Strathmore

Federal, provincial, and territorial agriculture ministers are gathered in Manitoba this week for critical discussions on the future of Canadian agriculture. The meetings, which wrap up Tuesday, come at a time when global trade disruptions, domestic infrastructure needs, and food security are top of mind for producers and policymakers alike.

Federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath MacDonald says the meetings are an opportunity to listen to regional concerns and collaborate on national solutions.

Chain coffee stores have begun rolling out their pumpkin spice menu items, while local coffee shops are preparing to unveil their special fall offerings. 

As the leaves begin to change colour, StrathmoreNow ran a poll asking coffee drinkers where they get their pumpkin spice latte fix.

With a total of 31 votes, here are the results:

Stage West is back in action with a new line of shows.

First up is Shear Madness, a murder mystery that the crew and audience must solve. 

Listen all this week for the Question of the Day. If you get it right, you could score a pair of tickets!

Keesyn Glawson will drop the Q of the Day after 7:30 a.m.

For more information on Stage West and their shows, click here.

As federal, provincial, and territorial agriculture ministers are meeting in Winnipeg this week, the future of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) is drawing renewed attention. While the Conservative Party has proposed eliminating the broader program, both farm leaders and Conservative MPs are emphasizing that agriculture will remain exempt.

Keith Currie, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture (CFA), stressed the importance of the program to the sector.

Conservative Agriculture Critic John Barlow and Canadian Federation of Agriculture President Keith Currie are calling on the federal Liberal government to approve the emergency use of strychnine as a way to deal with the increased number of gophers or Richardson’s ground squirrels (RGS) across the Prairies.

The Brooks Bandits have made some changes to their operations staff.

Late last month, the BCHL club announced that Dakota Mason had been promoted to head coach. He is replacing Ryan Papaioannou, who accepted a position as head coach of the ECHL's Wheeling Nailers, which serves as a farm team for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Mason is now joined alongside Keven Sajinovic and Cole McCaig as assistant coaches.

The Cluny and Gleichen Lions Charity PBR Rodeo delivered a heavy cheque to the Strathmore District Health Foundation earlier this month.

On Sept. 3, the Cluny and Gleichen Lions presented a cheque of $39,226 to the local hospital, with the funds being raised by the August rodeo. 

Rebloom Community Health and Wellness hosted the second annual Stick It To Stigma free mental health event in Strathmore.

Stick It To Stigma took place on Saturday (Sept. 6) at the Strathmore Civic Centre and featured free pizza, family-friendly activities, and several speakers.

"The event is to showcase all of the resources we have in and around Strathmore," said Halle Cockx, owner of Rebloom. "It's all focused on mental health and bringing the community together to break the stigma around mental health."

The Strathmore Lions Splash Park is officially closed for the season.

The park had its last day on Labour Day Monday (Sept. 1), before shutting down in anticipation of autumn.

It was an early year for the Splash Park, opening several days ahead of schedule due to the warm weather. 

The splash park had a full season of operation this year, unlike in 2024, when it was plagued with shutdowns due to local water restrictions.

Naming mountains used to be a hobby for David Jones.

Through the 1970s, the passionate climber and guidebook author would sit atop peaks in Alberta and B.C.'s mountain range, often with a climbing partner, and they would write down made-up names, all to be sent to the government to have them officially recognized.

"That's Hitchhiker, because there's a pick with a little thumb on the back. And that's Whiteface, because there's a big white scar on it," Jones offers as examples.

"We just scribbled the names on a map."