Okotoks

Today is McHappy Day across Canada, and of course, that includes Okotoks, High River and all McDonald's locations in the Foothills.

Morning Show host on the Eagle 100.9, Joelle Jacobs, was on location at the 600 Big Rock location in Okotoks from 10 a.m. until noon as Charlie Brown from 99.7 Sun Country was broadcasting from the High River location early this morning.

Every purchase today goes directly to the Ronald McDonald House Charity Canada.

In April, the Alberta RCMP met with partners from law enforcement, health, and the provincial government to discuss concerns around the use of opioids. 

In response, the Alberta RCMP launched new Community Response Teams with support from partner agencies, an RCMP news release said. 

Combating drug and fentanyl-related crimes is part of the Alberta RCMP’s Crime Reduction Strategy, Data 2 Action (D2A), current focus. 

The Calgary Stampede's Grandstand Show welcomes a seasoned Alberta Country music singer/songwriter to the stage.

Grande Prairie native Carolyn Dawn Johnson will be headlining all 10 nights at this year's Calgary Stampede.

The Dewdney Players' latest production brings an old classic back to the stage.

Squabbles is a comedy centred around husband-and-wife Jerry and Alice, whose lives are turned upside down first when Alice's widower father Abe moves in with them, and again when Jerry's mother Mildred does the same.

The cast features beloved Dewdney regulars: Daniel Rose, Kelly Kozak, Patrick Brown, Hollie Darel, Brad Fowler, Ed Sands and Debbie Sands, with Brad Snowden in the director's chair and Jane Platt producing.

The second annual Dinner for a Dog gala was held in Okotoks on Saturday, May 3.

Organized by the Veterans Service Dog Society of Alberta and hosted at the Viking Rentals Centre, the event was held to raise money to provide a local veteran with a service dog.

Guest speakers included Okotoks Mayor Tanya Thorn, Highwood MLA RJ Sigurdson and Okotoks veteran Paris Douglas, who received a service dog following last year’s gala.

Roger Olynyk was announced as this year’s recipient. Attendees heard from Olynyk and had the chance to meet his service dog, Mya.

Agriculture is one of the largest industries in the province, and simultaneously one of the most dangerous. As seeding and calving season gets underway, safety is once again top of mind for local farmers and their employees.  

Ryan Jacobson is the Chief Executive Officer with the Saskatchewan Safety Council (SSC) and formerly operated an agricultural farm in southeast Saskatchewan. He explains that every industry experiences gaps in safety protocols. 

A former Alberta premier has a new job in the provincial courts.

The provincial government says David Hancock has been named assistant chief justice of the Alberta Court of Justice in the Edmonton Family and Youth Division.

Hancock, a long-time legislature member, served as interim premier and Progressive Conservative Party leader after the 2014 resignation of Alison Redford, later calling it the "best summer job that I've ever had."

Hancock retired from politics after Jim Prentice was named as leader and was appointed in 2017 as a provincial court judge.

The Speaker of the Alberta legislature is resigning his seat in the assembly to become the province's representative to the United States.

"Serving this assembly has been one of the greatest honours of my lifetime," Nathan Cooper said Wednesday in a speech to the house announcing his resignation.

"Working as the assembly's chief diplomat has equipped me in, and to be ready for, my next role serving Albertans in a new and meaningful way."

As separatist discontent bubbles up anew in Alberta, experts say a vote to sever ties with Canada would pitch the country into unexplored territory on everything from money to First Nations and national parks.

“You’re in terra incognita. You’re off the map when we get to that stage of the proceedings,” said law professor Eric Adams.

“A lot of things are going to be broken on the way out the door.”

After the Second World War came to a close, Canada pulled itself away from Great Britain and planted itself firmly within a North American political and economic compact that generated prosperity for much of the western world for decades.

But as the world marks 80 years since the end of the war in Europe, an increasingly unstable geopolitical climate — and an administration in Washington bent on fighting a trade war with much of the world — has Canada looking back to the continent as a way to preserve peace and prosperity.