War against pine beetles receives $150,000 boost

The Alberta government is waging war against the mountain pine beetle, which threatens six million hectares of forest in the province, said a government news release Monday.

Yellowhead County, east of Jasper National Park, received $150,000 in government funding to eradicate the pine beetle on municipal and private lands.

The move is part of a grant funding program to help communities combat pine beetle infestations.

In 2017, more than 92,000 trees were cut and burned to control the spread of pine beetles, the release said.

LABOUR PROGRAM FUNDING

A government program to help unemployed Albertans received

$15 million in funding over the next three years.

The Transition to Employment Services program operates in 14 communities across the province, targeting about 1,500 Albertans, said a government news release Tuesday.

Workers are able to participate in short-term skills training, job-matching services and interview preparation, among other things.

“Investing in skills training provides more Albertans with the skills employers are looking for and supports them to be successful in the labour market,” said Labour Minister Christina Gray in the release.

FUR TRADE EXHIBIT

The Legislative Assembly Visitor Centre launched a new exhibit on the fur trade, tracing how the industry spread through the prairies and into Alberta.

“The importance of Canada’s fur trade cannot be overstated,” said Speaker Robert Wanner in a government news release Monday. “This exhibition invites viewers to reflect upon the many ways in which the fur trade, with its highs and lows and trends and shifts, impacted our nation’s and our province’s history.”

The exhibition — Fur: The Fabric of Our Nation — will run from Wednesday to July 3 in the Borealis Gallery and is free for visitors. It was curated in co-operation with the Costume Museum of Canada.