Airdrie

Airdrie residents heading into the Victoria Day long weekend should prepare for cool temperatures, showers, and a possible overnight frost, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

"A chance of showers, at the very least, particularly in the afternoon, with the risk of thunderstorms," is expected Saturday across the Airdrie and Calgary region, said meteorologist Todd Bate.

Airdrie is no longer under a fire advisory heading into the Victoria Day long weekend.

The advisory, originally issued May 2 in response to hot, dry and windy conditions, has since been lifted. As of early Friday morning, the City had not issued a formal statement acknowledging the change.

However, the advisory no longer appears on the City’s "Current fire bans and advisories" webpage, and Airdrie is no longer listed on the Alberta Fire Bans map as being under any advisory. 

We get it, sometimes, you just need a break. But between packing the snacks, playing referee in the backseat, and answering the dreaded “Are we there yet?” a so-called getaway can feel like a lot of work. 

Well we have some good news, you don’t have to leave town to get that break!

Today’s your last chance to enter the Canalta Hotels Family Fun-cation with Air 106! One lucky crew will score:

• A one-night stay at the newly renovated Canalta Airdrie

• A $100 gift card to Boston Pizza

Airdrie realtor David Dempsey has filed nomination papers for the 2025 municipal election, joining the race for one of six council seats.

In a May 13 interview, Dempsey said a conversation with friends last December pushed him to run, citing frustrations over rising taxes, slow project delivery, and what he called a gap in council’s advocacy efforts.

"We’re getting all these tax increases, but where is that money going?" he said. "We need things like the new hospital… but the delivery is very slow on those things."

Families registering for school bus service in Rocky View next year will pay $70 more, as the division rolls out 2025-26 transportation details and deadlines.

In a May 13 notice on its website, the division stated: “While the RVS Board of Trustees has successfully maintained transportation fees over the last four years, mounting costs required the Board to increase fees for 2025/26.”

The notice cited “driver shortages and training costs, inflation, climbing insurance premiums and maintenance” as contributing factors.

Good news for Airdronians who like to fish close to home, Nose Creek Pond has been restocked.

Yesterday, 400 Rainbow Trout were released into the pond, 350 regular-sized fish and 50 larger fish.

Andrew Foulston, a Smoky Trout Farm Limited technician, stated the conditions were just right for the fish to be released.

"They're healthy, awesome-looking fish this year, and it seems like they're already hungry and they're feeding good in there (the pond)."

He also shared that the conditions were just right for the fish to find their new home.

Airdrie's Hayley Isabel will see a dream come true this summer as she plays at one of Alberta's largest country music festivals.

Isabel was asked to play on the secondary stage this year at Country Thunder Alberta.

"Ed Harris runs the booking for Country Thunder, and I was at the Alberta Country Music Awards hanging out with my friends, and he asked if I wanted to play."

Isabel explained It was just so exciting when he asked.

"I didn't expect that at all. I was very excited and I still am to play."

Alberta’s government has made 11th-hour changes to controversial proposed legislation, declaring that no separation referendum question could threaten First Nations' existing treaty rights.

Premier Danielle Smith’s government is working to considerably lower the threshold to allow for citizen-initiated referendums, including whether the province should separate from Canada.

Her government's proposed bill has yet to become law, but it's faced backlash from Indigenous leaders since its introduction in the house more than two weeks ago.

On May 13, Chinook’s Edge School Board announced it has selected two individuals to receive the Roy E. Cope Award for 2025.

Ted Harvey was the division's Director of Technology until his recent retirement. Kurt Sacher will retire at the end of this month after serving as the school superintendent for 15 years. Both are receiving the prize in recognition of the impact they have had on students.

When a church in Toronto's west end was converted into affordable housing nearly 15 years ago, the group behind the project was already thinking ahead. 

Andrea Adams, the executive director of the non-profit developer St. Clare's, said she was "daydreaming" about what could be built on the yard next to the 20-unit building on Ossington Avenue. 

She was eventually introduced to Assembly Corp., a company that builds mass timber modular housing, around the same time that the city was looking for proposals for "shovel ready" affordable housing projects.