Lac La Biche News

Just one week ahead of the Lakeland Interpretive Society's Portage La Biche Rendezvous, a lack of registered participants has put the event in a sink or swim situation.

Without an event director or the usual place to put it, Pow Wow Days organizers are still hoping to have a traditional Aboriginal Village as part of the summertime festival, but it could be a smaller version of it at the Bold Center.

For the first time, the Lac La Biche Firefighters’ Society and Santa’ s Helpers are putting their helmeted heads together to host an event focused on bicycle safety.

An area man facing several charges, including unlawful confinement, aggravated assault, and a number of firearms related charges, will be back in Lac La Biche Provincial Court on September 8 for a preliminary hearing.

Duane Steele has played his way across North America and back, but small-town shows are still every bit as important to him as headliner gigs in Nashville.

The Lac La Biche Pow Wow Association says people who are worried the annual Pow Wow Days festival is completely pulling up stakes this year shouldn’ t be.

Portage College officials are hoping the provincial government’ s support for a planned Pipeline Training Centre (PTC) remains leak-free.

Wildfire smoke is currently blowing into the Lac La Biche area from two nearby out-of-control fires: one over 17,000 hectares in size in the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range to the east, and one over 1,000 hectares in size to the north near Conklin. The fires themselves, however, are not currently moving toward inhabited areas.

Firefighters battling blazes in the region haven't been getting much help from Mother Nature. It doesn't appear she will be helping anytime soon either, as precipitation levels in northeastern Alberta are lower than average so far this year, and there little to no rain in the forecast for the region. Steady winds and unseasonably dry weather have hindered efforts control several wildfires, including one 17,000 hectare out-of-control fire at the Primrose Air Weapons Range, near Cold Lake.

If there’ s a silver lining to the reduced price of oil-and the accompanying job and production rollbacks-it might be lower traffic volumes along Highways 63 and 881.