Cochrane

A police pursuit involving a stolen vehicle and a firearm ended with three arrests on the Stoney Nakoda First Nation late Tuesday evening.

On April 30, around 9:00 p.m., Cochrane RCMP responded to multiple reports of a man pointing a long gun at another man while driving a stolen truck through the community. With support from a CPS HAWKS helicopter and Police Dog Services, officers quickly found the suspect vehicle.

The federal riding of Terrebonne in Quebec has gone from the Liberals' win column back to the Bloc Québécois after a postelection vote validation process.

Bloc candidate Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, who had represented the riding since 2021, said in a social media post that she came out with a lead of 44 votes and that a judicial recount will take place.

"For someone to be officially elected, you have to wait until the end of this process," Sinclair-Desgagné wrote in French. "I hope to have the honour of representing Terrebonne again in the coming years."

Conservative MP Damien Kurek is set to step aside to allow Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to run in a byelection in the Battle River—Crowfoot riding in Alberta.

Kurek says he is "temporarily" stepping aside as MP for the riding, which he has held since 2019.

The Conservative party confirms that Poilievre will run in the Battle River—Crowfoot byelection once it's called.

Alberta

The St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID) is notifying irrigators that they are now accepting water orders.

For the 2025 irrigation season, water allocation will remain at 12 inches at the farm gate based on the recent Irrigation Water Supply Forecast from Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation.

Crews have started flushing lines and are charging the system for water startup, expected to be available across the entire district by May 5th to 9th.

Drivers in Cochrane are being advised to watch for overnight road work as line painting gets underway this weekend.

Starting at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 2, crews will begin painting yellow and white road lines, as well as bike lane markings, throughout the town.

Work will take place overnight from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. and is expected to take up to three nights to complete, weather permitting.

Motorists are asked to keep a safe distance from line painting equipment and avoid driving on freshly painted lines to prevent paint from getting on their vehicles.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is deflecting accusations that she's stoking the fires of separatism, despite her government moving to lower the bar for holding a referendum.

Earlier this week, Smith's government proposed legislation that would make it easier for citizens to call for a vote to secede from Canada, drawing heated condemnation from Indigenous leaders who warn it would violate treaties.

A vocal set of right-wing supporters are pushing for an Alberta exit following the federal Liberals' election win Monday.

In the last issue we discussed warm and cold clouds, and we learned that most of our local precipitation is produced in cold clouds, which means that most of it starts off as snow, even in the summer.

This week we are going to look at the different types of precipitation we experience and examine how each type forms.

Next on our list of precipitation types is sleet or ice pellets.

This form of precipitation is created when raindrops freeze in the air before they reach the ground.

Excitement is in the air as all Bow Valley rugby teams gear up for the opening of the club season, with both youth and adult squads starting on the road.

That includes the Division 2 Bow Valley Grizzlies, who are in Red Deer to challenge the Titans.

Tyler Hawes, head coach of the Men's Division 2 Grizzlies, says they've been warming up for the season at the Mitford Park pitch after training indoors during the off-season.

"The boys are ready and raring to go. We've got a few new guys, and I think they're excited to get it going."

Dr. Greg Powell, the visionary founder of the non-profit air ambulance service STARS, passed away on April 30 at the Foothills Country Hospice. He was 77.

STARS announced his passing on May 1, remembering Powell as a relentless advocate for patient care and emergency response.

“From the very beginning of his distinguished medical career, Dr. Powell was committed to saving lives,” said STARS President and CEO, Dr. John Froh. “Early on, he recognized too many patients were dying because they couldn’t get the care they needed fast enough and was motivated to change that.”

The popular Legacy Trail connecting Canmore to Banff National Park is officially open for the season.

Trail users are advised of a temporary dirt ramp near the Harvie Heights overpass due to ongoing work on the Bow Valley Fireguard Project. The ramp is expected to be removed by May 9.

The Legacy Trail welcomes all forms of non-motorized travel, including ebikes, strollers, and mobility aids.

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