Okotoks

A few local hockey players are looking to earn a spot on the Team Alberta U16 roster this fall.  

The Alberta Cup Hockey Tournament was held in Red Deer on April 24.  

Team Alberta Red took gold with local players Hudson Pineda on defence, and Nolan Ilsley and Max Mullen as forwards.   

Sixty-six per cent of Canadian exporters rely solely on United States, but economists say that can be hard on the bottom line
 

For someone running an agricultural or agri-food business in Saskatoon, Kelowna or Halifax, it’s easier to sell products to customers in Canada than to someone in Vietnam.

It may be easier, but exporting will make the business more productive and profitable.

 Australia hopes its crop will recover from last year’s drought and frost, while Canada’s production is expected to be down

The 2025-26 red lentil market hinges on what happens with Australia and Canada, say analysts.

If those two countries have average yields, supply and demand will be well balanced, Chuck Penner, an analyst with LeftField Commodity Research, recently told delegates attending the Global Pulse Confederation’s Pulses 25 conference in Singapore.

Canada and the United States are both looking at sizeable crops, while conditions are also favourable in Russia and Kazakhstan

There is potential for a big increase in green lentil production in 2025-26 after several years of tight supplies, says an analyst.

Canada will lead the way with an estimated 842,000 tonnes of production, Chuck Penner, analyst with LeftField Commodity Research, told delegates attending the Global Pulse Confederation’s Pulses 2025 conference in Singapore.

The Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) and J4 Agri-Science have announced a new partnership aimed at developing new and enhanced  Faba Bean varieties. This initiative is expected to bring significant improvements to the crop's potential and provide farmers with more options for their rotations.

Canada’s dwindling farmland base and rising rental costs threaten the country’s agricultural sustainability, researchers warn

Canada’s agricultural sector faces mounting pressure as the country continues to lose farmland to urban development, while some existing acres sit vacant.

That’s according to new research released by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.

Competition for sales is expected to heat up as Russia expects a bigger crop following last year’s disappointing harvest
 

Canada will likely be facing more competition in pea export markets this year.

Russia’s production is expected to rebound after a disappointing 2024-25 harvest, said Gaurav Jain, analyst with AgPulse Analytica.

He is forecasting 5.01 million tonnes of production in 2025-26, up from 3.92 million tonnes last year.

Firefighters from across the Foothills are gearing up for the annual Firefighter Stairclimb Challenge on June 8.  

Among them is Okotoks Firefighter Nicole Byrne, who is preparing to scale the 1,370 stairs in Brookfield Place in her equipment, for the third year.  

Okotoks Pride is celebrating Pride Month with a Stronger Together Pride in the Park event this Sunday.

It's taking place at Ethel Tucker Park from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.

There will also be a Pride flag raising at the Okotoks Municipal Building at noon to kickstart the afternoon.

Hosted by Karla Marx, it features mainstage entertainment, an artisan market, lawn games, a kid zone, and DJ Nzane.

The mainstage entertainment includes drag shows with Pound and Zumba getting everyone limber with Tamara Boivin.

Abandoned wells are a significant environmental and safety risk. These wells can act as a conduit and allow contaminated surface water to enter the well and severely impact water quality, posing risk to drinking water supplies, as well as plant, animal and aquatic life.

Abandoned wells, especially large diameter wells, are also physical hazards that can result in injury or death to humans or animals who may accidentally fall in. Proper decommissioning of these wells is crucial to protect our water sources and improve public safety.