Cochrane

Mayor Jeff Genung intends to bring forward a notice of motion for the town to examine the possibility of twinning the Cochrane Arena to help address an acute shortage of ice in the community.

Council chambers overflowed during Monday night's committee-of-the-whole meeting, as a delegation from the Cochrane Minor Hockey Association (CMHA), many wearing jerseys, stressed the critical need for more ice surfaces — both for themselves and other local users.

SASKATOON — Canada has far fewer green peas than the government is reporting, says an analyst.

“Purely from a price perspective, markets believe the Canadian harvest was smaller than estimated by Statistics Canada,” Stat Publishing noted in a recent article.

Using crop insurance data, a “strong argument” can be made that growers planted 358,000 acres of green peas last year, well below Statistics Canada’s 463,000-acre estimate.

Stat believes the area has been over-reported since 2021.

Root rots are the number one disease issue for pulse crops, significantly impacting pea and lentil fields across the Prairies.  Studies show that the disease which thrives in warm, wet conditions can cause a yield loss of anywhere from 60 to 84 percent.

Last year, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture conducted a pulse disease survey, which focused on the root rot disease complex.

A second-quarter update indicates Rocky View Schools (RVS) is projecting a $3.6-million deficit for the 2024–25 school year.

On Thursday, trustees were told the school division continues to face financial pressures, despite an increase in the base grant from the provincial government. Lower-than-anticipated enrolment led to a reduction in instructional funding.

All three ensembles of the Cochrane Music Society are tuning up for their annual Spring Showcase Concert, set for Saturday, May 10 at 7 p.m. at the Cochrane Alliance Church.

Choral Waves will explore the theme of shared human experience—this “complicated, yet wonderful life together”—with a program ranging from classical selections to songs by Gordon Lightfoot and Harry Belafonte. Central to the set is Turn the World Around, a musical reminder of the power of community.

Bike Cochrane has rolled out the new bike recycling initiative Back in Gear in collaboration with Cochrane High School’s Rivers, Oceans, and Mountains (ROAMS) program.

On Fridays from noon to 3 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon at Cochrane High School, community members are invited to donate used bicycles, purchase refurbished ones, or volunteer with Back in Gear. It will operate through to June 20.

Rocky View Schools (RVS) will continue to face extreme pressure in accommodating its rapidly growing student population due to a significant shortfall in approved modular classroom requests.

RVS was allotted less than 20 per cent of the modular classrooms it requested from Alberta Education in November 2024.

In mid-April, the government approved the allocation of only five out of the 27 new modular classrooms requested. The requested relocation of one washroom unit was approved.

Albertans can expect to hear a provincewide emergency alert test at 1:55 p.m. MDT on Wednesday, May 7. The test will be broadcast on television, radio, and compatible wireless devices across the province.

The alert will begin with the recognizable Canadian Alert Attention Signal, followed by a message confirming that it is only a test and no action is required.

It’s Emergency Preparedness Week, and Cochrane Search and Rescue is taking a proactive approach to help residents stay safe.

This week, members of the team will be out in the Sunset Ridge neighbourhood, going door to door to share helpful information on how families can prepare for emergencies and disasters.

Volunteers will be easy to spot in their red jackets and are ready to answer questions or direct residents to additional resources.

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The Rocky Mountain Rage took its first official stride into the National Ringette League spotlight this weekend, unveiling its logo and inaugural coaching staff at the Canadian Brewhouse in Cochrane on May 3.

The afternoon event drew community members and ringette fans eager to get their first glimpse of the team’s identity and direction.

The new logo, which features a bold mountain-inspired design, was met with enthusiastic applause as it was revealed.