Anna Ferensowicz

A landspout tornado touched down in southern Alberta near Rolling Hills on Saturday, marking the first confirmed tornado in Canada so far this year, according to Environment Canada. Rolling Hills is located over two hours southeast of Calgary.

"It occurred at about 5:20 p.m. local time," said Eric Van Lochem, operational meteorologist with Environment Canada. "Didn't cause anything in the way of damage, as far as we can tell at this time. So it will likely be on the low end of the Enhanced Fujita scale … this will probably be in that EF0 range."

Alberta's chief medical officer of health says measles cases in the province have reached 58, with public health teams monitoring clusters in the south and central zones.

"Measles outbreaks are occurring in Canada, including Alberta," Dr. Mark Joffe said in a statement Friday. "As of April 11, we have seen 58 confirmed cases in the province, and we are paying close attention to rising cases within the south and central zones."

Joffe said health officials are tracking cases and contacts and working with local leaders to support affected communities.

Under legislation proposed by the provincial government, police in Alberta would be able to issue tickets for scrap metal violations and require sellers to provide proof of ownership for catalytic converters.

The amendments to the Scrap Metal Dealers and Recyclers Identification Act would expand sales tracking requirements, let officers lay charges through violation tickets, and give justices of the peace authority to handle certain offences in traffic court.

RCMP are reminding motorists to drive safely and responsibly after Alberta RCMP laid 9,419 charges for aggressive and dangerous driving in 2024.

Reckless behaviors such as excessive speeding, distracted driving, tailgating, and road rage put drivers, pedestrians, and other road users at risk. To prevent these incidents and improve road safety, RCMP is encouraging motorists to follow key safety practices and report dangerous driving.

To help prevent aggressive driving incidents and ensure safer roads, RCMP provided the following safety tips:

The Town of Drumheller has moved to engage with the Drumheller & District Chamber of Commerce and Travel Drumheller to explore options for the future of the World’s Largest Dinosaur (WLD), known locally as Tyra, after the Chamber’s announcement that the iconic landmark will be decommissioned in December 2029.

During a special council meeting on Thursday, March 27, 2025, the council unanimously passed a motion to engage key stakeholders to determine one-, three-, and five-year plans that could secure Tyra’s future.

A series filmed partially in High River has just been announced as having won an award for outstanding locations.

According to the Location Managers Guild International (LMGI), Fargo (season five), which was shot in several Alberta locations including High River, was announced as the winner in the Oustanding Locations category. 

"The Television Series winners were “Fallout” (filmed in Utah, New York and Namibia), “Fargo” (filmed in Alberta, Canada) and “Ripley” (filmed around Italy)," a news release from LMGI stated. 

Alberta Parks officials have issued a closure for an area in Kananaskis County in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park as a result of a hiker having to deploy bear spray after a grizzly bear with cubs bluff charged with the individual.

The closure was listed on the Alberta Parks website on Sunday and is in effect until further notice, encompassing King Creek Day Use Area and King Creek Ridge Trail.

As many Albertans are reacting to the devastation of the Jasper wildfire, with many asking how they can donate, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) is urging caution.

"The Better Business Bureau (BBB) expresses deep concern for the businesses, consumers, and residents affected by the wildfires in Jasper and environs in Alberta. Our hearts are with all those impacted, and we are committed to providing support and resources during this difficult time," The BBB stated in a news release.

A visibly shaken and emotional Premier Danielle Smith, often pausing through tears, delivered an update on the wildfire situation in Jasper on Thursday.

Amid a prolonged heat wave across the province, the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) said that earlier this week another record was broken.

"We hit a new summer peak record yesterday of 12,219 megawatts (MW). The previous summer record was 12,122 MW set on July 10," AESO tweeted on Thursday.

AESO is encouraging residents to try and reduce their electrical usage between 5 and 9:30 p.m. to reduce strain on the grid. Some electricity conservation tips include: