Okotoks

The Calgary Stampede is officially underway, along with the rodeo, midway and live entertainment... the event also showcases agriculture and Alberta's ranching history

It's a chance to step back in time and experience life on the farm and ranch, with the Vintage Tractor Pull and Blacksmith showcase;  to the Heavy Horse, Cutting Horse, and Team Cattle Penning competitions; Chuckwagon races, to the Junior Steer Classic, the International Youth Livestock Supreme Championship and Scholarships, the World Stock Dog Championships, and International Livestock Auctioneer Championships.

Industry is applauding the federal government’s progress toward a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine bank after it awarded supply contracts to two companies.

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health and Biogenesis Bago SA will supply vaccine products and develop the vaccine bank.

Canadian Cattle Association Saskatchewan director and former Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association president Garner Deobald, who formerly worked for Boehringer, said both companies are well respected and were good choices.

“I think it is important, for sure, to be ready,” he said.

Concerns have been growing around the use of glyphosate, a common weed killer, particularly in public parks and green spaces in Okotoks.

Several residents have shared stories online about potential health effects on pets and children, prompting renewed attention and action from the Town.

Among them is Libby Wantenaar, who was first made aware of glyphosate in town a few years ago, after taking her son for a walk.

A heat warning has been issued for Vulcan County and a portion of Foothills County, with temperatures expected to hit the 30s in the daytime and drop to near 20 degrees overnight.

Environment Canada estimates the pattern will begin on Tuesday, July 8, and continue the following day.

The warning is in place for:

The pool at the Bob Snodgrass Recreation Complex (BSRC) is set to reopen tomorrow (July 8) at 6 a.m.  

The facility was closed on June 24 due to an unscheduled heating system shutdown in the mechanical room.      

Pass holders as of June 24 will receive a one-month extension, and refunds will be provided to accounts for all town-run lessons scheduled during the closure.     

The Southern family has another medal to add to their achievements.

Spruce Meadows co-founder Margaret Southern was recently awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal, with the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, The Honourable Salma Lakhani, calling Southern "that anchor that grounds us."

"Mrs. Southern, you and your family are really that anchor that grounds us, in a world that has lost its mooring," Lakhani explained in a media release. "Thank you so much for everything that you have done, and your family continues to do."

After more than a decade on the court, Okotoks Paralympian Zak Madell has announced his retirement from wheelchair rugby.

The 30-year-old athlete’s 13-year career began in 2011, after he attended a prospect camp where he caught the attention of Duncan Campbell, the co-inventor of wheelchair rugby.

At just 18 years old, Madell competed at the 2012 London Paralympics, helping Team Canada secure a silver medal in his debut appearance.

The Diamond Valley Fire Rescue has released their stats, showing how they have spent their time this year.

As of now, halfway through the year, they have responded to 255 calls, whereas all of 2024, they responded to 498 calls.

Of those 255 calls, 58 were for fires (22.7 per cent), 100 were medical (39.2 per cent), 36 were for rescue services (14.1 percent), and there were 61 calls for alarms and other calls (23.9 per cent).

The Okotoks Dawgs keep finding ways to win, including beating the Brooks Bombers back-to-back over the weekend.

Their record is now 23 and 10 as they hold a 2 and a half game lead over the Lethbridge Bulls and the Sylvan Lake Gulls for first place in the WCBL West division.

The Dawgs dropped the Bombers 5-1 on Saturday and 13-3 on Sunday.

Interestingly enough, the Dawgs host the Bulls on Tuesday night at Seaman Stadium, and then they host the Gulls on Wednesday this week.

Tickets are still available.

The Calgary Police are looking for information on a woman who has been missing from SW Calgary for a month.

31-year-old Deeanna was reported missing from the southeast Calgary community of Copperfield last month, but a new piece of information has led the police to believe she was last seen in Shawnessy Town Centre.

After the police pursued new developments in the investigation, they believe Deeanna was last seen on Friday, June 6 at roughly 9 p.m. near the Value Village in the Shawnessy Town Centre shopping plaza at 305 Shawville Blvd. S.W.