Okotoks

A group of Okotokians is lacing up for the Alberta Children's Hospital.

The Mermaids Who Run/Walk for Kids is one of many teams participating in this year's Million Reasons Run, a month-long annual campaign that raises funds for the 13 children's hospitals across Canada.

The team was formed by Rae-Lynne Byerley, who joined the run last year in support of the Alberta Children’s Hospital and recruited new members this year.

The Town of Nanton is inviting residents to a Community Open House to learn about local programs, projects, and initiatives. 

Residents are encouraged to drop in, ask town council, staff, and municipal departments questions, and be a part of shaping the community.  

A spring survey to gauge consumer opinions about food pricing, buying habits and values found affordability the top concern

Whether people throw steaks or hot dogs on the barbecue this summer could reflect how they feel about their food spending.

A new report from the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University found increasing anxiety about food affordability compared to last fall.

The Town of High River started its daily watch on the Highwood River on Friday.

Typically, it starts a month prior to the first day of summer on June 20, which is also the anniversary of the 2013 flood.

The Town of Okotoks is encouraging youth to contribute to the community by joining local committees and boards.  

Town Council created youth positions on the Committees of Council to give youth an opportunity to participate in community discussions and initiatives.  

The swimming pool at the Bob Snodgrass Rec Plex is closing for five days starting this weekend.

The pool will be closed from this Sunday, May 25, to next Thursday, May 29, due to the pool expansion project.

Duct work needs to be updated, so they have to shut down the ventilation system and therefore have to close the pool.

According to AHS, the pool is not allowed to be open without ventilation.

Because of the closure, the Town is giving all monthly and yearly pass holders a one-month extension, dated from May 25.

The Little Britches Parade brought thousands of spectators from across the Foothills to downtown High River Saturday morning.  

The streets were filled with lawn chairs, wagons, and blankets as families gathered to watch floats, classic cars, marching bands, and much more.  

The festivities continued after the parade, with the Battle of the Bands, Little Britches Rodeo and the High River Spring Market. 

Deferred grazing, a practice that involves delaying livestock grazing until after key growing seasons, is a valuable strategy for preserving and enhancing native prairie ecosystems. Unlike continuous or early-season grazing, deferred grazing allows native grasses and forbs the opportunity to complete their life cycles, set seed, and recover from previous disturbances. This approach brings a range of environmental, ecological, and even economic benefits that support both sustainable ranching and grassland conservation. 

Canada needs flexible, farmer-driven standards to guide regenerative agriculture, experts say

With producer and policy interest in regenerative agriculture growing across Canada, policymakers and industry leaders are debating how to standardize the concept without undermining its core principles or grassroots appeal.

Questions around standardization and regulation were front and centre during an April 30 webinar hosted by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute.

Alberta's latest crop report shows seeding of major crops is significantly ahead of historical averages. Manglai, product coordinator with Alberta Financial Services Corporation, who helps compile the report, says seeding is now at 47 per cent, well above the five-year average of 26 per cent and the ten-year average of 29 per cent.

Breaking down the regional analysis, the South region leads with 76 per cent of seeding completed, followed by the Central region at 51 per cent  the Northeast at 37 per cent, the Northwest at 29 per cent, and the Peace region at 27 per cent.