Strathmore

Attention is turning quickly in Ottawa to who will replace Justin Trudeau who announced Monday he will step aside as prime minister and Liberal leader as soon as a new leader is chosen.

But some former Liberal advisers are split on how quickly the process should move.

With Parliament set to resume March 24, there's little time for Trudeau's successor to actually lead before the government surely falls at the earliest confidence vote. 

But having a quick leadership race provides little time for the party electorate to get to know the candidates.

Derek Fildebrandt, former MLA for Strathmore-Brooks will head back to court later this year despite being acquitted of charges against several teenagers.

According to Court of King's Bench documents, the crown wants to overturn the acquittals or order a new trial.

Fildebrandt was charged in April last year after he allegedly shouted at and chased several boys through his community in Crestmont because he said the teens were damaging his lawn ornaments.

Ten years ago, Chestermere became Alberta's 18th city.

Chestermere was founded back in 1884 as Chestermere Lake, becoming a summer village in 1977 and a town in 1993.

"I love this community," said Chestermere Mayor Shannon Dean. "To see how we have grown, while there are challenges with that growth, I just think that we're a beautiful community."

In the last ten years, the city has seen a growth of almost 10,000 people. According to Statistics Canada, Chestermere had a population of 19,887 in 2016, and a population of over 28,000 in 2025.

The Strathmore Performing Arts Festival is looking to showcase the work of local performers.

Registration for the festival ends on February 1 and is available for entertainers of all ages and skill levels.

"The festival is an opportunity for amateur performers in Strathmore and the surrounding communities to prepare and perform pieces of music, speech, or dramatic arts for an expert in their field," said Loralee Laycock, president of the festival. "They come in and provide feedback for these young performers."

On January 1 most municipalities across Alberta opened up the nomination period for citizens to submit their papers to run for office.

Last week Chestermere Mayor Shannon Dean announced that he would seek re-election to a full term.

Dean will join 104.5 More Country morning show at 8 a.m. on Tuesday to discuss his re-election campaign and other topics, such as trust with the RCMP and Chestermere's celebration of 10 years as a city.

So far, he is the only one to announce that he is running for re-election out of all of Chestermere City Council.

The Junior B Agra Risk Wheatland Kings returned to the ice this weekend.

The Kings were on break between December 20 and January 3 as they celebrated the holidays.

"We as a team tried to stay on the ice as much as possible around the holidays," said general manager Cody Holdaway. "Just kept the guy's feet moving and continued to practice."

The Kings were back over the weekend for two games against the Cannex Cochrane Generals and the Red Deer Vipers respectively. The Kings came out on top in both battles.

The City of Chestermere is reminding residents to stay safe on ice surfaces.

"Fluctuating temperatures and water conditions can impact the time it takes to freeze an amount of ice that can safely support recreation," said the city in a news release.

According to the city, ice colour like blue is considered the strongest, white is formed by wet snow freezing on the ice, and grey ice is dangerous.

Gov. Gen. Mary Simon granted Justin Trudeau's request Monday to prorogue Parliament until Mar. 24, suspending activities of the House of Commons while the Liberals move to replace him as both Liberal Leader and prime minister.

The move means the legislative agenda will be reset once the House of Commons reconvenes in March and some key pieces of legislation for the government may die on the order paper. 

The Canadian Country Showcase, hosted by Courtney Fielder, airs every weekend on Saturdays at 12 PM and Sundays at 4 PM. Courtney engages in conversations with emerging country music artists and the established stars we’ve come to love, celebrating their milestones and new releases.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is stepping down as Liberal leader after almost a decade at the helm of the party.

Here is a timeline of Trudeau's rise to party leadership and prime minister, and the events that led him to give it all up. 

Oct. 14, 2008: Trudeau is elected as a Liberal member of Parliament in the Montreal riding of Papineau in a narrow victory over the Bloc Québécois. He served as an Opposition MP during the Conservative minority government.

April 5, 2009: Trudeau is named Liberal critic for youth and multiculturalism.