Okotoks

The farmland market in Saskatchewan may be tilting toward the buyer.

It’s not there yet because sellers still have the upper hand, but real estate agents in the province say more land may soon come up for sale, thus tipping the scales in favour of buyers.

As of August 2025, 265 farmland properties were posted on the MLS system in Saskatchewan. That’s down drastically from 2020, when the number of farms for sale was close to 500.

It's International Dog Day today (Aug. 26), but can you bring your four-legged friend on an adventure to a National Park?

Dogs are allowed to accompany their owners in National Parks, but they must remain on leash.

In order to help keep wildlife safe, protect sensitive habitats, and ensure everyone has a positive experience, dogs must be on leash at all times in National Parks.

Not only that, but keeping dogs on leash will help to protect the dog and the public as well.

Nanton residents have a chance to leave a lasting legacy in the community through the Public Asset Donation Program.  

The program provides a way for community members to enhance public spaces, from planting a tree to adding a memorial bench, or creating a park feature that encourages connections.  

“Your donation creates a legacy that enriches the lives of residents and visitors alike,” the Town of Nanton’s website said.  

The BCHL Okotoks Oilers pre-season fires up next week.

Coming up next Wednesday, Sept. 3, they host the Blackfalds Bulldogs at Viking Rentals Studio.

The Oilers have five games in the pre-season, with four of them being on home ice.

Watch out for another phishing email scam, says the Foothills School Division.

This past Friday, Aug. 22, the school division posted the warning on their website stating that they've been made aware of the email making the rounds.

It appears to come from FSD, but it's not, and they ask parents not to click on the link.

It appears in your email as a shared 'Notebook' link. 

You can reach out to FSD via email at helpdesk@fsd38.ab.ca

The driver of a vehicle involved in a single-vehicle collision on Deerfoot Trail southeast has passed away.

At roughly 1:25 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 17, a 2010 Cobra, driven by a man in his 50s, was travelling southbound on Deerfoot Trail S.E.

As the vehicle approached the overpass for Seton Boulevard S.E., the vehicle began to travel on the righthand shoulder of the roadway, as the lanes reduced.

It was then that the vehicle struck as temporary road construction sign.

Two completely separate petitions are looking for signatures in Okotoks and High River today.

The 'Forever Canada' petition will have volunteers set up with tables at the Staples and Dollarama at Southridge Drive and Big Rock Trail from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m.

The petition asks, "Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada?"

This petition needs 294,000 signatures in order to trigger a referendum, as papers were submitted after recent provincial laws were changed.

The Canada Revenue Agency has offered contract extensions to around 850 call centre employees as their union sounds the alarm over staffing levels. 

CRA spokesperson Etienne Biram says the workers, whose contracts were set to expire in September, were contacted about the decision last week.

The federal union representing workers at the tax agency recently launched an online campaign denouncing staffing cuts. 

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc is set to meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington this week after Ottawa announced it would be lifting some retaliatory tariffs.

LeBlanc's office said he will travel to the United States capital on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced last Friday that Canada will drop some retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products to match American tariff exemptions for goods covered under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement on trade, called CUSMA. .

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she expects the private sector to lead the way on potentially bringing nuclear power to the province.

But she says her government is prepared to set up a Crown corporation, like Ontario has for its nuclear generation, if necessary. 

Smith made her remarks as she announced a new panel to gather public feedback on the possibility of building reactors. 

She says that could include small modular reactors powering oilsands sites or full-scale plants feeding the grid.