Okotoks

The regular season is almost over for the U17 AAA Okotoks Oilers, but the players are still working hard ahead of the playoffs.

The team is comprised of players from Strathmore, Chestermere, Okotoks, and High River.

Coach Ken Plaquin said the team will play the Calgary Bulls on Saturday, March 8 at 5 p.m. at the Chestermere Rec Centre.

"It's just really fun for the kids that are from Strathmore, and Chestermere to get a chance to play in front of their friends that they usually don't get when they're playing in Okotoks."

There's a free concert for kids coming up tomorrow afternoon at the High River United Church.

It's put on by the High River Gift of Music Society and they're bringing Samantha Whelan Kotkas on trumpet and Walter White Bear on guitar, drum and courting flute.

They share stories and play music with a cross-cultural emphasis.

The performance is inspired by the land, water and sky, designed to reconnect people with nature and Indigenous ways.

This weekend will be an hour shorter than last weekend, in order to save some daylight hours.

While we are still almost two weeks away from the official start of Spring, Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday.

As part of Daylight Saving, clocks will spring forward an hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 9, causing us to lose an hour of sleep.

For those with clocks that don't automatically change with the time changes, remember to change them before Monday morning so you're not late for work.

A federal judge has dismissed a legal challenge of Justin Trudeau's move to prorogue Parliament, concluding the prime minister did not exceed the bounds of his authority.

Two Nova Scotia men had asked the Federal Court to declare the current suspension of Parliament illegal because there must be a "reasonable justification" for hitting the pause button. 

David MacKinnon of Amherst, N.S., and Aris Lavranos of Halifax sought an order setting aside Trudeau's January decision to advise Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to exercise her power to prorogue Parliament until March 24. 

The federal government is trying to secure extensions through to 2031 for its national $10-a-day child-care program ahead of an expected election, but is already facing a few snags.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday that 11 provinces and territories have agreed to extend the deals that give those jurisdictions billions of dollars to cut child-care fees for families.

Canada cannot go back to making families pay the equivalent of a mortgage payment for child care, he said.

An application for a cell tower in Diamond Valley is causing some concerns in town, including among council members.

If approved, the 35-metre-tall tower would be erected in the Turner Valley Post Office lot, with its location being where a majority of those concerns lie.

According to the Town's website, town council's "strong" opposition to the location owes to concerns with the tower's effect on the area's appearance, tourism, local business, and the environment.

With U.S. President Donald Trump implementing 25% widespread tariffs on Canadian products this last Tuesday, Canadian agriculture and the canola industry is preparing for the repercussions and weighing their options ahead of the 2025 growing year. The focus now shifts to not only restoring trade relations between Canada and the U.S. but also looking at ways to improve the industry both internationally and domestically.

The Rowan House Society Radiothon was held on Thursday, March 6, and people weren't shy to show their support.

It was held at 99.7 Sun Country from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with locals from around and beyond the Foothills donating over the phone, via text, online, and in person.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that pauses tariffs on some Canadian imports linked to the auto industry that comply with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement, and also lowers levies on potash to 10 per cent.

The order, read out in the Oval Office on Thursday, says the tariff relief is linked to maintaining the flow of parts to American car manufacturers and to helping farmers.

It was not clear exactly what would be included in the exemptions.

The provincial government is providing funding to municipalities to help address the rapidly growing population.

Due to Alberta's population growing, there are more people in the province relying on their municipality to deliver essential services, including roadwork, snow clearing, and transit, and the provincial government is wanting to make sure municipalities are able to support their residents.