Fresh Local Updates

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Local gems, events, and useful things worth knowing.

Could you pass?

Ten questions on Alberta rules, Calgary quirks and the skills the experts on Canada's Worst Driver drilled for 14 seasons. Tap an answer to see how you did.

Tuscany Driving School

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Playground and school zones

A crosswalk doesn't need paint.

The rules that protect kids near schools and parks are the ones drivers get wrong most. Here are four that matter, including how the hours change once you leave Calgary.

Tuscany Driving School

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For parents

As a parent, choosing a driving school is not a cute milestone.

It’s a real-world safety and responsibility decision.

Tuscany Driving School

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Mirror habits

If you’re only looking ahead, you’re missing half the story.

A few mirror habits that matter more than people think. First, try something: find the red car.

Tuscany Driving School

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Snow day tip

That’s not cleared. That’s a mail slot.

Do a full snow-clear before you roll out.

Tuscany Driving School

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Roundabouts

In. Around. Out.

For many Alberta drivers, roundabouts were not part of everyday driving when they first learned. Now they are showing up more often, so it makes sense that people still hesitate or second-guess themselves.

Tuscany Driving School

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Freezing rain

Looks Fine.

In freezing rain, lightly test traction somewhere safe, avoid cruise control, and remember: on ice, steering distance matters just as much as stopping distance.

Tuscany Driving School

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Fog tip

Drive What You Can See.

When fog rolls in, the road you can use gets shorter. Four habits from Tuscany Driving School for driving inside what you can see.

Tuscany Driving School

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September 2026

This Watermark Home Sold. Here’s What Made It Stand Out.

A 2024 custom estate in Watermark at Bearspaw paired six bedrooms, six bathrooms and 3,623 sq. ft. of living area with a double-volume family room, a separate spice kitchen and an oversized heated triple garage.

Inside a Bearspaw Acreage Built for Big Gatherings

124 Grizzly Rise is a 3,530.85-square-foot Bearspaw bungalow on 2.35 acres with five bedrooms and six bathrooms. The property’s standout features include a walkout lower level, dedicated theatre, entertaining spaces, a quad heated garage and living area above the garage. The BRE page now shows the property as sold; the last-listed public page price is $2,099,000.

The Former Bears Den Is On the Market

Known today as Flores & Pine and remembered by many as The Bears Den, 254028 Bearspaw Road is being offered for sale at $5.6 million. The commercial property includes 11,730 square feet on 2.41 acres, DC73 zoning and multiple flexible dining spaces, including a three-season room.

Room for More Than One Way to Live

This Springbank acreage combines 8 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms and 4,371.8 sq ft of living area on 2.16 acres, with multiple bedroom wings, a walkout lower level with additional living/kitchen space and three garages.

The Acreage Does More Than Sit Pretty

This 2.04-acre Springbank property pairs the scale of an acreage with unusually useful infrastructure: solar panels added in 2023, a professionally developed walkout completed in 2024, heated garage upgrades in 2025, landscaped outdoor living and five garage spaces.

Ten and a Half Acres, One Springbank Address

A 2011 bungalow on 10.5 acres in North Springbank, with open prairie around it, a finished walkout level and Calgary still close enough to stay practical.

A Grand Prize Showhome on the Watermark Ponds

13 Watermark Lane was built by Crystal Creek as a Grand Prize showhome, which means every decision inside it was made to be looked at. Five bedrooms, 4,074.98 sq. ft. above grade, a great room the listing puts at 21 feet, and a lower level with a wet bar, a theatre galley and a golf simulator. It sold in January 2025.

Cedar, Glass and 4.55 Acres in Bearspaw

A custom 1980 bungalow on 4.55 wooded acres in Bearspaw, with cedar-clad vaulted ceilings, a circular staircase, a wall of south-facing glass, and a walkout level that holds a gym, a sauna and a pool table.

2.84 Private Acres, Plus 70 Acres the Neighbourhood Shares

At 7 Alexa Close, 2.84 private acres sit inside Church Ranches, where residents share 70 acres of private common land and three community-use lakes. The 1996 walkout bungalow adds recent kitchen, outdoor and property-system updates of its own.

Bearspaw Real Estate

Rocky View County

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Cloudy Day? Your Sunglasses Still Have a Job.

UV + EVERYDAY EYE CARE

September 2026

Cloudy Day? Your Sunglasses Still Have a Job.

Grey sky does not mean your eyes get the day off from UV exposure. Cloud cover can make the light feel softer while ultraviolet rays are still getting through. The useful habit is simple: treat sunglasses as everyday eye protection, not a summer-only accessory.

Can Your Makeup Be Annoying Your Eyes?

Mascara, eyeliner, shadow, creams. Most of the time, your eye makeup behaves itself. And then one day your eyes are red, itchy or watering like they have filed a formal complaint.

Four Acres and a Second Front Door in Bearspaw

A renovated 1991 bungalow on 4.27 treed acres in Bearspaw, with a legal two-bedroom suite behind its own entrance, a heated triple garage and a yard that grows its own fruit.

School Struggles? Check Their Eyes Too.

A child can have a vision problem without knowing anything is wrong. If reading feels harder than it should, copying from the board is a battle, or concentration seems to disappear during close work, an eye exam can help rule vision in or out of the equation.

IRIS Cochrane

Cochrane

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When Contact Lenses Stop Feeling Fine, Pay Attention

CONTACT LENS CHECK-IN

September 2026

When Contact Lenses Stop Feeling Fine, Pay Attention

Contact lenses should be easy to forget you're wearing. If they suddenly feel dry, stingy, itchy, blurry or annoyingly noticeable by mid-afternoon, that is useful information, not something you automatically have to put up with.

The Glasses That Almost Disappear

Clear frames change your look without taking over your face. Light, subtle and easy to wear, they prove quiet glasses do not have to mean a quiet look.

New Progressive Lenses? Your Brain May Need a Minute.

Progressives let you see far, mid-range and up close in one pair. Convenient. Your brain may still need a few days to learn the new map.

Dry Eyes? Your Contact Lenses May Have Options.

Dry eyes do not automatically mean giving up contact lenses. The material, moisture technology, replacement schedule and fit can all change how a lens feels. The useful question is not just "Which contact is best?" It is "Which contact is best for your eyes?"

Summer 2026 Sunglasses Trends in Cochrane: Thinner Frames, Warmer Lenses

Neither change is loud. Together they are why last year's pair suddenly looks like last year's pair.

IRIS Cochrane

Cochrane

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Sarah Chen

Florist

Blooms by Sarah brings seasonal arrangements and wedding florals to the neighbourhood.

Marcus Webb

Bookshop owner

Webb's carries rare editions, hosts author events, and curates reading lists by hand.

Elena Rossi

Pastry chef

Rossi's Patisserie opens early for fresh croissants and afternoon tea service daily.

James Okonkwo

Tailor

Okonkwo Tailoring restores vintage garments and creates bespoke pieces by appointment.

scan, spot, click continued

Sarah Chen

Florist

Blooms by Sarah brings seasonal arrangements and wedding florals to the neighbourhood.

Marcus Webb

Bookshop owner

Webb's carries rare editions, hosts author events, and curates reading lists by hand.

Elena Rossi

Pastry chef

Rossi's Patisserie opens early for fresh croissants and afternoon tea service daily.

James Okonkwo

Tailor

Okonkwo Tailoring restores vintage garments and creates bespoke pieces by appointment.

scan, spot, click continued

Sarah Chen

Florist

Blooms by Sarah brings seasonal arrangements and wedding florals to the neighbourhood.

Marcus Webb

Bookshop owner

Webb's carries rare editions, hosts author events, and curates reading lists by hand.

Elena Rossi

Pastry chef

Rossi's Patisserie opens early for fresh croissants and afternoon tea service daily.

James Okonkwo

Tailor

Okonkwo Tailoring restores vintage garments and creates bespoke pieces by appointment.

scan, spot, click continued

Sarah Chen

Florist

Blooms by Sarah brings seasonal arrangements and wedding florals to the neighbourhood.

Marcus Webb

Bookshop owner

Webb's carries rare editions, hosts author events, and curates reading lists by hand.

Elena Rossi

Pastry chef

Rossi's Patisserie opens early for fresh croissants and afternoon tea service daily.

James Okonkwo

Tailor

Okonkwo Tailoring restores vintage garments and creates bespoke pieces by appointment.