Road, Fort Nelson First Nation. RCMP Photo The residence of the home spoke with RCMP after their quick arrival, where they discovered that four shots were fired, with only one hitting the home. Shell casings were found close to the scene, following a search of the area that was conducted by the RCMP.   The local RCMP located various items they believe may be connected to the

The three organizations who are nominated for the 12 th 100 Woman Who Care event in Fort St. John, were announced on January 15. Supplied photo of the cheque presentation for the Fort St. John Canadian Legion. Twice a year, once in March and once in September, this amazing initiative brings woman from this community together to help make a difference for one local non-profit organization. Since this initiative’s launch in 2017, the group has successfully raised more than $18

Northern Rockies RCMP quickly responded to a single vehicle crash on January 20 along the Alaska Highway near Steamboat Hill, which is roughly 80 km northwest of Fort Nelson.   It’s reported that a semi-truck hauling flammable gas was heading northbound on the highway when it failed to stop at the mandatory brake check, before witnesses described seeing a ‘fireball’ and hearing the sounds of explosions. Highway 97 was completely blocked off as a result of the accident and the

It is with profound sadness that our family shares the unexpected news that our mom, our dad's loving wife and our children's and grandchildren's "Nanny" has passed away. During the night as she slept, she passed peacefully into eternity. Though we are grieving her loss, we are comforted by the knowledge that she is at peace. Born July 3, 1941, to Cyril and Dorothy Duncan, Gayle graduated from Thurmont High School, class of 1959. After graduation, she worked for Sutton Constr

Skaters, coaches and families from around British Columbia descended on Fort St. John last weekend for a busy and action-packed BC Speedskating Championships on home ice. Athletes pose with their medals following competition at the B.C. Speed Skating Championships in Fort St. John. Hosted by Fort St. John, this year’s provincial championship showcased speedskaters of all ages darting around the oval, accompanied by the community spirit of a North Peace crowd.  Numerous volunt

Discover wool in all its artistic glory at Peace Gallery North’s new exhibit celebrating the woolly arts. A well-attended opening reception was held January 9 for ‘The Art of Wooly Wonders’ at Peace Gallery North and will be up for the rest of the month. The medium of wool allows for limitless expression using a fiber commonly associated with warmth, tradition and hard work.  Texture and technique come together in this exhibit, showcasing how wool can transform into wonderful

The local police are currently conducting an investigation into the devastating fire which fully engulfed the Blueberry River First Nation School recently. photo from Fort St. John RCMP The Fort St. John RCMP responded on January 17, not long after 6am, after someone reported a school fire on the Blueberry River First Nation according to the press release. The local Fire department and the police rushed to the scene where they discovered the school had been fully engulfed in

North Peace Museum curator/Manager Heather Sjoblom is being honoured this month for her 15 years of service to the community.  Raymond Ensz of the Fort St. John’s Trappers Association and Heather Sjoblom, curator of the North Peace Museum during one of the many educational programs the museum holds throughout the year. She has been applauded for her steadfast commitment to preserving our North Peace history. For many years she has provided stability and answers for not only t

B.C.’s Health Minister Josie Osborne announced Tuesday that the province will not be extending its drug decriminalization pilot, saying bluntly that it has not met government’s expectations. “The toxic-drug crisis continues to take lives and cause tremendous pain across British Columbia. Families, communities, first responders and service providers are all feeling the impact. This is a deeply complex public-health emergency, and there is no single solution that can fix it,” O

The City of Fort St. John is one step closer to building a new pool after releasing its design concept for public consultation as part of a new engagement process to determine next steps. Map showing the design and layout for the future pool (City of Fort St. John) Developing a replacement for the North Peace Leisure Pool started in 2018 with the creation of a regional steering committee made up of Fort St. John, Peace River Regional District and the District of Taylor. The C

British Columbia’s 2025 Winter Impaired Driving Campaign resulted in fewer impaired drivers being taken off BC’s highways than last year’s initiative but results varied greatly throughout the province. Photo of a checkstop from the BC Highway Patrol media release BC Highway Patrol reported that 240 drivers were removed from BC roadways in December 2025 for alcohol and drug related driving prohibitions according to a media release , a decrease from the 267 prohibitions served

The local police swiftly responded on January 6, to a collision which involved multiple vehicles on Highway 97.   The RCMP and the Fort St. John Fire Department were quickly on scene following the two-vehicle collision on Highway 97, which resulted in traffic being closed in both directions for roughly 5 hours. "The 5 occupants in a 2 vehicle collision escaped serious injury in collision on Highway 97," said Cpl. Shawn Ingham Fort St. John RCMP in a media release. Two individ

A Fort St. John man will now face multiple criminal charges relating to a double fatal collision in Chetwynd, which occurred in 2024. Crime scene markers and debris scattered across Highway 97 from the multi-vehicle collision - (RCMP Media Release) 21-year-old Jaden Christopher Cardinal  will now face four criminal charges including two counts of impaired operation of a motor vehicle causing death, and two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death. The ch

Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro’s leadership has been surrounded by allegations of electoral fraud, political persecution, and gross economic mismanagement since the beginning.  US Military, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were arrested last weekend in his own country and flown to the United States to face federal criminal charges including narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and weapons charges.   The military operation which took pl