Sign In Subscribe Now Blackfalds RCMP have made a second arrest in relation to the Nov. 11 robbery at the 7-11 in Blackfalds and Red Deer contributed to this successful operation.” Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines The Vernon Vipers' special teams were on point Friday night but it wasn't enough to overcome a lacklustre game at even strength in a 6-4 loss to the Blackfalds Bulldogs.  The Vipers scored three powerplay goals on seven attempts and had a perfect three-for three penalty kill on the night in front of 2,144 fans at Kal Tire Place.  But four five-on-five goals for the Bulldogs in the second period proved too much to come back from.  It was just Blackfalds' seventh win of the season and they're the only team trailing the Vipers in the BC Hockey League's Interior East conference.  The scoring started with the Vipers taking the early lead in the middle of the first period with a goal from Edvin Nilsson Austin Borggaard found the back of the net to even the score.  the two teams traded goals 13 seconds apart The first was from Bulldogs forward Dean Tokos who then took a tripping penalty eight seconds after his goal Five seconds after the ensuing Vipers powerplay Ryan Watt had his eighth goal of the season to tie the game at 2-2 Nicholas DiPaolo restored the Bulldogs' lead several minutes later but that goal was answered by Kyren Gronick The Bulldogs got two more goals to end the period to give the Bulldogs a 5-3 lead after 40 minutes.  Blackfalds killed off a roughing penalty in the third and then got another insurance goal with four minutes left to play Joey Melo's team-leading 11th goal of the season.  Charlie Kresl added another powerplay goal for the Vipers with little over a minute left to play.  The loss puts the Vipers (12-22-6-0-0) seven points back of the Okotoks Oilers for the last spot in the Interior East playoff picture with just 14 games left in the Vipers' regular season The Bulldogs (7-31-2-0-0) are a full 14 points back of the Vipers and last in the league.  Both the Vipers and the Bulldogs have experienced massive roster turnover The Vipers have dressed 56 players this season; the Bulldogs have dressed 57.  when they host the league-leading Penticton Vees at 6 p.m Become a free member today and receive top local stories right to your inbox Three central Alberta municipalities hope to see a feasibility study for a regional recreation facility Blackfalds town council voted to back an Alberta Community Partnership Program Grant application to secure up to $200,000 for a feasibility study for a regional recreation facility that would serve Lacombe City of Lacombe is overseeing the grant application which was recommended by a committee comprised of representatives from the three municipalities late last year "A tri-municipality recreational facility strategically located in Lacombe County could provide shared high-quality recreation infrastructure and contribute to long-term financial viability for all three communities," says a report that went to Lacombe city council before it agreed to apply for the grant last month The rising cost of building a major recreation facility – between $40 and $80 million Lacombe staff estimated – has prompted the initiative to see whether a facility cost-shared between the three municipalities is a viable option "The benefits of a shared facility including reducing the cost burden by cost-sharing while providing residents from all communities access to quality recreational facilities," says the Lacombe report A regional recreational facility could include an arena indoor swimming pool and gymnasium for indoor soccer "(A feasibility study) is a very promising exploration of what could happen in the future," said Blackfalds Mayor Jamie Hoover on Wednesday "I think this is just due diligence to know whether or not this is a way we can work together with the city and county of Lacombe on something that could benefit all three of our communities …" The feasibility study will not go ahead unless it is covered by the provincial grant program Since Lacombe is leading the grant application Blackfalds would not be prevented from making its own grant application to the Community Partnership Program for a different local project Innisfail is among communities that received eye-opening cost estimates for major recreational projects town council approved a $12 million aquatic centre modernization project after cost estimates for a new facility came in too high council decided it was prudent to do an upgrade rather than shell out for a splashy new facility that would cost an estimated $30 million Calgary city council approved a recreation facility strategy that could carry a price tag of $200 million and $250 million a year — or up to $6 billion over 25 years Red Deer has been talking about the need for a new aquatics centre with a 50-metre pool for decades The last cost estimate was $108 million in 2023 dollars and before the recent stretch of high inflation Blackfalds RCMP says a recent report of an attempted child abduction was untrue police received a report stating that a child told their mother that a person inside a white van tried to abduct him before school A post on the Blackfalds Community Facebook Group detailing the alleged incident was shared more than 100 times "Blackfalds RCMP investigated the matter and concluded that the story had been fabricated The RCMP confirms that there is no threat to the public," police said in a media release on Friday "The RCMP understands the effect such reports often found on social media have on a community  This is why we work quickly to determine the veracity of such reports in order to inform and protect the public while at the same time not causing unnecessary anxiety and fear." RCMP encourages the public to report any criminal or suspicious activity to police and where to patrol in the future," said police.  To remain anonymous when reporting a crime people can contact Crime Stoppers at 1‐800‐222‐8477 online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the P3 Tips app Join your fellow Red Deer neighbours and subscribe to the community's #1 source for local news A Central Alberta woman has received provincial recognition for her volunteer work was an award recipient in the "Breaking Barriers fighting gender discrimination" category at the 2024 Stars of Alberta Volunteer Awards A formal award ceremony was officiated by Minister of Arts Culture and Status of Women Tanya Fir and Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Salma Lakhani on Dec Robyn Devine has lent her time and talents to a wide array of community and youth-centric projects in the central Alberta communities of Blackfalds Lacombe and Red Deer – supporting efforts to combat food insecurity as a board member of the Beyond Food Community Hub and helping to build a strong sense of community by volunteering at Town of Blackfalds events," states the Government of Alberta website "While Robyn contributes to these and other initiatives including the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program it is standing up for gender equality where Robyn has made perhaps the most significant impact." Devine became a menstrual equity advocate taking over the commitment of the library to supply free feminine hygiene products "Robyn continues this work through the Central Alberta chapter of Soroptimist – an international organization dedicated to awareness advocacy and action on women’s issues – working to create awareness of menstrual equity through her support of the United Way of Central Alberta’s Period Promise campaign," states the provincial government's site.  "Bringing the issue to light to local civic leaders and the public Robyn’s efforts have resulted in dispensers and free supplies being made available in the washrooms of four Red Deer schools." Devine helped organize the Power of a Girl conference which was hosted in Red Deer by Soroptimist in partnership with the African Caribbean Centre of Central Alberta and the Central Alberta Immigrant Women’s Association The conference was held in conjunction with the Soroptimist’s “Dream It which offers career support for girls by providing the tools they need to achieve their education and career goals and empowering them to break the cycles of poverty girls from 14 to 18 years of age were given the opportunity to meet professional role models and mentors and to learn more about goal setting financial literacy and overcoming obstacles "(Devine) has embraced the Soroptimist club’s commitment to supporting education for women and girls that will lead to their economic empowerment and she has stepped up as chair of the Violet Richardson Award Program young girls participating in volunteerism are selected for cash awards to support their schooling and charity of their choice Robyn has also worked to help promote the club’s Spread Your Wings Award for Indigenous Women using her creative skills to develop the online application and marketing materials." Devine has also been a leader in support of the Soroptimist’s “Central Alberta Purple Light Night.” This project encourages the community to shine a purple light or wear the colour to honour the memory of those lost to domestic violence and to help create awareness and show support for those impacted by family violence just something she has always done since she was a teen her contributions have grown and the light from this volunteer Star has grown ever brighter." Devine was also named the Carol Simpson Volunteer of the Year by the Town of Blackfalds this year Benefits include a bonus subscription for someone in your household for as low as 2.10 It's a brand new chapter for businesses across the region as the Lacombe and Blackfalds Chambers of Commerce are merging "The major reason that we are choosing to merge with Lacombe is so we can gain stronger advocacy for the Blackfalds chamber it also helps on a whole different level - the local the regional and the provincial levels - for them to represent all of our businesses for sure," said Shawna Wyatt "Expanding marketing opportunities is a big one for us as well," she said 6, brings more than 100 new members into the Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce "We are super excited to welcome these new members and we will be visiting all of them over the coming weeks," she said and enhances opportunities for all our members." "We are hosting an exciting team-building event on May 23 at the Lacombe Memorial Centre (LMC) This event will be a fantastic opportunity to welcome our new members and create a unified business community that thrives together." Further details will be announced in the weeks to come the Lacombe chamber has also welcomed a new team member to help further engage with the community "We are excited to welcome Shelby Sproule to the Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce team as our new member services coordinator Shelby will be actively visiting businesses in the coming weeks to ensure (they) are maximizing the benefits of their chamber membership." "We want to make sure everyone is getting the proper use out of their memberships and that they are using all of their membership benefits," said Buyar Sproule noted it's very exciting to have Blackfalds onboard "I'm also looking forward to getting out into my own community but not necessarily in the business capacity So I'm also really excited to get out there and meet everyone and I was in a store I had never been in before They were willing to share with me what they do what their product is - that is just really exciting." the business community across the region is indeed sizable "I've also been a previous business owner here so I understand the ups and downs of a business it's not like I'm not familiar with the struggles and the triumphs." She also looking forward to helping members understand the many benefits - and special learning events - that the chamber hosts on a regular basis the spring trade show is also coming up on April 18-19 "The goal of the trade show is to increase the exposure of local businesses and to facilitate an increase in commercial activity within our area while showcasing the best of Lacombe and the Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce." A suspect has been arrested in connection with an armed robbery at a Blackfalds 7-Eleven Two suspects wearing masks from the movie Scream went into the convenience store in the early hours of Nov They threatened staff and fired a shotgun into the ceiling before taking off with cash from the till The shotgun was described as having a unique silver or stainless steel barrel including members of the General Investigations Sections of Blackfalds Sylvan Lake and Innisfail executed a search warrant at a Red Deer residence police seized items related to the robbery including masks and a vehicle," said RCMP in a Wednesday news release A 19-year-old Red Deer man has been charged with six firearms-related offences as well as robbery with a firearm discharging a firearm with intent to wound The suspect remains in custody and is due in Red Deer Court of Justice on Friday Police are continuing to search for the second suspect Anyone with information about this crime or those responsible should contact the Blackfalds RCMP at 403-885-3333 or submit an anonymous report through 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 or for access to RCMP news and information download the Alberta RCMP app through Apple or Google Play Don't miss out on your local headlines the Vernon Vipers are eager to snap a 4-game winless streak when they host the Blackfalds Bulldogs and fans can catch all the action live on 107.5 Beach Radio Team Records and Recent Form The Vipers enter the matchup with an 8-14-4 record and have gone 3-6-1 in their last 10 games Their most recent outing was a 5-1 loss to the Cranbrook Bucks last Saturday where Landon MacDonald scored the lone goal — a memorable tally as it was also the Teddy Bear Toss goal The visiting Bulldogs have had an even tougher stretch They are winless in their last 12 games and have posted an 0-9-1 record over their last 10 Both teams will be looking to reverse their fortunes in tonight’s contest Will Schumacher leads the team in points and will be a key offensive contributor is the team’s leading goal scorer and will look to stay hot The Bulldogs’ offensive production is led by newly acquired forward Matthew Croxall Croxall will be the player to watch for Blackfalds as they aim to get back in the win column Head-to-Head Matchup This is the second of four scheduled meetings between the Vipers and Bulldogs this season The Vipers claimed victory in their first encounter With home-ice advantage on their side tonight the Vipers will aim to build on that success and secure a much-needed win before the Christmas break Game Coverage Fans can tune in at 6:45 PM on 107.5 Beach Radio Stay tuned for what promises to be a competitive and spirited battle as both teams seek to end their respective slumps and head into the break on a high note It might be time to use the boom word in Blackfalds again 469 building permits were handed out by the town compared with 187 through 11 months in 2023 Even more dramatic is the increase in the value of those permits – $117.5 million this year compared with $16.9 million last year The numbers were driven up by a huge increase in public facility permits Join our community to access exclusive content and additional perks Radio: Bounce 800 AM   Webcast: Flo Hockey  General Manager & Head Coach: Fred Harbinson  The Penticton Vees kick off their annual Parents Weekend tonight and it’s Feed the Need night presented by IGA The Vees are coming off a thrilling come-from-behind victory over Vernon last Saturday night Brock Reinhart netted the winner on a highlight worthy move with just 16 seconds left on the clock to complete the comeback and were behind 4-3 going into the third in Saturday’s game Ryden Evers has pulled into a tie with linemate Anselmo Rego atop the scoring lead for the Vees with 14 points a 2024 Fred Page Cup Champion as a part of the Surrey Eagles has provided stability and presence to the top line for Penticton early this season Playing alongside both Rego and Vees’ captain Conyr Hellyer Evers has compiled five multi-point games already A much improved power play through the month of October has seen the Vees man advantage rocket to second in the BCHL Through nine contests the man advantage clipped at almost 41 percent efficiency and scored in all but two of those nine games Sharky Nowek will draw the start Friday for Penticton against Blackfalds The 18-year-old local Penticton product has made one start this season picking up his first BCHL win on October 20th in Spruce Grove That start came at the end of a long three-week stretch of road trips that included over 3,000 kilometres on the bus for Penticton Nowek made 34 saves against the Saints in that win Head Coach & Director of Hockey Operations: Doug Quinn  The Blackfalds Bulldogs enter the SOEC for the first time after their biggest win of the season as they took down the undefeated Brooks Bandits at Eagle Builders Centre last Saturday night Aidan Souligny’s second period power play goal stood as the winner as the Bulldogs led 4-1 after two periods and hung on against a deep Brooks team in the third period to pick up the win It’s been a tough start for the Bulldogs in their inaugural BCHL season who found themselves winless in their first eight contests They’ve found some traction since the beginning of the BCHL Showcase on October 15th Newcomer Jared Langdon debuted for Blackfalds in their two games last weekend collecting four points (3-1-4) including a pair of goals against Brooks began the season with the Omaha Lancers in the USHL before joining Blackfalds Langdon played the last season with the Prince George Spruce Kings collecting five goals and 13 points in 41 BCHL games Goaltender Waylon Esche has seen action in all but one game this season for Blackfalds earning decisions in 10 of the Bulldogs’ 12 games has been the backbone of a struggling squad and brought his absolute best against Brooks when he made 43 saves in the win He will surely get the nod Friday when they face the Vees Puck drop is set for 7:00pm PDT from the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton You can follow all the action live on FloHockey or locally on radio beginning at 6:40pm PDT thanks to the official broadcast partners of the Penticton Vees Owner and head coach of the Blackfalds Bulldogs has made the decision to step down as head coach for the remainder of the 2024-25 BCHL season.  the team said that Quinn originally planned to retire prior to the start of the season but "chose to stay on to observe the team’s transition into the new league and to help prepare his coaching and hockey operations staff for a seamless succession." "His leadership during this pivotal time has been invaluable and the Bulldogs are deeply grateful for his dedication and guidance," the statement read.  The Bulldogs have a 2-23-1 record this year in the BCHL Blackfalds left the Alberta Junior Hockey League last January after the BCHL announced that five Alberta teams would join the league to start the 2024-25 season Blackfalds played the remainder of last season under the BCHL banner against the four other teams who left the AJHL.  The Bulldogs first joined the AJHL as an expansion franchise under Quinn's guidance in 2021.  including winning streaks of eight games in the 2022-2023 season and 11 games in the 2023-2024 season They reached the AJHL South Division final in 2022-23.  The team said Quinn will continue to serve as an active and proud representative of the Bulldogs.  "The Bulldogs organization would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to Coach Quinn for his tireless efforts in bringing Junior A hockey to Central Alberta and specifically to the Town of Blackfalds," the statement read "His contributions have not only elevated the team but also strengthened the community’s passion for hockey." The Bulldogs are currently on Christmas break 28 against the Penticton Vees in Penticton After a matchup with the Trail Smoke Eaters in Trail the Bulldogs will return home to the Eagle Builders Centre to face the Okotoks Oilers on New Year's Eve at 6 p.m.  Sign In Register OLDS - Three central Alberta residents are facing various charges after a vehicle stolen in Blackfalds was recovered near Olds last weekend Olds RCMP responded to a complaint of suspicious people in a vehicle near the Dodge dealership just outside of Olds in Mountain View County “RCMP attended and located the vehicle The three occupants were taken into custody Other stolen items were also located inside of the vehicle,” police said in a release issued Tuesday is charged with taking a motor vehicle without consent She is to attend Alberta Court of Justice in Didsbury on March 24 two charges of possession of stolen property over $5,000 and four charges of fail to comply with release order is charged with possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000 Pennington and Pollock have been remanded into custody and ordered to appear in Didsbury court on March 24 More SPOTLIGHT > Blackfalds is poised to allow urban hens permanently Many who provide their input in a town online support the backyard chickens which have been allowed since a pilot project was kicked off in July 2023 Six of the 40 who responded are raising chickens and all said they planned to continue Those in the urban hens' corner spoke of the healthy benefits of fresh inexpensive eggs and the educational opportunities Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines.