Lacombe

A new forest haven is taking root in Lacombe, as the Woodland Sanctuary officially broke ground earlier today with help from Mayor Grant Creasey, who joined to plant the site’s symbolic elder tree.

Located west of Woodland Drive, the 1.7-acre municipal reserve will become home to 100 trees, along with native shrubs and greenery. The project aims to create a peaceful, natural space for the community.

Sixty-six per cent of Canadian exporters rely solely on United States, but economists say that can be hard on the bottom line
 

For someone running an agricultural or agri-food business in Saskatoon, Kelowna or Halifax, it’s easier to sell products to customers in Canada than to someone in Vietnam.

It may be easier, but exporting will make the business more productive and profitable.

The emergency department at the Lacombe Hospital and Care Centre will be temporarily closed overnight on two consecutive days due to an unexpected gap in physician coverage, Alberta Health Services (AHS) announced.

The closures will take place from 11 p.m. Friday until 7 a.m. Saturday and again from 11 p.m. Saturday until 7 a.m. Sunday.

AHS said efforts to secure temporary physician coverage were unsuccessful.

 Australia hopes its crop will recover from last year’s drought and frost, while Canada’s production is expected to be down

The 2025-26 red lentil market hinges on what happens with Australia and Canada, say analysts.

If those two countries have average yields, supply and demand will be well balanced, Chuck Penner, an analyst with LeftField Commodity Research, recently told delegates attending the Global Pulse Confederation’s Pulses 25 conference in Singapore.

Canada and the United States are both looking at sizeable crops, while conditions are also favourable in Russia and Kazakhstan

There is potential for a big increase in green lentil production in 2025-26 after several years of tight supplies, says an analyst.

Canada will lead the way with an estimated 842,000 tonnes of production, Chuck Penner, analyst with LeftField Commodity Research, told delegates attending the Global Pulse Confederation’s Pulses 2025 conference in Singapore.

The Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) and J4 Agri-Science have announced a new partnership aimed at developing new and enhanced  Faba Bean varieties. This initiative is expected to bring significant improvements to the crop's potential and provide farmers with more options for their rotations.

Canada’s dwindling farmland base and rising rental costs threaten the country’s agricultural sustainability, researchers warn

Canada’s agricultural sector faces mounting pressure as the country continues to lose farmland to urban development, while some existing acres sit vacant.

That’s according to new research released by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.

Competition for sales is expected to heat up as Russia expects a bigger crop following last year’s disappointing harvest
 

Canada will likely be facing more competition in pea export markets this year.

Russia’s production is expected to rebound after a disappointing 2024-25 harvest, said Gaurav Jain, analyst with AgPulse Analytica.

He is forecasting 5.01 million tonnes of production in 2025-26, up from 3.92 million tonnes last year.

Westerner Park has announced the appointment of five new members to its Board of Directors. Joining the board are Vernon Cey, Ajoy Joseph, Craig Lampard, Kimberly Shipley, and Denis O’Dwyer.

Justin Hubert, an incumbent Board member, has been re-elected. Justin’s continued presence brings valuable experience and continuity to the Board, and we are grateful for his ongoing commitment to Westerner Park.

On June 3, 2025, at around 9:30 a.m., Olds RCMP, with the assistance of the Alberta RCMP Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE), arrested an Olds resident for child pornography offences.

With the assistance of ICE, Olds RCMP launched an investigation in late May of 2025. On June 3, Olds RCMP and ICE executed a search warrant at an Olds residence. As a result, Charles Landon (48), was arrested and charged with the following: