Lacombe

A woman from Maskwacis is dead and a man is in hospital after a head-on collision in northeastern Alberta.

St. Paul RCMP say the crash happened around 8 a.m. on Wednesday near the intersection of Highway 28 and Highway 36, just outside the hamlet of Ashmont, located about 35 kilometres northwest of St. Paul.

The 40-year-old woman from Maskwacis was pronounced dead at the scene. A man involved in the crash was airlifted to an Edmonton hospital with serious injuries.

The second annual Canadian Wild Pig Summit is set to take place on April 29th. This virtual event will feature a morning of presentations focusing on wild pig monitoring programs and recommendations from Indigenous communities regarding the Canadian Invasive Wild Pig Strategy.

Organized by Manitoba Pork, Squeal on Pigs Manitoba, and Animal Health Canada, the summit aims to address the growing wild pig population in Western Canada. These animals pose significant dangers to people and livestock and cause considerable environmental damage.

The Western Dairy Expo begins today in Saskatoon, bringing together dairy producers from across Western Canada to showcase the best of the best in the dairy industry. 

The event runs through Saturday at Prairieland and is also being live-streamed.

The Expo starts at 2 pm today with junior events, featuring showmanship and a junior show where kids under 21 will present heifers.

Donald Bolen, the archbishop of Regina, is travelling to Vatican City for Saturday’s funeral of Pope Francis – a journey, he says, is to honour a pontiff who mirrored his vision and his compassion.

"When (Francis) put out a book called 'The Name of God is Mercy,' I smiled. Because my episcopal motto is 'mercy within mercy within mercy' — very much that same understanding,” Bolen said in an interview.

"I had enormous respect for Pope Francis through his pontificate.”

Signs say Manitoba’s wild pigs aren’t headed for a population boom, says Wayne Lees, co-ordinator for Squeal on Pigs Manitoba.

“We’ve always heard that, you know, these pigs are going to explode in population,” Lees said. “Our field experience didn’t really support that, so we wanted to start challenging some of these assumptions.”

WHY IT MATTERS: A study from Squeal on Pigs Manitoba appears to show a slower population growth of wild pigs in Manitoba than originally expected.

Pierre Poilievre is defending the Conservative campaign platform's heavy reliance on economic growth in a period of deep uncertainty, while the NDP and Liberals spar over cost-cutting.

The Conservative leader was campaigning in Hamilton, Ont., on Wednesday, with just days to go before the federal vote on Monday and a day after he released the party's costed campaign platform.

The 2025 Agricultural Water Management Fund is now accepting applications. This fund aims to support agricultural producers and local governments in developing effective water management projects.

Naomi Paley, Manager of Drainage Extension at the Water Security Agency, explains that qualified applicants can receive up to $95,000 per project through a cost-sharing approach across three funding streams:

The Ponoka Hospital & Care Centre Auxiliary is celebrating 75 years of service, continuing its important work in providing patient comfort and care in the community.

“We just had our general meeting first,” said Joyce MacKenzie, president of the Auxiliary. “Then we had cake, which was supplied by the hospital, and the mayor came and gave a presentation. We had a counselor from the county office come and give us good wishes, and of course, our hospital CEO was there.”

Several hockey players from Central Alberta have earned spots at the 2025 Prospects Cup, a provincial showcase for top 2012-born male athletes. The tournament runs May 8–11 at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre in Red Deer.

Athletes selected for the Prospects Cup were identified through regional camps held earlier this month in Calgary, Edmonton, Olds, and Vegreville. Over 160 players will compete on eight regional teams—each with two goaltenders, six defencemen, and 12 forwards—in a modified round-robin format.

Red Deer RCMP were asking for help locating a missing 13-year-old.

Police say the teenager was last seen on Apr. 16.

There was concern for her well-being, and she has been safely located.