Strathmore

Green cart collection in Strathmore is switching from weekly to bi-weekly starting November 1.

Staff with the town say it's due to a lower need for less yard waste from residents.

"The Town of Strathmore provides residential waste collection and disposal services to over 4,400 properties," wrote the town on its website.

Items like fruits and vegetables, meat and bones, and grass clippings are just a few of the items that can go into green carts.

One lucky dog owner will be winning a prize at Alpine View Pet Spa on Halloween (Oct. 31).

To celebrate All Hallows Eve, the doggy daycare will be putting on a costume contest for what they call a "Halloween Pawty".

"We have been doing this Halloween party for seven years now," said Kyla Janes, owner of Alpine View Pet Spa. "All the pups that come with costumes on, we put their names in a hat, and one of them will win a prize that day."

There will also be goody bags for all the dogs that arrive, which include several toys and treats for the animals. 

The Agra Risk Wheatland Kings Junior B hockey team has had quite a strong start to the season.

At the start of the month, the Kings began the year with an 8-1 victory against the Red Deer Vipers before suffering a three-game losing streak that led into the middle of the month.

Cody Holdaway, general manager of the team, said that the club has come back from a few losses and is now on a four-game winning streak. 

"We've had a couple of strong weekends, back-to-back. This now puts the team at 8-3 in the first 11, which is the best in franchise history."

Josephine Sindani’s first memory of using a food bank is a happy one. 

She was eight years old and still adjusting to the shock of an Ottawa winter after recently moving from Halifax, where she and her mom arrived in Canada from Sudan about two years earlier. One day she saw her pregnant mother approaching their home, trudging through snow and carrying a “big bag of toys.”

Premier Scott Moe and the Saskatchewan Party won a fifth consecutive majority government Monday, losing in the big cities but retaining its iron grip on rural areas to secure victory.

Moe’s party was shut out by Carla Beck’s NDP in Regina and lost all but two seats in Saskatoon.

But it found enough support everywhere else to be elected in 35 seats in the 61-seat legislature, compared with 26 for the NDP.

"Thank you once again, Saskatchewan for placing your trust in our party, the Saskatchewan Party," Moe said as supporters in Shellbrook clapped and whooped.

The Bloc Québécois is poised to begin talks with other parties to bring down the minority Liberal government, which has not met its deadline to pass two key bills.

Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet set the deadline last month, putting the Liberals on notice that to avoid an election "before Christmas" they must adopt a pair of private member's bills.

One of the Bloc bills aimed at safeguarding supply management in trade negotiations has the support of the government and is being studied by the Senate.

Police response times in Strathmore and Chestermere are lower than average, according to RCMP. 

On Monday (Oct. 28), the Operational Communications Centres (OCC) reported that response times across the province are faster than ever, with an average response time of 21.2 minutes.

However, according to Chris Spence, director of Alberta's OCC, the number is significantly lower in Strathmore and Chestermere.

The Strathmore Wheatland Chamber of Commerce held the 2024 Business Excellence Awards on Friday (Oct. 25).

It was a full house at the Civic Centre as hundreds of local businesses were nominated in 13 different categories.

"The businesses take a great sense of pride in winning these awards, and I think that is key in the community," said Cody Holdaway, secretary with the chamber. "I really believe it helps them better each other every day."

The event also featured a dinner of prime rib, mashed potatoes, and broccoli salad, courtesy of Baldwin BBQ.

Range Road 254 between Township Road 230 and Highway 901 will be closed for construction work.

"Thank you for your patience," wrote Wheatland County in a news release.

Staff with the county say from November 4 to December 13, work will be done on replacing a bridge-size culvert.

A family-friendly trick or treat alternative returns to Strathmore on Halloween (Oct. 31).

The Strathmore Full Gospel Church will host its annual Trunk or Treat event in the church's parking lot from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.

"We've been doing this for over a decade now," said Jessica Clayton, next-gen director of the church. "We are just a group of people that come and decorate our trunks in ways that aren't scary for young families."