The geoduck export market to China is worth roughly $50 million and 95 per cent of B.C.'s harvest goes to Chinese buyers, according to data from the B.C. Seafood Alliance.

Far more goods are transported through the U.S. from Mexico to Canada than through B.C. to Alaska.

On this day in 1945, the town of Beverly was considering whether to join Edmonton.

European settlers first moved to the area northeast of Edmonton in the early 1880s, drawn by the promise of good soil and cheap land, perfect for farming. But it was what lay beneath that soil that would soon shape Beverly's history.

There were coal deposits throughout the river valley, but the largest was the Clover Bar seam, which ran right underneath Beverly, and produced an estimated 95% of the area's coal. Tiny coal mining operations, like William Humberstone's first mine, started popping up.

People began calling the growing settlement Beverly around 1904. In 1907, the Grand Trunk Railway built the Clover Bar bridge across the river, connecting the area's coal industry to the rail network, which encouraged even more mining.

The tiny hamlet was growing rapidly. In 1913, Beverly was incorporated as a village, and just a year later, it became a full-fledged town. That ascension led to the construction of Beverly's first official building, a town hall designed by Allen Merrick Jeffers, who also designed Alberta's Legislature Building.

The two-storey brick building served not only as a town hall but also as a fire station, police station, elementary school, and dance hall. Emily Murphy, one of the Famous Five, worked out of the building in her role as justice of the peace.

The Great Depression hit Beverly hard. By the late 1930s the town was on the brink of bankruptcy. The Alberta government appointed an administrator to oversee the town and this oversight remained for more than a decade.

The 1950s and '60s saw a significant shift in the town's direction. Coal was no longer in high demand. Housing was. The boom that followed the end of the Second World War, combined with Beverly's lower land prices, made the community an attractive place to live that was close to the city. Beverly's population expanded. In 1951, the town had 2,150 residents; a decade later, the population had more than quadrupled. That growth brought expenses for infrastructure and services, which the town struggled to cover. Debt from previous decades only made the situation more difficult.

In 1961, Beverly residents voted in a referendum on whether to amalgamate with Edmonton. More than 60% of those who voted supported the idea. On Dec. 30 of that year, Beverly officially became part of the city. What was once the town of Beverly is now split into five neighbourhoods: Beverly Heights, Abbottsfield, Beacon Heights, Rundle Heights, and Bergman.

Coal mining played a significant role in shaping the early years of both Beverly and Edmonton. While it may not have the prominence it once had, coal remains a major issue in Alberta. Earlier this year, the provincial government lifted its moratorium on new coal mine development in the eastern Rocky Mountains, sparking controversy and protests.

This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist Rev Recluse of Vintage Edmonton.

Edmonton's population grew even more than expected in 2024, new numbers from the provincial government show.

Last year at this time, the City of Edmonton projected the population would increase by 3.6% in 2024. The new provincial numbers show, however, that Edmonton's population increased by 5.76% in 2024, an increase of 65,000 people, bringing the city's total number of residents to about 1,185,000.

One year ago, Ward Nakota Isga Coun. Andrew Knack warned that Edmonton wasn't ready for the projected influx of new people. "Well, guess what? We're still not ready, and, I mean, that shouldn't shock anyone," Knack told Taproot in a recent interview. "Obviously, the challenging or even somewhat terrifying point of this is, how do you keep up with that?"

New residents need homes, schools, services, and transportation options. Edmonton's City Plan, approved in 2020, is meant to chart how the city grows toward a population of two million people. The plan aims to see 50% of new housing units added through infill and to add 600,000 residents in neighbourhoods generally within the boundary of Anthony Henday Drive, instead of them being added predominantly outside of it through continued sprawl development. The progress on City Plan goals is tracked on the Open Performance dashboard.

In 2024, developers in the Edmonton region started construction on more than 18,000 units of housing, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation data, a 39% increase over 2023. Apartment starts saw a particularly large increase of 49% from 2023. The city is ahead of schedule in meeting its goals of building missing middle housing, a January news release said.

Knack, who is not running for reelection in October's city election, said the proportion of new housing that is created through infill is important to guard against potential property tax increases. He added that while he understands why people can be hesitant about infill development in their neighbourhoods, he thinks some who may have previously objected to it have now changed their tune. "I think there are a lot of people who are just realizing now that in order to accomplish fiscal sustainability and environmental sustainability, we have to change, and that is hard, and it's causing some challenges," Knack said.

Another way Knack proposes the city welcome its new residents in a financially sustainable way is by simplifying infrastructure. He used the Jasper Place branch of the Edmonton Public Library, which won architecture awards, as an example.

"Goodness, I love that we have that, but at the same time, what if that is causing an issue? What if we can go build three new medium-sized recreation centres that all look the same, and because we're building three at the same time, we get a discount," he suggested. "You're essentially just copying the exact same design. You can still have a nice design, but maybe it's not going to be unique in each space."

Knack said this is something that the proposed infrastructure committee could decide on. Council is set to vote on that committee on March 18.

The Edmonton region's population as a whole increased by 4.71%. St. Albert and Strathcona County's population grew by 1.63% and 1.17% respectively. Leduc's population grew by 3.71% and Beaumont's grew by 5.85%.

With the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board set to dissolve on March 31, municipalities will not be required to follow the Regional Growth Plan, which set minimum density targets for the municipalities of the region. Knack said he worries about what would happen if regional municipalities stopped following the growth plan.

"If we start growing outside of those plans, then we're creating greater headaches and we're creating a much greater pressure on property taxes. And you might say, 'Well, isn't that the region's problem?'… Yes, but we also know folks that move into the region, many of them come into Edmonton to work every day," Knack said. "More often, we see greater traffic coming in than out. What does that mean on wear and tear, on infrastructure? What does that mean for financial viability for certain areas, if they're using up premium agricultural land to now put in new development because they're not going to follow the growth plan?"

Knack added that he doesn't believe most of the region will prioritize short-term planning because the region was thoughtful when developing the growth plan, "but that is going to loom in the background until we have a clear path on how that gets dealt with."

A rough diamond, aurora borealis and a former Bachelorette contestant. Here's how a Winnipeg man pulled off a dream proposal in Yellowknife.

A community organization in Regina is working to provide the city's most vulnerable people and families access to clean laundry through a program called Operation Fresh Start.

Alberta liquor agencies whose purchased U.S. products are stuck in a warehouse will not be charged storage fees for up to three months, Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis said in a bulletin all agents Thursday.

Mark Carney becomes PM on Friday. A short-lived Fort Smith newspaper ran a notice welcoming him to the world on March 16, 1965. See what made the news that day.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched in support of a well-known advocate for marine safety.

Merv Wiseman is a retired Canadian Coast Guard employee and well-known proponent for search and rescue services, commercial fisheries, and agriculture.

Wiseman, who has pulmonary fibrosis, is on a waiting list for a life-saving, double-lung transplant at Toronto General Hospital.

“Merv has dedicated his life to good causes, and it’s only right that we lend him a hand now,” says Peter Leonard who, along with former journalist, MP and fisheries advocate Ryan Cleary, is organizing the fundraiser.

Wiseman spent 35 years with the Coast Guard and played a key role in the 2017 reopening of the marine rescue sub-centre in St. John’s.

He also operated a fox farm in North Harbour and served as president of the province’s fur breeding and agriculture associations.

The NWT's housing minister says the territory will join "all the other jurisdictions in Canada" by banning smoking in the social housing units it owns.

The NWT's Department of Justice is launching an award in honour of the late Bobbi Hamilton for people working in restorative justice and survivor support.

"The amount of work far exceeds the capacity here." Fresh legislation is designed to plug gaps and make the NWT more attractive to engineers and geoscientists.

The SeaRose FPSO is now back in business at the White Rose oilfield in the Newfoundland offshore.

The massive floating production storage and offloading vessel recently returned to this side of the Atlantic following an estimated $100-million refit at a shipyard in Ireland, where previous work was completed in 2012.

The refit is expected to extend the life of the vessel by about 15 years and is part of the larger West White Rose extension.

The original White Rose field was developed using subsea technology, including three drill centres tied back to the FPSO.

West White Rose construction at Argentia last year. (Photo courtesy Trades NL)

The West White Rose project aims to access further resources to the west of the field using a fixed drilling rig tied back to the vessel.

Work is continuing on that concrete gravity structure being built at the Port of Argentia. It’s still on schedule to be floated out to the field this year, where it will be met by the topsides that were made in Texas.

While production has resumed at White Rose, project lead Cenovus has said first oil from West White Rose is still on track for 2026, producing up to 80,000 barrels a day.

Today, Premier Andrew Furey and Minister Responsible for Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation Scott Reid will join representatives of Miawpukek First Nation to unveil artwork in the East Block Lobby of The Confederation Building.

The event will begin at 11:00 a.m. and will showcase the original work of artist Brittany Wiseman.

The provincial government worked closely with Indigenous Governments and Organizations to procure six pieces of Indigenous artwork – one for each of the five Indigenous Governments and Organizations and a sixth to honour the culture of the Beothuk.

The Indigenous Governments and Organizations were invited to develop their own process for selecting an artist and procuring the artwork.

Sam Jones, who describes herself as an "outdoor enthusiast and hunter," made her Instagram account private Thursday after she was widely condemned for the video.

By Barbara Rayner, The Courier

It’s been 60 years since a group of local citizens decided that St. George needed a library and it has been run by volunteers at various locations ever since.

Mary Anne Craig, who chairs the public library committee, said it was in 1965 that Mrs. Caldwell Stewart and Father John Francis Ryan spearheaded the group of local citizens who established the library in the town which was first located at the corner of Portage and Main Streets — in the former telegraph building. 

From there, the library moved to the Clarke House, which is now NB Housing, and then downstairs at the municipal building.

The next move was to St. George Elementary School but, as a result of security concerns at schools, the library was returned to the municipal building in 2008 but this time upstairs in what was formally used as both a council chamber and for court.

Being located upstairs has its drawbacks when it comes to accessibility, said Craig, and they would like to be located in a building which provides easy access but, to date, have been unsuccessful in finding somewhere. 

Attempts to join the regional library system have been unsuccessful and the library operates with a grant from the municipality of $1000 a year. Two new computers and a printer have recently been added which are well used.

“The convenience of being in a municipally owned building cannot be ignored,” she said. “We are included in the building insurance policy, maintenance, cleaning, utilities, internet and there are municipal staff present in the building.”

Volunteers take care of the processing of books when purchased and every book is assigned a proper library designation which is entered into their records, covered and an ID code placed on the spine, Craig said.

The library, which includes a children’s and young adults section, is open from Mondays to Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. thanks to a group of volunteers. Unfortunately, Craig said, they are not able to offer other programs without a paid professional staff librarian present.

“I think St. George has received a valuable service from loyal volunteers for the last 60 years. We long ago decided we could not live in a community without a library,” she said. 

Craig herself is one of the longest serving volunteers. She, together with Martha Bryan and Barb Robinson, have between them given more than 120 years of volunteer service to the library.

She said they can always use more volunteers and, if people cannot commit to a regular day each month, they can join as “spares” when someone is needed to fill in and they will be shown the ropes.

“We are buying new material and people are very kind and give us gently used books as well,” she said. 

I had asked you to wish Mildred and me luck as we ventured into the world of sourdough.

Mildred, as you already know, is the name I gave my sourdough starter. I read everything I could about how to create a new starter.

There are various schools of thought on the process. Some say you must use a food scale to precisely measure the flour and water needed for the daily feedings that help the starter develop. Others believe this is unnecessary, opting instead to use equal parts flour and water measured with spoons or cups.

Sourdough starter named Mildred. (Laverne Stewart/The Courier)

Before every feeding, an equal amount of starter must be removed. This is called discard. I hate wasting ingredients, so I didn’t want to throw it away. Luckily, I found plenty of recipes that put discard to good use. Within that first week, I had made pizza dough, blueberry muffins, and applesauce bread.

After a couple of days, I decided to freeze the baked goods to prevent the temptation of overeating and excessive calorie consumption.

While the discard didn’t go to waste, Mildred wasn’t doubling in size. I am typically a “measure with your heart” kind of cook, but I quickly learned that when it comes to sourdough, precision is paramount. After a week of feeding Mildred using measuring cups, she remained lethargic and didn’t appear to be growing.

My sister came to stay while I was away for a few days. She agreed to ensure Mildred received her twice-daily feedings — this time using a food scale to weigh the flour and water. Mildred loved it! She transformed into the bubbly, yeasty starter of my dreams.

She was slow to bloom, but when she was ready, she didn’t disappoint. I added a cup of her to a sourdough sandwich bread recipe I found online. After 12 hours, the dough tripled in volume. I punched it down to deflate it, then shaped it into two rectangular loaves and placed them in loaf pans. Another four hour second rise was required before the pans went into a 375°F oven for 45 minutes. When baked, I brushed the tops with butter and covered them with a clean tea towel to cool—an important step to ensure a soft loaf.

The first loaf disappeared quickly. It made the most incredible toast, even more delicious when topped with butter. My husband isn’t an adventurous eater and eyed the bread with suspicion, teasingly calling it “sour old bread.” He took a tentative bite and then declared it delicious. The next day, he helped himself to more, making toast again.

Many people bake sourdough in Dutch ovens, which creates a crispy outer crust with a soft, chewy center. That’s the method I’ll use for our next batch of bread.

Until then, Mildred is now living in the refrigerator, having a well-earned rest until she’s called back into service. When the time comes, she’ll warm up, get fed, and hang out until she’s active and ready to create more sourdough delicacies. I’ve been eyeing sourdough cinnamon roll recipes—that’s next on the list for Mildred and me.

Creating and maintaining a sourdough starter is a labor of love, but the time and effort are well worth it. There’s nothing better than homemade baked goods, and sourdough takes it to a whole other level.

Hey everyone I'm Wallace! I am a 2-year-old, retriever mix. I have a silly personality and know quite a few tricks. I am good with kids, cats and other dogs. I have been here for 6 weeks and I am so ready to go home. I have been a house dog but would do well outdoors as well. If I sound like the dog for you please reach out to the shelter or come by and meet me!

Residents of a southwest village can declutter to support a cause close to the whole community's heart or pick up something new during the Tompkins Community Hall Fundraiser.

Donations can be dropped off at the Tompkins Community Hall beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Friday morning, the rummage sale is set for Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Grace Peters, organizer of the Tompkins Community Hall Fundraiser, noted clothes, shoes, books, antiques, dishes, kitchen supplies, collectibles, and more will be available.

"We're putting on a fundraiser with a little community spirit," she said. "We're trying to put some money back in the bank after we did a massive bathroom renovation and new floors in the meeting room."

Furniture won't be accepted unless the donor is willing to pick up any unsold pieces, and all items are asked to be clean and ready to be sold.

"We have some projects in mind that we're trying to keep raising funds for," added Peters, highlighting that any details of further projects have yet to be announced.

Anyone who might be interested in helping set up for the rummage sale, sort donations, or haul leftover donations afterwards can contact Grace Peters at (306) 671 - 7831.

More Alberta seniors are now eligible for provincially funded RSV vaccines. All Albertans 70 and over are now eligible.

The winners of the 2025 Tourism Excellence Awards were announced at the annual Tourism Excellence Awards Gala hosted by Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador.

The awards celebrate the achievements and dedication of individuals and businesses that contribute to the growth, sustainability, and excellence of the tourism industry in the province.

There were 11 different awards.

Good morning. A billion-dollar federal program intended to help Indigenous businesses grow has instead become a breeding ground for shell companies, critics say, despite Ottawa being warned decades ago. More on that below, plus the G7 meetings and American products take a hit. But first:

Today’s headlines

• Canadian officials project calm after tariff meeting in Washington
• Justin Trudeau bids farewell on his last day in office, and Mark Carney begins to pull together a new cabinet
• Ontario has twice as many measles cases than it did in the entire decade between 2013 and 2023. Here’s what you need to know about the virus.
• Russian President Vladimir Putin backs ceasefire deal, but says he wants to negotiate further