Cochrane

The hot sun beating down on the rodeo athletes on Tuesday didn't affect the overall scores.

However, it did heat up the standings in the aggregate, with Wednesday being the last day for Pool B contestants to qualify for Championship Sunday.

As far as local Albertans and Canadians, all eyes were on the Saddle Bronc riders as former Champion Zeke Thurston is in the hunt for another Championship.

Thurston, from Big Valley, Alberta, is a 3-time Calgary Stampede Saddle Bronc champion.

Last year's Rangeland Derby winner, Jason Glass from High River, made up some ground last night at the Rangeland Derby.

After suffering some penalties earlier in the week, he has rebounded from 13th in the aggregate to 7th overall.

Only the top 3 wagons and drivers in the aggregate after Saturday night will move on to the Championship heat on Sunday.

Chanse Vigen is still leading the charge, with Jamie Laboucane nipping at his heels for the top two positions, with the coveted third and final spot still being waged over.

Alberta's government is jumping on board a federal initiative aimed at saving Canadians a buck if they stay close to home this summer.

The province says it's offering its own free and discounted admissions as part of the Canada Strong Pass program, introduced by the federal government last month.

First promised as a way to promote Canadian tourism in response to the U.S. tariff war, the federal pass includes free access to national parks and historic sites, along with free rail tickets and museum admission for those under 18.

Ottawa is expected to miss its 2026 deadline to implement $10-a-day child care services across the country, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives said in a new report published on Wednesday.

The analysis concluded that just six provinces and territories are meeting that fee target now.

David Macdonald, an economist with the centre, said even though fees have dropped significantly everywhere, the federal government is unlikely to meet its self-imposed deadline.

Two active members of the Canadian Armed Forces are among four people arrested and charged on Tuesday for allegedly participating in an anti-government plot to forcibly take possession of land in the Quebec City area.

Three of the suspects, motivated by "violent extremism," planned to start a militia and "took concrete actions" to facilitate terrorist activity, the RCMP said. Two 24-year-olds and a 25-year-old allegedly took part in military-style training that included shooting, ambush, survival and navigation exercises, using a variety of firearms and high-capacity magazines. 

A composite drawing of a man believed to be responsible for both an assault and significant vehicle damage in the Bragg Creek area has been released by the Cochrane RCMP.

The incident occurred in April 2025, when a man was hiking and was verbally confronted by an unknown suspect over his clothing. The confrontation escalated when the suspect attempted to punch the hiker, narrowly missing his face. The victim immediately left the area, but upon returning to the parking lot, he discovered his vehicle had sustained significant damage to its panels.

With the end of the crop year coming up on July 31st, we are starting to see a seasonal slowdownof grain movement.

CN's Assistant Vice President of Grain, David Przednowek says even with the seasonal decline, they have still registered just over half a million tonnes of grain movement per week over the past couple of weeks.

"We are seeing the demand for CN supply hopper cars for grain movement decline. You know, in the past couple of weeks we've seen orders for CN supply equipment in that 3334 car per week range. "

Ducks Unlimited Canada agrologist has promoted winter cereals for decades and remains hopeful about the crop’s future

Winter wheat was a big deal on the Prairies from about 2006 to 2014.

Total acreage ranged from 800,000 to 1.3 million, with the lion’s share of the crop seeded in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Ken Gross, a Ducks Unlimited Canada agrologist who has promoted winter cereals for decades, described that period as the “second wave” of winter wheat on the Prairies.

Bruce Burnett, Director of Weather and Markets with Glacier Farm Media says that's mainly driven by various factors affecting the broader oilseed market.

The McCafé Coffee Break saddled up and rode out to Cochrane Sure Print & Copy this morning!

This morning, the CochraneNow crew dropped in with hot McCafé coffee and tasty treats from Cochrane McDonald’s to fuel up the hardworking team.

The team was nominated here and it was these kind words that brought in the win.