On June 1, 2023, when power went out shortly after 9 p.m., we tried to find a radio station to discover the cause. Without TV, internet, and telephone landlines, we used a cellphone to call the number on the bottom of the Waste Collection Calendar. After hours, from there we were directed to a phone menu where we chose a number to learn that about 5,000 houses in Erin Ridge and Oakmont were without power and Fortis Alberta was working on it.
Before power was restored shortly after midnight on June 2, 2023, several Edmonton-area radio stations, including Global Radio 88.8 AM, CFRN 1260 AM, and 630 CHED AM all reported "Breaking News." But for over three hours while the power was out, none of those stations or others reported on the St. Albert power outage.
We just had to laugh. The "Breaking News" was broken. Perhaps they all need a new slogan: "Coming up: endless advertisements, talk radio, traffic reports, but no local breaking news."
Randy B. Williams, St. Albert
