Construction to begin soon at Ponoka Hospital

Construction will soon begin at Ponoka Hospital and Care Centre as part of a project designed to help the facility improve access to surgery and procedures. 

Alberta Health Services, in partnership with Alberta Infrastructure and its contractors, is expanding and upgrading the surgical department, as well as building an addition onto the northwest corner of the hospital that will house a relocated and modernized Medical Device Reprocessing Department where surgical instruments are sterilized and processed.

Missing 17-year-old Sylvan Lake youth located safe

Sylvan Lake RCMP are reporting that a 17-year-old youth has been located safe. They would like to thank the public for their help.

The youth had been reported missing after leaving HJ Cody School, Monday, May 26th. 

 

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Residents across the Prairies flee, others on edge due to wildfire threats

From Alberta to Manitoba, residents across the Prairies are out of their homes, while others remain on edge as wildfires inch closer to their communities.

The Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in Saskatchewan has imposed an evacuation order for more than 1,800 residents of Pelican Narrows, 412 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.

They are to flee to PAGC Urban Services, also known as the Margo Fournier Centre, in Prince Albert.

Levy charged to Alberta oil companies too low to cover orphan well costs: report

A new report is warning the annual levy charged to Alberta oil companies to fund the cleanup of orphaned oil and gas wells remains too low to keep up with the rate of surrendering.

The report, written by former University of Calgary Public Interest Law Clinic lawyer Drew Yewchuk, says this year's levy rate combined with low rates in previous years is leading to an estimated funding shortfall of $1.2 billion.

Free fishing event encourages kids to cast a line

A free fishing event in Lacombe allows kids to experience the joy of casting a line. 

The annual Kids Can Catch Youth Fishing event will take place on Saturday at Len Thompson Trout Pond from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

“We try to encourage kids to get out in the world and do a little fishing,” said Bernie Street, the fishing chair for Lacombe Fish and Game Association. 

“So, we have people around to try and help them out when they come and there are fishing rods and stuff available.” 

Turning shelter into home: Dwayne Kraushar named to "Top 40 Under 40"

The United Way of Central Alberta released its inaugural "Top 40 Under 40" list.

It highlights 40 outstanding individuals under the age of 40 who are making significant contributions to their communities through their professional and personal achievements.

One of the names listed is the Mustard Seed’s humble shelter manager Dwayne Kraushar.

Coming from Winnipeg, with a BA in psychology, Kraushar moved to Central Alberta and started with the Mustard Seed in 2019 as the overnight support worker.

Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture to hold Alberta forum

The Americas Agriculture and Food Security Forum will be held at Olds College and run parallel to the G7 meeting in Kananaskis.

The agenda for this year’s G7 Leader’s Summit contains no discussions of agriculture or food security, but one organization is aiming to make up for what the G7 lacks at an event of it own.

2025 Semi-finalists selected for the CCA's CYL program

The Canadian Cattle Association's (CCA) Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) program is extremely popular. 

The CCA program was developed in 2010 as a succession tool for the industry; since then, the program has had over 200 graduates.

The CYL program is geared towards people 18 to 35 from across Canada involved in various aspects of the beef supply chain.

Cailey Church, the CCA's Youth Leadership Co-ordinator says the program pairs the participant with a mentor in their specific area of interest for nine months.

In throne speech, King Charles celebrates a Canada still 'strong and free'

Seated in a brand-new throne and surrounded by dignitaries, King Charles opened Parliament Tuesday with a show of royal tradition — the first throne speech delivered by a reigning monarch in Canada in nearly half a century.

Reading from the speech — which is drafted by the federal government and lays out its policy priorities — the King proclaimed the "True North is indeed strong and free" and reaffirmed Canada's sovereignty while underscoring the "unprecedented" challenges the nation faces.

The PBFC is back up and running

The Picture Butte Feeder Co-op (PBFC) in Alberta is fully operational again.

The Feeder Associations of Alberta note that this has been an exceptionally trying time for the PBFC's members, whose operations were put on hold through no fault of their own. 

Earlier this year, the province suspended the group's access to the Feeder Association Loan Guarantee Program (FALGP) following an investigation and concerns relating to financial mismanagement and regulatory issues.