A regional economic development group is looking well beyond traditional promotion as it explores new opportunities that could shape the future of Crowsnest Pass and the wider southwest Alberta region.

Crowsnest Pass council approved support for Lemonade Day and appointed Mayor Pat Rypien to the ARCH committee Tuesday night, but turned down a separate grant request for a sensory barefoot path after debate over whether it fit the municipality’s funding rules.

Crowsnest Pass council put off a final decision on the municipality’s 2026 property tax rate bylaw Tuesday, April 14, choosing instead to hold a special meeting set the following week after a lengthy discussion about what residents will see on their tax bills.

A land use bylaw amendment aimed at creating a new accommodation category for historic buildings moved ahead Tuesday night, giving a boost to a proposal tied to the former Coleman school.

Crowsnest Pass residents could face planned power shutoffs in extreme wildfire conditions under a growing safety strategy outlined to council Tuesday night by AltaLink and FortisAlberta.

Sparwood council has formally adopted two amendment bylaws tied to the community’s new curbside recycling program and upcoming food waste diversion pilot.

Last weekend our community acknowledged our amazing volunteers and the dedication they display by  being there for the causes that help keep things running around here. The occasion was the annual municipally sponsored volunteer dinner  and at that event the one and only Anita Ferguson was called up to the stage for the volunteer of the year award. You just don’t get any better than Anita when it comes to commitment to community.  There are so many that are pitching in but it is becoming tougher and tougher as interest in volunteerism is waning. People burn out and interest groups are always looking for new blood. 

Sparwood council approved funding support for a new arts and culture event, renewed key municipal service contracts and signalled support for discounted recreation fitness classes during its April 7 meeting.

The recent decision by the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) to step back from its proposed shift to year round time alignment and instead move toward public consultation is a clear reminder of why local journalism still matters.

Sparwood Mayor David Wilks announced during the April 7 regular council meeting that he will resign effective May 1 as he and his wife prepare to move to Lethbridge, Alberta.

Sparwood council accepted the district’s 2025 draft financial statements on April 7 after hearing the municipality received a clean audit opinion and ended the year with an accumulated surplus of $118.5 million.

The Crowsnest Pass Repair Cafe is set to return on Saturday, April 11, with organizers hoping a longer day and growing public awareness will bring more people through the doors.

District of Sparwood council scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday, March 31 at 6 p.m. in council chambers at the municipal office on Spruce Avenue, with the published agenda showing little public business before a planned closed session.

I had the idea, now that Western culture’s Easter acknowledgement has passed, that I would like to share with my readers all about the wonderful Easter baked goods stories for which my country, the Ukraine, is famous. Of course, this sharing primarily includes Easter bread, which our housewives traditionally bake just before Easter. Many new recipes and varieties of Easter bread have emerged. Cottage cheese, candied fruit, and lemon or orange zest have become popular additions to the dough. Previously, the dough was simple, consisting of eggs, butter, flour, and sugar. Instead of yeast, homemade sourdough was used, and the dough was kneaded in stages over a long period of time. All this was done by hand, and it is still believed that the warmth of one’s hands imbues the product with the best and brightest feelings, thoughts, and mood.  Housewives prepared meticulously for the dough preparation and sometimes they would ask anyone creating excessive noise and fuss to leave the kitchen. Usually, it was the husbands, but children, on the contrary, were often involved in the dough preparation process and performed simple tasks.  For example, they cracked eggs or sculpted dough decorations; it was educational and fun.

Elk Valley Resources says a new socioeconomic analysis shows its operations remain a major driver of employment, wages and tax revenue across southeastern British Columbia and beyond, including in nearby Crowsnest Pass. The report, released April 1, was commissioned by EVR and prepared by KPMG using 2024 data.

As a small businesswoman and the owner of a community newspaper approaching its 97th year of publication, I feel for the first time in many years that reaching the 100-year milestone is a now real possibility. Two federal government policies have been game changers for my newspaper and for our community.

A regional wildfire preparedness event returning to Jaffray on May 1 is being positioned as more than a family friendly spring outing. For residents across the Elk Valley and South Country, organizers say the third annual Ember Stomp is meant to provide practical, local information that could make a real difference when wildfire risk rises.

Crowsnest Pass council’s March 24 public input period brought a wide range of con-cerns to the table, from healthcare recruitment efforts to criticism over council conduct and an explanation from a landowner involved in logging near a local heron rookery.

The Oldman Watershed Council told Crowsnest Pass council on March 24 that water quality in the mountain headwaters remains strong, but drought on the land could still become a major concern in 2026.

Ever since I was a youngster I have had a fascination with caves. It has never left me and I find myself inevitably drawn to any dark shadow or interesting feature of any depth in a rock face. I guess that is why I didn’t “bat” an eye when I went to work 2 1/2  miles underground  in the Vicary Mine while in college. Spelunking is probably a in-bred after effect of my coal mining family history.