Health & Wellness

The emergency department at Fort Macleod Health Centre will be closed overnight, from 11 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, until 7 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, Alberta Health Services says. AHS says it couldn’t find staff to cover the shift on short notice. If coverage turns up, the closure will be cancelled. Anyone with a medical emergency […]

Guests at this year’s Twin Butte mental health fundraiser are invited to dig out their best 1950s and ’60s outfits for an evening organizers want to be anything but sombre. “We want this event to be happy, and for everyone to walk away with a smile on their face, and to know that everything is […]

Southern Alberta’s kidney-care system is getting more room to grow as cases of advanced kidney disease have risen by 20 per cent over the past five years. A new hemodialysis unit at Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge increases weekly treatment capacity by 25 per cent, while an expanded kidney-care clinic gives patients more options for […]

Hunting trips, coaching, weekly pickup soccer — when medical residents train at Pincher Creek’s Associate Clinic, they learn more than medicine. A community-immersed approach has earned the clinic the University of Calgary’s Rural Family Medicine Clinic of the Year award for 2025-26. The award, presented annually through the university’s Rural Family Medicine Residency Program, recognizes […]

The emergency department at Fort Macleod Health Centre will be without physician coverage from 7 p.m. Thursday, July 23, to 7 a.m. Friday, July 24, because of an unexpected shortage of clinical staff. Nursing staff will remain on-site during that time, providing triage, assessment and referral to emergency departments in neighbouring communities as needed. Anyone […]

The number of people turning to the Pincher Creek and District Community Food Centre for support has more than doubled in three years. The centre served 427 people in the past year, compared with 197 two years earlier. Those receiving support include children, seniors, working adults, rural residents and families facing unexpected or temporary financial […]

When Arnei de Guzman moved to Canada, he struggled with homesickness and wondered if he’d made the right call. A Facebook post about the Great Cycle Challenge led to the sense of purpose he yearned for. Each August, the national event sees riders set distance goals and raise money for childhood cancer research. Since it […]

The Better Business Bureau is warning Albertans about fake text messages claiming their Alberta Health card needs updating. The scam texts tell recipients that health cards issued before January 2023 are invalid and that they must update their personal information, according to the BBB. “This is another phishing scam that every Albertan should be aware […]

Pincher Creek town council is considering ways to support the Pincher Creek Women’s Emergency Shelter Association after the organization warned a provincial funding reduction could force service cuts and leave more women and children without access to safe shelter. During a June 8 presentation to town council, a delegation from the shelter asked municipal leaders […]

Crowsnest Pass resident Chad Kennedy is once again out to shatter the stigma around mental health and PTSD while supporting families affected by suicide. His Sea to Sea for PTSD cross-Canada walk, the Journey Home 2026, started June 1 in Sarnia, Ont. Chad officially stepped off from Legion Branch No. 62, beginning a months-long trek […]

Alberta’s overhaul of its family violence funding system is prompting concern from the Pincher Creek Women’s Emergency Shelter Association, which says it will see a five per cent reduction in operating funding under the new Emergency Family Violence Services program. The province says the $62-million program is intended to improve access to services and align […]

“He knew better,” Pincher Creek Mayor Wayne Oliver said of a former colleague in wind power who saw his safety harness as a constraint. “We have to reframe how we see safety precautions.” With the flag at half-mast, Oliver delivered his first National Day of Mourning address to about 20 people gathered in front of […]

For anyone struggling with addiction, a new recovery community on Blood Tribe land may offer a treatment option closer to home and closer to culture. The Blood Tribe Iitakamotsiipiohsopi Recovery Community began accepting clients April 20, offering no-cost treatment that combines clinical support with Indigenous traditions, ceremony and community-based healing. The 75-bed facility is the […]

For many southern Albertans, a heart attack doesn’t just bring a medical emergency — it brings a race against distance. The critical window for life-saving intervention is 90 minutes, and the drive to Calgary is nearly three hours from Pincher Creek. The MD of Pincher Creek has committed $15,000 from its tax rate stabilization reserve […]

When Chad Kennedy stepped onto the road April 26 in St. John’s, N.L.,, his goal was simple but profound — to keep a conversation going that, for many, remains too hard to start. A non-combat veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces and former law enforcement officer, Kennedy recently completed his second Sea to Sea for […]

In the face of extreme weather and a daunting mechanical setback, Chad Kennedy and his supporters banded together for a 24-hour walkathon to raise funds to repair the Sea to Sea for PTSD safety truck. Their determination paid off, as the crew raised enough money to fix the truck and ensure that Chad’s upcoming cross-Canada […]