Cochrane

First Nations youth leaders are warning Canadians can expect a long, tense summer of protests as governments push forward with plans to fast-track major projects — and young people will be leading the charge.

"You will see us in your cities, your city's hubs," said Ramon Kataquapit, a youth councillor with the Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation and a member of Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario.

It’s a soggy Saturday in Cochrane as heavy rain floods the 1A and Hwy 22 roundabout—one driver joked on Facebook, “It’s a lake—luckily my little car made it through.”

Environment Canada has a rainfall warning in effect, with up to 80 mm expected by Sunday morning.

Gusty winds up to 80 km/h are also on the way, which could knock down a few trees on the already rain-soaked ground.

As the sticks start flying at Treble Trouble, all eyes will be on Howard and Thomas — proof that rhythm knows no age, and that the love of music can span lifetimes in a single beat.

Both 81-year-old drummer Howard Kelly and Thomas Smith, 5, will be taking the stage to perform Roy Orbison’s Pretty Woman for the drum recital that's part of Treble Trouble, hosted by the Cochrane Drum Tutor.

Cochrane families have just a few days left to save on school transportation fees for the upcoming school year.

Rocky View Schools is encouraging parents and guardians to register by June 30 to receive a $40 discount. Registration must be completed by August 1 to guarantee bus service on the first day of school.

Eligible students include those in Kindergarten to Grade 6 who live 1.5 kilometres or more from their school, and students in Grades 7 to 12 who live at least two kilometres away.

Scientist Daniel Shugar says images of the aftermath of Thursday's deadly rockslide in Banff National Park provide evidence of its cause — water flowing through the interior of the mountain.

“You can actually see some springs coming out of the cliff and actually coming out exactly from the scar itself,” said the University of Calgary professor of geomorphology.

He described how water from a lake above the cliff at Bow Glacier Falls had been seeping through rocks for decades before it eventually provided enough force to dislodge a boulder, triggering the rockfall.

One of the two people killed in a rockfall in Banff National Park has been identified as 70-year-old Jutta Hinrichs of Calgary.

The University of Alberta, in a statement, says Hinrichs was an educator in the department of occupational therapy in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. 

She retired last summer.

Her body was found shortly after a slab of mountain suddenly gave way Thursday afternoon, collapsing on hikers at a popular trail near Bow Glacier Falls, about 200 kilometres northwest of Calgary.

Rocky View County is advising residents to prepare for potentially heavy rainfall expected over the coming days. Officials warn that steady downpours could overwhelm drainage systems and quickly flood low-lying areas, increasing the risk of property damage and safety concerns.

Some of these measures are also of value in Cochrane's urban setting.

To help protect homes, farms, and families, the county is recommending a series of practical steps:

• Ensure downspouts are directing water away from buildings.

Baby steps were taken last night in the first meeting between SLS Centre user groups and leaseholders with municipal officials since the Calgary YMCA withdrew its bid to operate the town’s recreation hub.

Kendall Waiting, president of the Cochrane Curling Club, said about 50 people attended the two-hour session, which initially focused on the failed RFP process before shifting to potential next steps.

Waiting said town officials acknowledgement that the RFP process failed and must be rebuilt with transparency, user input, and community trust.

Search teams located a second body Friday following a massive rockfall off a hiking trail in Banff National Park.

“RCMP are notifying their next of kin and no further information is available at this time,” read a statement issued by Mounties and Parks Canada.

A 70-year-old woman from Calgary was first found dead at the site of Thursday's rock slide at Bow Glacier Falls, north of Lake Louise.

Three others were taken to hospital and were reported in stable condition.

Two people are dead following a rock slide in Banff National Park, RCMP have confirmed.

The first victim, a 70-year-old woman from Calgary, was found at the scene Thursday.

A second body was recovered this morning, according to a joint statement from RCMP and Parks Canada.

Three other hikers injured in the incident were airlifted to hospital and have since been upgraded to stable condition.

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