Lacombe

The Alberta government is reversing past cuts to the Grants in Place of Taxes (GIPOT) program, committing to full restoration by 2026.

Budget 2025 increases GIPOT funding from $38 million to $55.3 million, covering 75 per cent of eligible provincial properties' municipal property tax value. In 2026, payments will rise to $75.3 million, covering the full amount that municipalities would receive if the properties were taxable. By 2027, funding is projected to increase to $79.3 million.

The Red Deer RCMP have advised that missing 35-year-old Wayne Piercey was located safe.

He was last seen in Red Deer on Feb. 25, and reported missing on March 6. 

There was concern for his well-being.

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The provincial government is taking a three-step approach to tackle the threat of wildfires this year: prevention, mitigation, and readiness to respond.   

In 2024, Alberta Wildfire responded to more than 1,210 wildfires with just over 705,000 hectares burned.  

The Red Deer Rebels three-game win streak came to an end Friday night as the home side fell to the red-hot Medicine Hat Tigers 7-1.

Medicine Hat scored 1:26 into the contest when Ryder Ritchie scored his first of three goals on the night.

The Tigers would score two more in the first to take a 3-0 lead into the locker room at the first intermission.

Ritchie netted his second of the night 3:10 into the second to make it 4-0.

The Rebels only goal of the night would come just over a minute later when Nolan Schmidt scored his third goal of the season.

The North Central Senior AA Hockey League finals get underway Saturday night in Lacombe at the Gary Moe Auto Group Sportsplex with the Generals hosting the Innisfail Eagles.

Lacombe is undefeated during this year's playoff run, sweeping the first two best-of-five series against Westlock and Stony Plain.

Innisfail has only lost once, sweeping the first round against Devon, before beating Wetaskiwin in four games.

Here's a look at some of this week's top news photos as selected by The Canadian Press editors.

Sean Baker, winner of the awards for best original screenplay, best film editing, best director, and best picture for "Anora," attends the Governors Ball after the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/John Locher)

The Liberals will choose a new leader Sunday, marking the end of Justin Trudeau's decade as prime minister.

He will step down officially in the days to come. On Tuesday, Trudeau said he will have a conversation with the incoming leader to determine exactly when that will happen.

"It should happen reasonably quickly, but there's a lot of things to do in a transition like this, particularly in this complicated time in the world," Trudeau said.

Here's a look at what comes next.

Premier Danielle Smith provided the following update on Alberta’s response to U.S. tariffs:

“It was reported yesterday that U.S. President Donald Trump has paused his threatened tariffs on Canadian goods until the commencement of so-called “reciprocal tariffs” scheduled to be placed on goods imported into the United States from all countries on April 2. The President is also now threatening to unilaterally place additional tariffs on other Canadian goods.

If passed, Budget 2025 would allocate $5 million to support food banks across the province.   

The funding is aimed at decreasing food insecurity and helping put nutritious food on the tables of Albertans.  

“In the 2024 fiscal year, the food bank distributed $4.5 million worth of food to the community,” said Mitch Thomson, Red Deer Food Bank Executive Director.  

The North Central Senior AA Hockey League has announced its First and Second All-Star Teams for the 2024-25 season.

The teams were nominated by and voted on by each member team.

First All-Star Team