Okotoks

While the temperature will be in the positive double digits this weekend, it will be too warm to skate under the sun in Okotoks.

All 13 outdoor skating rinks and the Lions' campground skating trail in Okotoks are all currently closed.

Several rinks had closed earlier this week due to the warm weather that has been gracing the area.

The rinks and skating trail had been open on a day-to-day basis, which was based on the overnight temperatures and daytime highs.

For the foreseeable future, the temperatures in Okotoks will be well above freezing each day.

Southern Alberta rancher Lawrence Vogel is donating $5,000 to the Palliser Schools Lunch Program.

Vogel was a recent runner up in a prairie province contest put on by Nutrien Ag Solutions.

It's part of Nutrien's first ever Hometown Yield Challenge.

The top two grand prize winners each received $25,000 which must be used to support community organizations.

47 farming operations competed in the contest where they had to plant at least 80 acres of a 'proven seed' hybrid of their choice with phosphorus treated with Atlas XC.

Your chance to have a say in what the new outdoor rink in High River looks like is coming up.

On Wednesday, March 6 from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. the Town of High River has organized an information session at Highwood Centre.

Some of the key features will be an environmentally friendly construction and enhanced safety features.

The current rink at McLaughlin Meadows has been in a state of disrepair for the last few years.

The town is encouraging anyone that has an interest to attend.

The federal government is extending the timeline for Ukrainians in Canada who fled Russia's invasion to apply for new or renewed temporary visas by one year. 

The new deadline to apply for new or renewed work and study permits under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel program is March 31, 2026.

Nearly 300,000 Ukrainians came to Canada under the program, which said they had to arrive by March 31, 2024. 

Alberta has a new minister of infrastructure.

Martin Long has been appointed to the cabinet post after the previous minister resigned earlier this week.

Long, the member for West Yellowhead, says he will continue building infrastructure to keep up with population growth.

First elected in 2019, Long has served as a parliamentary secretary for various files, including small business, and most recently, rural health.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has rejected NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh's call for the federal government to bar U.S. President Donald Trump from coming to Canada for the G7 summit this June.

At an event in Montreal Thursday, Trudeau said he sees the idea of banning Trump as an "irresponsible" approach to governance and relationships with other nations.

"It's easy for politicians these days to toss out easy and shocking things to say. We see a lot of it around the world these days. I'm not one of those Canadian politicians," Trudeau said when asked about Singh's comments.

With many producers in Western Canada getting ready for spring seeding and focusing on their seeded acres, it can be easy to overlook those areas that aren’t farmed. Native areas such as shelterbelts, road allowances, and wetlands provide water and nutrient capture for your crop and are key homes for animals and insects that not only benefit agriculture, but the ecosystem as a whole. Dr. Shathi Akhter, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, talks about the importance of these areas not just from an environmental standpoint, but from an agriculture one as well. 

The owner of a Foothills County business pleaded guilty to two weapons charges, and was cleared of several others, including an animal neglect charge, last Friday (Feb. 21).

On Oct. 7, 2024, High River RCMP announced that several charges were laid against Justin Stenebaugh, the owner of The Dawg Father Daycare and Boarding.

Alberta’s finances, tied for generations to the steep peaks and sharp valleys of oil and gas prices, are once again plunging deep into deficit, with no immediate relief in sight.

Finance Minister Nate Horner introduced a budget Thursday that projects a $5.2-billion deficit this fiscal year on total spending of $79 billion.

That represents an $11-billion swing from the current budget, which wraps up at the end of March and is on track to register a surplus close to $6 billion.

The Alberta government tabled its budget on Thursday. Here are some of the highlights: