Lacombe

Liberal Leader Mark Carney said Thursday he would pass tougher laws to stop people from being harassed at their places of worship, part of a suite of crime and justice measures he unveiled at a campaign stop in southern Ontario.

The promise comes after more than a year of reports of rising hate targeting Jews and Muslims in Canada following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel in 2023, and the war in Gaza.

The Manitoba Crop Alliance has a new leader at the helm as Jonathan Hodson recently stepped into the role of board chair. Farming near Lenore in western Manitoba, Hodson brings years of experience to the position and a deep understanding of the organization, having been involved since its formation five years ago. 

Hodson has served in various roles over the years, including most recently as vice-chair. Before the formation of the MCA, he was a director with the Manitoba Corn Growers Association, one of the organizations that merged to form the alliance. 

The Red Deer Rebels will pick 7th overall in the opening round of the 2025 WHL Prospects Draft.

The 2025 WHL Prospects Draft Lottery was held Thursday evening. The Regina Pats won the lottery and will select first overall, followed by Edmonton (via Moose Jaw), Kelowna, Penticton, Everett (via Kamloops), Vancouver (via Wenatchee) and Red Deer.

As Alberta heads into the heart of wildfire season, the province is committing almost $1 million to upgrade its early-warning systems.

Forestry Minister Todd Loewen says $900,000 is being allocated to upgrade and expand its network of 150 weather stations.

These stations monitor environmental conditions, like temperature, humidity, wind and moisture, in real time to help fire crews know where they will be needed when the weather gets hot and dry.

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi says the government's proposed bill to wipe out municipal councils' codes of conduct could create a free-for-all of delinquency and grift. 

"This bill is an affront to local voters. It basically says to local voters, ‘We don't trust you,’" Nenshi told reporters at the legislature Wednesday.

Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver proposed the bill in the house Tuesday. He said the change had to be made because codes of conduct were being weaponized to silence dissent on municipal councils.

Blue Rodeo is now on a Canada Post stamp.

The longtime Canadian staple has toured extensively across the country, winning its way into the hearts of Canadians and music lovers around the world.

The Canadian country-rock-folk band have now been performing for 40 years, having formed in 1984 and first performing live in front of an audience in Toronto back in February of 1985.  

Fortis Alberta is currently working on a planned power outage.

Fortis says they are doing construction in the area and the outage, which began just before 9 am this morning, should be restored at around 1:30 Thursday afternoon.

Over 70 customers are affected in the area.

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Ayaz Bangash is the Liberal Party of Canada's Member of Parliament (MP) candidate for the Red Deer riding.

Voters head to the polls on Monday, April 28, with advance voting taking place April 18 - 21.

CentralAlbertaOnline.com reached out for an interview with Bangash but did not receive a response at the time of publication.

This is one installment of our Meet the Candidate series.

Below is the profile for Bangash provided by the Liberal Party of Canada:

The Red Deer Regional Airport is continuing its efforts to secure a passenger service carrier.

The airport is currently undergoing a four-phase expansion.

Phase 2 was recently completed with the $4.2-million expansion of the airport terminal. Phase 1, completed in 2023, included widening the main runway, as well as strengthening the main apron and taxiway.

Alberta has made significant progress in flood mapping over the past five years, launching studies in 100 municipalities and Indigenous communities. Seven new flood map studies are underway for Carbon, Chateh, Crowsnest Pass, Lethbridge, Rycroft, Thorsby, and Two Hills. Work will begin immediately, with results expected before the end of next year.