Strathmore

Alberta has a new minister of infrastructure.

Martin Long has been appointed to the cabinet post after the previous minister resigned earlier this week.

Long, the member for West Yellowhead, says he will continue building infrastructure to keep up with population growth.

First elected in 2019, Long has served as a parliamentary secretary for various files, including small business, and most recently, rural health.

The City of Chestermere is reminding residents that public receptacles are not for residential waste.

"Disposing of household garbage in public receptacles is not permitted," said the city. "This means that household garbage should always be disposed of in household garbage bins and never in public litter bins."

Items that are not allowed in public garbage bins include:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has rejected NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh's call for the federal government to bar U.S. President Donald Trump from coming to Canada for the G7 summit this June.

At an event in Montreal Thursday, Trudeau said he sees the idea of banning Trump as an "irresponsible" approach to governance and relationships with other nations.

"It's easy for politicians these days to toss out easy and shocking things to say. We see a lot of it around the world these days. I'm not one of those Canadian politicians," Trudeau said when asked about Singh's comments.

With many producers in Western Canada getting ready for spring seeding and focusing on their seeded acres, it can be easy to overlook those areas that aren’t farmed. Native areas such as shelterbelts, road allowances, and wetlands provide water and nutrient capture for your crop and are key homes for animals and insects that not only benefit agriculture, but the ecosystem as a whole. Dr. Shathi Akhter, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, talks about the importance of these areas not just from an environmental standpoint, but from an agriculture one as well. 

Alberta’s finances, tied for generations to the steep peaks and sharp valleys of oil and gas prices, are once again plunging deep into deficit, with no immediate relief in sight.

Finance Minister Nate Horner introduced a budget Thursday that projects a $5.2-billion deficit this fiscal year on total spending of $79 billion.

That represents an $11-billion swing from the current budget, which wraps up at the end of March and is on track to register a surplus close to $6 billion.

The Alberta government tabled its budget on Thursday. Here are some of the highlights:

Strathmore resident Claude Brown has reacted to Mayor Pat Fule announcing that he intends to rescind the garage and garden suites bylaw.

Brown has been a vocal critic against the rule, creating a petition after the bylaw was passed in the summer. By the end of his campaign, Brown received 627 signatures.

The Town of Drumheller awarded several prizes to six lucky residents.

The Recreation, Arts, and Culture Department said it had a successful end to its 30-day Membership Drive.

"The drive was successful in expanding participation in local recreation programs. The innovative marketing campaign, which ran throughout the month, targeted occasional customers and prospective new members," said the town in a news release.

A member of the Strathmore 903 Air Cadets received the Lord Strathcona Medal at a recent parade ceremony.

The event took place at the Strathmore Ag Grounds on Wednesday, Feb. 26 and featured several drills before the cadets were presented with decorations and awards.

One of the 903's most decorated cadets, Connor Stuart-Berry, received the Lord Strathcona Medal during the festivities.

The City of Chestermere is excited about a proposed new AI data centre to be built in the area.

The presentation from Beacon AI Centers was reported to council on Tuesday, Feb. 25.

"This is a significant economic development opportunity for the city, with Beacon proposing a $4 billion investment that would create over 300 permanent jobs along with 1200 jobs during construction," wrote the city in a news release.