Cochrane

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to announce on Thursday a temporary GST break for certain essential items to help ease affordability pressures.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says in a statement that the announcement is in response to his party's demands to permanently lift the goods and services tax on a range of expenses.

Protein Industries Canada has put an open call out for projects exploring the blending of pulses and cereal crops to create new ingredients and plant-based food products as well as improve existing ones in store shelves.  

The Parole Board of Canada says it is now working to allow victims’ families to attend Paul Bernardo's parole hearing and deliver their victim impact statements in person.

A lawyer representing the families of two teenage girls murdered by notorious killer and serial rapist Paul Bernardo said they had been denied the right to deliver their statements in person at Bernardo's upcoming parole hearing. The issue was raised by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre during question period in the House of Commons Wednesday.

UPDATE: Destiny was found safe Thursday afternoon.

Original story follows.

Cochrane RCMP is seeking any details about a 19-year-old woman from Stoney First Nation who is missing. 

Destiny Poucette was last seen in Cochrane on November 14.

She is described as standing 5 feet 2 inches tall and weighing approximately 135 pounds with a slim build. Destiny has long, dark brown or black hair and brown eyes.

Randy Boissonnault is leaving his post as employment minister in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet after weeks of questions about the Edmonton MP's shifting claims of Indigenous identity and his business dealings.

Town administration agrees there is a "true need" for a playground in the Precedence neighbourhood, just not on the land originally designated.

Drew Hyndman, town executive director of development and infrastructure, says the town was involved in changing the design for the 0.6 acre green space that is surrounded by roads on all four sides.

It determined the area was too small and unsafe.

The town's sub-neighbourhood park requirement with a playground is 1.0 to 3.7 acres in size, making this area too small to accommodate playground equipment.

Let’s face it: the past few years have been no picnic for small businesses. Ellen Covey, a Certified Financial Planner and exclusive Advisor for the Cochrane & District Chamber of Commerce’s Group Insurance Plan, has seen it all. She says many small businesses feel like they are on struggle street, that hard, unpaved road where too many small business owners and their teams have been slogging lately. But Ellen’s on a mission to help chart the way to something better: a bustling, optimistic Main Street where businesses—and the people who power them—can thrive.

Although strike action continues, local postal workers have volunteered to deliver government cheques today (Nov. 20).

"Seventeen of our local postal workers have volunteered to get government cheques delivered," states Angela Sellwood, Cochrane union representative of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) Local 710, in a written statement.

"CUPW has always agreed to deliver these cheques in the event of a service disruption," she explains. "We do this for the customers."

Treasury Board President Anita Anand is warning that if the House of Commons doesn't get back to regular business, some government departments might be in financial trouble.

On Monday, Anand tabled a supplementary estimates request for $21.6 billion to fund programs including housing, dental care and the national school food program.

One of the biggest-ticket items is $970.8 million for compensation adjustments for civil servants as a result of collective bargaining agreements.

The health of Cochrane's beloved 300-year-old Grandfather Tree is in jeopardy and the town is asking people to stay off of it while it explores the best measures to take to ensure its survival.

This week, the town sounded the alarm and announced temporary snow fencing will be placed around the iconic white pine in early to mid-December. In the meantime, there is a small sign on site of the Cochrane Ranche tree and people are asked to refrain from climbing on the massive, exposed roots or the tree.