Airdrie

Nearly $7 million in provincial and federal spending will create six teams of urban wildfire crews, Alberta's public safety minister announced Friday.

Speaking in Strathmore, Alta., Mike Ellis told a news conference that having six more teams means Alberta will have up to eight specialized crews that can respond to fires threatening communities.

"We've witnessed the immense destruction wildfires can cause at home and in other parts of the world," Ellis said.

The Bert Church High School Senior Band recently competed at the national band competition and received a silver rating.

Silver is the second-highest rating a band can get, only behind gold.

Corbie Dorner, the music and band director and the high school talked about the experience.

"There were nerves, I just tried to make sure they focused on me and we performed, and I thought they did an incredible job."

Dorner shared how the band was able to attend nationals.

Last week, Mountain View County (MVC) presented its 2025 Citizenship Awards.

According to MVC, the awards were presented to one Grade 12 student from each High School located within the county in recognition of contributions made to their community.

This year’s recipients include:

MPs are returning to Ottawa for the opening of the 45th session of Parliament, and among them is Alberta Foothills MP John Barlow, the Conservative Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food. Barlow is gearing up for what he describes as a challenging time for both the country and the agriculture sector, particularly due to ongoing trade and tariff issues.

George McDogall High School's 2025 Valedictorian is Hailey McDonough.

She shared that she was shocked to learn that she would garner the role.

"When I found out, I was so excited and shocked, like, my legs were shaking. All of the other applicants were amazing. I'm proud of my grad class; any one of us could have won, so I'm just really fortunate."

She went on to talk about the school's process to select the Valedictorian.

King Charles is set to open a new session of Parliament on Tuesday, seated in a throne that incorporates a piece of English walnut from Windsor Great Park, a preserve of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth.

The Royal Family connection is especially appropriate given that the Queen was the first sovereign to deliver a speech from the throne in Canada, a role usually fulfilled by the Governor General.

Talks between Canada Post and negotiators from its union are expected to resume over the next few days, its union said Sunday after the two parties met amid warnings of mail delivery delays tied to a national ban on overtime for postal workers.

In an afternoon statement, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers said its negotiators had "worked hard to carefully evaluate" Canada Post's latest offers and prepare responses ahead of the day's meeting with the employer and the mediators. 

Among the tour groups converging on Parliament Hill under umbrellas this week, new and newly re-elected members of Parliament are getting acquainted with their offices and colleagues ahead of the opening of the House of Commons this week. 

The first order of business for MPs is the selection of a new House Speaker on Monday morning, and at least six returning members are asking their colleagues to support their bid to take the chair.