Okotoks

The Town of Okotoks is hosting an Indigenous Artisan Market, Tipi Camp, and Powwow this weekend at the Okotoks Rec Centre.

This is the third annual Artisan Market, which will have over 50 Indigenous artisans selling handmade crafts and authentic First Nations, Inuit, Metis items, and all proceeds will go back to the artisan.

The Tipi Camp is going to be in the splash park field by the Rec Centre, and there are 17 Tipi's registered for the event.

Foothills County's Fire Advisory has been upgraded to a Fire Restriction, effective May 28, 2025.

The County cited this week's conditions and upcoming forecasts, with temperatures in the mid-to-high 20s along with wind gusts.

"Although green-up is happening and we’ve had spots of rain, there are many areas of flammable, dead, and dry vegetation exposed," the County's Fire Restriction notice states.

A piece of Alberta’s agricultural history is making its way to the Nanton Grain Elevators this week.  

After four years of working to reinvigorate and reimagine the Nanton Grain Elevators, a historic grain car is scheduled to be delivered to the site’s display track on Friday (May 30).  

Focusing on the Future is the theme for the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Annual General Meeting and Convention next month in Moose Jaw.

This year’s theme celebrates the resilience, innovation, and leadership of Saskatchewan’s livestock producers while tackling key industry challenges and opportunities.

President Jeff Yorga says after some challenging times, producers are finally seeing some optimism in the cattle industry.

And they're off!

The Grande Prairie Stompede official kicks off the WPCA chuckwagon season tonight.

High River's Jason Glass made it all the way to the final four dash for cash last year but ended up in third.

Glass would later go on to win the Calgary Stampede and have an outstanding year, finishing second overall in the world standings.

Watch for Chase Vigen too, who hails from Grande Prairie but now calls Calgary home, as he took home the championship buckle and the winnings that go with it in 2023.

High River's Chantel Bruins, formerly Wiebe, is competing next weekend in the Mrs. Calgary pageant.

Bruins has been competing in pageants since she was 16, but since she just recently got married, she's competing for the Mrs. Calgary crown and sash.

One of the driving forces for Bruins is her desire to help empower other women, and the Calgary pageant does that.

"The Calgary Pageants organization is so focused on building a sisterhood among the contestants and among other current and reigning queens, that is something I really, really want to be a part of."

The Town of Okotoks is looking for artists for a couple of public art pieces.

They've put a call out for artists to design and paint two murals on the windows at the Municipal Centre.

It can be either one artist or multiple artists working on the murals, but there are themes the Town wants the murals to follow.

One is an open-themed design that celebrates the Stampede and the line-up of summer events happening around town, while the other mural will be a winter holiday mural that is inspired by Whoville from the Grinch Who Stole Christmas.

High River’s George Lane Memorial Park is getting a couple of new community art pieces.  

During the May 26 regular meeting, High River Town Council approved funding for two new tree carving art pieces. 

A total of $1,600 was allocated for materials and tools.  

A new draft of the province's Plan for Parks has been created, but the province wants more input.

The Plan for Parks is a strategic direction for recreation and conservation of sites managed under the Provincial Parks Act, and includes provincial parks, provincial recreation areas, and wildland provincial parks.

It was originally launched in 2009 as a 10-year plan, and with this new plan, the provincial government wants to make sure it helps support the priorities of park visitors while also maintaining the natural and cultural heritage of the parks.

A group representing Canada's doctors is challenging the constitutionality of Alberta's legislation limiting access to medical treatment for transgender youth, arguing it violates their Charter right to freedom of conscience.

The Canadian Medical Association says the court challenge is meant to protect the relationship between patients and doctors when it comes to making treatment decisions.

The legislation was part of a trio of bills Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's government passed last year affecting transgender people.