Lacombe

The founding CEO of the five-year-old organization will stay on until January 2026

Seeds Canada is looking for a new chief executive officer after Barry Senft announced he is stepping down from the role he’s held for about four years.

Senft will continue to serve as CEO until the end of January 2026.

“I think after five years, it’s time for new leadership,” he said during the 2025 Seeds Canada conference in Quebec City.

He said someone with more seeds experience would make sense now that the organization is up and running.

As five former Canadian world junior hockey players await a ruling in their sexual assault trial, legal experts say videos shown in court of the complainant saying she was OK with what had happened highlight a broader misunderstanding of consent and sexual assault law in Canada.

Two cellphone videos in which the woman says she’s “OK with this” and that “it was all consensual” were presented as evidence during the trial of Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, and Callan Foote.

Several Conservative MPs are criticizing the Crown's approach to prosecuting two key organizers of the Freedom Convoy protests, with the party's deputy leader calling it an act of "political vengeance."

Tamara Lich and Chris Barber were convicted of mischief in April for their roles in organizing the demonstration, which blockaded streets around Parliament Hill for more than three weeks in early 2022.

Barber was also convicted of counselling others to disobey a court order.

An independent investigation has concluded that allegations of corruption related to Red Deer County’s public procurement practices were not substantiated.

The forensic accounting investigation by KPMG Forensic Inc. examined relationships, procurement and contracting processes involving several County vendors and included an in-depth review of certain County tenders, agreements, general ledgers and purchasing and payment data. The investigation focused on the 2019 through 2023 fiscal years but, in some cases, examined as far back as 2014.

The City of Red Deer has taken a step toward strengthening its long-term financial sustainability with the presentation of a financial roadmap to city council on Monday.

Developed in partnership with KPMG, the roadmap provides a detailed assessment of the city’s financial maturity and outlines a path forward to enhance financial leadership, governance and accountability. The work responds to council’s 2024 direction to develop a financial management and governance maturity plan and aligns with its 2025 priority of financial stewardship.

The weather threw a few curveballs, but that didn’t stop Westerner Days from delivering five days of fun, connection and community pride. From the first beat of the parade to the final boom of fireworks, Red Deer’s spirit was on full display.

“Westerner Days is a reflection of the community we’re proud to serve. It’s not just about entertainment — it’s about connection,” said Shelly Flint, chief executive officer of Westerner Park.

Westerner Days has wrapped up for another year, and organizers made sure everyone had a chance to join in the fun especially the children and families staying at Ronald McDonald House.

The “Share the Fair” initiative returned this year, bringing a taste of the midway magic directly to children and families currently residing at the nonprofit facility.

The ongoing fire situation in Manitoba, resulted in the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Agriculture Ministers meeting virtually last week.

They discussed a number of issues, from the weather impacts to international trade, improving interprovincial trade opportunities, and enhancements to AgriStability.

For the 2025 program year only, they agreed to increase the AgriStability compensation rate from 80 per cent to 90 per cent and increased the maximum payment limit from $3 million to $6 million. 

The 2025 Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) All-Star Game took place Saturday, July 19, at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks, with the battle not only between East and West but also against the weather.

Twelve teams participated in the exhibition game, which showcased the league’s top players.

Representing the West were the Okotoks Dawgs, Lethbridge Bulls, Sylvan Lake Gulls, Energy City Cactus Rats, Fort McMurray Giants and Brooks Bombers.

A familiar face within Chinook’s Edge—especially in its high schools—is Brianne Fletcher.

Fletcher has been serving as the Career Connections Coordinator for Chinook’s Edge School Division and Olds College of Agriculture & Technology. This fall, she will take on a new role as Director of the Community Learning Campus (CLC) in Olds.