Strathmore

Rain and wind hit southern Alberta this past weekend, but it didn't stop the annual Carseland Aggie Days from going on.

Aggie Days has been in Carseland for 25 years, and this year was no different.

This weekend's festivities included beer gardens, a vendor market, RibFest dinner, a tractor pull, and much more.

Hundreds of residents showed up at the market on Saturday, and one of those residents was MLA for Chestermere-Strathmore Chantelle de Jonge.

Despite being postponed from the rain, the Cowboy Town Concert was still a massive success.

The concert, which featured several country acts, was originally set for Saturday (June 21) but was put off due to heavy rainfall and strong winds in the area. The show was instead set for Sunday evening.

For those who were willing to brave the weather, concert headliner Cooper Alan played an impromptu show at the Strathmore Family Centre on Saturday night.

Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi is looking to finally win a seat in the legislature after a year of sitting on the sidelines.

He's running in one of three provincial byelections today as a candidate in Edmonton-Strathcona, where his predecessor Rachel Notley last won 80 per cent of the vote.

In Edmonton-Ellerslie, NDP candidate Gurtej Singh Brar could solidify the opposition party's hold on the city, but United Conservative Party candidate Naresh Bhardwaj is hoping to make an inroad.

Most areas of the prairies received some rainfall over the weekend. 

Environment Canada issued a number of special weather statements warning about significant rainfall and the potential for flooding in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

Many areas saw torrential rain and even tornadoes that caused significant damage, along with cooler temperatures and a risk of frost in some areas in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Ariana Zapata's favourite subject in school is social studies.

For the 13-year-old in Edmonton, this means lessons on historical societies, colonialism, how worldviews are developed and so on.

The eighth grader's own worldview is still being built, but she has pillars in place: family, fight for what you believe in, don't be too trusting and, critically, education is a right.

That's why, when Zapata gets home from school every day, she passes on what she learned to her three younger siblings.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is calling for de-escalation after the United States carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear sites early Sunday.

Carney issued a social media post saying the U.S. military action was "designed to alleviate" threats posed by Iran, but the situation in the Middle East remains "highly volatile."

He says stability in the region is a priority and is calling on parties to get back to the negotiating table to find a diplomatic solution.

Golden West Broadcasting presented a $2,400 cheque to Crowther Memorial Junior High School to help fund its music program.

The program is run by Bryan Allsopp, who is also the music teacher at Strathmore High School. 

"We begin our beginner band students in Grade 7, so a vast majority of kids begin having never touched an instrument," said Allsopp. "Band is the only option where it scales year-to-year at the junior high."

First Nations youth leaders are warning Canadians can expect a long, tense summer of protests as governments push forward with plans to fast-track major projects — and young people will be leading the charge.

"You will see us in your cities, your city's hubs," said Ramon Kataquapit, a youth councillor with the Chiefs of Ontario and Nishnawbe Aski Nation and a member of Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario.

Several young Strathmore residents have formed the Odd Job Squad to help residents with a variety of work.

The squad was formed back in May, with the idea created by Adrianna Kiemeny.

"We do a lot of jobs around the community, helping people," said Kiemeny. "It's mostly people who need help with lawn work, people who are older and can't do the task, or even if they just need a babysitter."

Since forming the group, several others have joined the crew, including Sophie Beaton.

Scientist Daniel Shugar says images of the aftermath of Thursday's deadly rockslide in Banff National Park provide evidence of its cause — water flowing through the interior of the mountain.

“You can actually see some springs coming out of the cliff and actually coming out exactly from the scar itself,” said the University of Calgary professor of geomorphology.

He described how water from a lake above the cliff at Bow Glacier Falls had been seeping through rocks for decades before it eventually provided enough force to dislodge a boulder, triggering the rockfall.