HighRiver

The Bank of Canada cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point on Wednesday as the central bank worries less about inflation risks and more about a slowing economy.

The Bank of Canada’s policy rate now stands at 2.5 per cent, breaking a streak of three consecutive holds since March.

Governor Tiff Macklem said the risks have shifted since the Bank of Canada’s last interest rate decision in July.

Cracks in the labour market and a sharp drop in exports are threatening growth, he said, while earlier signs of underlying inflation pressure are fading.

A Wildlife Warning and Bear Closure have been issued in parts of Kananaskis Country due to increased wildlife activity this week.

The Bear Closure was put in place on Monday, Sept. 15, for Rockwall Trail and the Peter Lougheed Discovery Centre Meadow area, after multiple bears were seen feeding nearby.

On Tuesday, a Wildlife Warning was issued for the Upper Kananaskis Lake Trail (from the Upper Lake Day Use area to Point Campground, not including the campground itself) and the Hidden Lake area, following an encounter with an aggressive moose.

It may feel early, but the Sheep River Health Trust (SRHT) is already preparing for Christmas.

The group has put out a call for designs for its 13th annual Avenue of Trees, a holiday tradition where Foothills businesses, groups, and organizations decorate Christmas trees that are later donated to local families in need.

The event also serves as a fundraiser, with proceeds supporting health services, wellness programs, and medical equipment through the SRHT.

As the clock ticks toward a potential provincewide strike by Alberta’s teachers, parents say classroom overcrowding is having a disastrous domino effect on learning with tutors being hired to fill in the gaps.

Kira Schulz says she hired a tutor for her 10-year-old daughter, Skyelar Schmidt, to prevent her from falling behind while trying to tune into teachers over the din of her peers jammed in classrooms.

"It's really tough to see," Schulz said from her home in Airdrie, a bedroom community of Calgary.

My Life with the Walter Boys film crew will be in High River today (Sept. 17). 

Crews will be filming both interior and exterior scenes at 111 3 Avenue SW. 

Parking restrictions will be in place until tonight at 10 p.m., along the south side of the Highwood Centre and in the 4th Avenue gravel lot.  

Drivers can also expect intermittent traffic control on 3 Avenue SW between Macleod Trail and 1 Street SW between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. 

September is Organic Month, letting people know some of the organic foods available in Canada. That's being spearheaded by the Canadian Organic Trade Association, through their Choose Canada Organic program.

Tia Loftsgard, the Executive Director at the Canada Organic Trade Association, talks about Organic Month and what they hope to share with Canadians.

"Organic Month is the national celebration of all things organic, and we have a series of events that are promoting and educating consumers and everybody about what organic is and the benefits of organic."

A group representing Canada's obstetricians and gynecologists says it has reviewed evidence on Tylenol use during pregnancy and maintains that the painkiller is safe. 

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada said on Monday that it has revisited its position in light of reports questioning whether there is a link between mothers taking acetaminophen while pregnant and autism in children. 

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne says the government will table the federal budget on Nov. 4.

The long-awaited spending plan will be the federal Liberals' first under Prime Minister Mark Carney and comes as Ottawa's budget watchdog says he's worried about a lack of fiscal prudence.

It also will be Champagne's first budget as finance minister. He announced the date during question period Tuesday.

He said the plan will offer a "generational investment" in Canada's future.

The Alberta government is changing its industrial carbon tax program to let companies avoid paying provincial fees based on emissions by investing in their own emissions reduction projects instead.

Premier Danielle Smith says the move, likely to come into effect this fall, would support economic growth while ensuring companies work to lower emissions.

She says the province is also allowing smaller companies that don't meet the emissions threshold to opt out of the carbon pricing system for 2025.

Vulcan County is being recognized for its 2025 Annual Budget Report.  

The county received the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada’s (GFOA)  Distinguished Budget Presentation Award.  

To receive the award, a municipal government must publish a budget document that meets the program’s criteria as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide, and communications tool.