Strathmore

A new poll by Leger has found that Quebec residents are the happiest in Canada.

The web survey of nearly 40,000 Canadians found that Quebecers rated their happiness at an average of 72.4 out of 100, which is well above the national average.

New Brunswick followed Quebec with an average of 70.2, while Manitoba and Prince Edward Island finished at the bottom of the list. 

Mississauga, Ont. had the highest happiness rating of the 10 largest cities, while Toronto was lowest. 

Montreal finished second in the category.

Hundreds of residents across the region have entered the draw to win a RAM 1500 Big Horn truck that we are giving away with your Alberta RAM Dealers.

If you haven't entered yet, you don't want to be the only one left out.

Check out Real Canadian Wrestling and Tag Wars tonight (July 11) down at the Strathmore Ag Pavilion, and you could scan the QR code.

You can also listen for the RAM Q of the Day with Keesyn Glawson weekday mornings on 104.5 More Country at 8:20 a.m.

Environment Canada (EC) has issued a Heat Warning for Wheatland County, including Strathmore, Lyalta, and Carseland.

The warning came into effect early Saturday (July 12) morning, with the heat expected to last the duration of the weekend.

"Hot temperatures with afternoon highs rising into the low 30s will begin today with overnight lows near 15 degrees Celsius," wrote EC. "This heat will continue into tomorrow. Cooler temperatures are forecast for Monday."

Residents are asked to take precautions to protect themselves from the heat, including:

The Strathmore Fire Department is looking to hire more paid-on-call firefighters.

On Wednesday (July 9), the Town of Strathmore announced the opportunity through social media.

"They’re teachers, mechanics, parents, students, office workers, and everything in between," wrote the town. "They have day jobs and weekend plans, but in their spare time, they give back to their community."

Several events are going on in Strathmore this weekend.

1. Real Canadian Wrestling - Tag Wars

Real Canadian Wrestling (RCW) returns to the Strathmore Ag Grounds for their Tag Wars event on Friday (July 11)

According to local wrestler Steve Wilde, the show will feature a blend of tag team and singles matches.

The end of the regular season is right around the corner for the junior Strathmore Venom lacrosse team.

The Venom began practice in April, having their first season game towards the end of the month.

As the season comes to a close, the junior Venom have two games left before they take a break for the summer.

On Saturday (July 12), the Venom will be playing the Cochrane Rage at the Cochrane Aquatic Centre Spray Lakes Centre.

After that, the Venom will have their home finisher on Sunday in a game against the Stingers.

Both games begin at 2 p.m. 

Strathmore events and businesses may be back in full swing after the impacts of COVID-19, but one young man is using poetry to rebuild something more elusive: human connection.

"I felt there was a decline in the connection people have with each other, especially in the youth community. I think, owing to the COVID event of 2020, a lot of people just seemed disconnected right afterwards. Not many people were trying to make those connections anymore," said Micheal Ajirireloja, the organizer of the Poetry Cafe. "It seemed to me that everyone was just that much more lonely."

The Strathmore community gathered together for a barbecue fundraiser.  

Western Financial Group held its second annual barbecue lunch at Ranch Market on Friday (July 11) from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The event was pay-by-donation, with the proceeds going to support the Kakato'si Kristian Ayoungman Foundation's Lead by Example Powwow.

The powwow honours the legacy of Kristian Ayoungman, a local hockey player and champion dancer from Siksika Nation who is remembered for his leadership and his work to bring communities together. 

Mounties in Alberta are looking for help from the public after the body of a teen girl was found in an abandoned car close to the U.S. border.

Police say Jordyn (Rylie) Dines was found in the abandoned Toyota Camry on July 4 near Glenwood, 50 kilometres from the border.

The 16-year-old was last seen the day before at the Chinook Centre shopping mall in Calgary.

Police say Dines died under suspicious circumstances, but didn’t elaborate.

Canada’s labour market topped expectations in June amid a surprise surge in hiring.

Statistics Canada said Friday that the unemployment rate dropped a tenth of a percentage point to 6.9 per cent in June as the economy added some 83,000 jobs.

The vast majority of those jobs were part-time, the agency said, with 47,000 positions added in the private sector.

A Reuters poll of economists heading into Friday’s release had expected the jobless rate would rise to 7.1 per cent in June as employment levels held flat.