Lacombe

Three homes were destroyed Friday (April 25) after a large grass fire.

SCN Emergency Management said two homes were lost in Ermineskin and one in Samson. Several abandoned buildings were also affected.

Fire crews contained the blaze by 7:17 p.m. and reopened local roads around 9:30 p.m. Firefighters remained on scene to monitor for hot spots.

In a social media post, Samson Cree Nation thanked their crew and others from Louis Bull, Ermineskin, Ponoka, Wetaskiwin, Millet, Sam Minde Elements (Elements Firetack) and Rocky Mountain Wildfire for their response.

Federal party leaders hit the hustings Friday with election day fast approaching, as Mark Carney of the Liberals focused on U.S. tariff threats in a steel town and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre campaigned on his anti-crime platform in Saskatoon.

Canadians cast ballots to choose their next government on Monday.

The Liberals are widely seen to be leading in the polls, with the Conservatives in second place and the Bloc Québécois, NDP and Greens trailing behind.

The Downtown Business Association (DBA) is reinforcing its commitment to supporting and advocating for Red Deer's downtown business community as discussions continue around the future of the Business Improvement Area (BIA) and its governance.

In a statement released April 24, the DBA acknowledged the recent conversations regarding the organization's structure and funding model, while emphasizing its long-standing role in enhancing downtown vibrancy and serving local businesses.

The Town of Sylvan Lake has announced a new long-term partnership with Diamond Valley Pressure Services Ltd. as the primary sponsor of two major facilities within the NexSource Centre.

Canadians scattered among the tens of thousands in and around St. Peter's Square for the funeral of Pope Francis described the ceremony as profoundly beautiful. 

While dignitaries such as Gov.-Gen. Mary Simon were seated near the front of the square, members of the general public were positioned farther back or gathered in the streets of Rome to watch on large screens.

Falguni Debnath says being at the back of the square didn't dampen the effect of the familiar ritual.

The U18 Central Alberta Sox recently won the Best of the West Icebreaker Tournament held in Kamloops from April 10 – 13, defeating the Okanagan A’s in the final by a score of 8-4. 

Held by Big League Experience, the baseball tournament invites competitive teams from across Canada to participate. 

Ponoka Town Council has lowered the municipal property tax increase to 1.25 percent as opposed to the previous 3.25 per cent raise approved last fall in the interim budget.  

According to Ponoka Mayor Kevin Ferguson, the lower portion is to help taxpayers with the unexpectedly high 10.8 per cent increase in the education tax. 

A large grass fire has led to the Maskwacis Fire Department calling a state of emergency, according to the Samson Cree Nation on Facebook.  

The blaze is along the highway between 2 Mile Rd and 3 Mile Rd and forced road closures in the area. 

There is a heavy police and firefighter presence around the area, with smoke visible from far away.  

A fire advisory is in place for all of Lacombe County effective April 25, 2025, due to warm temperatures, windy conditions, and a lack of anticipated precipitation in the coming days.

At this time, Lacombe County continues to issue fire permits for minor burns; however, permits for large scale burn activities will not be approved until conditions improve.

The following activities are allowed during the Fire Advisory:

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) are investigating a situation involving an Alberta RCMP officer involved shooting and residential fire.  

Yesterday night, Maskwacis RCMP were asked to assist Edmonton Police Service with the investigation and subsequent arrest of occupants who fled from a stolen vehicle into a residence in Montana First Nation, Alta.