Okotoks

Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver has resigned from cabinet amid speculation he will run for the vacant position of Speaker of the house.

Premier Danielle Smith, in announcing his resignation, said in a statement Tuesday that she's grateful for McIver's commitment and hard work in serving Albertans.

Tourism Minister Joseph Schow will take on McIver's portfolio on an interim basis, Smith said.

"Minister Schow will be available to municipalities around the province as they continue to navigate the uncertainty of the wildfire season," she said.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is giving his cabinet a major shakeup, moving several key players involved in Canada-U.S. relations into new positions and promoting 24 new faces to the front bench.

Carney's cabinet — 28 full ministers and 10 secretaries of state — retains prominent figures from former prime minister Justin Trudeau's government, including Dominic LeBlanc, Mélanie Joly, Chrystia Freeland and François-Philippe Champagne.

The bi-annual test of the Town of High River's two sirens was cancelled last week.

They were scheduled to go off at 1:55 p.m. last Wednesday, May 7.

However, due to the province-wide Emergency Alert test, which was supposed to happen at the same time, being cancelled, the Town cancelled their siren test.

The Alberta Emergency Alert was cancelled by the province because of all the wildfire alerts already in effect.

The sirens are next scheduled to be tested in the Fall.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government is freezing its industrial carbon price effective immediately at $95 per tonne of emissions.

Smith told reporters Monday the move is critical to keep industry competitive and defend jobs as Canada navigates a tariff fight with the United States.

"With the change in government south of the border, it is essential that we have a reasonable carbon pricing system, not one that will price our industries out of global markets," she said.

Heartland is back in High River.

It was recently announced that the show had been renewed for its 19th season, which means that High River is again taking on the role of the fictional town of Hudson.

The Town of High River has announced that filming will take place on Tuesday, May 13, along 3 Avenue SW and 9 Street SW.

It will likely include some sequences shot at Maggie's Diner, a central location in the TV show.

Travel to the United States took another hit in April with booking agents saying an "elbows up" attitude over the trade war has Canadians pulling back. 

Canadian residents returning by automobile from the U.S. in April fell on a year-over-year basis for the fourth consecutive month, preliminary numbers released by Statistics Canada showed Monday. The 1.2 million trips represented a 35.2 per cent drop from the same month in 2024 and 45.1 per cent lower than April 2019, before the pandemic.

While the recent federal election turned into a tight race between the Liberals and Conservatives that left other parties trailing far behind, a new poll suggests most Canadians don't want the country end up with a two-party system.

The poll of over 1,600 Canadians, conducted by Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies between May 1 and 3, suggests only 21 per cent of Canadians think the country would be better off with a system where two parties dominate the political landscape.

Gleichen RCMP have confirmed that a girl reported missing from Siksika Nation has been found safe.

They extended thanks to the public for their assistance.

The Okotoks Pickleball and Tennis Centre is looking for a mascot.

They've launched a contest and are inviting the public to submit a name and design.

The winner will receive a 10-play pass to the centre, and all entrants will be entered into a draw for a 5-play pass.

As for guidelines, board member Heather Coonfer says creativity is key.

"It can be anything. It can be furry, it can be not furry, it can be real, it can be a pickleball with legs and arms, it can be a paddle with eyes and ears, it can be anything. Your imagination is your limit, right?"

A severe thunderstorm watch is in place for parts of the Foothills.

Environment Canada warns of severe thunderstorms capable of producing strong wind gusts, large hail, and heavy rain.

It was issued at around 12:20 p.m. for the following locations: