Cochrane

Alberta is working on strengthening its market presence in Southeast Asia.

Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation RJ Sigurdson is in Southeast Asia to promote Alberta as a reliable supplier of agricultural products.

The overall goal is to strengthen relationships with Vietnam and the Philippines to increase trade and investment opportunities that 
will directly benefit producers and processors by opening new markets for Alberta agriculture and food products.

Farm Credit Canada is investing $2 billion to advance agtech innovation in Canada’s agriculture and food industry. 

The money which will be invested by 2030 will direct more investment into innovative devices, instrumentation, research, and methodologies designed to improve efficiency, productivity, and sustainability.

Stats show Canada’s agtech sector is lagging, putting Canada at a strategic disadvantage, while Japan  and the European Union have been increasing investments in ag tech.

Alberta's latest crop report shows 90 per cent of the provincial crop is now in; that's ahead of the 5-year average of 81 per cent. 

Roy Larsen, the director of Statistics and Data Development for Agriculture and Irrigation says seeding progress in the South is at 97 per cent complete, the North West at 93 per cent, the Central region is at 89 per cent, the North East at 86  per cent, and the Peace at 84 per cent.

Crop progress shows 99 per cent of the dry peas have been planted, while oats lag behind at 74 per cent. 

A tragic dirt bike crash that claimed the lives of two young Cochrane men early Saturday revealed that neither was wearing a helmet, and no brake marks were found at the scene, according to RCMP.

Emergency crews were called to Township Road 264 on Horse Creek Road around 12:42 a.m. on June 1, after reports of a serious off-road crash involving two motocross bikes. Both riders, 21 years old, were pronounced dead at the scene.

“There were no signs of hard braking, and both men were not wearing helmets,” said Cst. Bonnie Sauve with Cochrane RCMP. 

A cougar warning has been issued for Gunnery Mountain and the surrounding area in Kananaskis Country after a cougar reportedly followed two hikers.

The warning, issued on May 30 by Alberta Parks, will remain in place until further notice.

While no additional details about the encounter have been released, officials are reminding outdoor enthusiasts that cougar sightings can happen anywhere in the Kananaskis Region at any time.

RELATED STORIES:

Cochrane sizzled under unusually high temperatures last week, breaking a daily temperature record during a stretch of early-season heat that prompted Environment and Climate Change Canada to issue a heat warning for the region.

According to Christy Climenhaga, a scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, Cochrane hit a high of 30.4°C on Thursday, May 29, breaking the previous record for that date.

Canada's premiers are heading into to a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Saskatoon Monday armed with their wish lists for major "nation-building" projects that could buttress the economy in the face of a U.S. trade war.

Carney asked the premiers to each pass on five suggestions for national infrastructure projects, and Monday's meeting will aim to identify the ones that will make the final cut to be fast tracked using legislation Ottawa may introduce as early as this week.

Canada Post has rejected a request from the union representing about 55,000 of its workers to send their ongoing labour dispute to binding arbitration.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers made the request in a statement Saturday, saying it was inviting Canada Post to a fair, final and binding arbitration process to resolve negotiations that have dragged on for months without producing a new collective agreement. 

Cochrane Cowboys alumnus Nick Hooper and Annika Fines of the Calgary Dinos have retained their spots on the Canadian national junior wrestling team and are preparing for two major international competitions.

For the second consecutive year, 19-year-old Hooper won the 74-kilogram event in junior men’s wrestling at nationals, held over the weekend at Clare Drake Arena on the University of Alberta campus in Edmonton. He was also named the junior men’s most outstanding wrestler for his performance.

Mitford Park pulsed with energy on Saturday, May 31, as the Bow Valley Rugby Club celebrated its annual Club Day in vibrant style.

From the first whistle at 10 a.m., the field came alive with the thunder of cleats and the cheers of spectators, as players of all ages—from the tiniest U5s to seasoned adults—took to the pitch with pride.