Okotoks

The Carstar Okotoks Bisons have sustained a second loss in the HJHL championship final.

They hosted the Sylvan Lake Wranglers on Friday, March 23, in game 2 of the best-of-five series, following a 4-2 loss in game 1.

Despite 38 shots on goal from the Bisons compared to 26 from the visiting Wranglers, Sylvan Lake took a 5-0 shutout, leaving them one win away from the league title.

The first period saw the Wranglers putting away a goal just before the five-minute mark, ending the period with a power play goal with just five seconds left.

Canadians are now facing updated travel advisories to the world's two largest economies, after Ottawa warned travellers who stay in the United States for more than 30 days to make sure they register as required.

The advisory for the United States follows another update for travel to China, where Canadians with dual citizenship have been warned to use Canadian credentials when presenting to Chinese authorities.

The leaders vying to become Canada's next prime minister are officially kicking off their campaigns today, vowing to strengthen Canada's economy and stand up to U.S. President Donald Trump.

Liberal Leader Mark Carney has confirmed a federal election will be called on April 28, speaking outside Rideau Hall after requesting Parliament be dissolved.

Carney will be running in the Ottawa riding of Nepean.

The Nepean riding has been held by Liberal MP Chandra Arya for the last decade, but the party recently revoked his nomination.

The Calgary Police Service (CPS) has released information on a single-vehicle rollover that led to the closure of southbound Deerfoot Trail near Seton on Friday, March 22.

Emergency crews were called to the collision near 212 Avenue SE at about 2:45 p.m.

According to CPS, it involved a white van driven by a man in his 30s.

While travelling southbound, the van drifted into the centre median, with the driver soon losing control of the vehicle, which began to roll.

The Carstar Okotoks Bisons are down 1-0 after their first tangle with the Sylvan Lake Wranglers in the 2025 HJHL championship final.

The two teams faced off in game 1 of the five-game series on Friday (March 21) in Sylvan Lake, resulting in a 4-2 win for the home team.

Goals from Caden Scott and Sam Callahan left the Bisons with a promising 2-0 lead at the end of the first period, but the Wranglers soon caught up.

Sylvan Lake evened the score, putting away two in the second.

Several of Canada's premiers called for the elimination of interprovincial trade barriers on Friday ahead of a meeting with Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Carney was meeting with premiers at the Canadian War Museum Friday afternoon to discuss the federal government's response to Chinese and U.S. tariffs.

Speaking to reporters before the meeting, Ontario Premier Doug Ford said "we need a united Canada."

A High Riverite recently had a run-in with a friendly peafowl.

Hayley Carpenter was out for a run on the northwest edge of town on March 19, when she suddenly came face-to-face with an unlikely running partner.

"I heard a little bit of rustling in the grass, and I looked behind me, and there was a peacock. It was so cool. I kind of was startled at the beginning, I didn't know what was going to happen."

While the High River area draws bird watchers from far and wide, peacock sightings are rare, to say the least.

A nearly month-long strike has come to an end for Foothills education support workers.

On Friday (March 21) afternoon, members of CUPE Local 5040 voted to ratify the deal that was reached with FSD two days prior.

The vote showed 68 per cent of members in favour of accepting the settlement.

CUPE 5040 was the last of the nine CUPE locals on strike, with settlements having been reached with each of the other affected school divisions earlier in the week.

The southbound lanes of Deerfoot Trail were closed near Seton on Friday afternoon (March 22) due to a serious collision.

At about 2:40 p.m., EMS responded to a single vehicle, with two adult occupants having been transported to hospital.

All southbound lanes were closed for several hours, but they've now been reopened.

An annual event from the Town of Okotoks was named a national contest finalist.

Light Up Okotoks was named a finalist in the 2025 Canadian Event Awards for Best Event for a City or Municipality, which has placed them alongside major centres, such as Edmonton, Calgary, and Toronto.

For 32 years, the Town of Okotoks has held the Light Up Okotoks event, which has become a cherished holiday tradition amongst residents, which sees the Town transform into a scene from a Hallmark movie.