• Jasper wildfire recovery: the complex rebuild happening above and below the town's streets two years on from disaster

  Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
  Date: 2026-10-14 17:30:21.0
  Tags: [Alberta, Municipal, Infrastructure, Housing, Emergency, Environment]

  Two years following the July 2024 wildfires, the Municipality of Jasper continues its infrastructure and housing recovery efforts, spearheaded by Director of Recovery Douglas Olthof. The federal and Alberta governments announced $7.9 million on September 1 to recommission a wastewater lagoon, addressing storage capacity and flood risks. Recovery initiatives include property-specific soil testing supported by Parks Canada and the Canadian Red Cross, municipal neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood upgrades to curb stops and shut-off valves, and the addition of 45 new housing units through a newly approved apartment building. Concurrently, the municipality has launched a public Town Plan survey via engagejasper.ca, active until October 25, to replace the 2011 Jasper Community Sustainability Plan and guide future development.

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• Summerside deems solar farm fire to be out as response moves into recovery phase

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-21 20:30:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Energy, Emergency, Public Safety, Environment]

  City of Summerside officials announced that a battery fire at the Sunbank solar farm, which began on September 7, is no longer considered active and emergency crews are moving into a recovery and operational phase after a week without using water. The Prince Edward Island Fire Marshal's Office and battery experts are investigating the cause of the fire at the battery bank, while the Land and Environment Department continues air quality and water sampling. The incident previously prompted a temporary shelter-in-place order, voluntary evacuations, and short-term delays for local schools including Three Oaks and École-sur-Mer before public health officials cleared students to return on September 11.

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• Fire at Summerside solar farm still active as city, province monitor conditions

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-17 19:00:00.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Energy, Environment, Emergency, Public Safety]

  A fire that broke out on September 7 at the City of Summerside's Sunbank solar farm battery facility has remained active for nearly two weeks, prompting ongoing monitoring by municipal and provincial authorities. Air-quality testing overseen by P.E.I. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison indicates no evidence of health risks and confirms municipal drinking water remains safe, though public health advisories continue for sensitive groups and surface-level produce washing near the site. The City of Summerside is developing a long-term environmental monitoring plan incorporating air, water, and soil sampling in coordination with technical experts and provincial officials.

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• Flare-ups, smoke still expected as Summerside solar farm fire continues into second week

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-14 17:46:41.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Energy, Environment, Emergency]

  A battery fire at the 30-hectare Summerside Sunbank solar farm in Prince Edward Island, which began on September 7, 2026, has entered its second week with emergency crews maintaining round-the-clock monitoring. The City of Summerside confirmed that the blaze remains contained to a single battery cell, with no precise timeline for when it will burn itself out entirely. While a voluntary shelter-in-place notice was previously issued, the Chief Public Health Office determined that contaminants disperse quickly and no longer pose a danger, though air quality guidance remains in place for individuals with underlying respiratory conditions.

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• Summerside solar farm fire burns for sixth straight day

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-12 15:09:51.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Energy, Emergency, Environment]

  A battery fire at the City of Summerside's Sunbank solar farm has continued to burn for a sixth straight day as emergency responders monitor the site around the clock. Summerside chief administrative officer JP Desrosiers confirmed the blaze remains contained to a single battery unit and is burning itself out without further spread. A voluntary shelter-in-place notice issued earlier in the week for nearby residents and the Three Oaks family of schools was lifted, with air and water testing ongoing.

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• Schools in Summerside area resume Friday as shelter-in-place order lifted

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-11 11:10:07.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Energy, Emergency, Education, Environment]

  Schools and city-owned facilities in the Summerside area resumed operations on Friday following the lifting of a voluntary shelter-in-place order issued by the Chief Public Health Office. The order had been in place since Monday morning due to an ongoing, multi-day fire at the Sunbank solar farm. Emergency fire crews remained active on the scene controlling the fire, while third-party air quality testing results were sent directly to the Chief Public Health Office for evaluation.

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• The latest on the solar farm fire that disrupted life for Summerside residents

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-09 22:13:32.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Energy, Environment, Emergency]

  A fire at the City of Summerside's Sunbank solar farm triggered air and water testing, mandatory evacuations, school and business closures, and a shelter-in-place order for nearby residents. Deputy Mayor Cory Snow provided updates to CBC News regarding the ongoing emergency response, air quality monitoring, and the gradual lifting of restrictions as the blaze at the municipal energy facility was brought under control.

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• Conditions have improved, but fire still not out at Summerside solar farm, says city's CAO

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-09 09:35:25.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Energy, Emergency, Environment, Infrastructure]

  A prolonged fire at the City of Summerside's Sunbank solar farm battery bank, which began on Monday, September 7, 2026, continues to burn under monitoring by Summerside Fire Services and Summerside Police Services using drone thermal imaging. While conditions and wind directions have improved, allowing the city to avoid a mandatory shelter-in-place order, a voluntary shelter-in-place order remains in effect for the immediate area. Local schools and Credit Union Place remain closed as third-party firms conduct air quality sampling and officials analyze drinking water and runoff samples.

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• As Summerside works to contain fire at solar farm, this expert says such fires are rare

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-08 22:35:05.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Energy, Environment, Emergency]

  A fire broke out in a large lithium iron phosphate battery bank at the Summerside Sunbank solar farm in Prince Edward Island, prompting local school closures, a shelter-in-place order, and a voluntary evacuation notice on September 7 and 8, 2026. Jeff Dahn, a physics and atmospheric science professor at Dalhousie University, noted that such energy storage facility fires are very uncommon and that modern installations are engineered with thermal barriers and battery management systems to prevent thermal runaway propagation.

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• Shelter in place notice still in effect for residents following Summerside solar farm fire

  Source: Prince Edward Island - Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-08 11:28:38.0
  Tags: [Prince Edward Island, Municipal, Energy, Emergency, Public Safety, Environment]

  A prolonged battery fire at the City of Summerside's Sunbank solar farm, which began on Monday morning, has forced the continuation of a shelter-in-place notice and the closure of local schools including the Three Oaks Family of Schools and École-Sur-Mer. City officials, including Chief Administrative Officer JP Desrosiers and Deputy Mayor Cory Snow, reported that battery arrays are difficult to extinguish, prompting fire crews to contain the blaze while monitoring air and storm water quality. Residents living along South Drive between MacKenzie Drive and Bayview Drive have been advised to keep windows and doors closed, shut off ventilation systems, and keep pets indoors due to electrical burning smells and potential toxin concerns.

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• More heavy rain forecast for Cape Breton as it recovers from weekend storm

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-07 14:01:08.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Municipal, Emergency, Public Safety, Environment, Climate]

  Following severe storms that triggered local states of emergency in Inverness, Victoria, and Richmond counties—with some areas receiving over 120 mm to 200 mm of rain and resulting in the death of a Cleveland, N.S., woman—Environment Canada issued yellow rainfall warnings for Sydney Metro, Cape Breton County, and Victoria County. An additional 25 to 40 millimetres of rain are forecasted, prompting provincial officials including Premier Tim Houston and Emergency Management Minister Kim Masland to urge residents to avoid non-essential travel and follow local road closures.

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• Lunenburg water conservation continues after Dares Lake dam breach

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-04 20:59:53.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Municipal, Infrastructure, Emergency, Environment]

  A crack formed in the recently constructed $1 million Dares Lake dam in Lunenburg, N.S., causing a breach that submerged the pump building and interrupted the town's main water supply. Mayor Jamie Myra reported that mandatory water conservation efforts, along with closures of schools like Bluenose Academy and businesses including High Liner Foods, were implemented to prevent the town from running out of water over the Labour Day weekend. As of Friday, two of the three pumps were partially operational, allowing the water utility to slowly recover capacity while provincial officials collaborate with the town to investigate the cause of the failure.

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• ‘211 years of community’: Funding aims to protect Upper Hammonds Plains from wildfires

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-04 19:36:52.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Municipal, Environment, Climate, Emergency, Infrastructure]

  The Government of Nova Scotia is committing $199,000 from its Sustainable Communities Challenge Fund to the Upper Hammonds Plains Community Land Trust. The funding supports wildfire risk assessment and mitigation initiatives, including FireSmart Canada home assessments, community clean-ups, and remediation for 85 historic homes, a church, and other community buildings. The initiative addresses heightened wildfire safety concerns following the 2023 Tantallon wildfire and local emergency egress vulnerabilities identified in a Halifax Regional Municipality staff report.

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