2025 Year in Review

Posted on January 8, 2026 by Sunny South News

January

The mining roots of Coalhurst are always reflected in the town’s spirit, then and now. Mayor Lyndsay Montina is thankful for the past, present, and future as she considers the year gone by.

“As we reflect on the year that has passed, we have much to be proud of and grateful for in our community,” says Mayor Montina. “This is a great time to celebrate the progress, resilience, and sense of community that have defined Coalhurst in 2024. This year, our town has seen the approval and completion of new community amenities, the compassion and generosity of our emergency responders, and the coming together of residents to make annual traditions happen even when we weren’t sure it was possible.”

Looking at Town infrastructure, Council was proud to see construction completed on the new wetlands storm pond.

The New Year kicked off with a pair of weekend games for the Coaldale Copperheads, as teams were back on the ice for Heritage Junior Hockey League play.

As the calendar flipped to 2025, the Copperheads earned a split with a 6-3 loss on the road on Saturday against the Rocky Rams and a 6-2 Sunday home win over the Ponoka Stampeders.

Lethbridge County residents interested in running for Council in the 2025 municipal election can now submit their nomination papers. The nomination period officially opened January 1 and will close at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, September 22, 2025.

 Just before Christmas, the Province announced its Alberta Coal Industry Modernization Initiative (CIMI). 

Were they insinuating that most of us have been naughty enough to deserve a lump of coal in our stocking? 

A Dec. 20 news release about the CIMI made it clear that that two objectives are top of mind: earning royalties and preserving the pure water that flows down our eastern slopes. The subject gained a lot of attention in southern Alberta after Crowsnest Pass residents participated in a plebiscite to determine whether they wanted to bring back coal mining in the region. The November non-binding referendum found that 72 per cent of residents were in favour of it.

When Jasper was struck by wildfire in July 2024, the people in one of the province’s most majestic regions suffered serious personal, structural, ecological, and economic losses. Almost six months later with recovery efforts ongoing, the outlook and landscape have been altered, but the park is no longer off limits.

Hundreds of participants gathered at the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre in Lethbridge last Thursday for the 2025 Irrigated Crop Production Update, hosted by Lethbridge Polytechnic in partnership with industry, farmers, academic partners and government representatives from across Western Canada. 

The one-day conference on Jan. 23, featured several presentations and keynote speakers that spanned a variety of topics including future water for Alberta’s irrigation districts, prairie irrigation scheduling and strategies, disease trends in irrigated crops, understanding and managing herbicide resistance, and a farmer panel that discussed challenges and water management in 2024.   

An interim agreement is in place for Coaldale’s participation in a provincial recycling program.

During their regular Jan. 13 meeting, Coaldale town council received an information update for recycling.

Back in 2022, the provincial government announced they would be implementing an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) process for recyclable materials. As the program will be coming into effect on April 1, 2025, administration is providing a information recap to council on the town’s processes and steps undertaken to come to a reasonable agreement between the Town and Circular Materials for residential recycling.

February

Town of Picture Butte councillors got their first look at Bylaw 954-25 Centennial Celebration Committee during the regular council meeting on Jan. 27. 

In a presentation to councillors, town CAO Keith Davis provided a summary of the centennial celebration committee and spoke about some of the details of the draft bylaw, some of which include qualifications for individuals, member responsibilities, Town of Picture Butte representatives responsibilities and the role of several sub-committees, which may be formed to provide additional support for the committee in areas such as marketing and communications, events, community engagement, volunteers, youth, seniors, sponsorship and funding and tourism. 

The weekend kicked off with a high-octane, offensively-explosive game for the Coaldale Copperheads and Medicine Hat Cubs.

Friday evening in the Gas City, the Cubs skated to a thrilling 8-6 victory, which featured a five-goal first period and six more goals in the final frame.

Residents in the southwest part of Coaldale may see golf carts on a section of roads this summer, thanks to the Town of Coaldale’s new golf cart pilot project bylaw.  

Town of Coaldale councillors unanimously passed Bylaw No. 911-R-02-25, the golf cart pilot project bylaw, at the Feb. 3 regular council meeting. The bylaw allows residents in the neighbourhoods of Fairway Drive, Westgate and Cottonwood to drive golf carts to and from Land O’ Lakes Golf and Country Club.

A Taber woman spent decades hiding in plain sight as a fugitive from American justice and her true identity has now been revealed. Sharon Kinne was accused of killing her first husband and her married lover’s wife in the U.S. in the early 1960s before she fled the states and was convicted of killing another man in a hotel room in Mexico.

 Kinne was convicted of murder in Mexico and served almost five years in prison before she escaped in 1969 and vanished without a trace. In the early 1970s, Kinne showed up in Taber as Diedra (Dee) Glabus and blended seamlessly into the community, never raising any suspicions that might have tied her to a murderous past.

The Piyami Health Centre ambulatory clinic in Picture Butte continues to temporarily close its doors, due to unexpected clinical personnel shortage and an inability to secure coverage. 

The most recent closings came on Feb. 4 and Feb. 5,  with previous closure dates in recent weeks on Jan. 4, 8, 15 and 25.     

In all cases, the clinic re-opened following a one-day or two-day closure  with regular weeknight clinic hours from 5 to 10 p.m. and regular weekend clinic hours on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Town of Coaldale is one step closer to establishing its own police committee, after town councillors unanimously passed Police Committee Bylaw 910-R-02-25 at the Feb. 3 regular council meeting. 

Manager of community policing Mark Anderson presented the proposed bylaw and provided some details about the police committee, its requirements and answered council’s questions about it. 

The Police Act of Alberta was amended in 2022 and in 2024 several new regulations were added. Police committees are now legislated and the town, policed by a contract with the RCMP, (via a municipal police service agreement or MPSA) is required to be part of a regional police committee or form their own Coaldale police committee, with approval from the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services. 

Citing several factors, Lethbridge County has decided to discontinue its participation in the Alberta Advantage Immigration Program (AAIP) Rural Renewal Stream.

In a press release on Feb. 14, the county provided several reasons behind its decision, which includes reduced allocations, high applicant volume and the end of grant funding. 

Coaldale residents joined Town of Coaldale staff and council members, and other guests for a ribbon cutting ceremony, to celebrate the grand opening of Civic Plaza on Feb. 21.   

The event marked the completion of Phase 3 of the Civic Square Project.

“It’s truly an honour to stand before you today as we gather to celebrate the grand opening of Civic Plaza—a project that has been years in the making and one that holds deep significance for our community,” said Town of Coaldale mayor Jack Van Rijn. “Civic Plaza is more than just a beautifully designed public space — it is Coaldale’s community living room. A place where people of all ages can come together to enjoy each other’s company, celebrate milestones, and create newtraditions,” he added. “Whether it’s a summer market, a lively concert, or a quiet evening by the fire pits, this space was designed with the people of Coaldale in mind, ensuring it serves as a welcoming gathering place throughout all seasons.” 

March

Community members, local officials, and key supporters joined the Coaldale and District Handi-Ride Association (CHRA) as it unveiled its new, accessible handi-bus with ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 17. 

With an upgraded design, the new bus features an access ramp instead of a lift, making boarding easier for individuals using walkers or wheelchairs. It also includes a winch system for safe and controlled entry, particularly in winter conditions. The seating is highly adaptable, accommodating up to sixteen passengers and one wheelchair, or twelve passengers with three wheelchairs—more than doubling the capacity of the previous vehicle.

The Picture Butte Feeder Cooperative (PBFC) has gone into receivership and according to an order issued by the Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, RJ Sigurdson on Jan. 27, failed to comply with the Feeder Associations Guarantee Act (FAGA), the Feeder Associations General Regulation (FAGR) and was being operated in an unsound manner.  

Some of those violations include accepting members ineligible for membership to a feeder association, using guaranteed loan proceeds for improper purposes, supplying livestock and advances to ineligible members, failing to maintain adequate sales documents and obstructing inspections and failing to provide reasonable assistance. 

The Town of Picture Butte is rolling out the red carpet to say thank you to its long-time health professionals and are welcoming new professionals to the community.  

The town’s health professional attraction and retention committee is hosting a healthcare appreciation event on Sat. March 29 at the Picture Butte Community Centre from 1-4 p.m. They will be recognizing two doctors and one dentist that have either retired or are about to retire and will also be welcoming a new doctor and a new dentist that have already began practising in Picture Butte.

Seasonal road bans in Lethbridge County began on Wednesday, March 12. 

Seasonal road bans were issued on county paved and hard top roads starting March 12, and are put in place each spring to maintain the integrity of road infrastructure as temperatures rise.

It was a championship weekend for the Coaldale Christian Titans, as the 1A boys basketball team proved it was the best team in the province.

At the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association provincial tournament in Taber, Coaldale ran the table en route to a dominating gold-medal performance, punctuated by an 83-54 win in the final over Taber Christian.

Coaldale’s three-headed monster of Owen Senneker, Dimitri Veendendaal and Darren Mackay was simply too much for the Lions, as the Titans started off hot and never looked back.

The Town of Coaldale is encouraging residents to verify their voter registration status with Elections Alberta to ensure a streamlined voting process in the 2025 general municipal election, scheduled to take place this fall.  

April

The Town of Picture Butte’s 100th anniversary (1926-2026) is next year and preparations to celebrate the milestone are already well underway. 

The town’s centennial celebration committee, comprised of several members, is now meeting regularly once a month and several sub-committees have also been formed to help with logistics and preparations for the town’s centennial celebration, planned for Jamboree Days in August 2026.    

Town of Coaldale councillors have voted in favour of implementing a test season for Civic Plaza rentals and usage in 2025. 

Councillors listened to an update on Civic Plaza summer 2025 bookings and allocations, presented by community experience manager Clayton Varjassy at the March 17 Town of Coaldale regular council meeting. Varjassy outlined details of public rental opportunities for the Civic Plaza this summer, that included rates, types of rentals and other considerations.

Coaldale and area residents will have the chance to hear from local candidates running in the April 28 federal election at an all candidates forum on Monday, April 14. 

The candidate forum, hosted by the Coaldale Chamber of Commerce, will take place at the Town of Coaldale’s Civic Square atrium starting at 7 p.m. Doors will  open at 6:00 p.m. 

Coaldale residents woke up Sunday morning to several vandalized election signs in town that has left Lethbridge Liberal candidate Chris Spearman, disappointed.  

“There were things (on the signs) that people shouldn’t see when they’re driving their families to church on Sunday,” said Spearman. “We’ve pulled out all the offensive ones – with the F-word on them and the offensive symbols. It’s disappointing to see it happen.” 

Coaldale’s NewCold facility will be open for business in late June, with a grand opening scheduled for later this year. 

The $222 million state-of-the-art food storage warehouse began construction last fall and is set to be fully operational this summer. 

After an April 2 annual general meeting, the St. Mary River Irrigation District’s (SMRID) board of directors announced a 50 per cent increase in allocation for the 2025 season. The rate is 50 per cent higher than what the District allocated at the beginning of last year’s growing season.

Area residents filled the Town of Coaldale’s Civic Square Atrium for a second all candidate forum, April 14, hosted by the Coaldale Chamber of Commerce.    

The two-hour event welcomed all six candidates running in the Lethbridge riding for the April 28 federal election, including Marc Slingerland (CHP), Rachel Thomas (CPC), Amber Murray (GPC), Chris Spearman (LPC), Nathan Svoboda (NDP) and Clara Piedalue (PPC).  

The Alberta government is introducing legislation which would eliminate the need for municipal councils to have formal codes of conduct.

That change is included in proposed amendments the government intends to make through the Municipal Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 which it says is intended “to modernize and streamline municipal processes in the Local Authorities Election Act, the Municipal Government Act (MGA) and the New Buyer Protection Act.”

A proposed amendment would repeal the requirement for councils to have formal codes of conduct and also prevent them from developing their own codes.

Town of Coaldale councillors unanimously approved the Recreation Booking and Allocation Policy, CS-0003 as presented by the town’s director of recreation and community services Russ Tanner, at the April 7 regular council meeting.

“This policy was initially included in the new recreation center which is now known as the Shift Community Recreation Center – it was originally included in the operational plan, was presented to council some time ago and it was never separately approved as an official policy,” said Tanner. 

Get ready for a delicious showdown. 

The Town of Coaldale is going cookie-to-cookie with the Town of Taber in a friendly competition to see who can sell the most Tim Hortons Smile Cookies during this year’s Smile Cookie Week, April 28 to May 4, 2025.   

May

On May 6, during Emergency Preparedness Week (May 4-10), the Town of Coaldale will be hosting a functional emergency management exercise. This exercise will involve numerous stakeholders in a simulated response to a large-scale emergency in the Town of Coaldale.

This exercise involves the activation of our municipal Incident Management Team and will include council as well. 

As a global trade war escalates between twin superpowers that have locked horns, canola producers in Canada are bearing the brunt of China’s imposition of 100 per cent tariffs on canola oil and meal.

Imposed by China in March in retaliation against Canada’s duties on electric vehicles, aluminum and steel, canola producers are being squeezed amidst tariff rhetoric and reality, and the outlook isn’t positive for the industry in early 2025 with the growing season now underway.

The final numbers are in, and the Town of Coaldale is proud to announce its victory in the 2025 Smile Cookie Challenge.   

Thanks to the incredible generosity and enthusiasm of the community, Coaldale raised a grand total of $13,124, edging out its friendly rivals in Taber, who also put forward an outstanding effort with $11,602 raised. Together, the two communities generated an impressive $24,726 in support of Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) youth programs—a true testament to the power of community spirit and collaboration.

The challenge was initiated after Town of Coaldale Mayor, Jack Van Rijn, accepted a lighthearted but meaningful dare from Town of Taber Mayor, Andrew Prokop.

Cardston-Siksika MLA Joseph Schow recently responded to a Sunny South News inquiry regarding the temporary service disruptions at the Piyami Health Centre in Picture Butte. 

Schow replied on May 5, after consulting with his colleague, Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health. He provided the following update for Sunny South News readers.  

Another season is taking flight at the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre.  

The centre opened its doors for the season May 17, welcoming visitors and area residents to experience one of Coaldale’s biggest tourist attractions, which runs every spring and summer between Victoria Day weekend in mid-May and Labour Day weekend in early September.

Staff at the centre have been busy in the past few weeks preparing birds and the facility for the season.

Division Six Councillor Klaas VanderVeen has resigned his position on council, effective May 15. Coun. VanderVeen is moving out of the Division and will therefore no longer be eligible to serve as councillor under the Alberta Municipal Government Act. 

He tendered his resignation following the May 15 regular council meeting.

The Coaldale Public Library is turning the page on a remarkable chapter in local history as it celebrates its 80th anniversary this June.

The milestone will kick off with a special event, “Pages of the Past: 80 Years of Library and Community History,” on Monday, June 2, 2025 at 7:00 p.m., that features a photographic retrospective curated by the Gem of the West Museum and a long-anticipated moment – the opening of the Town of Coaldale Millennium Time Capsule.

Just over a week into his newly appointed roles, as Associate Minister of Water and Chief Government Whip, Taber-Warner MLA Grant Hunter is getting down to work in his new cabinet positions. 

Following the conclusion of the spring sitting of the legislature on May 15, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made changes to her cabinet and caucus leadership, that included promoting Hunter to new cabinet roles. 

See next week’s Sunny South News for more Year in Review