Strathmore

More than three quarters of Canadians believe misinformation had an impact on the outcome of the federal election, a new poll suggests.

The Leger poll, which sampled more than 1,500 Canadian adults from April 29 to May 1, suggests that 19 per cent of people think false information or misinformation had a major impact on the election.

Almost a third (32 per cent) said it had a moderate impact, while 26 per cent said it had a minor impact on the election's outcome.

Only nine per cent of Canadians said misinformation had no impact on the election at all.

The Town of Strathmore is teaming up with the Agra Risk Wheatland Kings for a special Mother's Day event.

On Sunday, May 11, the final public skate of the season will take place at the Strathmore Family Centre arena. Following the skate, residents will be able to paint the ice surface of the arena.

"Let’s send the season off in style and paint the rink together," wrote the Agra Risk Wheatland Kings via Facebook.

Although skates are not required during painting, it is mandatory for residents to bring their own helmets.

There are a few events going on in Strathmore and the surrounding area this weekend.

1. Hype for Hospice 

The Wheatland & Area Hospice Society is hosting Hype for Hospice on Sunday, May 4, in Strathmore.

The event begins at 11 a.m. in Kinsmen Park and features face painting, singing, and the chance to meet Olympic medalist Jessica Sevick.

The federal riding of Terrebonne in Quebec has gone from the Liberals' win column back to the Bloc Québécois after a postelection vote validation process.

Bloc candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, who had represented the riding since 2021, said in a social media post that she came out with a lead of 44 votes and that a judicial recount will take place.

"For someone to be officially elected, you have to wait until the end of this process," Sinclair-Desgagné wrote in French. "I hope to have the honour of representing Terrebonne again in the coming years."

Conservative MP Damien Kurek is set to step aside to allow Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to run in a byelection in the Battle River—Crowfoot riding in Alberta.

Kurek says he is "temporarily" stepping aside as MP for the riding, which he has held since 2019.

The Conservative party confirms that Poilievre will run in the Battle River—Crowfoot byelection once it's called.

Alberta

The St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID) is notifying irrigators that they are now accepting water orders.

For the 2025 irrigation season, water allocation will remain at 12 inches at the farm gate based on the recent Irrigation Water Supply Forecast from Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation.

Crews have started flushing lines and are charging the system for water startup, expected to be available across the entire district by May 5th to 9th.

David Bexte has responded to the news of his election as the new MP for the Bow River riding.

Bexte won the seat for the Conservative Party of Canada, securing 44,511 votes, about 78 per cent of all ballots cast in the riding.

The new MP took to social media to express his gratitude.

“Throughout this campaign, I heard loud and clear that Pierre Poilievre’s message of putting Canada first resonated with the hard-working families of our riding,” Bexte wrote.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us, and now it is time to get at it.”

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is deflecting accusations that she's stoking the fires of separatism, despite her government moving to lower the bar for holding a referendum.

Earlier this week, Smith's government proposed legislation that would make it easier for citizens to call for a vote to secede from Canada, drawing heated condemnation from Indigenous leaders who warn it would violate treaties.

A vocal set of right-wing supporters are pushing for an Alberta exit following the federal Liberals' election win Monday.

The Calgary Humane Society is in possession of 33 dogs after an animal cruelty investigation in the city.

According to a social media post by the society, the small dogs were in an "unsafe living situation" on April 21.

"Thank you for your patience and understanding as our team carefully assesses each one, making sure they receive the medical attention, comfort, and compassion they deserve," wrote the society.

The group will be nursing the dogs back to health before placing them up for adoption over the next few weeks.

In the last issue we discussed warm and cold clouds, and we learned that most of our local precipitation is produced in cold clouds, which means that most of it starts off as snow, even in the summer.

This week we are going to look at the different types of precipitation we experience and examine how each type forms.

Next on our list of precipitation types is sleet or ice pellets.

This form of precipitation is created when raindrops freeze in the air before they reach the ground.