They warned me there’d be days like these… Ponoka RCMP deal with a “crazy” day

From Ponoka RCMP

Busy Close to the Weekend for the Ponoka RCMP

Ponoka RCMP dealt with a variety of calls for service which included 4 adults (3 Females and 1 male) who are now facing numerous criminal charges in relation to separate incidents that occurred on Sunday, September 23^rd, 2018.

It began Sunday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. when members of the Ponoka RCMP started receiving complaints from the public that a railway maintenance truck was stolen as it was being fueled up. The truck ripped the gas hose from the pump and sped away almost hitting two vehicles.

At 4:04 p.m. that same evening, a 911 call was received from a rural resident who was reporting that a female had shown up on his property with a railway maintenance truck and that the truck is now stuck. When the property owner approached the female he noticed that a gas station pump hose was hanging from the vehicle. The female got out of the truck and attempted to stab the property owner with a screwdriver but was unsuccessful and she fled the property on foot. As the RCMP members were arriving on scene, they observed the female leaving in a truck that she had stolen from the neighboring property. Assistance was requested from the Maskwacis RCMP, the Ponoka Integrated Traffic Unit, the Wetaskiwin RCMP, and the Wetaskiwin Integrated Traffic Unit and a police pursuit was started. A short time later, the female lost control of the truck and fled from the vehicle on foot. Wetaskiwin Police Dog Services attended the area and was able to successfully locate the female trying to hide up a tree.

The 30-year-old female (of no fixed address) had a bail hearing where she was ordered to remain in custody until her first court appearance in Ponoka Provincial Court on September 28^th, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. She has been charged with:

Fail to Comply with Probation.
Dangerous Operation of a motor vehicle.
2 counts of Theft of a Truck.
Assault with a Weapon.
Mischief Under $5000.
Impaired Operation (by a drug) of a Motor Vehicle.
Fail to Comply with a Physical Coordination Demand
Flight from Police
Driving While Disqualified.

Shortly after midnight, the Ponoka RCMP responded to a call of a disturbance at a residence where a male was assaulting the occupants. When police arrived, the 40-year-old male attempted to fight with police and was arrested with the use of a conducted energy weapon (Taser). Investigation by police revealed that a 38-year-old female in the residence had also assaulted an occupant and this lead to her arrest as well. The female was later released on a Promise to Appear in Ponoka Provincial Court on November 9^th, 2018, at 9:30 a.m.

After a Bail Hearing, the 38-year-old male was ordered to remain in custody until his first appearance in Ponoka court on September 28^th, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. He has been charged with:

Assault.
Uttering Threats.
Assaulting a Police Office.

Approximately one hour after this event, the Ponoka RCMP were dispatched to a white Honda Accord that was reported to be travelling southbound through Ponoka and was swerving all over the road, driving on the curbs, not stopping for stop signs, and driving with no lights on. While police were on their way to this they received another call saying that the vehicle had stopped and the female driver opened the door and fell to the ground. Ponoka RCMP members arrived on scene and picked her up. The 36-year-old female from Airdrie, Alberta, was released on a Promise to Appear in Ponoka court on November 9^th, 2018, at 9:30 a.m. She is charged with:

Impaired Operation (by alcohol) of a Motor Vehicle.
Refuse to Provide a Breath Sample.

Although there are days like these, the Ponoka Detachment advises that data shows that the RCMP Crime Reduction Strategy is working. From January to July of this year, property crimes in all RCMP detachments is down nine percent compared to the same period last year. In rural detachments, it is down 11 percent. That means, as of July this year, 648 fewer cars have been stolen and 366 fewer homes have been broken into.

Duane Rolheiser

After 15 years as a TV reporter with Global and CBC and as news director of RDTV in Red Deer, Duane set out on his own 2008 as a visual storyteller. During this period, he became fascinated with a burgeoning online world and how it could better serve local communities. This fascination led to Todayville, launched in 2016.

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Carney Wins: What now Alberta?

2025 Federal Election / 3 days ago

Polls say Canadians will give Trump what he wants, a Carney victory.

Also Interesting / 6 days ago

If You Frequently Travel, A Second Phone Number Can Be A Cost Effective Solution

Alberta

Hours after Liberal election win, Alberta Prosperity Project drumming up interest in referendum

Published on April 29, 2025

Todayville

News release from the Alberta Prosperity Project

Carney’s In. Now what?

You’ve been paying attention. You understand this is really bad. Worse than that, it’s dangerous. The country has somehow chosen several more years of a decade-long Trudeau Travesty…on steroids. Because this new Prime Minister has a three digit IQ, deep and questionable connections and a momentum to accelerate the further dis-integration of a nation we all once proudly belonged to. It’s untrue to say the country is dying. But it’s also not a stretch to say it’s on life support.

The era of Carney Carnage is here. While every province will experience it, there’s no secret he’s placed an extra big bulls-eye on Alberta.

It’s not personal, it’s financial.

His plan includes continuing to limit three of Alberta’s most prosperous sectors: energy, agriculture and, by extension, innovation. To acknowledge this requires we abandon our sense of romanticized national nostalgia. Nostalgia is a trap that prevents us from assessing the reality we exist in.

For instance, GDP is considered the financial heartbeat of a country. Over the past decade of Liberal Leadership, the national GDP has been an abysmal 1.1%. By relatable comparison, Mexico was 4%, the UK was 6%, Australia had 8% growth and the US was a whopping 19%.

That’s great information for an economist, but what does it mean to your pay cheque?

The everyday impact on the average Albertan —say, a teacher or mechanic— of 10 long years of 1% GDP means rent’s up at least 25%, a trip to the grocery store always stings, and driving an older car is the norm because an upgrade is out of reach. Does this sound like your reality?

We aren’t starving, but we’re not thriving, either.

Does this make sense for 4.5 million people living with the third most abundant energy deposits in the world? There’s an absurdity to the situation Albertans find themselves in. It’s akin to being chronically dehydrated while having a fresh water spring in the backyard.

The life you’ve invested for, the future you believed was ahead, isn’t happening.

If Alberta stays on this path.

So what can you, as an Albertan, do about it?

This Fall, we’ll be provided an opportunity. A life raft in the form of a referendum. It requires curiosity, imagination and courage to step into it, but the option will be there — a once in a lifetime shot at prosperity for you and your family: Alberta Sovereignty.

A successful bid means Albertans can finally paddle out of the perilous economic current that’s battered us for ten long years.

Alberta has the resources, talent and spirit of collaboration to create a prosperous future for our families and communities.
If you want your vote to finally mean something, if you feel you deserve more from your pay-cheque, grocery store visits and need greater control over your family’s future, register your intent to sign YES to sovereignty now.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Click here to see all upcoming APP events.

WHAT CAN ALBERTANS DO?

Register Your Intent To Vote “YES”

Alberta

New Alberta Election Act bans electronic vote counting machines, lowers threshold for recalls and petitions

Published on April 29, 2025

Government of Alberta

Alberta’s government is introducing changes to protect democracy, deliver fair and open elections and increase confidence in every vote cast.

Voting gives Albertans a voice in shaping the future of our province. Direct democracy processes like referendums, recall and citizen initiative petitions provide further opportunities for Albertans to be heard and express their views. The proposed Election Statutes Amendment Act, 2025, would make Alberta’s elections and other democratic processes more open, secure and accessible.

“I believe that democracy thrives when people trust the process. These changes would make elections at every level in Alberta more accessible and transparent while protecting their integrity, ensuring confidence in the outcomes. We are also creating more opportunities for Albertans to be involved in direct democracy and to have their say on issues that matter to them.”

Danielle Smith, Premier

Fair and free elections are the foundation of democracy, and Alberta’s government is taking action to protect them. The proposed changes include:

Banning the use of electronic tabulators and other automated voting machines, requiring all ballots to be counted by hand to protect election integrity.
Eliminating vouching at voting stations to strengthen identification and verification processes.
Requiring unofficial vote counts to be completed within 12 hours of polls closing to provide timely, reliable results.
Voters being required to cast their ballot in their constituency of residence or by requesting a special ballot.
Expanding access to special ballots, allowing any voter to request one without needing to provide a reason while protecting integrity by requiring voters to personally request their special ballot (with exceptions for those needing assistance due to a disability).
Updating the Recall Act to make it easier for Albertans to hold elected officials accountable by lowering the signature threshold and extending the timeframe to collect signatures.
Improving the Citizen Initiative Act process by setting the threshold for all successful petitions at 10 per cent of eligible voters who participated in the last general election.

“Albertans rightly expect their government to make sure democratic processes are fair and transparent with accurate and timely results. These proposed amendments would deliver on my mandate to review and make changes to strengthen public trust in the integrity of our elections.”

Mickey Amery, Minister of Justice and Attorney General

Additional amendments under the Election Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 would:

Allow corporate and union contributions for provincial elections while maintaining transparency and accountability through existing financial disclosure requirements.
Improve access to voting for First Nations and Métis Settlements during referendums and Senate elections.
Enhance emergency response provisions for voting disruptions during referendums and Senate elections.

These changes would help ensure that Alberta’s democratic processes are open, secure, and reflective of the will of Albertans, while creating new opportunities for greater public participation.

Quick facts

The Election Act governs the process for provincial elections, by-elections and plebiscites in Alberta and creates the office of the chief electoral officer, the head of Elections Alberta.
The Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act governs the financing of provincial elections, Senate elections and referendums, including rules for registered political parties, constituency associations, candidates, leadership contestants and third parties.
The Alberta Senate Election Act governs the process for Senate elections in Alberta.
The Referendum Act governs the process for referendums in Alberta.
The Recall Act outlines the process for Albertans to initiate the recall of an elected MLA.
The Citizen Initiative Act allows eligible voters in Alberta to propose legislative or policy initiatives, constitutional referendum questions and establishes rules for advertising and spending.