Cochrane

Pickleball enthusiasts are in for a big day tomorrow with the official opening of a new 20-court hub in Cochrane’s Greystone community.

A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for 11 a.m. next to the SLS Centre to unveil the state-of-the-art facility. It includes 18 regulation courts and two accessible courts for players with physical disabilities — among the first of their kind in Canada.

Cochrane’s vibrant Filipino community will be sharing its culture this Saturday (June 7) at its annual celebration in honour of Philippines Independence Day.

Organized by the Filipino Canadian Association of Cochrane Alberta (FCACA), the event returns to the Cochrane Ranche historic site for four hours of live music, dancing, family fun and a delicious feast. It runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It is also one of the final events of Cochrane’s busy Seniors Week celebration.

The fire danger rating in Banff National Park has now been elevated to “Extreme”, prompting officials to urge extra caution from all visitors and residents.

An “Extreme” rating means wildfires can ignite easily, spread rapidly, and burn with intense heat, making them incredibly difficult for firefighters to control.

While some wildfires are naturally caused, such as by lightning, many can be prevented. Parks Canada is reminding the public to help reduce the risk of human-caused fires by following a few key safety steps:

Security officials for the upcoming G-7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis say wildfire evacuation planning is part of their overall preparations.

RCMP Chief Superintendent David Hall notes that wildfires in other communities could also impact road access to the summit.

He says all agencies involved are staying alert to the national wildfire situation, which could shift resources toward evacuation efforts like those currently happening across the Prairies.

More than 50 wildfires are burning in Alberta, with several evacuation orders in place.

The Liberal government has introduced legislation aimed at cutting down barriers to internal trade by recognizing provincial and territorial rules at the federal level.

Officials who briefed reporters this morning say the goal is to reduce the number of redundant standards across the country.

They say that, for example, a company that produces washing machines that meet a provincial energy efficiency standard won't have to meet a separate federal standard to sell outside that province.

In 2023, as Canada suffered through its worst-ever wildfire season, the federal government was looking at creating a national disaster response agency.

Two years later, the country is again facing another summer of wildfires. There is still no sign of such an agency, though governments are tapping the private sector to help with evacuations.

Ali Asgary, a York University professor of disaster and emergency management, said the work to establish a national agency is "unfortunately … not going as fast as our crises are going."

A special morning board meeting has been called for the Spray Lake Sawmills Recreation Park Society (SLSRPS) tomorrow (June 6) to discuss the proposed operational takeover with representatives of YMCA Calgary.

Mayor Jeff Genung, also interim SLSRPS president, says an information session is scheduled later in the day with the Cochrane Curling Club, and possibly others.

Alberta's government has ditched a new fee schedule for breweries that would have seen the province's oldest beer maker pay significantly more in taxes.

The schedule, introduced in February after Alberta tabled its budget, substantially lowered the production threshold breweries needed to meet before they paid the highest fee to the government, while also adjusting the production limits and fees building up to the cap.

Cochrane area athletes will be flooding Calgary's Foothills Athletics Park for the next two days to compete for provincial titles in a variety of disciplines at the ASAA high school provincial track and field championship.

Over 20 athletes from Cochrane, Bow Valley and St. Timothy's high schools are advancing after strong performances at both divisional and zone championships.

Manitoba’s farm groups are happy about a new bill to reduce the regulation red tape hindering interprovincial trade.

Manitoba’s farm groups say they’re glad to see the province’s latest effort to break down interprovincial trade barriers.