ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS

By Karla MarshAlaska Highway News Lucy Laboucane first crossed the Peace River in 1921. She crossed in a row boat and she remembers that there was still ice on the water. Twenty years later, thousands of American soldiers would also cross the Peace River, by rowboat, by ferry and, after several years of construction, by bridge. Lucy and her husband settled in Fort St. John where they raised a family of 17 children. Although she was busy and didn't have much time to socializ

Original Song by Laura Vinson (RedWing) Story by Sheri Fulton Quilt # 6 submitted photo She liked to drive fast the last half mile to the crest of the hill and then let her foot off the gas to coast down to the turnoff. That way she could descend into the valley like a swan, gliding in for a landing on the lake, or today, more like a prodigal child falling back into her family’s particular dysfunction. “Oh, the sun always shines on the home place….I can still see it comin

Peace Gallery North welcomed a good crowd Saturday afternoon for the opening of Lindsay Jardine’s first solo exhibit, a show that moves pretty comfortably between northern landscapes, bright colour and work that doesn’t mind being a little silly. The title probably gives away the idea better than anything else. The Duality Between Seriousness and Silliness opened Oct. 3, bringing together Jardine’s acrylic work in a show that can have you slowing down for one painting and smi

Fort St. John has one little guy still making his way through the 2026 Baby of the Year competition, and his family is hoping some support from home can help keep him there. Fifteen-month-old Stetson Loewen of Fort St. John is the last remaining Peace Region baby in the running for the 2026 Baby of the Year competition. (Submitted photo by Ashlyn Loewen ) Fifteen-month-old Stetson Loewen was entered by his parents, Ashlyn and Tyrell Loewen, who have both called Fort St. John

There were a lot of big trucks making their way through Fort St. John on Oct. 1, but this time they weren’t hauling much of anything. Drivers gathered near the UFA frontage road that morning before heading out together along the Alaska Highway, eventually turning down 100 Street and making their way toward the Fort St. John Curling Club as part of a rally focused on fuel prices and the growing cost of keeping trucks on the road. Numerous trucks took part in the slow roll, e

Northern Rockies RCMP are looking for witnesses and video footage after a shooting on the Fort Nelson First Nation Reserve left one person seriously injured late last month. Police say they first became aware of the incident around 2:40 a.m. on Sept. 26, after receiving reports of a fight near the 5000-block of Dene Etene Road. When officers arrived at the residence, they learned one person had been shot and had already been taken to hospital. The victim suffered serious,

One Bite at a Time By Kim Rose “For me, this one is personal. I grew up on our family trapline. I started school late because we were still out there. In this photo, I was about five years old and my brother was three. Trapping wasn't something we watched from the outside. It was part of how our family lived, learned and sustained ourselves. Today, I hold my own trapping certification and remain a strong advocate for preserving the knowledge, traditions and opportunities that

If you’ve been to a car show, parade or community event around Fort St. John lately, there’s a decent chance you’ve seen Justin and Brianne Lagassé with the vehicle they’ve been using to carry a pretty important message. The couple have spent the past several months raising money and awareness around suicide prevention and mental health, bringing the car with them as they compete and attend events around the North Peace. The Alaska Highway News most recently ran into them a

Inga Lake is going to look a little different this fall, with water levels being lowered while work continues around the dam. Photos courtesy of Ducks Unlimited Canada. Ducks Unlimited Canada is lowering the lake by about a meter this September, while engineers and technical staff get a closer look at the dam and other water-control infrastructure, work that should give them a better idea of what may be needed at Inga Lake over the longer term. For a lot of people in the No

There was no shortage of people, cars or conversation along 101 Avenue last Saturday afternoon, as the Fort St. John Men’s Shed held its first block party and gave people another reason to spend a little time downtown. The Sept. 19 event took over 101 Avenue between 104 Street and 106 Street, with the road closed for the afternoon while people wandered between vehicles, activities, local businesses and the Men’s Shed yard sale. The Fort St. John Classic Cruisers were ther

There was a lot of old metal hauled into ABC Recycling over the summer, and by the time it was all weighed up and counted, more than 100 tons of scrap had turned into $30,620.78 for healthcare here in the North Peace. Tourmaline was this year’s largest contributor to the Summer Scrap Drive, donating $7,500 and taking home the Bischoff Trophy as the campaign raised $30,620.78 for local healthcare. (Fort St. John Hospital Foundation photo) The 2026 Summer Scrap Drive wrapped up

There was a bit of extra activity around the entrance to Safeway last week, with the 3rd Annual Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Radiothon set up and raising money. People stopped by to say hello, make a donation and help support a program that puts books into the hands of local kids, with plenty of familiar faces coming through while the Alaska Highway News was there. Locals were already coming and going from Safeway, and more than a few took a couple of minutes to stop, v

A week ago they were standing together in Fort St. John with their bikes ready and a whole lot of northern highway still ahead of them, and by Thursday afternoon the Cops for Cancer Tour de North riders were expected to roll into Williams Lake. Fort St. John Mayor Lilia Hansen, members of council and local RCMP joined the Cops for Cancer Tour de North riders for a pancake breakfast and send-off in Fort St. John on Sept. 11, before the group began its seven-day, roughly 850-ki

I was reading a post on Facebook, about an individual who had recently passed their Citizenship Examination. The person was encouraging others, suggesting that the examination was easy---and to the determined, passable. The poster was hoping to inspire. Among the comments was, I am guessing, a Canadian born individual who, while congratulating the original poster, was suggesting that there is more to being Canadian than just passing the exam. To that, another person replied:

A new message now greets travellers making their way through Charlie Lake, after the Rotary Club of Fort St. John dedicated a Peace Pole Sept. 11 at the Ross H. MacLean Rotary R.V. Park. Carrying the words “May Peace Prevail on Earth,” the pole joins an international peace movement whose message dates back to Japan in the 1950’s, with Peace Poles themselves eventually spreading to communities around the world. For Rotary Club of Fort St. John president Patricia Budgell, put

There haven't been many quiet weeks for Fort St. John's Jake Gardner this year, and with another 20 or 25 rodeos possibly still ahead of him through September, our Peace Country cowboy isn't slowing down much yet. When the Alaska Highway News caught up with Gardner Saturday, he was in Ellensburg, Washington, getting ready to ride after already making stops in Plains, Montana, and Walla Walla, Washington, with another trip north to Merritt waiting for him Sunday. “Man, it's

After 20 years at the Canada Post office in the District of Taylor, a familiar face behind the counter worked her final shift Friday, with friends and community members stopping in to make sure she didn't leave without a proper goodbye. Photo from Renate's (on the left) last day at the office. Renate, who has spent the past two decades working at the Taylor post office, officially retired Friday, Sept. 11, bringing a long run behind the counter to an end. Word of her final da

A provincial gang unit called into Fort St. John last month had a busy two weeks in the city, with officers making multiple arrests and seizing seven firearms, suspected drugs, around $16,000 in cash and several other weapons before wrapping up Sept. 5. Photos courtesy of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU-BC). The Uniform Gang Enforcement Team, or UGET, was brought into the community at the request of Fort St. John RCMP from Aug. 21 to Se

September 11, 2026 By Ken Boon Today the world commemorates the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attack in the US that went on to have further tragic global impacts. Photo: Courtesy of the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when news broke about planes flying into the World Trade Center towers. Arlene did not normally work with us in the log home business, but I had sweet-talked her into helping

With another school year underway across the Peace, those quieter summer mornings around our schools are gone for another year and drivers are once again sharing the road with school buses, young pedestrians, bicycles and plenty of parents making the morning drop-off. Photo from RCMP media release It doesn't take long for those routines to come back, but police recently reminded drivers that September is also a good time to slow things down a little, leave the phone alone and