Connor Gronsdahl

Canada Day is here! 

Tomorrow people all across the country will gather to celebrate our great nation. So here are the top five things you need to know for Canada Day in Cochrane tomorrow.

5. The Weather

It's forecast to rain tomorrow afternoon so I would strongly suggest bringing an extra layer incase the skies open up.

4. Pancake breakfast at the Legion

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, this isn't any less true on Canada Day.

The RCMP is reminding motorists to continue to practice safe driving not just this Canada Day weekend but all summer long.

They released some tips for motorists this weekend:

-Never get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle when under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

-Arrange a sober ride to and from your destinations if you are planning on consuming drugs or alcohol.

-Do not operate off-highway or recreational vehicles while impaired. It is illegal and dangerous.

Cochranites will be flocking to Mitford Park for Cochrane's first Canada Day celebration post-pandemic. The celebration will be complete with live music, children's activities, food trucks and more.

Headlining the concert portion of the celebration will be The Contraband.

The Band was voted Calgary's best party band last year, and named Calgary's best corporate band for 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Shane Hudson moved to Cochrane during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After moving to Cochrane, Hudson wanted to meet some new people, so being an avid mountain biker he joined Bike Cochrane and became a volunteer leading group rides.

Not owning a road bike handcuffed Hudson's ability to get out riding as much as he'd like.

Ross Watson, a longtime Cochrane resident, was looking for a new tandem biking partner coming out of the pandemic. Being visually impaired Watson was unable to ride by himself.

Interprovincial darts are returning to Cochrane.

The Shoot on the Bow darts tournament is officially sanctioned by Darts Alberta, and put on by the local darts league, the Cochrane Mixed Darts League.

While being sanctioned by Darts Alberta the event is drawing interest from the neighbouring provinces of British Columbia, and Saskatchewan as well. Being sanctioned means that valuable ranking points will be up for grabs for competing players.

Summer break will be a little shorter for Cochrane's own Jesse Groot.

The local product made the U18 Team Alberta Blue as a 16-year-old at the linebacker position and will compete in the Western Showcase from July 19-27 in Sherwood Park.

"I'm super excited, looking forward to it, it's going to be great." Says Groot.

The Cochrane Historical Museum is back and better than ever.

After having to shut its doors due to the pandemic, the museum is once again open to visitors.

Located at the historical Cochrane Ranche, the museum has exhibits showcasing a wide variety of what came before Cochrane as we know it today.

Exhibits include a room dedicated to the original owners of the house, the Davies family, as well as the first doctor's office in Cochrane, which was located inside the Davies residence.

The recent storm that ripped through Cochrane over the weekend and early this week left a path of destruction across town.

Yesterday wind gusts reached a maximum speed of 93 km/h, with the Cochrane area receiving 76 mm of rain over the past few days according to Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Below are some photos from around Cochrane showing the severity of the damage.

Building Futures Cochrane had a showcase recently for the duplex that 10th grade students from the Cochrane area built over the course of the school year.

The showcase invited friends and family of the students to come and view the duplex, as well as to show off other smaller personal projects, the students had completed over the year.

Some projects done by students include, a weight bench, a miniature skate park, a hand carved wooden knife, a park bench, a wooden chest, and book shelves. (some projects pictured below)

Historically high gas prices have caused residents to find more cost-effective modes of transportation around town.

Bike Cochrane president Robert Martens says that there are a few reasons to believe that people are finding alternative modes of transportation in Cochrane.

"If I drive around town or I go somewhere I see more cyclists on the road," says Martens.

He says that bike shops are struggling to keep up with this new demand.