ALASKA HIGHWAY NEWS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Karla Marsh Fifty years ago, settlers looking to homestead in the Fort St. John area, followed a dirt trail up from Dawson Creek and crossed the Peace River by ferry. Johnny Cox, left, shakes hands during a presentation in this undated photograph from the Fort St. John North Peace Museum collection. (Fort St. John North Peace Museum photo) After the U.S. Army built the Alaska Highway in 1942, the settlers’ journey became a whole lot easier. The dirt trail was upgraded to a

Heather Konschuh grew up on a Saskatchewan farm with no idea where a love for art might eventually take her, but more than two decades later, that journey has taken the Canadian glass artist from Australia and England to Vancouver, and now, later this month, north to Fort St. John. Some of the hand-blown and sculptural work of Vancouver glass artist Konschuh, who will be in Fort St. John Sept. 26 for the first Arts in Partnership Conference. (Submitted photos) Konschuh will b

A call about a man reportedly yelling and swinging a knife outside in Fort St. John led police to a vehicle early Sunday morning, where officers say they found two firearms, ammunition and a short sword. Fort St. John RCMP say a loaded sawed-off rifle and ammunition were among the weapons seized from a vehicle following a disturbance call early Sunday morning. (Fort St. John RCMP photo Fort St. John RCMP received the report at about 6:21 a.m. on Sept. 6, after someone called

After three landslides at Old Fort, more work is now moving ahead to better understand the risk in the slopes above the community. The PRRD announced Friday, Sept. 4 that the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness has approved funding for Phase 2, which will look at landslide hazards and risk levels within the Crown land slopes above the community. The work stems from a ministerial order issued by the province on May 21, requiring the regional district to un

Peace Gallery North was a busy little place Saturday afternoon, as local artist David Thiessen opened Divine Instruction, bringing out a pretty good crowd for the first afternoon of his latest exhibit. There is plenty of faith behind the paintings hanging on the walls this time around, with Thiessen looking at biblical teachings, themes and values through his work, while a handwritten statement at the gallery explains a little more about what he hopes people take home with

Lilia Hansen has been part of Fort St. John for a long time, through business, community organizations, two terms on council and now four years as mayor, and Tuesday morning she made it clear there is still plenty she wants to do for the community she calls home. Hansen was first elected mayor in 2022 after serving two terms as a city councillor, and while she is proud of what Fort St. John has accomplished over the past four years, she also knows there is still plenty of wor