Cochrane

The group representing Alberta teachers says hopes are high that a deal will be reached as mediated talks resume before the school year gets underway.

Jason Schilling, president of the Alberta Teachers' Association, says while hopeful, there are a number of issues that need to be settled if this week's talks are to be successful.

Teachers voted 95 per cent in favour of strike action earlier this summer.

Schilling says the June vote signalled that pay, classroom conditions, crowding and resources for students were unacceptable.

Cochrane Cowboy Wrestling Club alumni Annika Fines and Nick Hooper were among Canada’s top performers at the 2025 U20 World Wrestling Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria, Aug. 17-21.

Fines was Canada’s second-highest-placing female wrestler, finishing eighth in the women’s 62-kilogram freestyle category. Hooper was the second-best Canadian on the men’s side, placing 12th in the 74-kilogram division.

The dates are set Premier Scott Moe's trade mission to Asia runs September 6th to 12th.

It's a very important region for the province ... In 2024, Saskatchewan exported over $10 billion to Asia—$4.4 billion to China, $929 million to Japan and 162 million to South Korea.

The goal is to reinforce future trade opportunities and engage with China on their temporary duties on peas and canola.

The Premier has invited Prime Minister Mark Carney and any other federal ministers  to join the trade mission.

The Cochrane Integrated Arts Society (CIAS) is excited to announce the 6th Annual Cochrane Culture Days will be held on Sept. 6 and 7.

The weekend celebration of local arts and culture will kick off Saturday, Sept. 6 at the Cochrane Farmers’ Market at the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Entertainment includes the Celtic band The Drowsy Maggies, the Stoney Mini Thni Dancers, a demonstration from Ga-On Taekwondo Academy, and an interactive drumming circle led by Circles of Rhythm. Imagine That YYC will also provide face painting.

Two more Cochranites who were part of Team Alberta are returning with medals from the Canada Summer Games that wrapped up yesterday in St. John’s, N.L.

Leyton Balint, 18, won a silver medal as a member of Alberta’s women’s volleyball team.

The team faced Ontario in the final after going undefeated in the preliminary round and through two playoff rounds. Alberta dug deep but ultimately fell 3–1 in a hard-fought match.

Alberta Agriculture's latest crop report shows two per cent of the crop has been combined. That's down from the 5-year average of eight per cent and the 10-year average of six per cent.

Warm, dry conditions in the Southern part of the province are helping with the harvest, while the cooler temperatures in the North West, North East, and Peace regions are slowing crop maturity and delaying harvest.

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) are calling for swift action to address ongoing trade tariffs that continue to impact farmers.

APAS met with Kody Blois, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister when he was in Saskatoon for last week's canola meeting. 

APAS President Bill Prybylski emphasized the urgency of resolving tariff disputes with China and the United States, which have disrupted normal trade flows and hurt our agricultural economy.

The Alberta government is streamlining its process for restoring watersheds.

The province is removing the requirement to have a temporary diversion licence as part of a riparian restoration project.

The government said it expects the change to cut red tape, keep plants alive and ensure that the time and money put into watershed restoration projects are not wasted.

“Freedom to water is about cutting through the clutter of bureaucracy so real work can happen,” provincial environment minister Rebecca Schulz said in a press release.

Canada’s declining productivity, supply chain woes and political decisions all affect trade with its neighbour

As vexing as the current trade environment might be, Canada has to recognize there were issues long before U.S. president Donald Trump and his on-again, off-again tariffs came along, said panelists at a policy summit last month.

“We’re not really in a different place,” said Cal Bricker, chief executive officer of Spirits Canada.

The Cochrane Legion is set to get a much-needed facelift this fall, and it’s all thanks to the efforts of Cochrane resident Phonsie Corcoran and his longtime connections in the community.

Corcoran, a Legion member and local business owner, helped bring Avalon Master Builder on board to donate time and manpower to paint the Legion’s upper level. Avalon, which is currently building in Greystone, will supply staff and cover the costs of the project.