r/FortSaskatchewan

I'm not upset/angry about what I'm posting, but am just generally curious as to what's going on with gas prices in the Fort. How is it still $1.629/L when everywhere else has been dropping significantly? Sherwood Park is $1.519/L and if you go into Edmonton, you'll find it even less. On 122nd Street just north of the Whitemud is a Petro Canada selling regular gasoline for $1.439! That's almost $.20/L difference! I do understand supply and demand, but this isn't making sense.

Has anyone else just stopped getting gasoline in Fort Sask altogether now too? I do live in Fort Sask and I do drive a lot. What I have noticed, is the fuel price is dependant on the demographics of the area. Personally, I haven't gotten gas in the fort in months now. Has anyone else kind of just stopped fueling up here too?

Edit: forgot that 119th Street turns into 122nd once you're north of the Whitemud 🤦

In recent weeks, there have been news reports in Alberta about the explosion of the forest tent caterpillar population in some areas. The forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) is a pest of broadleaved trees and shrubs. When young, they’re black, hairy and about 3 mm long. When mature, they are about 50 mm long, with wide blue bands along the sides of the body, and a row of white keyhole shaped spots along the back. 

Forest tent caterpillars have currently been popping up mainly in forested areas, camping grounds, parks, and in backyards in Alberta. Though large, the numbers still pale in comparison to the massive population explosion that occurred in central Alberta in the late 80s. Any Albertan who lived in this region at the time remembers; in 1987 and 1988, the furry little creatures literally took over entire areas, engulfing trees and clustering in massive groups on buildings and the ground. 

“My friend’s house in Athabasca backed onto a forest and when the caterpillars came they were piled 4 feet high on the sides of the house and on the doors, and had to be shovelled daily to even open the door,” said LeeAnna Binder, of Sherwood Park, AB.  “The dead ones at the bottom of the pile smelled so bad. It was unbelievable.” 

Entire woodland areas back then would be decimated by the caterpillar’s voracious appetites, trees and shrubs would appear to be moving as thousands would overtake each plant, stripping the foliage. The roads and walks weren’t spared either, as hundreds of thousands of caterpillars met an untimely end, inadvertently at the bottom of vehicle tires and pedestrian shoes. 

Though essentially harmless to humans, forest tent caterpillars can cause some physical discomfort to people, as rashes on the skin can form caused by direct contact. Their bodies are covered in tiny, stiff hairs that can cause mechanical irritation or mild allergic reactions.

“I remember my buddy in school back then covering himself in caterpillars and getting a rash,” said former longtime Alberta resident Robert Gettman, currently living in Wollongong, Australia. “He ended up missing school.”

Questionable youth behaviour aside, a child having the ability to cover himself with large amounts of caterpillars exemplifies the population explosion central Albertans faced at the time, having only dealt with them occasionally to varying degrees since. 

“FTC (forest tent caterpillar) populations naturally exhibit cyclic dynamics, with outbreaks occurring every 10 years or so and lasting a few years,” said Dr. Leah Flaherty, Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences at MacEwan University in Edmonton.

When asked about the outbreak in Alberta in the late 80s, Dr Flaherty replied “For the 1987 Edmonton outbreak, the most likely explanation is that several factors aligned just right to create conditions favourable for rapid population growth. FTC populations had likely been increasing for several years, weather conditions were probably favourable for survival and development, and Edmonton has an abundance of trembling aspen, the preferred host of FTC in western Canada.”

 Adding, “At the same time, natural enemies had likely not yet increased sufficiently to suppress the growing population.”

 As the river valley and park areas in Edmonton and surrounding communities currently get inundated by the caterpillars, it’s notable to point out that these population booms are temporary, usually lasting only a few years. Eventually, natural controls such as parasitic wasps, viral diseases, and starvation cause the caterpillar populations to crash, allowing the ecosystem to recover. 

”Populations increase when natural enemy pressure is low, but high densities are eventually followed by increased mortality from pathogens and parasitoids, whose populations lag behind those of FTC. This leads to the characteristic outbreak-and-collapse cycle,” Flaherty explained. 

As for the late 80s outbreak, Dr.  Flaherty not only knows why the caterpillars showed up in abundance, but also why they seemed to be more noticeable and prevalent in certain areas during that time. 

 “The 1987 event likely represented the peak of a regional outbreak cycle affecting much of central Alberta, not just Edmonton,” Flaherty said 

 ”The city (of Edmonton) simply made the outbreak more visible because so many caterpillars were concentrated around people, homes, and streets.” 

 

  

Trent McMartin 

Friday, July 31, 1987, a date that will forever live in infamy in Edmonton, Alberta and surrounding areas. Also known as Black Friday, the deadliest and most destructive tornado in Alberta's history touched down at 2:55 p.m. MDT just north of Beaumont, and went on a run of destructive terror for over an hour. Leaving 27** people killed, hundreds injured, and over 300 homes levelled. The storm carved a path of destruction 30.8 kilometres (19.1 miles) long and up to 1.3 kilometres (0.81 miles) wide. Reaching peak intensity on Refinery Row in Strathcona County, derailing train cars and turning giant oil storage tanks upside down, crumpling them like they were cardboard. 
 
The immediate aftermath in Strathcona County was severe damage and destruction to infrastructure, with communication and transportation being disrupted, as phone lines went down, and access to healthcare facilities critically hindered. It would take months to clean up and to asses the true damage, with hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage. Strathcona County was set to host the 1987 Alberta Summer Games that August, but with the tragedy and destruction left by the tornado, an uncertainty hung in the air whether or not the games would go on. 
 
“The tornado of ‘87 and its aftermath was a very traumatic situation,” said the Honourable Iris Evans, former reeve and Strathcona County councillor. “The real miracle of those games happening was the preparation; it was very well planned.”
 
The 1987 Alberta Summer Games were hosted by Strathcona County from August **13 to August 16, 1987, welcoming athletes aged 11 to 16 from across the province to compete in various sports. The games served as a premier provincial multi-sport event designed to foster athletic development for youth across Alberta. Strathcona County is again set to host the province once again for the 2026 Alberta Summer Games, taking place from July 16 to 19, 2026. The upcoming event will feature roughly over 2500 athletes and participants. 
 
“People weren’t sure if the ‘87 games were going to be put on after the tornado,” said Evans, who also served as the Alberta Minister of Health and Wellness and later the Minister of Employment, Immigration and Industry for the Government of Alberta. “It might have been the largest collection of volunteers up to that point to gather and work an event in Strathcona County, and that coupled with fantastic leadership made the event a success.”
 
In terms of leadership, Evans is referring specifically to Jim Common, the then reeve of Strathcona County, and Doug Fulford, head of the games organization. “The ‘87 games might have been Jim Common’s golden moment as reeve, while Doug Fulford did a great job too, with Doug’s big smile, he welcomed everyone,” Evans said. “Everyone did a masterful job, really igniting the fires of volunteerism in the community.”
 
Heroic organization and preparation became the keys to the success of the ‘87 games, but it meant nothing if the weather didn’t cooperate. The tornado and subsequent rains did do a number on the facilities, soaking fields, worrying organizers with just days to go before the events started.
 
“Just right before things kicked off, the sun shone almost defiantly, in the wake of the tornado, it was brilliant,” Evans remembered. “The ground was still a bit soggy for the start but things soon righted themselves.” 
 
The legacy of those ‘87 games stretches far and wide, as it not only sparked a new passion for community volunteerism, but helped initiate the building of recreational facilities. With the games success, it also led to future sporting events being hosted by Strathcona County, including the upcoming 2026 Alberta Summer games. 
 
“It (the ‘87 Games) was a new venture, it was really the first time we had uniforms and ball caps and lanyards, and the credentials started to come in,” Evans said. “It was also the beginning of the development in the enthusiasm for strong recreational facilities being built, like eventually places like Millennium Place came about.”
 
As for the Honourable Iris Evans’ personal take on the legacy of  the games and their affect on the community, she remembers both the immediate aftermath after the games ended, along with its lasting impact. 
 
“When it was over, even later in September when everything was said and done, the staff, the volunteers, the organizers, everybody breathed a sigh of relief, especially going through the adversity with the tornado. The games were very well organized and a success,” she fondly recalled. 
 
“It (the games) put Strathcona County on the map, for more than just for refining operations,” Evans added. 
 
“People look back at the ‘87 Alberta Summer Games with pride.”