Airdrie

Canada is rescinding its digital services tax and will resume trade negotiations with the United States, Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said in a statement issued late Sunday night.

The announcement came following a phone call between Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump, and just hours before the first payment under the tax was going to come due for major tech companies like Amazon and Google. 

On Friday Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social he was terminating all trade discussions with Canada because of the tax.

Justice Minister Sean Fraser says the federal government plans to take a "fresh" look at its online harms legislation over the summer but it's not clear yet exactly what the bill will look like when it is reintroduced.

It would be the Liberals' third attempt to pass legislation to address harmful behaviour online.

Fraser told The Canadian Press in an interview that the government hasn't decided whether to rewrite or simply reintroduce the Online Harms Act, which was introduced in 2024 but did not pass.

An Alberta judge has put on hold a provincial law that bans doctors from providing gender-affirming care to youth.

Justice Allison Kuntz, in a written judgment Friday, said the law raises serious Charter issues that need to be hashed out in court, and issued a temporary injunction against it before it fully came into effect.

Kuntz wrote that a temporary stop is needed while the issue is debated.

Berry lovers will be happy to hear that the U-pick season has now started. 

Across the Prairies, strawberry U-pick seasons typically start in early July. Raspberries and Saskatoons are then often available from late July through August. 

Andy Loewen is the owner of Friedensfeld Honey and Berry Farm, located east of Friedensfeld in Manitoba. He says their strawberry U-pick season officially got underway on Friday. An opening day of June 27th is a little bit earlier than normal for their farm.

Tyra the Tyrannosaurus is set to be poked and prodded this fall to determine whether Drumheller’s towering, monstrously popular icon can be saved from extinction.

Mayor Heather Colberg says a technical check will determine how much work — and money — may be needed to keep the 25-metre figure in its current place dominating the skyline of the town northeast of Calgary.

On Sunday afternoon, Environment Canada issued a heat warning for several areas near Airdrie, including Rocky View County, specifically near Chestermere, Dalroy, Dalemead, Irricana, Beiseker, and Kathryn.

"Daytime high temperatures between 29 and 35 degrees Celsius combined with overnight lows near 14 degrees Celsius are expected starting Monday. The hottest weather is expected mid-week, with cooler temperatures expected by Friday," the warning noted.

With a string of sunny days in the forecast and a full slate of community celebrations planned, Airdrie’s Canada Day is shaping up to be ideal for residents and visitors alike.

Environment Canada lifted a thunderstorm watch that had been in place for parts of southern Alberta Saturday afternoon, clearing the skies and easing concerns about weekend weather disruptions.

Now, the forecast shows uninterrupted sunshine through July 1, just in time for Airdrie’s largest annual celebration.

Environment Canada has lifted a series of severe thunderstorm watches that were in place for Airdrie, Crossfield and several parts of southern Alberta Saturday.

The weather agency had warned that thunderstorms forming along the eastern slopes of the Rockies could track southeast through the evening, with the potential to bring damaging winds, torrential rainfall and hail up to the size of a loonie.

“The risk of severe thunderstorms will diminish this evening,” Environment Canada said in a 2:24 p.m. update.

A traffic incident shut down access to Stoney Trail near 69th Street SW on Friday evening, but Calgary police say all affected routes have since reopened.

The eastbound lanes of Highway 8 were closed at Bragg Creek for several hours, cutting off access to Stoney Trail. Access from Bow Trail was also restricted during the closure.

Calgary Police Service issued an advisory asking drivers to avoid the area and use alternate routes.

After seven people were fatally injured in road-related incidents and 101 impaired drivers were removed from Alberta roads during the 2024 Canada Day long weekend, the RCMP are once again reminding motorists to plan ahead and avoid driving while impaired.