EDMONTON — Alberta’s education minister’s website has been hijacked after the minister did not renew the site’s licence.

On Friday the website shifted from displaying content curated by LaGrange and her team to showing messages about how “out of touch” the draft K-6 United Conservative Party curriculum is.

“When referring to the use of technology in Alberta’s new curriculum, Ms. Adriana LaGrange has said that students can code with ‘paper and pen’, but it is obvious that Adriana LaGrange does not understand how technology works,” the homepage read.

“Otherwise, she would not have let her domain name expire. This includes failing to renew the domain during the 41-day grace period.”

The site encouraged Albertans to view the draft curriculum for themselves and participate in a government-run feedback survey about the curriculum.

Shortly after 3 p.m. on Friday, LaGrange’s Twitter account no longer featured a link to her previous website domain.

At the bottom of the site, a link asked the “previous owner” of the domain to donate $2,500 to the Science Alberta Foundation Mindfuel charity that helps equip K-12 classrooms with science, technology, engineering, and math learning tools.

The site asked “the previous owner of this domain” to email receipt of the donation after which the new owner of the site would work “to transition the domain back” to LaGrange.

CTV News Edmonton reached out to LaGrange for comment.

Concerned Albertan Todd Willsie, a cyber security consultant and president of Calgary’s Extra Life Guild videogamer group, bought the domain and created the new messages on the site.

“I saw Adriana LaGrange’s profile on Twitter, clicked the website link and saw the domain was available to buy. So I bought it,” he said.

“At that point I just took all the comments I was hearing from friends, family, and coworkers about this curriculum and I saw one specific tweet about how there doesn’t need to be any technology in the classroom.

“I thought that was really ironic and decided to make the site and express all of what my friends and peers have been saying,” he added. “Our curriculum needs to be a bit better.”

The domain costs $70 for a one-year renewal. Willsie said LaGrange has not contacted him about the website.

As someone who works with technology everyday, Willsie said technology “needs” to be in the classroom. He selected the Mindfuel charity because it helps provide technology to educators and students alike.

Willsie said he has only been receiving positive feedback about his website hijack.

“Some people have been saying I am a hero,” Willsie laughed. “I am not, I am just an Albertan.”

EDMONTON — A 40-year-old motorcyclist was taken to hospital after he was struck by an unsecured mattress that had fallen from a truck travelling in front of him.

Police said at approximately 10:35 a.m. on Saturday they responded to the report of a collision west of 66 Street on Whitemud Drive.

Investigators say it was reported to them that a motorcycle was westbound onthe freeway when the rider was knocked off his bike by a mattress that fell of a truck travelling ahead of the motorcyclist within the same lane.

EMS responded and transported the 40-year-old motorcyclist to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

According to police, the driver of the truck remained at the scene of the collision.

Westbound lanes between 66 Street and 91 Street were closed for a few hours Saturday as police responded to the collision.

The EPS major collisions unit continues to investigate the incident but is not considering speed and alcohol as factors in this collision.

EDMONTON — A train derailment in northern Alberta within 100 metres of a community is under investigation.

Lac La Biche County said a trail derailed after 4 p.m. Friday evening approximately 100 metres east of the hamlet of Hylo, Alta.

RCMP, peace officers, and Lac La Biche County fire rescue responded to the derailment.

CN Rail confirmed to CTV News Edmonton that a train derailed and that 13 cars hauling petroleum coke, or unpurified coal, were found on their side.

There are no injuries or dangerous goods involved, CN Rail said.

RCMP said the derailment occurred between rail crossings so no traffic was disrupted.

“CN would like to apologize for any inconvenience as a result of this incident,” said Olivier Quenneville, a CN public affairs representative.

Hylo, Alta is approximately 25 kilometres southwest of Lac La Biche.

EDMONTON — On Friday, couples at the St. Albert Retirement Residence had the opportunity to renew a special commitment.

The residence organized an event for couples to renew their marriage vows. St. Albert residents, Bob and Vicky Dodd, had the opportunity to renew their vows after getting married on Nov. 12, 1955. The two met in a rural community and said the key to their long-lasting marriage is love and respect for one another. Despite being married 65 years, the couple said their marriage has gone by surprisingly fast.

“Actually, it has gone by very quickly when we look back. You know life has been good to us,” said Vicky Dodd.

Vicky and Bob experienced hardships throughout their marriage, including the loss of their two daughters.

“We had crop failures — all kinds of things happen, disappointments, and we’ve lost our daughters,” said Vicky.

Lori Kary, employee of All Seniors Care, said the couple is a true inspiration. For many of the residents, the ceremony was emotional.

“Just love in general, you think about your partner and some of them have passed on. It brings back a huge flood of memories.”

With the help of The Foundry Room, an event venue in Edmonton, the St. Albert home received decorations for the special occasion. 

“We partnered with the Foundry Room. They donated all the decorations that you see today. We also had Sweet and Savory Catering donate the cupcakes and cake,” said Kary.

The residents have all received two doses of their COVID-19 vaccine. By practicing social distance, pre-plating meals, wearing masks and keeping the capacity to 30 per cent, the event was made a possibility for those living in the home.

“This last year and a half has been really tough. With restrictions easing up this was just a beautiful way to have a party and celebrate love,” said Kary.

The couple signed a vow renewal certificate although the celebration was a mock renewal.

“It is amazing how the community can come together and support each other,” said Kary.

When asked on what advice the married couple would give newlyweds, Bob and Vicky said it takes the dedication to work through problems.

EDMONTON — An Edmonton brewery has launched a new beer to help raise money for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and honour an advocate for the disease in the process.

Sea Change Brewing Co. started selling Adam’s Pale Ale on Thursday, pledging to donate a dollar from ever four-pack sold to the ALS Society of Alberta.

Adam Rombough was diagnosed with ALS in 2017 and spent the last months of his life fundraising money and promoting awareness for the disease. He died in May of 2018 at the age of 34.

Pete Nguyen, a partner with Sea Change Brewing Co., said Adam’s love of beer helped inspire the idea.

“Adam was just a huge beer fan,” he told CTV News Edmonton. “That’s kind of how it sparked it. It was sort of a long shot just thinking what can we do together, and June was coming up fast so we thought we’d make a beer and push it as hard as we can, and it’s been a major success.”

The beer, featuring Adam’s smiling face on the can, is already selling quickly and not expected to last long. It is currently sold out at the Edmonton Sea Change Brewing Co. taproom but is still available at various liquor stores across Alberta.

“I’m imagining in the next little bit here, it’s going to be gone,” Nguyen said.

The brewery is also selling jersey style beer koozies and t-shirts with all of the money raised going the ALS Society of Alberta.

CELEBRITY SUPPORT

Adam’s Pale Ale garnered a lot of support from Edmontonians, politicians and celebrities using the hashtag #OneOnAdam.

Rains Maida, the lead singer of Our Lady Peace, Adam’s favourite band and the first concert he attended, tweeted his support for the initiative.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also sent a message of support, thanking the organizers and saying that Adam’s “fight with the disease and kindness towards others serves as an inspiration to our nation.”

Edmonton born actor Nathan Fillion also expressed his support via Instagram.

And Mayor Don Iveson is “enjoying a cold one” Friday afternoon to support ALS Society of Alberta.

Nguyen explained what the support meant to the staff and organizers.

“It’s an amazing feeling, just our team here alone, it kind of brought us together under a common goal other than just making and selling beer. So at the end of the day, we’re just a brewery but we’re using it as a way to try and make a difference at a local level.”

People can make a donation to the cause at www.alsab.ca/seachange, where they can also find a list of liquor stores stocking the beer.

June is ALS awareness month.