Okotoks

The Alberta government has announced the appointment of a new interim chief medical officer of health, days after the previous one's contract expired.

Officials say Dr. Sunil Sookram is to serve in the role on a temporary basis as arrangements are finalized for a "longer-term appointment."

Sookram is currently the facility medical director and chief of medical staff at Strathcona Community Hospital in Sherwood Park, east of Edmonton.

The RCMP's 2025 Name the Puppy Contest has come to a close, and the winning names have been revealed.

Canadians aged 4-14 were invited to submit names for the first 13 puppies born at the Police Dog Services Training Centre this year.

The names had to begin with the letter A, and by the end of the contest, they received over 10,000 submissions.

One name was chosen from each province and territory:

The Big Rock Singers are marking a milestone with a pair of upcoming concerts.

They'll be celebrating their "Music of the Night," a 35th anniversary show at the Viking Rentals Centre on May 9 and 10.

"It's a truly special milestone. To be an organization serving this community for 35 years, that's pretty awesome," said musical and artistic director, Carey Gruber.

Gruber has been with the Big Rock Singers for 20 years and recalls how she first joined the group.

The Conservatives and NDP spent the weekend hunting votes in British Columbia — a key late-campaign battleground that one pollster says may offer Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre his best shot at victory.

Both Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh addressed Canadians' cost-of-living concerns at campaign events in B.C. on Sunday.

Singh was asked if he was advocating strategic voting to shore up the party's flagging support against possible Conservative inroads in the region.

Pope Francis will be remembered by Canadian Catholics as a progressive leader whose approach to the papacy helped usher in a new era of Indigenous relations and make the church more responsive to its rank and file.

The Vatican says the pontiff died Monday at age 88.

Francis was the global leader of Canada's most popular organized religion. Nearly 11 million Canadians identified as Catholic in the 2021 census, second only to those without a religious affiliation.

The Town of High River is almost ready for the annual Spring Green Sweep of the town.

They still need volunteers to help clean up the town, and they're also doing something new this year.

The Electronic Recycling Association (ERA) is going to be here to help with recycling or disposing of any unwanted electronics, including laptops and computers.

They're bringing a hard drive shredder in case you have sensitive material you'd like permanently destroyed, but the non-profit does work on refurbishing and donating them.

The federal Liberals and NDP both released their costed campaign platforms Saturday as Elections Canada reported record turnout in the first day of advanced polls.

Nearly two million people showed up to cast a ballot on Friday, the first of four days for advanced voting in the federal election.

Elections Canada said in a social media post it will be making adjustments over the coming days to handle the high traffic after many voters were met with long lineups at polling stations.

Claresholm Town Council approved the 2025 Budget during the April 14 Regular Council Meeting.   

The operating budget totals $9.27 million, with a 6.17 per cent municipal tax increase.  

The hike is due to rising operational costs, service demands, and investments in community infrastructure.   

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre promised to strike down a key element of the Liberal government's environmental policy Friday as he and other party leaders got back on the campaign trail following the national leaders' debates in Montreal.

The campaigning Friday also coincided with the opening of the first of four days of advance polling across the country.

Both Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh stayed in Quebec to make announcements Friday morning, while Liberal Leader Mark Carney made his way to Niagara Falls, Ont.

Okotoks Town Council has allocated $6.5 million for a joint community-use theatre at a future high school during the April 14 Regular Council Meeting.