Okotoks

The Parole Board of Canada says it is now working to allow victims’ families to attend Paul Bernardo's parole hearing and deliver their victim impact statements in person.

A lawyer representing the families of two teenage girls murdered by notorious killer and serial rapist Paul Bernardo said they had been denied the right to deliver their statements in person at Bernardo's upcoming parole hearing. The issue was raised by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre during question period in the House of Commons Wednesday.

Randy Boissonnault is leaving his post as employment minister in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet after weeks of questions about the Edmonton MP's shifting claims of Indigenous identity and his business dealings.

Smile Cookies are back from Tim Hortons.

Kevin Generoux, owner of the two locations in High River and one in Claresholm says they've changed it up a bit.

"It is a little different. It is the Christmas cookie so it's more of a sugar cookie and not the chocolate chunk. It's got a smiley face on it, and we have selected two charities. Which are the local food banks in High River and Claresholm and the Tim Horton's Children's Foundation."

Generoux says it feels great to help out the community and you should pick some up soon because they're flying off the shelves.

A few Foothills food banks will be benefitting from this year's Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie campaign.

Sales of smile cookies at Tim Hortons locations from Nov. 18-24 will be split between local charities and Tim Hortons Foundation Camps.

In Okotoks, those proceeds will go to the Okotoks Food Bank.

It comes at the perfect time, as the food bank is heading into the holiday season following a busy fall.

It's the beginning of the holiday season and the Alberta RCMP are reminding people to be cyber-safe.

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up, it's a busy time for online shopping, and the police are reminding Albertans to follow safe cyber practices while they are shopping online.

Numerous reports have found unauthorized use of credit card data occurs well after the incident has occurred, causing people to not realize they have been the victim of fraud until after the fact and they have received their credit card bill.

In 2023, the Alberta RCMP had:

Treasury Board President Anita Anand is warning that if the House of Commons doesn't get back to regular business, some government departments might be in financial trouble.

On Monday, Anand tabled a supplementary estimates request for $21.6 billion to fund programs including housing, dental care and the national school food program.

One of the biggest-ticket items is $970.8 million for compensation adjustments for civil servants as a result of collective bargaining agreements.

Okotoks should be on the lookout for manhole inspection and minor survey work being done tomorrow (Nov. 21).

The work will be done throughout the Heritage area between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. along with Northridge Drive and Milligan Drive between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. 

Drivers in the area can expect minor traffic disruptions.

When passing through, pay attention to crews, signage, and equipment while using caution.

The Town of Okotoks is thanking drivers for their patience and cooperation.

Residents across Alberta can expect an alert from the Alberta Emergency Alerts system today (Nov. 20).

The province's alert system is being tested this afternoon with televisions, radios, and smartphones scheduled to send out notifications at 1:55 p.m.

High River will also sound its sirens at the Fire Hall and near the community garden in the northwest.

Local authorities, the police, the Alberta Emergency Management Agency, or Environment Canada send out Emergency Alerts.

With winter in full swing this week, you might be thinking of grabbing a book and snuggling up inside for a good read.

You're in luck too, as the Friends of the High River Public Library Society in High River are putting on another book sale on Friday, Nov. 29 and Saturday, Nov. 30.

Okotoks may be getting its own Remembrance crosswalk next year.

Mayor Tanya Thorn addressed Okotokians about the possibility on her Facebook page after Cochrane's Remembrance crosswalk garnered praise and sparked many conversations on social media.