Airdrie

Airdrie fire crews responded to a house fire in Midtown around 8:45 a.m. Monday, according to Fire Chief Mike Pirie.

An investigation by the department’s Fire Prevention Bureau placed the estimated damage to the structure and contents at $140,000.

All occupants had evacuated before crews arrived, and no injuries were reported.

A motor vehicle collision on northbound Deerfoot Trail N.E. caused traffic delays Monday afternoon near McKnight Boulevard, but the scene was cleared just before 5:30 p.m.

Alberta is bringing in new rules this fall to ensure that only what it calls “age appropriate” books are available in school libraries.

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides says the move was spurred by four graphic coming-of-age novels depicting sexual, LGBTQ+ content found to be in circulation in public schools in Edmonton and Calgary.

Nicolaides says he was extremely concerned to learn such novels were available.

King Charles arrived in Canada Tuesday afternoon for a short visit that will include reading the speech from the throne in Parliament.

The highly symbolic visit is happening as Canada copes with U.S. President Donald Trump's attempts to upend global trade with tariffs and his repeated calls for Canada's annexation.

The Canadian Armed Forces plane carrying the King and Queen Camilla landed in Ottawa shortly after 1 p.m. 

Canola oil would be one of the main beneficiaries of proposed changes to the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit making their way through U.S. Congress, says an analyst.

The feedstock is not eligible for the credit under the current rules because of its unfavourable carbon intensity (CI) score.

However, under new rules contained in the budget bill that recently passed through the U.S. House of Representatives, canola’s carbon intensity score drops to 38.5 grams of carbon dioxide per megajoule from 54.9.

A severe thunderstorm watch issued earlier Monday for Rocky View County near Airdrie and Crossfield has been lifted.

Environment Canada ended the alert just before 6 p.m. MDT, after warning for several hours that conditions were favourable for storms capable of producing strong wind gusts and large hail.

Ryan Straschnitzki says he was "flooded with emotion" as he rolled onto the mound at Rogers Centre to throw the ceremonial first pitch at a Toronto Blue Jays game last week.

Related Stories:

• Airdrie’s Ryan Straschnitzki will be featured in a new docu-series: 'It's about as real as it can get.'

"It was really cool… I’m really glad I had the opportunity to do that," he said.

Quebec Liberal MP Francis Scarpaleggia was elected Speaker of the House of Commons on Monday — after an unusually dramatic race that saw the only Conservative contenders drop out of the running at the last minute.

Conservative MPs Chris d'Entremont and John Nater both put their names forward but withdrew on the House floor before the election began Monday morning.

The Liberals currently have 169 seats in the minority Parliament, leaving them three seats shy of the 172 required for a majority.

Government House leader Steven MacKinnon says the NDP will not be granted official party status because the law says a party needs at least 12 seats to be recognized.

The NDP was reduced to just seven seats in last month's election.

Interim NDP Leader Don Davies has told The Canadian Press he spoke with the Prime Minister's Office about obtaining official party status for the NDP in the House of Commons.

Davies pointed to several past instances of provincial legislatures granting party status to an opposition party.

It’s shaping up to be a gorgeous final week of May, with a high of 26°C forecast for Monday and sun expected through Thursday. But as drivers take to the roads, the City of Airdrie is advising caution — several road closures and lane restrictions are already in effect, with more scheduled to begin this week.

A temporary road closure at 780 40th Avenue SE is scheduled to begin Monday, May 26, to accommodate a utility tie-in. The City of Airdrie lists the closure as running through June 9.