Strathmore

Thousands were in attendance for the 66th annual Rockyford Rodeo over the weekend.

The event took place at the village between Friday (July 25) and Sunday, featuring hot food, cold drinks, and tons of activities.

Some of the rodeo events included saddle bronc, breakaway roping, and wild horse races.

The Strathmore Stampede has taken place for approximately 69 years and remains one of the town's most anticipated summer traditions. 

This year's event runs from Aug. 1 to 4 at the Strathmore Ag Grounds.

While the modern Stampede began in the 1960s, the first-ever Strathmore Stampede was introduced more than 100 years ago.

Alberta resident Shamaila Akram says she can handle the increase in racial slurs and derogatory comments being thrown at her, but she worries about her newcomer and immigrant clients.

As debates unfold over Canada's immigration system, those who provide help to newcomers in Alberta say there has been an uptick of hostility toward immigrants.

"I hear from people in my own communities -- women specifically who wear hijabs -- many bad things and we realize there is a need to educate people," said Akram, with Calgary's Centre for Newcomers. 

Police are investigating a fatal hit and run that happened on Siksika Nation.

Gleichen RCMP responded to the crash at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday (July 26), where officers found two people dead and another in critical condition.

"Investigation thus far has determined that the five people were walking when they were hit by a vehicle," wrote RCMP in a news release. "The vehicle then fled the scene."

With less than a year to go until the 2026 World Cup, political tensions and U.S. policy threaten to pose problems as Canada, the United States and Mexico prepare to co-host the tournament.

Next year’s FIFA World Cup will be the biggest ever, with the three countries hosting a record 48 teams. Between June 11 and July 19, they will play 104 matches, most of them in the U.S.

Avery Shenfeld doesn't think the Bank of Canada will cut its benchmark interest rate at its decision on Wednesday, but if it does, he said it will be a "pleasant surprise."

"There's always a chance that they'll surprise with the rate cut," the chief economist of CIBC said.

Most economists are also expecting the Bank of Canada will hold its policy rate steady at 2.75 per cent for a third consecutive decision later this week.

The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed a request to hear an appeal from Achter Land and Cattle regarding an earlier court decision that found a thumbs-up emoji served as an agreement to a grain contract. South West Terminal launched a claim for damages after Achter Land and Cattle failed to deliver on the contract.

Two people have been hospitalized and more than 200 have shown symptoms after a gastrointestinal outbreak at a Calgary-area food facility.

Alberta Health Services says the outbreak at Saskatoon Farm in Foothills County is presumed to be E. coli and an intestinal illness called amoebiasis.

Saskatoon Farm's food service facilities were ordered closed on Wednesday until deemed safe again, while the rest of the business remains open.

Alberta Health Services says there have been 18 lab-confirmed cases of E. coli, three of which also tested positive for amoebiasis.

The Canadian Nurses Association says it hopes the new "united Team Canada" approach at the Council of the Federation will lead to harmonization of nurses' licences across the country.

The association was among a number of health-care advocacy groups at the recent annual meeting of Canada's premiers.

While health care tends to take centre stage when the premiers meet, this year's gathering with Prime Minister Mark Carney was dominated by discussion of U.S. President Donald Trump's global trade war.

Most Canadians believe the country is making good progress on reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, a new poll from Leger suggests.

"The extent to which people feel progress on reconciliation is being made or not has an important bearing on how they feel about the country," said Jack Jedwab, president and CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies, which commissioned the poll.

The survey of 1,580 respondents was conducted between June 20 and 22. A margin of error cannot be associated to the survey because online polls are not considered to be truly random samples.