Strathmore

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's government has introduced promised legislation to allow for people to be forced into addiction treatment facilities.

If the bill passes, parents, family members, health-care professionals, police or peace officers can apply for a treatment order from a new provincial commission.

Under the bill, those using substances and deemed a risk to themselves or others can be apprehended by police and ordered into treatment in a secure facility for up to three months, with the possibility of six months in community-based treatment. 

SaskTel is developing new assets to help tech companies better connect with farmers by providing them with more background infrastructure. The project's full name is The Smart Agriculture Data Hub, and it will provide tech companies with a digital toolkit to help them reach more farmers.

Heather Clair, the marketing manager for Smart Ag, says the program is all about partnering with all the right companies to deliver what Saskatchewan farmers need.

Alberta is seeking a new chief medical officer of health as the government says Dr. Mark Joffe's contract has expired.

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange's office said in an email Tuesday that Joffe's contract expired a day prior. It said an interim replacement is to be announced shortly and a search for a permanent replacement has begun.

Joffe was serving in the role on an interim basis after Premier Danielle Smith's government followed through on its 2022 commitment to fire Dr. Deena Hinshaw, who held the position throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Federal Court of Appeal has dismissed a challenge of a government ban on firearms that Ottawa considers fit only for the battlefield, not hunting or sport shooting. 

The Liberals outlawed some 1,500 firearm models and variants in May 2020, meaning they could no longer be legally used, sold or imported. 

The move was generally applauded by gun control advocates as a first step toward removing firearms used in mass shootings from circulation. 

Liberal Leader Mark Carney's French language skills will be put to the test, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will seek to turn his numbers around, when the five main federal party leaders square off in Montreal tonight in the first of two debates ahead of election day on April 28.

The two-hour French-language debate will be moderated by Radio-Canada's Patrice Roy and will focus on five themes: the cost of living, energy and climate, the trade war, identity and sovereignty, and immigration and foreign affairs.

Crews with Chestermere Fire Services responded to a house fire in the West Creek area on Tuesday.

Westcreek Boulevard has since reopened to traffic.

Support was also provided by Rocky View County and the City of Calgary.

StrathmoreNow has reached out to the City of Chestermere for more information, including whether anyone was injured.

Nash Wassing can now add Teck Cup champion to his growing list of accomplishments.

Wassing, originally from Strathmore, won the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League (KIJHL) Teck Cup title with his team, the Grand Forks Border Bruins.

Wednesday is the last chance for residents to score big savings in the StrathmoreNow Online Auction.

There are 212 items up for grabs, many starting at 60 per cent off retail value, including gift cards.

Items include gift cards from the Strathmore Station, overnight stays at the Travelodge, gift baskets from Main Street Market, golf packages with Three Hills Golf Club, cornhole boards, and flooring packages from Strathmore Flooring Concepts.

Bidding will close starting Wednesday at 10 a.m. with staggered times throughout the day.

Resident can bid below.

Superfans are the lifeblood of sports teams, energizing the crowd, and ensuring the players are hyped.

Jayme Minor is one of them.

His passion for the team started when he was younger and his dad would take him to games.

"Theoren Fleury was my favourite player back then," said Minor.

He remembers 2004 when the Flames were in the Stanley Cup final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The team allowed fans to come inside to watch the game at the Saddledome on the big screen.

That's when the trumpet made an appearance.

Property owners will see a significant increase in their property tax bills this year.

According to the Town of Strathmore, it's due to a rise in the provincial education property tax requisition in the 2025 Alberta Budget.

"The budget, released by Finance Minister Nate Horner on February 27, increases Strathmore’s total school tax requisition by 22 per cent, from $5,953,657 million in 2024 to $7,251,997 million in 2025," said a release from the town.