Strathmore

It was a stunning night on Sunday (Oct. 6) as the northern lights showed up in Strathmore and the surrounding area.

There were striking displays of green, pink, and purple that lit up the night sky.

Jean Thiessen lives just outside of Strathmore and captured some incredible photos.

She says she's been photographing the northern lights for around five or six years.

"From the first time I saw them in person I was hooked. There's just something magical about seeing them."

The Strathmore Farmers' Market held a special Fall Fair Market over the weekend.

The Motor Products Sports Centre was filled with dozens of vendors and artisans on Saturday (Oct. 5), with hundreds of residents making it out to see what was in store.

One of the booths was held by 3D Wonder Works, a father-son duo that makes 3D-printed knickknacks and toys.

The Canadian Country Showcase, hosted by Courtney Fielder, airs every weekend on Saturdays at 12 PM and Sundays at 4 PM. Courtney engages in conversations with both emerging country music artists and the established stars we’ve come to love, celebrating their milestones and new releases.

Episode 22 of the podcast, features Drew Taylor and special American guest Tyler Braden, aired on the weekend of October 5th & 6th, 2024. 

Saturday (Oct. 5) marked Customer Appreciation Day at Strathmore's Peavey Mart.

To show their appreciation, the hardware store held a community BBQ alongside Rescued Paws, a family-run facility that works on saving pets and giving them a 'furever' home.

"I took over the business nine months ago," said Alicia O'Keefe, director of Rescued Paws. "It's been a journey. There's a lot of things I've had to learn, but I absolutely love it."

The Agra Risk Wheatland Kings split a series over the weekend.

The Kings walked away with a win against the Red Deer Vipers 8-1 and suffered a tough loss to the Cannex Cochrane Generals 5-4. Both games were played at home.

General Manager of the Kings, Cody Holdaway talked about the results of the two bouts.

"We took Red Deer 8-1 on Friday night at home, which was a good outcome. Saturday night we just came up short. We were one goal shy of pulling off the win against Cochrane."

Holdaway says the Kings have had a good start to the season.

It's Fire Prevention Week in Strathmore and the fire department is teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association to promote the campaign.

Eric Alexander, Strathmore's deputy fire chief says, “Smoke alarms save lives, and Fire Prevention Week is the perfect time to make sure yours are in good shape.”

The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters on Israel last year, and the immediate Israeli retaliation that followed, sent shockwaves throughout the world that have shaken Canada culturally and politically.

Here is a look at some of the major developments in Canada related to the conflict.

Oct. 7, 2023 — Hamas-led militants launched air and ground attacks on Israel, killing nearly 1,200 and taking more than 250 hostages. The attacks, followed hours later by Israeli counterattacks in the Gaza Strip, marked the beginning of the current Israel-Hamas war. 

Thousands of kids across Canada benefit from 4-H programming each year.

Ben Graham, chair of the Canadian 4-H Foundation says 4-H has an enormous impact on our youth.

"It's about team building, learning parliamentary procedure, how you run a meeting, and how to public speak. It's about how to manage projects, whether it's computers or dogs - canine, whether it's beef cattle. It's a real diverse opportunity for kids to learn skills that help them become better leaders and contributors to their community."

Beyond Ready is this year's theme for National 4-H Week.

In real estate, says Ruth Alexander, timing is everything.

“The best tip I can share is to work with an agent who’s available and ready to react quickly when the right home pops up,” she says. “Opportunity waits for no one, and neither should you.”

The Canadian Crop Hail Association member companies are investigating 630 claims of crop damage from isolated storms that hit farms across Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan during the week of September 16-22.

Rodney Schoettler of Saskatchewan Municipal Hail Insurance noted that September brought an unexpected surge in claims:

He says the claim count is much higher than typical [for this time of year] and the severity of losses at this stage is costly to producers and insurers.