Lacombe

This past weekend, Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) Athlete Brynley Peters (Queens Dance) earned diamond, first place and a scholarship for pre-professional dance training. 

In addition, the RDP Dance team received several special honours in Fort Saskatchewan.

The Broom Tree Foundation's 2023/2024 Attainable Housing Pilot Project was a big success.

Cofounder Tamara Noordhof says the project, which wrapped up last September, was able to serve 21 women and their children in two suites located in Lacombe. All of those women were eventually transitioned into long-term affordable housing.

The project was completely funded by local donors and a grant provided by the Echo Lacombe Association. Local churches have also been instrumental to the success of the organization.

Three Central Alberta hockey teams won provincial gold over the weekend.

The Red Deer Rebels U15 AAA boys hosted the provincial tournament beating the Calgary Northstars 4-1 in the final. Madden Daneault had nine points in five games including three in the championship final.

Elsewhere, the Lacombe Rockets U13B boys squad won gold as the host team beating Hinton 5-1 in the final.

RCMP are warning the public about a recent scam involving fraudsters who are using spoofing technology to impersonate Canada Post and the RCMP. Spoofing is a technique where fraudsters manipulate caller ID to display legitimate phone numbers, making it appear as though the call is coming from an official source.

The federal Liberals are pushing further ahead of the Conservatives in voter support, and almost one in two Canadians surveyed said they think the Liberals will win the election, a new poll suggests.

The survey, conducted by Leger for The Canadian Press, reports that 44 per cent of decided voters surveyed would vote Liberal in the upcoming election, ahead of the Conservatives at 38 per cent.

The poll surveyed 1,599 Canadians between March 21 and March 23, which includes the first day of the election, and the two days leading into it.

As tensions rise in ongoing trade disputes, China's latest move is adding to concerns for Canadian producers. The country recently announced a 100 per cent tariff on canola oil and meal exported from Canada, compounding the uncertainty already present due to U.S. tariffs.  

Farmers caught in the middle  

The new tariff has many farmers wondering how to best proceed and that includes Curtis Sims, owner of Emeline Farms near MacGregor, Manitoba. Sims grows canola and is worried about the impact of these trade measures.  

The Monday, March 24, 2025, Regular City Council Meeting started at 10:30 a.m. with a closed meeting at the end, followed by a closed Committee of the Whole meeting. The following decisions were made at today’s meeting: 

REPORTS: 

Integrity Commissioner Annual Report:  

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP), the Students’ Association, and the PRIDE on Campus Student Group are hosting a series of events in support of members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community during Pride Week, from March 24 to 29.  

Festivities began today with a Pride Flag Raising Ceremony on RDP’s main campus.  

The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) has awarded the Town of Sylvan Lake $540,000 to support building more homes faster.  

Town council approved a motion for the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) to finalize negotiations on the funding during a special meeting held on March 18.  

Federal party leaders are spending their first full day on the campaign trail talking about taxes, transfers and the trades.

Poilievre talks tax cuts

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is promising a middle-class tax cut, following a Liberal pledge that involves a smaller reduction to the same tax rate.