Latest news with #NaturalResources
CTV News
3 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Danielle Smith hosts annual premier's dinner in Calgary
Danielle Smith spoke to supporters at the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary on May 30, 2025. Nearly 2,000 supporters attended Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's annual United Conservative Party fundraising dinner at the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary on Thursday. The sold-out event provided Smith with an opportunity to share her thoughts about Alberta's energy sector – including strategies about how best to get the province's natural resources to market. She also said Alberta's fight with Ottawa is not over. 'As most Albertans already know, I have repeatedly stated that I support a strong and sovereign Alberta within a united Canada and I personally have such high hopes that there is a path forward for that with Ottawa,' she said. 'I am going to do everything in my power to negotiate a fair deal for Alberta with the new prime minister.' Also during her speech, Smith called out the federal government for not backing down on its zero emission caps or Bill C-69.
CBC
3 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Crews battle wildfire in remote area of Cape Breton
Crews are battling a wildfire in a remote area of Cape Breton's Richmond County. The blaze started around 5 p.m. AT Thursday on Three Rivers Road in Framboise, about 66 kilometres southwest of Sydney, according to a news release from the Municipality of the County of Richmond. The fire is about 15 hectares in size and has crossed at least one roadway, the release says. No evacuation orders have been issued, but residents are being asked to remain vigilant. One old trailer, vacant for over 20 years, has been lost in the blaze. A residence has been soaked down as a precaution and another has a sprinkler system set up. 'They're making progress' Scott Tingley, manager of forest protection with the province's Natural Resources Department, said those two homes are the only ones in the vicinity of the fire, but there is no imminent threat to properties. He said there are 17 staff members from Natural Resources are on the scene, as well as rough 12 volunteer firefighters. "Crews were on site early so they're making progress," Tingley told CBC's Information Morning Nova Scotia. On Thursday evening, multiple volunteer fire departments fought the fire, but weren't able to contain it. Ground crews focused on extinguishing the blaze and saturating surrounding areas to reduce the risk of the wildfire spreading. Most of those crews left for the night, but were prepared to return if conditions worsened. Lois Landry, warden for the Municipality of the County of Richmond, said the area is quite rural and sparsely populated. She said cellphone service is not good, which is a concern when trying to communicate with emergency crews on the ground. "There's efforts afoot to try to improve that but it's times like this really where that lack of service is really significant," Landry said in an interview Friday morning. The province issued a fire ban for most of Nova Scotia on Thursday following several days of warm, sunny weather. There was a little reprieve from hot and dry conditions as rain fell overnight into Friday.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Wildfire in Richmond County, N.S., remains out of control
A forest fire in Richmond County, N.S., began on Thursday evening and remains out of control. The fire that started around 5 p.m. near Three Rivers Road in Framboise has grown over 15 hectares and has crossed at least one roadway. A 20-year-old vacant trailer in the area also burned down. Multiple volunteer fire departments arrived on site Thursday evening, but as of last night, no containment of the fire was achieved. There have been no evacuation orders at this time, but the municipality warns residents to remain alert. One residence has been soaked down as a precaution. The Department of Natural Resources ground crew is expected to resume operations Friday morning. Richmond County officials remind residents to monitor official emergency channels for updates, follow all instructions from emergency services and if emergency assistance is required to call 9-1-1. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
CBC
3 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Out of control wildfire burning in Cape Breton
Crews are expected to resume fighting an out of control wildfire today that broke out in Cape Breton's Richmond County on Thursday. The blaze started around 5 p.m. AT on Three Rivers Road in Framboise, about 66 kilometres southwest of Sydney, according to a news release from the Municipality of the County of Richmond. The fire has grown to 15 hectares and has crossed at least one roadway, the release said. There are currently no evacuation orders in place, but residents are being asked to remain vigilant. One old trailer, vacant for over 20 years, has been lost in the blaze. A residence has been soaked down as a precaution and another has a sprinkler system set up. Multiple volunteer fire departments were on site early Thursday evening, but no containment was achieved. Ground crews focused on extinguishing the blaze and saturating surrounding areas to reduce the risk of the wildfire spreading. Most of those crews left for the night, but were prepared to return if conditions worsened. Crews from the provincial Natural Resources Department were expected to resume operations Friday morning. The province issued a fire ban for most of Nova Scotia on Thursday following several days of warm, sunny weather. There was a little reprieve from hot and dry conditions as rain fell overnight into Friday.
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
N.S. minister could override owners who don't want uranium exploration on their land
Social Sharing If a Nova Scotia landowner doesn't want uranium exploration to happen on their property, does no mean no? Nova Scotia Natural Resources Minister Tory Rushton has confirmed that he could step over property owners to let companies hunt for uranium, but he said he isn't keen to do so. "Right now we're encouraging landowners and the researchers to have the conversations, that's where it needs to start," Rushton told reporters Thursday following a cabinet meeting in Halifax. Earlier this year, the Progressive Conservative government lifted a long-standing ban on uranium exploration and extraction. Two weeks ago, it put out a call for companies to explore in three areas with known uranium deposits. Rushton has previously said that landowners have to agree, but he is now acknowledging that a rarely used legal clause could be applied if parties can't come to a deal. "They would have to prove to me that they've had the negotiations … before we'd ever intervene," Rushton said. WATCH| Property owners 'stunned' to learn their property could be explored for uranium: N.S. residents stunned to learn uranium hunt could be on their land 3 days ago Duration 2:18 Intervened once before Rushton has invoked Section 26 of the Mineral Resources Act once in his four-year tenure as natural resources minister. A mining company asked the province last year to intervene to allow for lithium exploration on a property in southwest Nova Scotia, and Rushton granted the request in January. He said in that case, the landowners and mining company were in negotiations that had reached a stalemate. That's the only time the Houston government has used the provision. It had been used just one other time in the past two decades. "This is not something that we're looking at to be [used] on every case," Rushton said. He said he hopes landowners will want to know what's under their land, not just for the sake of mining but for their own health. Natural uranium deposits can leach into groundwater, including drinking water, and they can release radon into buildings. Opposition calls for more clarity NDP Leader Claudia Chender said Rushton needs to be more clear about when he would intervene. "There are going to be a lot of conversations where a company approaches someone and says, 'I want to use your land,' and the landowner says, 'No,'" she said. "I don't think that's going to be an extraordinary event." Interim Liberal Leader Derek Mombourquette said if he were minister, he would never invoke Section 26, and he hopes Rushton won't either. He said "consultation is key" for avoiding conflicts as the province pushes for more resource development, but he said the government has been lacking on that front. Mombourquette pointed to local officials and landowners , and Mi'kmaw leaders not being consulted before fracking and uranium bans were lifted. The province is expected to announce details of exploration permits for uranium this summer.
