‘Are we in trouble? Absolutely’: Alberta battles worst Covid rate in North America

Critics say state's relaxed approach to restrictions has caused surge in prairie province averse to perceived government overreach

In an open field outside the prairie town of Bowden, Alberta, hundreds of people braved chilly winds and the threat of spring rain to attend their first rodeo in more than a year.

For the unmasked attendees cheering on as riders clung into bucking horses, the gathering this weekend must have seemed like a long-awaited return to normality.