Okotoks

A few local hockey players are looking to earn a spot on the Team Alberta U16 roster this fall.  

The Alberta Cup Hockey Tournament was held in Red Deer on April 24.  

Team Alberta Red took gold with local players Hudson Pineda on defence, and Nolan Ilsley and Max Mullen as forwards.   

Spruce Meadows is bringing the world of superheroes to the showjumping ring this Father's Day with a Marvel-themed celebration.

The Calgary venue will host a range of activities on Sunday, June 16, including live music, photo ops with roaming characters, interactive exhibits, and fan-focused attractions tied to Marvel Comics. The event is part of Spruce Meadows' 50th anniversary celebrations.

The federal public service shed almost 10,000 people last year, with the Canada Revenue Agency and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada losing the most employees.

The last time the public service contracted was in 2015, when the number of people employed dropped just slightly from 257,138 to 257,034.

The number of public servants employed by the federal government fell from 367,772 to 357,965 over the last year.

Canada's fentanyl czar says the fight against the deadly opioid would get a boost from proposed new tools for law enforcement in the Liberal government's recently tabled border bill.

Kevin Brosseau, the federal point person on fentanyl, welcomes provisions in the Strong Borders Act to increase inspection powers, give police easier access to information, crack down on money laundering and improve control of chemicals used to make the drug.

Alberta's government announced Friday residents who are not immunocompromised or on social programs will soon have to pay to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

In a late afternoon news release, the government said that since provinces took over responsibility for procuring the shots in April, it has wanted to cut down on waste and recoup costs.

It said an estimated one million COVID-19 vaccine doses, or just over half of Alberta's supply, were not used during the 2023-2024 respiratory virus season. It said $135 million worth of shots were wasted.

The Okotoks Dawgs are in for a busy weekend, with three games on tap.

They’ll kick things off Friday, June 13, at 7:05 p.m. with a grudge match against the Mavericks in Medicine Hat.

The two teams last met in the Dawgs’ season opener on May 28, where Okotoks lost 12–11.

The Dawgs return home Saturday and Sunday to host the Energy City Cactus Rats.

A sure sign of summer is the Okotoks Parade, which is set to return on Saturday, June 14.

The annual event transforms downtown Okotoks into an outdoor festival, 

Along with the parade itself, there are a couple of other events scheduled in the downtown area.

Here's everything you'll need to know:

Pancake Breakfast

Early risers can start their day with a pancake breakfast hosted by the Okotoks Lions Club.

It runs from 8 to 10 a.m. in the front parking lot of The Eagle 100.9 building at 22 Elizabeth St.

The annual Okotoks Parade and Children's Festival is happening this weekend, but will the weather be nice?

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada Scientist Christy Climenhaga, we can expect some slightly unsettled conditions this weekend.

"That's going to be seen starting this afternoon, evening, the risk of some scattered thunderstorm activity across much of Southern Alberta," Climenhaga explains.

Climenhaga adds that while she can see some weather in the Okotoks area, it looks like severe weather should stay a little further east of town.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch across much of Southern Alberta, including Vulcan County and parts of Foothills County.

Thunderstorms are developing over the foothills and are expected to drift northeast through the afternoon and into the evening before tapering off.

There is potential for severe storms in some areas, with the possibility of strong winds, large hail and heavy rainfall.

ECCC warns that heavy rain could lead to flash flooding and is reminding residents to seek shelter if they hear thunder.