Lacombe

Lacombe City Council discussed the city’s public engagement plan, the priority data integrity project to organize the city’s bylaws and policies, and the expansion of the Birthplace Forest during the Feb. 24 regular meeting.   

Here are the meeting highlights:  

Presentations  

Audit Plan – BDO   

Three individuals have been arrested and charged in relation to a kidnapping with a firearm in Samson Cree Nation.

On the evening of Feb. 24, 2025, Maskwacis RCMP responded to a call to assist Emergency Medical services in Samson Cree Nation with a male sustaining a gunshot wound.

Officers arrived on scene and obtained information that the victim had been kidnapped and tied to a chair in the basement of a residence in Samson Cree Nation. The victim was beaten and received a gunshot wound. 

LG Electronics Canada, in collaboration with Health Canada, has issued a voluntary recall for specific models of electric ranges due to fire hazard.

The recall involves slide-in and freestanding LG electric ranges with five surface elements and front mounted knobs.

The Lacombe Golf & Country Club has a busy year planned to celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Centennial Committee Co-chairs Phil and Sue Boston have lived and golfed in the Lacombe area since 1972.

"That's where we meet our friends, we socialize and it provides an opportunity for us to share this wonderful golf course with the public," said Sue. "The golf course is an important part of the Lacombe district. Some days it's really hard to find a spot to get on there to golf. If the weather's good, it's full."

Alberta is set to introduce its budget Thursday, with rumours swirling that Premier Danielle Smith's government will deliver on her promised personal tax cut amid the looming threat of devastating U.S. tariffs. 

Finance Minister Nate Horner told reporters at the legislature Wednesday it's always challenging to build a budget in Alberta, which is dependent on the peaks and valleys of oil and gas prices.

Horner said addressing affordability is a "prime concern" this time around.

On Wednesday, the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) shared what they hope to see in the 2025 provincial budget when it comes to education.

According to the ATA Albertans need to remember this number: $11.35 billion. 

"Albertans need to remember this number: $11.35 billion. Tomorrow (Thurs), when the finance minister stands before the legislature and delivers the budget, be aware that anything less than $11.35 billion in total operational dollars for public education means that the province is deliberately and shamefully underfunding 90 per cent of Alberta’s students."

The recent Commercial Gap Analysis confirms that Olds has strong market potential and room for business growth. 

Commissioned by the Town of Olds and conducted by FBM Planning Ltd., the study highlights the community’s strengths as a regional shopping destination and identifies key areas to expand retail and services. 

Multiple polls now suggest the next federal election will be a tight race, and at least one major pollster has the Liberals leading the Conservatives for the first time in nearly four years.

A survey from Ipsos released this week suggests that if an election were held today, 38 per cent of Canadians would support the Liberals and 36 per cent would back the Conservatives.

That's a major shift from just six weeks ago, when the Conservatives held a 26-point lead in Ipsos polls.

The Prairie Watershed On-Farm Climate Action Project (PWCP) is expanding, and it's good news for farmers in Manitoba. The project, which has been helping farmers reduce their environmental footprint since 2022, is getting a significant boost from the Canadian government.

Lynda Nicol, Executive Director of the Manitoba Association of Watersheds (MAW), explains how phase one of the program has been a huge success.

Update:

On Feb. 25, the Blackfalds RCMP received a report of a possible child abduction.

The Blackfalds RCMP investigated the report, and as a result, concluded that the story had been fabricated. 

RCMP have confirmed that there is no threat to the public.