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On Tuesday, we asked about Alberta's plan to lower the breast cancer screening age to 40. The majority want it done now, not in 2027. Several readers shared personal experiences, including one living with breast cancer who called early detection critical and another whose friend was diagnosed at 35. One reader raised an interesting point — that the age should go even lower, given that breast cancer can strike in your 20s.

👀 In today's edition:

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☀️ Today: High 20C, Low 5C. See the 7-day forecast.

🚗 Driving today? Check the current traffic situation, and find the city’s traffic report and road closures.

⚠️ Here’s the current smoke forecast / check Calgary wildfire and fire restrictions and the Alberta Wildfire Dashboard.

QUICK POLL

Alberta is setting up a dedicated intellectual property office, with the goal of keeping more homegrown innovation in the province rather than watching it generate jobs and economic growth elsewhere.

The Alberta IP Office, which will operate under Alberta Innovates with $8 million in provincial funding, is designed to help researchers, entrepreneurs, and innovators protect and commercialize their ideas in Alberta. The province points to a significant gap: more than 40 per cent of Canadian inventions are currently owned by foreign firms, with little commercialization activity happening in Canada.

Alberta has research strengths in areas like artificial intelligence, quantum computing, energy transition, agriculture, and health sciences — but the province says gaps in IP awareness and commercialization have limited how much of that innovation actually translates into economic benefit for Albertans.

The office will provide support across the full IP lifecycle, from building awareness to legal support and market analysis, and will work with post-secondary institutions, technology transfer offices, and public funding programs across the province.

⚗️ A University of Calgary student has developed affordable prosthetic devices for partial hand and finger amputations, using 3D scanning and AI to speed up fittings. Huzaifa Shafiq's company, Dextera, has already worked with four-time Paralympian Zak Madell.

💸 A new CBC News poll finds 59 per cent of Albertans say it's difficult to meet monthly expenses — an eight-point jump since last spring and the highest level recorded in eight years.

🐮 Butterfield Acres has closed after a cryptosporidiosis outbreak linked to an infected calf. Five cases have been confirmed, and anyone who visited on or after April 9 may have been exposed.

⚖️ A second-degree murder trial began in Calgary for Alex Xu, accused of killing his mother with a rock outside Foothills Medical Centre in June 2023. Jurors heard he confessed to four people at the scene.

🐕 Truly, a one-year-old German shepherd mix, is looking for a forever home at Calgary's animal shelter — along with her shelter roommate Harlow, a six-year-old female.

🚗 A Calgary family is calling for better traffic controls in Mahogany after a car narrowly missed a father and two young children this month. Ward 12 Coun. Mike Jamieson says a four-way stop is being looked into.

🧑‍🍳 Cooking When Fatigued (Meals for Low Energy Days) May 13 Learn to eat well, while living with fatigue. (Free ONLINE class from Registered Healthcare Providers).*

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If you've ever wanted to experience the climactic conclusion to the original Star Wars trilogy with a full orchestra playing the score live, this is your chance. The Calgary Phil performs John Williams' Oscar-nominated music live-to-film for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium on Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16.

Leading the Orchestra is conductor Anthony Parnther, one of today's most sought-after film conductors. His credits include the Emmy Award-winning The Mandalorian, the Oscar-winning score for Oppenheimer, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Avatar: The Way of Water — so he knows his way around a blockbuster.

There's also a neat bit of Calgary Phil history attached to this one. President and CEO Marc Stevens traces his own path in the music industry back to the Star Wars soundtrack, and before joining the Phil, he worked as Concerts and Recordings Manager for the London Symphony Orchestra — which recorded the music for six Star Wars films, including Episode III, where Stevens worked directly with composer John Williams and George Lucas.

🍴 Barbarella: Inspired by the mid-century yacht culture of southern Italy and the fresh flavours of the Pacific Northwest, Barbarella brings coastal Italian cuisine to Calgary — think sun-drenched flavours with a chic, escapist vibe.

🍴 Native Tongues Taqueria: A Calgary staple with three locations, Native Tongues brings bold Mexico City-inspired flavours to the city — tacos, mezcal, cumbia, and one of the most extensive tequila and mezcal selections you'll find anywhere in Calgary.

Have a food or drink suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

🎟️ Taste the Market at Calgary Farmers' Market: Calgary Farmers' Market is launching a new signature event on May 2-3 at both its South and West locations, offering tastings, take-home finds, demonstrations, and interactive activities showcasing the full range of what the market has to offer.

🎟️ Fairview Studios Annual Spring Pottery Sale: Around 70 Fairview Studios pottery artists will be showcasing and selling their work at the Acadia Rec Complex on May 3. Free entry, parking, snacks, and coffee are all included — and with Mother's Day around the corner, the timing couldn't be better.

Have an event suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

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