HighRiver

Ottawa's new trade minister says he's looking to sign deals in South America, Southeast Asia, Africa and beyond — and to convince businesses to actually use the trade agreements Canada has already signed.

"My primary role as Canada's top salesman is to be out there hustling, opening doors for businesses and accessing new markets," Maninder Sidhu told The Canadian Press.

"My phone has been ringing with opportunities because people want to deal with reliable, stable trading partners."

Environment Canada issued a Special Weather statement for Foothills County and Vulcan County, due to risk of funnel clouds.

According to Environment Canada, the conditions are favourable for funnel clouds developing today.

As a result, Environment Canada issued the Special Weather Statement for:

With it being the long weekend, the RCMP are reminding Albertans to drive safe.

For this weekend, the RCMP are reminding people to follow some tips to ensure they are driving safe this weekend.

Do not drive impaired, as alcohol and drugs can impact judgement, coordination, and reaction time.

Instead, arrange a safe ride home, as impaired driving is not only a legal issue, but also a matter of life and death.

On top of that, avoid all distractions.

Unionized workers at Canada Post have voted to reject the Crown corporation's latest contract offer.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers said Friday that 68.5 per cent of urban mail carriers who voted were against the deal, while their rural and suburban colleagues were 69.4 per cent against.

The offer included wage hikes of about 13 per cent over four years but also added part-time workers that Canada Post has said are necessary to keep the postal service afloat.

The union had urged the roughly 55,000 postal service workers it represents to reject the proposal.

Tom Dimitroff purchased the winning $1 million LOTTO 6/49 ticket just North of the Foothills in the Calgary community of Seton.  

Dimitroff checked his numbers on the WCLC’s website and was thrilled to see he won in the July 12 draw. 

“I was pretty pleased,” he said.  

Adding, his wife didn’t believe he won, until he showed her.  

A local charity was recently presented with a cheque from Tim Hortons.

Baby It’s Cold Outside (BCO) was this year’s beneficiary of the Smile Cookie campaign in Okotoks, which ran from April 28 to May 4.

Over the course of the week, 8,238 cookies were sold, raising $16,725 for the organization.

BCO is dedicated to ensuring Foothills residents have access to basic necessities and mental health support.

The charity’s president, Pamela Morgan, said community support has allowed BCO to grow significantly and, in turn, help more people.

Town councillor and local business owner Brenda Walsh has officially entered the race to become High River’s next mayor.

First elected to council in 2021, Walsh is now looking to bring what she calls a more people-focused approach to municipal leadership.

"I believe that it's time for a change in leadership that's inclusive, transparent, and collaborative," said Walsh. "In a lot of cases, it isn't just about politics, it's about progress. It's about working side by side and building a stronger, more connected High River."

The move is part of the Canola Council of Canada's new strategic framework, 'Canola Forward: A Strategic Framework for 2025-2030.'

The news came in a press release announcing the new framework. Chris Davison, president & CEO, says the framework is focused on priorities identified by the Canadian canola industry and is aligned to help the industry seize emerging opportunities while navigating changing industry and trade dynamics.

An audit of Alberta medical clinics charging membership fees found no significant cases of patients paying out of pocket for covered medical treatment but paying members are likely getting more thorough care.

The province launched the audit in 2023 in response to concerns over a Calgary medical clinic switching to a membership model and planning to charge annual fees of about $5,000 for families and $2,000 for an adult.

The Calgary Police are looking for help identifying suspects involved in a break-in in the Sundance neighbourhood of Calgary.

At roughly 4:20 a.m. on Friday, July 18, two people allegedly forced their way into the storage garage of the Lake Sundance community centre, which is located at 62 Suncrest Way S.E.

Once they were inside, it's believed they took a 2024 Gator utility vehicle and drove it into an alleyway roughly two blocks north, near Sunhurst Crescent S.E.