Airdrie

Systematic government collection and analysis of data about mysterious sightings in the sky could help Canada better prepare for incidents like the sudden appearance of several high-altitude balloons over North America two years ago, says a report from the federal science adviser.

One of the balloons, which wafted above western Canada in early 2023 before being shot down off the U.S. coast, apparently originated from China and carried sophisticated equipment.

The balloon episodes generated intense public speculation before fading from the headlines.

The All Canada Classic Sheep Show returned to Brandon this past weekend, bringing together sheep producers from across the country to showcase breeding stock and connect with fellow industry members.

With about 250 sheep for sale and attendees from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, the event marked a milestone for the national sheep industry.

A local success story

Brandon last hosted the national show in 1981, and the event remained here for three years before moving westward across the country.

Calgary police are bracing for an influx of motorcycle gang members in the metropolitan area— including the Hells Angels — for a planned gathering on Friday.

The police did not confirm the location or scope of the gathering but advised residents to remain vigilant.

The Calgary Police Service (CPS) says residents can expect to see a heightened police presence across the city during the event, with officers closely monitoring participants and enforcing all applicable laws, including the Traffic Safety Act.

Earlier this season, a house finch made an unexpected choice for her nesting site in Airdrie: a front-door wreath. Rather than disturbing the bird, the homeowner Erica DeHeer gently moved the wreath to a safer, more stable spot.

“She’s been happily nesting there for a few days now,” she said on social media. 

In a bid to share the experience, DeHeer installed a small camera near the nest and now hopes to live stream the footage to others. There’s just one catch — the platform requires at least 50 subscribers to enable livestreaming from a mobile device.

A funnel cloud was spotted north of Airdrie on Monday.

Around 7 p.m. on Monday, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) received multiple reports of a funnel cloud spotted east of Acme towards Carbon.

Christy Climenhaga, a scientist with ECCC, shared it was a cold core funnel.

"There were some very weak showers in the region, not really the setup you would typically see for a lot of these cold core funnels."

At this point, it does look like the funnel cloud stayed aloft.

Albertans are the most likely in Canada to say they feel financial stress, according to a new report.

According to the most recent MNP Consumer Debt Index, 41 per cent of Albertans surveyed indicate they are worried about their financial status.

"Nearly half of Albertans (47 per cent) report they are $200 or less away from financial insolvency each month — more than those in any other province," shared the Index.

The Rocky View Regional Handibus Society is looking to add two to three new board members.

Paul Siller, the society's executive director, talked about why they are trying to find new board members.

"We are looking for some new faces and some new points of view to help govern the organization."

It would be optimal if someone who understands how a not-for-profit operates were present, but anyone is welcome.

A spokesperson for Manitoba Agriculture says it remains to be seen what sort of damage was felt on fields from last week's hail.

Hail was reported in numerous locations across the province, and Oilseed Specialist Sonia Wilson says producers will typically leave those crops for five to seven days, just to see how they rebound, before assessing them for hail damage. 

A man charged with hijacking a light plane at Victoria International Airport and flying it to Vancouver had an "ideological motive to disrupt airspace" and seized control of the aircraft after threatening a flight instructor, RCMP said Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada said a charge of hijacking had been filed in Richmond, B.C., constituting a "terrorist activity" and a "terrorist offence" under two sections of the Criminal Code.

RCMP said Shaheer Cassim, 39, is set to appear in court next Tuesday.

Unionized Canada Post workers will get a chance to vote directly on the employer's offers for a new collective agreement starting on Monday.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board will run the vote between July 21 and Aug. 1.

A simple majority vote will decide whether the proposal is accepted or rejected.

Canada Post is at an impasse with the union representing roughly 55,000 postal service workers after 19 months of talks.