Lacombe

Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver has resigned from cabinet amid speculation he will run for the vacant position of Speaker of the house.

Premier Danielle Smith, in announcing his resignation, said in a statement Tuesday that she's grateful for McIver's commitment and hard work in serving Albertans.

Tourism Minister Joseph Schow will take on McIver's portfolio on an interim basis, Smith said.

"Minister Schow will be available to municipalities around the province as they continue to navigate the uncertainty of the wildfire season," she said.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is giving his cabinet a major shakeup, moving several key players involved in Canada-U.S. relations into new positions and promoting 24 new faces to the front bench.

Carney's cabinet — 28 full ministers and 10 secretaries of state — retains prominent figures from former prime minister Justin Trudeau's government, including Dominic LeBlanc, Mélanie Joly, Chrystia Freeland and François-Philippe Champagne.

Due to recent significant precipitation, Lacombe County has downgraded the Fire Ban to a Fire Advisory.  

While this change reflects improved conditions, fire danger remains high to very high in many areas of Lacombe County, and residents are urged to exercise extreme caution and prioritize fire prevention at all times.  

Alberta’s government is investing $1.5 million annually to support the mental health of first responders living with or at risk for post-traumatic stress injuries.

Alberta’s first responders face danger, trauma and heartbreak to safeguard the lives, futures and well-being of Alberta’s families, communities and loved ones.

That’s why it is important to honour their sacrifice by ensuring Alberta’s heroes don’t face their battles alone.

Staff and students at John Wilson Elementary School (JWES) in Innisfail enjoyed participating in an Indigenous cultural residency from May 5 to 9. Because it was a weeklong, students were able to enjoy a wide range of learning experiences. The residency is one of five residencies supported by Chinook’s Edge in the 2024-25 school year.

Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) Lacombe now has registration open for its “Kids N’ Kops” Summer Day camp.

The annual event gives kids an inside look at forensic science, police scenarios, team building and crime solving.

Open to youth aged eight to eleven, the four-day camp partners with the Lacombe Police Service, the Blackfalds RCMP and the Blackfalds peace officers.

Jen Harty, Community Engagement Director for BBBS Lacombe, says the camp is the highlight of the summer, and this year it will run from July 7 to 10.

The Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) Kings Hockey team will have new head coach behind the bench during the 2025/2026 Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) season.

Cody Reynolds, formerly an associate coach with the Kings, has been named interim head coach after Trevor Keeper accepted a head coaching position with the University of Regina Cougars Men’s Hockey team in U Sports.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government is freezing its industrial carbon price effective immediately at $95 per tonne of emissions.

Smith told reporters Monday the move is critical to keep industry competitive and defend jobs as Canada navigates a tariff fight with the United States.

"With the change in government south of the border, it is essential that we have a reasonable carbon pricing system, not one that will price our industries out of global markets," she said.

Travel to the United States took another hit in April with booking agents saying an "elbows up" attitude over the trade war has Canadians pulling back. 

Canadian residents returning by automobile from the U.S. in April fell on a year-over-year basis for the fourth consecutive month, preliminary numbers released by Statistics Canada showed Monday. The 1.2 million trips represented a 35.2 per cent drop from the same month in 2024 and 45.1 per cent lower than April 2019, before the pandemic.

While the recent federal election turned into a tight race between the Liberals and Conservatives that left other parties trailing far behind, a new poll suggests most Canadians don't want the country end up with a two-party system.

The poll of over 1,600 Canadians, conducted by Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies between May 1 and 3, suggests only 21 per cent of Canadians think the country would be better off with a system where two parties dominate the political landscape.