Strathmore

There will be no swimming in Strathmore for the next few weeks.

According to the Town of Strathmore, crews began annual maintenance on the Strathmore Aquatic Centre on Thursday (Aug. 28).

"This downtime helps us keep the pool clean, safe, and ready for another splash-tastic year," wrote the town.

During maintenance, town staff fix tile and grout, clean out air ducts, de-gunk pool filters, and perform several repairs for the pool's mechanical system. 

Casey Kruse, a Strathmore swimmer and Special Olympics athlete, took home some heavy metal from the Canada Summer Games in St. John's, Newfoundland.

By the end of her time at the event, Kruse took home two gold medals - one in the 100 metre freestyle and another in the 50 metre breaststroke.

"It was one of the best meets I have ever done in my lifetime," said Kruse. "There was so much competition and so many people I had never met before. It was so much fun."

Today is the day of our second annual Charity BBQ!

Join us from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Strathmore Motor Products (SMP).

Baldwin BBQ will be cooking up the food, which can be purchased by donation, with all proceeds going back to Project H.O.P.E.

During the event, SMP will be doing a ride and drive event where each vehicle test driven will donate $25 to Project H.O.P.E.

If you can't make this one, then mark Sept. 25 off your calendar for our next Charity BBQ!

The province is once again giving livestock producers on crown land the opportunity to apply for the Crown Grazing Lease Rental Reduction Program.

Agriculture Minister Daryl Harrison says, given the dry conditions throughout most of the grazing season, they are once again offering the program for producers.

"Crown grazing land lessees who have reduced the number of animals grazing on the land are eligible to apply (by the October 31st deadline) for a rent reduction for the 2025 grazing season.To be eligible, the lessee must reduce their stocking rate by 20 per cent."

RCMP are searching for a wanted man who was last seen in Brooks.

As part of Alberta RCMP's Wanted Wednesday initiative, they have released an image of Yuol Kuol Bol, who is known to frequent Calgary, Brooks, and Foothills County.

"This individual is wanted by the RCMP for various crimes," wrote police in a social media post.

If you spot Bol, police ask that you do not approach and instead reach out to your local police detachment.

RCMP previously told StrathmoreNow that crimes in the Wanted Wednesday posts are typically not made available to the public.

Peavey Mart is making a comeback.

A message posted to the farm goods retailer's website says the brand that closed all its stores earlier in the year is planning to reopen in select Alberta markets.

The note says Spruce Grove, Westlock, Camrose and Lacombe will all see Peavey Mart return this fall.

The company says the new iteration of the brand will focus on high quality and locally sourced items meant for farmers, ranchers, homesteaders and more.

It promises to release more details about the relaunch in the coming weeks.

Class is now in session.

Thursday (Aug. 28) marks the start of school for Sacred Heart Academy and Holy Cross Collegiate.

School zones near Sacred Heart and Holy Cross also come into effect as class begins.

People in Calgary can expect to hear a consistent round of loud bangs for at least another day as police try to disarm an explosive substance in a south-end industrial neighbourhood.

Police say a moving company had been tasked with disposing of several substances, including a package of picric acid.

But that package was mislabelled and had been sitting for about 10 days when it was discovered early Tuesday afternoon. Police were notified later in the day.

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc said he left Washington Wednesday with a sense that progress was made after a meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

"It was constructive in the sense it was an exchange of views that I think helped both us and the Americans understand the work we need to do to get, we hope, to an agreement," LeBlanc said in an interview with The Canadian Press after arriving in Montreal.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on Wednesday accused the federal Liberals of allowing temporary foreign workers to take jobs away from young Canadians while youth unemployment is high.

"As our young people have a quarter-century high in their unemployment, Mark Carney this year is expected to bring in a record number of temporary foreign workers to take the jobs of Canadian youth," Poilievre said. 

Statistics Canada data shows unemployment for youth, aged 15 to 24, hit 14.6 per cent in July. This is the highest it's been since 2010, outside of the COVID-19 pandemic.