Local News

After some chilly winds swept through the southeast over the winter, the first month of spring brought some balmier temperatures to the southeast. That's the record for Environment Canada, which took a look at all the numbers they gathered over the month of March.

Meteorologist Stephen Berg talks about the temperatures we felt over the month.

After narrowly losing to Prince Edward Island in 2022, Alberta regained the highest beverage container return rate in Canada in 2024, with an impressive 85% return rate for over two billion containers. The national average was 76%. Saskatchewan followed at 84%, British Columbia at 83%, Ontario at 75%, and Quebec at 68%.

As the weather warms up and roads clear, Alberta RCMP are reminding drivers that speeding remains a major safety risk.

Even in ideal driving conditions, unsafe speeds can lead to serious collisions and injuries.

Speeding remains one of the most common traffic violations in the province. Last year, Alberta RCMP issued 48,600 speeding tickets in RCMP jurisdictions, with 4,283 violations in April alone. In addition, more than 9,400 charges were laid for aggressive and dangerous driving.

A guilty verdict for Stewart Valley's Chris Barber today.

Barber and fellow “Freedom Convoy” organizer Tamara Lich have been found guilty of mischief for their roles in the 2022 mass protest in Ottawa.

He and Lich were co-accused of mischief, intimidation, and counseling people to break the law for their roles in the convoy.

When their verdict date was moved to April 3rd, Barber had posted on X that he and Lich were "ready to stand proudly again."

A pair of individuals were arrested at a north Red Deer hotel on April 1.

Red Deer RCMP were notified that an individual wanted on outstanding warrants was believed to be in the Red Deer area. 

Officers from the Red Deer RCMP General Investigations Unit (GIS) located the individual’s vehicle at a hotel located in north Red Deer. The Red Deer RCMP Crime Reduction Team (CRT) obtained a Feeney warrant to arrest the suspect.

Adam Zinger, 41, from Patricia, Alta., was arrested for outstanding warrants based out of Brooks.

Canalta Hotels has taken over the Ramada Inn in High River.

As part of the company's continued growth, they have expanded into High River with their upgrading of the Ramada Inn, and they also opened up a new location in Cochrane this week.

They are currently in the process of changing all the signage and working on some exciting new changes in High River.

The Province of Manitoba announced a $300,000 commitment to 4-H Manitoba over the next three years, to continue the great work that they do with our young individuals and experienced individuals, says Ag Minister Ron Kostyshyn. "Because they're the ones with the knowledge, and they want to share their knowledge with the young 4-H'ers of the world."

He made the announcement earlier this week at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair in Brandon.

As the season ends and all equipment has been removed, the Skating on the Crescent Committee is urging the public to stay off the ice on Crescent Lake. With rapidly changing weather conditions, the ice is becoming increasingly unstable and dangerous.

"At this time of year, we would never recommend going on the ice," the committee stated in a response to PortageOnline.

"The depth of the ice changes daily with fluctuating temperatures, and it’s difficult to determine which areas are safe."

It’s day 13 of the federal election campaign, and all the major parties have officially announced their candidates for the Bow River riding.

The Conservative Party of Canada is running Vulcan County farmer David Bexte.

Bexte won the Conservative nomination earlier this year, defeating three other candidates in the race.

This is not Bexte’s first time running for office. He previously sought a seat on Vulcan County Council but lost.

The New Democratic Party is running Calgary construction worker Louisa Gwin.

Terry Giercke, chaplain of the United Commercial Travellers (UCT) in Portage la Prairie, has dedicated 12 years to the social and fundraising organization. The group, which supports local youth initiatives and seniors, is currently raising funds for an accessibility swing on the town’s island through calendar sales.