Cochrane

It was triple the fun at an expanded musical showcase presented by Edward Allen of Cochrane Drum Tutor.

Building on the success of last year’s hit recital, John, Paul, George and 30 Ringos, Allen added two more events and moved the celebration to the larger Cochrane Lions Event Centre. Hundreds of people flowed through the venue from early afternoon until evening.

A key member of Alberta's new panel fighting federal overreach says Canada's immigration system needs fixing, but couldn't comment on the panel considering an idea to cut supports for some newcomers.

Business Council of Alberta president Adam Legge says questions about potentially excluding certain immigrants from services like health care should be addressed to Premier Danielle Smith.

Barring services to some newcomers is a solution being put forward on immigration on the panel's website.

Cochrane residents are being called on to rally behind 10-year-old Nathan as he makes a final push to move on in the Ranger Rick Jr. Ranger competition, and time is running out.

The national contest, which encourages kids across North America to explore the outdoors and connect with nature, comes with a top prize of $20,000, a feature in Ranger Rick magazine, and a one-on-one wildlife experience with expert Jeff Corwin.

It's fawning season, and with it comes a reminder to Cochrane residents to be cautious around deer and other wildlife sheltering their newborns in brush and natural woodland areas in and around the community.

With Cochrane’s robust urban deer population, residents are urged to keep their distance and most importantly, leash their dogs.

Hendrik Bösch of Wildlife Coexistence Cochrane is helping spread the message after being contacted by Fish and Wildlife officials in response to increased deer activity in Riverside, along Quigley Drive, and in Glenbow.

The Town of Cochrane has begun preparing for its 2026 budget.

Town council has approved a recommendation from Chief Financial Officer Alvin Allim to base the budget on two per cent inflation and assessment growth—a formula also applied to the 2025 budget.

Additional factors to be considered include feedback from council's spring strategic session, the 2022–25 council strategic plan, the 2025 municipal election, and ongoing economic uncertainty in both Canada and the United States.

Whether Alberta should withhold social services from immigrants is among the issues Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is tabling for debate this summer when she travels the province to consult citizens on potential referendum questions.

The tour is part of what Smith has dubbed the "Alberta Next" panel. At a news conference Tuesday, she announced details of its work and named its 15 members.

At the same time, six online surveys were launched on the panel's website, which are to help inform what questions the government puts to a referendum next year.

May inflation figures showed marginal improvements in some of the Bank of Canada's closely watched price figures — a step in the right direction, some economists say, but likely not enough to convince the central bank to cut interest rates.

The annual pace of inflation held steady at 1.7 per cent last month as cooling shelter costs helped tame price pressures, Statistics Canada said Tuesday.

Cochrane’s own Sarah Wozniewicz is heading to the pros! The 21-year-old forward was selected in the third round, fifth overall by the Ottawa Charge in the 2025 Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) Draft, marking a major milestone in her impressive hockey journey.

From her early days on the ice in Cochrane then with the Airdrie Lightning, to becoming a standout player at Edge School and eventually the University of Wisconsin, Wozniewicz has shown relentless drive and passion for the game.

Recent heavy rainfall has pushed the Bow River to higher-than-normal levels in Cochrane, prompting local fire officials to issue a high stream advisory.

“We are looking at a high stream advisory for both the Bow River and the Jumping Pound Creek basins,” says Cochrane Fire Chief Shawn Polley.

Polley explains the river flow recently peaked at nearly 300 cubic metres per second on June 21 and has now dropped to about 171. While that’s within seasonal average, the water remains fast and unpredictable.

The Liberal government will table a bill this fall introducing stricter bail conditions and sentencing for some crimes, particularly those involving organized crime, human trafficking, home invasion and car theft, Justice Minister Sean Fraser said in an interview.

"It's perhaps obvious, given the tenor around the criminal justice system, that reforms are in order," Fraser told The Canadian Press.