Strathmore

As war spread in the Middle East on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly "unequivocally" condemned Iran's move to fire dozens of missiles into Israel and called for no further escalation in the war from all sides.

Joly also begged Canadians in Lebanon to leave immediately as Israel began what it is calling a limited ground operation against Hezbollah targets in the southern part of that country.

Cereals Canada recently released their 2024 Canadian Wheat Crop Progress and Harvest Assessment Update.

Harvest operations are still underway in many areas of the Prairies.

Stats Canada surveyed farmers in June with estimates showing Canadian farmers planted over 8.2 million hectares of non durum wheat this year, a 3% decrease from last year, while durum acreage showed a 5 per cent increase to nearly 2.6 million acres.

Non-durum wheat is grown across the country in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and in southern Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces.

The Strathmore Legion was raising funds through its Fall Market on Sunday (Sept. 29).

Local vendors were selling items such as glass art, porcelain gnomes, and even Christmas decorations.

One of the vendors was Kathie Earnshaw, who helped put on the event.

"I do anything from dishcloths to tea cozies to stuffies," said Earnshaw, who knits and crochets her products. "It keeps my hands busy and my brain going. I think everybody should have a hobby, and for me, this is my therapy."

'Third Avenue After Dark' kicked off in downtown Strathmore on Saturday (Sept. 28).

Third Avenue was closed off to vehicles as dozens of vendors from across the area set up booths to sell a variety of items, from freeze-dried foods to t-shirts. 

Dana Goldstein was one of the vendors, a Calgary-based author who was selling her books to local readers.

Country music star Drew Gregory took home some special hardware on Sunday (Sept. 29).

Gregory won the Country Recording of the Year for "Neon Time" at the 2024 YYC Music Awards.

He says it was an incredible experience.

"I was real proud of that, cool to see."

The Vault Cultural Collective, an art gallery based out of Strathmore, announced the winners of its annual People's Choice Art Competition.

The winners were announced in the vault on Saturday (Sept. 28), with cake and lemonade for the young winners, who also went home with a cash prize.

"I had done the contest last year, and when I saw it on Instagram that they were doing it again, I decided I wanted to join," said 13-year-old Luba Piche, the winner of the teenager's category.

Over the weekend a total of 1,874 pounds of food was collected in Chestermere as part of the city's annual food drive.

Staff with the Chestermere Food Bank say around 284 pounds alone was brought in by Chestermere Fire Services.

"Our shelves are now fuller than they’ve been in months," says the food bank in a Facebook post.

Bags were dropped off at houses across the city and filled with food before being taken by volunteers to help benefit the food bank.

The fall league for the Strathmore Huskers Cornhole Club is set to start on Tuesday (Oct. 8).

Lance Smith, president of the club says the group will be in the west hall of the Civic Centre with registration starting at 6:30 p.m. The event is free to attend.

Smith says there will be a draw for Wheatland Wranglers tickets when people register.

"If you decide you want to play it's ten weeks for $100 or $15 a week to drop in."

According to Smith, he's hoping for new people to come down and enjoy some cornhole.

It's Fire Prevention Month and the Strathmore Fire Department is offering free home safety inspections and smoke alarm testing for residents.

According to Eric Alexander, deputy fire chief, it's an important time to remind people about staying safe in their own homes.

"It's recommended that alarms are tested monthly. That's as simple as pressing the test button and making sure there is an audible alert when it is tested."

Alexander mentioned people should change the battery in their detectors every time they change the clock.

There were over a dozen different countries represented at the Alberta Culture Days celebration in Strathmore on Saturday (Sept. 28).

Hosted by Strathmore Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) in Kinsmen Park, the day started with brisk single-digit temperatures before warming up as the day went on.

The event featured live entertainment, plenty of food trucks, and over a dozen local vendors. On the stage as master of ceremonies was Kevin Littlelight, an Indigenous filmmaker and radio DJ.