Okotoks

Swimmers in Okotoks will have to find a different place to swim this Saturday (June 14).

The Aquatics Facilities at the Okotoks Rec Centre will be closed for a swim meet.

The closure includes the lap pool, leisure pool, sauna, and hot tub.

This closure will also cause drop-in swimming and swimming lessons to be cancelled for the day.

To stay up to date on pool closures and what's happening at the Rec Centre, click here.

Chanse Vigen, who now calls Calgary home, finished in first place after one night of racing at the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede.

Vigen, defending his title, raced through on a slow, somewhat muddy track in a penalty-free time of 1:05.07.

Locally, High River's Jason Glass came in 13th, with DeWinton's Dayton Sutherland coming in 21st and Blackie's Jordie Fike came through in 30th but he did get dinged for a two second penalty for a false start.

Jason Glass is in first place in the world standings. 

Foot-and-mouth disease is a highly contagious and severe disease that affects cattle, sheep, swine, and other cloven-hoofed animals making it hard for them to eat and walk, leaving them weak and sick.

The FMD vaccine bank builds on existing protections for the livestock industry and equips producers with another tool to control and eliminate the disease should an outbreak occur.

Budget 2023 committed $57.5 million over five years, with $5.6 million ongoing, to the CFIA to establish the FMD vaccine bank and response plans.

Two years ago, more than 120,000 federal public servants went on strike after negotiations broke down.

Now, the union representing those workers is going back to the bargaining table with the government with the goal of securing greater job security and remote work options for its members.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada says next week's initial meetings offer its first opportunity to present priorities identified by members, such as better wages, greater job security and stronger provisions for remote work.

This year's wildfire season in Canada is shaping up to be the second-worst on record and federal officials are warning of a dangerous summer in parts of British Columbia.

Officials with several government departments held a technical briefing Thursday in Ottawa with an update on the state of multiple wildfires and its forecast for the coming months.

The Alberta government says it is considering letting oil companies inject wastewater deep underground as a way to manage the toxic tailings that are accumulating in the oil sands.

The idea is one of five being put forward by a government-appointed committee tasked with studying potential tailings management options.

A new report from the committee says injecting mine water underground is a practical solution but considering over 1.4 trillion litres of tailings exist as of 2023 it can't be the only option.

A former health-care agency leader is asking a judge to deliver a quick decision on her wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the Alberta government, but the province says it will push back.

Athana Mentzelopoulos, the former CEO of Alberta Health Services, or AHS, has applied for a summary judgment on the legality of her January firing, which would avoid sending the case to trial.

Nine Albertans have recently been awarded the Alberta Order of Excellence, including one person living in the Longview area.

John Scott owns a ranch near Longview and has been a staple in the Alberta movie industry for decades, but he says he isn't sure why he won the award.

"I just kind of found out [Tuesday] that I've won the Order of Excellence, which is a high award for Alberta. And just honoured to win it," Scott explains. "I've been so busy, I just haven't had time to absorb everything that goes with it."

The Town of Okotoks recently released their new Growth Strategy. 

According to the Senior Manager for Planning and Identity for the Town of Okotoks, Robyn Marsden, this Strategy will help guide how the Town grows.

"The Town's growth Strategy is really a practical tool, and it's meant to help guide how, where, and when we grow, with a focus on really ensuring that our growth is identity-driven," explained Marsden. "And what that means is that we're really about growing in a way that truly reflects the needs and the values of our community."

Canada Post's new set of stamps honouring Indigenous leaders will be revealed at a series of events next week, including one for a local Elder.

This is the fourth set of Canada Post's Indigenous Leaders multi-year stamp series, which began in 2022, and highlights the contributions of modern-day First Nations, Inuit, and Métis leaders who dedicated their lives to preserving their culture and improving the quality of life for Indigenous Peoples in Canada.