Latest news with #RockyView
CTV News
17-07-2025
- CTV News
Rocky View County man charged after RCMP recover more than 300K worth of stolen property, illicit drugs
RCMP officers seized illicit drugs and over $300,000 of stolen property when they executed a search warrant on Tuesday. A Rocky View man faces multiple charges after RCMP recovered over $300,000 in stolen property from his residence. On July 15, Cochrane RCMP officers executed a search warrant at a rural property in Rocky View County. They recovered stolen property believed to be worth more than $300,000 and seized illegal drugs following an investigation that was launched after receiving a tip from the RCMP Auto Theft Unit. Recovered property includes a 2023 Dodge Ram pickup truck, a 2013 Triumph Thruxton 900 motorcycle, a holiday and utility trailer and two high-value aesthetic laser devices, that were stolen during a break-and-enter in Calgary in 2024 and have an estimated value of more than $300,000. Police also seized more than 100 grams of suspected methamphetamine and MDMA. A 64-year-old Rocky View man was charged with two counts of possession of stolen property over $5,000, three counts of possession of a forged document, three counts of fraud, three counts of altering a vehicle identification number and two counts of possession of a controlled substance. Following a bail hearing, the man was released from custody with conditions. He's scheduled to appear in court in Cochrane on Aug. 18. 'This investigation is a great example of how collaboration between specialized RCMP units leads to meaningful results,' said Cochrane RCMP detachment commander Insp. Dave Brunner, in a media release. 'Property crime has a real impact on our communities,' he added, 'and our members are committed to identifying prolific offenders and holding them accountable.'
CBC
25-06-2025
- Climate
- CBC
'Everything started regrowing': Alberta farmers welcome rainfall
Recent rainy days have given a big boost to local farmers and producers. With up to 100 millimetres of precipitation in parts of the province this past weekend, the rain is being heralded as "a blessing" by Airdrie-area farmer Larry Woolliams. "The rain is impeccable timing for a lot of us around the Rocky View area," he said. Woolliams Farms, which grows hay, seed and straw, benefited significantly from the wet weather, with Airdrie receiving more than 70 millimetres of rain since last Friday. With drought conditions in the area, the rainfall couldn't have been more welcome, Woolliams said. "Things stopped growing upwards. They were growing downwards, trying to chase that water," he said. "It's just not good prime growing conditions," Woolliams said about dealing with dry soil and high temperatures exacerbated by strong winds. He said he only had up to two weeks of reserve moisture for his crops before the much-needed rainfall. "You could just see everything give that sigh of relief once this rain started coming," he said. "Everything started regrowing." Parts of Alberta soaked, others dry Much of Alberta experienced the rainfall, but some parts of the province are still dealing with drought conditions. Trevor Hadwen, an agroclimate specialist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, said farms that received heavy rainfall will benefit significantly, but some areas didn't receive as much rain as they needed. "Certainly the rainfall has helped in many regions of the province, but areas in the north, especially the Peace River region, and areas in the southeast did not receive very much rainfall, or any at all, this past weekend," he said. "We've seen extremely dry conditions in both those regions this spring." According to Hadwen, Calgary and the surrounding area benefited the most from the rainfall, with some precipitation totals west of the city reaching over 100 millimetres. Parts of western and central Alberta received 50 to 75 millimetres, he said. "The main agricultural region of Alberta got significant moisture this past weekend," he said. "This is a blessing for sure. This provides [farmers impacted by drought conditions] optimism to move forward. It provides them a couple weeks of good moisture and it provides some ability to move forward in the season without this rainfall." Hadwen also said the heavy rainfall did not come with many of the negative outcomes often associated with similar weather events, like plant washout or infrastructure damage. "We're not hearing that, so the storm event seems to be all positive at this point," he said. Despite that relief for many local farmers, drought conditions outside of those areas remain "a very big concern for producers in the region," Hadwen said. "The area of Medicine Hat, down in the [southeast] corner of the province, we are watching that area very closely," he said. According to the government of Alberta, the Medicine Hat area is classified as abnormally dry, while some of the province's southernmost parts are experiencing severe drought conditions. Lethbridge, which received just under 45 millimetres of rain on Saturday, is among the communities impacted by severe drought conditions.
CTV News
29-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Parents scrambling with three days' notice about Springbank daycare closure
A surprise announcement that a Springbank daycare is closing by week's end is creating stress for families and businesses caught in the middle. A Springbank daycare is abruptly closing this week, leaving families of 130 children with three days to find alternatives. Springbank Cottage Childcare contacted families on the afternoon of May 27, saying the building is not structurally safe and will permanently shut down on May 30. 'Three days doesn't give anyone a chance to make alternate arrangements,' said Dave Serfas, whose two daughters attend Springbank Cottage Childcare. 'Where are the kids going to go for the summer programs? Now they're all full. We've kind of missed that boat, so what are we supposed to do?' Some parents said they are disappointed by a lack of communication and clarity about the risks. 'There has been a tremendous lack of transparency (and) communication with Rocky View school district,' said Serfas. 'I'm picking my son up there this afternoon. Is it safe for them to be in this building? We are told yes, but then what's not safe about the occupancy come next week?' said Mark Stanley, whose son attends before- and after-school care. A Springbank daycare is abruptly closing this week, leaving families of 130 children with three days to find alternatives. A Springbank daycare is abruptly closing this week, leaving families of 130 children with three days to find alternatives. Families first learned of potential structural concerns with the 1903 former schoolhouse in March, following an engineering assessment. At that point, the building was deemed safe to remain open until September. Rocky View Schools (RVS) said things changed after it commissioned a second, more comprehensive assessment, which found the building unsafe. In a statement, RVS said, 'We recognize this expedited timeline is challenging for families and staff. This was a difficult but necessary decision made in the interest of safety.' 'Springbank is a rural residential community, so these facilities don't exist everywhere out in this area,' said Serfas. Some parents said aside from putting them in a tough situation, the lack of transparency is unsettling. 'Now, it's for all intents and purposes an immediate closure. Along with that immediate closure, Friday that building is unsafe, but there are 130 kids in there (Wednesday),' said Serfas. They agree safety needs to be prioritized but said if the building can safely stay open a few more days, why not three more weeks, until the end of the school year? 'We're so close to the end of the school year. Is it really necessary to create all this turmoil and chaos when we're talking about another three weeks?' said Stanley. 'If the risks are real, then absolutely, safety is a priority, but then that has some bigger questions as to what was previously decided. Either way, there are questions that have to be answered. 'Are the safety risks real? And if they are real, why were our children allowed to be in this building until Friday? And if they're not real, then let's apply some common sense and look at this in a more staged approach.' In a letter to parents, Springbank Cottage Childcare wrote, 'We were served with an order to vacate by Rocky View County requiring us to vacate our current facility by May 30, 2025, despite a previously agreed-upon Sept. 1 timeline. We are actively pursuing an appeal and have submitted a request for a stay of the order.' A Springbank daycare is abruptly closing this week, leaving families of 130 children with three days to find alternatives. A Springbank daycare is abruptly closing this week, leaving families of 130 children with three days to find alternatives. As for the future of the building, RVS said the structural concerns are too severe and costly to fix, so the historic schoolhouse will be demolished this summer. Parents said Springbank Cottage Childcare planned to reopen in a new location in September, and staff are just as shocked by the sudden notice to close. 'I feel terrible for the staff and the actual folks that work at Cottage. It is a family business. They do an amazing job. The kids are always excited to go there, and we're just disappointed,' said Serfas. CTV reached out to Springbank Cottage Childcare and Rocky View County but has not yet heard back.
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Fire advisory lifted for west region of Rocky View County
A fire advisory for half of Rocky View County was lifted Thursday due to improving conditions. There are no fire advisories or bans in the west region of the county, and permit burning is allowed. However, the fire advisory in the east part of Rocky View County remains in effect. Fire permits will not be issued for any fires in the east region of the county. For more information on county fire bans or advisories, go here.
