Okotoks

The economy shed 33,000 jobs in March, the biggest loss since January 2022, while the unemployment rate ticked higher, Statistics Canada said Friday.

The agency said the unemployment rate for March rose to 6.7 per cent compared with 6.6 per cent in February.

The hit came amid increased uncertainty caused by U.S. tariffs that have threatened economic growth.

The job losses reversed some of the gains made at the end of last year and into January.

The Okotoks Oilers' playoffs got underway last night in Penticton as they faced the Vees in round one of the BCHL playoffs.

The Vees came out victorious, shutting out the Green and Gold 4-0.

Oil netminder Olivier Ciarlo gave the team a fighting chance, stopping 34 of the 38 shots he faced in the game one loss.

The Oilers were only able to muster 19 shots on net as the group gets set for game two on Sunday afternoon in B.C.

The Vees were the #1-seeded team heading into the playoffs, with the Oilers seeded 8th.

Diamond Valley Fire Rescue is receiving some provincial funding.

They had applied for funding through the Alberta Fire Services Training Program and were approved for the full requested amount of $19,650.

With the funding, the Diamond Valley Fire Rescue team will receive additional training and certifications through the National Fire Protection Association:

• NFPA 1001 - Professional Fire Fighting Level 1 & 2

• NFPA 1002 - Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator, Pump, and Aerial

• NFPA 1021 - Fire Officer Level 1 & 2

"Freedom Convoy" organizers Tamara Lich and Chris Barber have been found guilty of mischief for their roles in the 2022 mass protest in Ottawa.

Lich and Barber were key figures and organizers in the protest that saw hundreds of vehicles and thousands of people occupy downtown Ottawa and insist they would stay until COVID-19 public health mandates were eliminated.

The New Democrats and Conservatives both pitched ideas on the federal election trail Thursday to make Canada and its workers more resilient in the face of tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh proposed tax-free savings bonds, while Pierre Poilievre said a Conservative government would remove the federal sales tax from Canadian-made vehicles.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney, in his role as prime minister, met virtually Thursday with Canada's premiers to discuss the U.S. tariffs as Canadian automakers started to feel the effects.

Wedged between a massive truck and a backhoe, saved by STARS. Given blood by STARS after being impaled by a spinning blade. Airlifted by STARS after crashing to the ground off a bucking horse in a remote area.  

These are just some of the stories of survival that filled the airwaves on April 1st and 2nd for the Critical Care on the Air Radiothon presented by BHP in support of STARS. 

Earlier this week, the Canadian Canola Growers Association (CCGA) issued their first cash advances with the 2025 Advance Payments Program for the upcoming growing year. More than 1750 producers across Western Canada received more than $310 million to finance their operations. Dave Gallant, Vice President of Finance and APP operations at CGA, talks about the benefits of the program for Western Canadian producers. 

The Calgary Police are asking for help locating two men believed to be involved in a pair of robberies, and one of the suspects has Canada-wide warrants.

On Sunday, March 9, at roughly 12:30 a.m., a suspect entered Jerry's Smoke and Vape located at 504, 506 17 Ave. S.W. in Calgary.

The suspect approached the counter, threatened an employee with a firearm and demanded merchandise.

He then fled the shop with several products and entered through the passenger side of a 2017 white Ram 1500 pickup.

The Lethbridge Police recently charged a retired physiotherapist in connection to the sexual assault of an underage patient.

They've charged 61-year-old Kin Wai Godfrey Kwan of Lethbridge with two counts each of sexual assault of a person under 16 and Sexual Interference.

In late 2024, the Lethbridge Police Service responded to a report of a historic sexual assault that took place during physiotherapy treatment sessions at the Chinook Regional Hospital.

A local theatre group recently won several awards.

The Dewdney Players Group Theatre presented several plays at the One Act Play Festival in High River last weekend.

The Alberta Drama Festival Association has ten regions in Alberta, with Dewdney Players falling into the Foothills Region.

According to producer Ed Sands the Foothills Region covers a wide geographical range, with this year's regional festival including eight plays from companies in Airdrie, Okotoks, Canmore, Cochrane, and High River.