The Rural Alberta Report
June 20, 2025
Local News
Bucks, Boots and Beer: Castor Rodeo Rides Again
The Castor Rodeo, hosted by the Castor & District Ag Society brought the community together for a full slate of events, free camping and food trucks.
Clancy Square of Clive ropes a calf at the annual Castor Rodeo
Town of Hanna council sets sale date for unpaid tax properties
Stu Salkeld
The Town of Hanna council set the sale date and reserve bid for three properties in the municipality with unpaid tax bills. The resolutions were passed at the June 10 regular meeting of council.
Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Matthew Norburn presented a report to councillors regarding three properties with unpaid tax bills that have hit the three year point; that is, the Municipal Government Act (MGA) allows the municipality to auction the properties in question and pay off the property taxes owing from the proceeds at that stage.
Source: Jonathan Cooper/Pexels
Town of Hanna signs sponsorships worth $80k
Stu Salkeld
The Town of Hanna council approved two corporate sponsorship agreements worth $80,000 over the length of the contracts. The resolutions to approve the agreements were passed unanimously at the June 10 regular meeting of council.
Chief Administrative officer (CAO) Matthew Norburn presented councillors with a report on two corporate sponsorship agreements the Town of Hanna was proposing but that require council approval to execute.
Norburn noted the two proposals included a sponsorship agreement between the Town of Hanna and Brandt Tractor Ltd. to provide that company with naming rights for the walking track in Centennial Place and an agreement with The CanAlta Group to provide that company with naming rights for the field house in Centennial Place. The CAO’s report noted the Brandt agreement was worth $20,000 total over five years while the CanAlta agreement was worth $60,000 over 10 years.
Source: Centennial Place Screenshot/Google Maps
The Red Willow Ag Society's Fathers Day Fair
The Red Willow Ag Society's Fathers Day Fair held at the rec grounds June 14 featured an afternoon full of activities, including a petting zoo.
Participants at the Red Willow Ag Society's Fathers Day Fair log sawing competition discovered the activity is much more difficult than it looks. Rural Alberta Report/S.Salkeld
Guests at the Red Willow Ag Society's Fathers Day Fair June 14 enjoyed horse-drawn wagon rides, plus an artisan market, cow milking pail competition and many more activities. Rural Alberta Report/Stu Salkeld
Drumheller RCMP responds to motor vehicle collision near East Coulee - June 14
Source: Josiah Farrow /Unsplash
Media Release: On June 14, 2025 at approximately 4:01 p.m., Drumheller RCMP responded to a head-on collision between a semi-truck and a pick-up truck on Highway 9 near Highway 836. A third vehicle, a SUV, went into the ditch to avoid collision. The semi and the pick-up truck caught fire, with the semi being fully engulfed in the north ditch and the pick-up being in the middle of the highway. Upon arrival, officers located a lone occupant trapped in the pick-up truck. Immediately bystanders used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire on the pick-up truck while a local Hutterite colony immediately brought a water truck to help douse the flames from the semi. Fire departments from Rosebud and Rockyford as well as EMS attended.
Unfortunately, the pick-up truck driver, a female resident of Airdrie, Alta., was declared deceased on scene. The officers of the Drumheller RCMP send their deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
The male driver of the semi was transported by EMS with minor injuries and the driver of the SUV was un-injured. The incident resulted in the shut down of the highway for several hours as officers facilitated their investigation. Drumheller RCMP would also like to thank the bystanders and the Hutterite Colony, as well as local fire departments and EMS, for their assistance at the scene.
The cause of the collision is still under investigation. If you have any information about this incident, you are asked to contact the Drumheller RCMP at 403-823-7590 or your local police. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the “P3 Tips” app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store
Coronation RCMP makes arrest after report of suspicious vehicle
Media Release: On June 16, 2025, Coronation RCMP responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle parked at the Castor Fish Pond. Responding officers located the vehicle and were able to identify the driver before the vehicle fled the area by driving through properties and causing damages to the Town of Castor water treatment plant. Video surveillance showed the driver was also responsible for a break and enter at a County of Paintearth shop that took place on June 9, 2025. The vehicle was located and recovered on a rural property South of Castor, Alta., after a tip was received.
On June 18, 2025, RCMP received reports that the suspect was currently in Castor, Alta.. The suspect was located and fled on foot but assistance from Alberta RCMP Police Dog Services resulted in his arrest. He was transported to the hospital with minor injuries.
As a result of the investigation, Christopher McLean (25), a resident of Hanna, Alta., was charged with a total of 13 offences, including:
- Mischief (x2);
- Break and enter;
- Possession of a stolen vehicle;
- Failing to stop; and
- Fail to comply with a probation order (x2).
Source: Pixabay/Pekels
McLean was brought before a justice of the peace who remanded him into custody. He is to appear before the Alberta Court of Justice in Coronation on June 20, 2025.
“We would like to thank the public for their assistance in this investigation” said Sgt. Jeremy Houle of the Coronation RCMP Detachment. “It is thanks to initial reports as well as tips from the public that we were able to locate the stolen vehicle as well as McLean’s whereabouts.”
Lacombe County council reviews regional development, fire services and funding requests
Cheryl Bowman
Regional and community development in the Town of Blackfalds and surrounding areas were among the topics discussed at Lacombe County council's June 12 meeting.
According to minutes submitted to The Rural Alberta Report, council approved a funding agreement with the Town of Blackfalds for upgrades to the Broadway Reservoir, which supports the Aspelund Industrial Area. Administration was also directed to work with Lacombe and Blackfalds officials to draft terms of reference for a Regional Collaboration Committee, and to investigate the feasibility of a regional water system near Gull Lake.
Fire services and bylaw amendments
Council received several fire services presentations for information and directed the County Manager to prepare reports on year-round fire permitting, fire department response fees, and updates to the County’s Fire Services Manual. Council also passed bylaw amendments allowing the recovery of outstanding fire response fees through the property tax roll.
Funding commitments approved
Council approved contributions of up to $300,000 for the City of Lacombe’s cemetery expansion and nearly $290,000 toward capital projects at the Kinsmen Aquatic Centre, Lacombe Memorial Centre, Gary Moe Sportsplex and local ball diamonds. Scholarships of $1,000 were confirmed for both the Alix Legion and Bentley Seed Cleaning Plant programs. Council also approved a $1,000 sponsorship for the Lacombe County Business of the Year Award.
Source: Liana Laur / Pexels
Opinion - Lefty party won’t accept change takes effort, sacrifice
Stu Salkeld
Much is being made of the U.S. Democratic Party’s soul-searching after Republican Donald J. Trump’s decisive trouncing of Kamal Harris last fall; in the aftermath of the loss the Democrats went on at length about how their party needed young, fresh leaders and needed to listen more to what voters wanted rather than tell voters what they should want while lecturing the general population about morals.
Over the past few months researchers also discovered swaths of male voters abandoned the Democrats and voted Trump because, simply put, Trump promised to do something for male voters (cut taxes, improve their economic prospects etc.) and not just whites, but blacks, latinos and other minorities that have traditionally been seen as the exclusive property of the Democratic Party.
Source: Sora Shimazaki / Pexels
BBQ STEAK DINNER AT BIG VALLEY
Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions
Sat, 21 Jun, 2025 at 02:30 pm to 07:30 pm
4105 67 Street Close, Stettler, AB
Pull on your boots and cowboy hat and dine on barbecued steak, chuckwagon beans, potato, and Caesar salad meal at hall in Big Valley. Trip includes live entertainment in the coaches, time to visit and explore a fully restored 1912 Canadian Northern railway station, the blue church on the hill – St. Edmund’s, McAlister's Garage Museum, Big Valley Hand-tool and Collectibles Museum, Big Valley Rail Car Museum, and the roundhouse and elevator interpretive centres. High likelihood of an attack by mounted train robbers.
Mark your calendar - local events and happenings
Alberta News
Intense rainfall this weekend
Summer kicks off Friday with a soggy start for much of Southern and parts of Central Alberta, as a Pacific low-pressure system brings heavy rainfall. Light showers began Friday morning and are expected to intensify, with steady rain spreading from the Foothills into the broader region by evening. The heaviest downpours are forecast for Saturday, with rainfall rates possibly exceeding 10mm per hour, pushing totals to 50-100mm by Sunday morning. Some are comparing the setup to the devastating floods of June 2013.
Source: Screenshot/Instant Weather
Letters to the editor
Dear Minister Nally,
I am writing to you as one of your constituents to voice my concerns with the proposed changes to Alberta Drug Coverage for Seniors, announced on June 10, 2025.
While I understand the need to find efficiencies within the provincial budget, these changes place an undue burden on Alberta’s seniors. Many seniors live on a fixed income and already struggle to maintain their quality of life amid inflation in the cost of food, housing, and other necessities. A gradual increase to $35 per prescription may not seem like much on paper, but for seniors managing multiple medications every month, the individual impact is significant and potentially harmful.
These co-payment increases arrive at a time when the senior population is growing faster than any other group in Alberta. Instead of reducing supports to save money, we should be investing more in senior wellness, preventative care, and affordability, which would help to mitigate even more costly emergency room visits and long term care down the road.
I respectfully urge you to push the Premier and Health Minister to reconsider this decision and advocate for policies that protect Alberta’s seniors. After a lifetime of contributing to the wealth and prosperity of this province, seniors deserve dignity and support in their later years, not additional financial stress. Alberta can and should do better.
Thank you for your time and service. I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
John Todd/St. Albert
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in letters to the editor are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of this publication.
Have an opinion or news to share? Send your letter to the editor at info@kcjmediagroup.com. Please include your name and town. We reserve the right to edit or refuse submissions.
Calgary taxpayers forced to pay for art project that telephones the Bow River
News Release: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation
LETHBRIDGE, AB:The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is calling on the City of Calgary to scrap the Calgary Arts Development Authority after it spent $65,000 on a telephone line to the Bow River.
“If someone wants to listen to a river, they can go sit next to one, but the City of Calgary should not force taxpayers to pay for this,” said Kris Sims, CTF Alberta Director. “If phoning a river floats your boat, you do you, but don’t force your neighbour to pay for your art choices.”
The City of Calgary spent $65,194 of taxpayers’ money for an art project dubbed “Reconnecting to the Bow” to set up a telephone line so people could call the Bow River and listen to the sound of water.
The project is running between September 2024 and December 2025, according to documents obtained by the CTF.
The art installation is a rerun of a previous version set up back in 2014.
Emails obtained by the CTF show the bureaucrats responsible for the newest version of the project wanted a new local 403 area code phone number instead of an 1-855 number to “give the authority back to the Bow,” because “the original number highlighted a proprietary and commercial relationship with the river.”
Further correspondence obtained by the CTF shows the city did not want its logo included in the displays, stating the “City of Calgary (does NOT want to have its logo on the artworks or advertisements).”
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation: Bow River in Calgary, Alberta June 2025
Taxpayers pay about $19 million per year for the Calgary Arts Development Authority. That’s equivalent to the total property tax bill for about 7,000 households.
Calgary bureaucrats also expressed concern the project “may not be received well, perceived as a waste of money or simply foolish.”
“That city hall employee was pointing out the obvious: This is a foolish waste of taxpayers’ money and this slush fund should be scrapped,” said Sims. “Artists should work with willing donors for their projects instead of mooching off city hall and forcing taxpayers to pay for it.”
Canadian News
Farmers left behind as grocery prices soar
KCJ Media Group Ltd.
Advocacy groups are raising alarms as grocery prices continue to climb in Canada, noting that the surge in consumer food costs isn’t translating into higher earnings for farmers. They argue that food processors and retailers—facing little market competition—are capturing most of the margin, leaving farmers with stagnant farm-gate prices despite inflation at the checkout. Experts stress that without intervention, this system will continue to tip profits towards large corporations while sidelining those who grow our food.
To rebalance the food system, these advocates recommend strengthening competition laws to rein in market power, investing in regional and local food processing infrastructure, and supporting smaller-scale producers. In their view, policymakers must act to ensure a fairer distribution of food dollars—one that values the contributions of farmers and fosters resilience within the agricultural sector. Manitoba Cooperator
Source: Mikolaj Kaczmarek / Pexels
Ottawa hikes cattle cull compensation — but leaves bigger problems untouched
Cheryl Bowman
Ranchers say new $6,000 cap doesn’t fix a system that destroys healthy herds based on suspicion
The federal government has raised the maximum payout for cattle culled during disease-control efforts from $4,500 to $6,000. The change is meant to reflect current livestock values and offer better support to affected producers.
But for many farmers, bigger payouts fail to fix a system that allows sweeping depopulations of both cattle and other livestock without confirmed disease.
Under the Health of Animals Act, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) can order destruction of animals if they’re suspected of exposure to a reportable disease. Entire herds — or flocks — can be culled without conclusive testing and little opportunity for owners to appeal. That means entire herds can be eliminated without a single confirmed case.
That’s not a hypothetical. In 2016, a Saskatchewan rancher had 109 cattle — nearly 80 per cent of his herd — destroyed based on TB suspicion. None tested positive post-mortem.
Now, a spotlight has turned to Universal Ostrich Farm in Edgewood, B.C., where CFIA has ordered the cull of around 399 ostriches after an H5N1 avian flu outbreak first detected December 2024. The farm has appealed, and won a temporary stay.
The law gives producers little recourse. There is no appeal process before a depopulation order is carried out. CFIA inspectors can enter private property, test animals, and initiate a cull with or without the owner's consent.
What do these events reveal? Whether it’s cattle or ostriches, the Health of Animals Act puts broad authority in the hands of CFIA — allowing massive depopulation based on suspicion or incomplete evidence. The policy favours regulatory convenience over scientific nuance, and compensation schemes don’t make up for lost genetics, breeding potential or emotional trauma.
Ranchers understand the importance of biosecurity and protecting trade. But the current system trades scientific certainty for bureaucratic convenience. In practice, it treats livestock owners as guilty until proven innocent — and by then, it’s often too late.
Until federal policy moves beyond damage control and rethinks the legal framework that allows unconfirmed cases to justify mass culls, trust in the system will continue to erode.
Because sometimes the real disease isn’t in the herd — it’s in the policy.
Christina & Peter / Pexels