Strathmore

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.

The Calgary Stampede had Albertans rooting for five of the 10 Saddle Bronc riders as Pool C kicked off Thursday.

The Hay brothers from Wildwood, AB, are always top contenders, having both won the Calgary Stampede before.

Dawson Hay took the top score of 91.50 as brother Logan finished in 3rd with a score of 88.00.

Ben Anderson (Rocky Mountain House, AB) scored an 84.00 on a re-ride as Quinten Taylor (Nanton, AB) scored an 83.50 and Millarville's Layton Green came in 10th with a score of 80.50.

Thursday night was a good one for High River's Jason Glass.

The defending Rangeland Derby champion at the Calgary Stampede had a penalty-free heat and finished with the top time of the night.

Glass' checkered wagon was the only one to crack the 1:13 mark with a time of 1:12.15.

The first-place finish moves him into the coveted 3rd place in the aggregate.

Only the top 3 in the aggregate after Saturday night's races will go to the final heat on Championship Sunday.

There are no semi-final heats this year.

The NDP's leadership race to replace Jagmeet Singh will formally begin in September, with a six-month race to follow according to a rules framework adopted by the party's national council. 

A new leader will be chosen no later than March 29, when the party holds its 2026 convention in Winnipeg.

An entry fee of $100,000 has been set for candidates to show their "organizational and fundraising capacity."

Debates and other leadership events hosted by the party will be streamed online in both official languages, according to the framework. 

U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose 35 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports on Aug. 1 in a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney posted on social media Thursday night, evidently setting a new date for bilateral negotiations between the two countries. 

Canada and the United States had committed to working on a new economic and security agreement with a July 21 deadline for a deal. The boosted tariff pressures call into question progress toward the initial time frame.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for Wheatland County, including Strathmore, Lyalta, and Carseland.

The watch was announced on Thursday (July 10) due to conditions being favourable for the development of severe thunderstorms.

The group also asks that residents stay indoors during a thunderstorm, as lightning kills and injures Canadians every year.

You can keep updated on local weather conditions by visiting our forecast page.

The City of Chestermere has mailed out property tax notices to residents.

The city announced on Tuesday (July 8) that the notices were mailed out, with the deadline for payments on July 31.

Music Box Books had its soft launch in Strathmore on Canada Day (July 1).

According to owner Amanda Redmond, the launch saw an overwhelming amount of support from the community.

"We opened at 11 a.m. and had a lineup until about 3 p.m. People were very excited, so it was a very high-energy day. Very chaotic, in a good way," said Redmond. "I don't know if I expected that high of a turnout, because there was so much cool stuff happening in town."

A local massage therapist is marking the first anniversary of her business by giving back to the community. 

Tori Daradich, owner of Tori Daradich RMT, launched a fundraiser for the Wheatland County Food Bank called Hands for Hunger. The campaign began on July 2 and will run until the end of the day on Saturday (July 12). 

As part of the fundraiser, $20 from each massage service booked will be donated to the food bank. Daradich's goal is to raise $500, which she says will provide between 40 and 50 food hampers. 

Summer fun is coming to Langdon later this month.

The annual Langdon Days will be running from July 18 to July 20.

Nicole Porquet-Seitz, chair of the Langdon Community Association, explained what will be happening over the weekend.

"We have some of our same staple traditional events, the parade and the pancake breakfast, and the baseball tournament and car show, but then over the last 10 years, we've added so many things. We have a children's festival, but it's expanding from one little area to the whole park."