Okotoks

The Okotoks Oilers have a new voice.

Mike Gould has been named the new play-by-play announcer for Oilers games, as well as Coordinator of Game Ops and Communications.

Gould isn't new to the Green and Gold as he has done work as a PA announcer, helped Tyler King with some colour commentary, and other key roles with the team.

Those who wish to have a fire in Banff National Park are in luck.

As of Monday, August 20th, both the Town of Banff and Banff National Park downgraded the Fire Ban they were under, and now they are under a Fire Restriction.

The Fire Ban was lifted due to the current and forecasted weather conditions, the amount of moisture the vegetation has, the regional wildfire situation and the availability of responders, and the local fire danger.

The Highwood NDP will be hosting a healthcare town hall this week.

As a nationwide labour dispute looms between Canada’s two major freight railways and the union representing workers at each, the associations representing rural municipalities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are extremely concerned about the impacts that a rail work stoppage would have on Prairie agricultural producers, consumers and other industries crucial to rural communities.

"Freedom Convoy" organizer Tamara Lich wasn't part of any conspiracy to break the law when she helped organize a massive protest against pandemic restrictions in Ottawa, her lawyers argued in her criminal trial on Tuesday.

The Crown alleges Lich and fellow organizer Chris Barber, who owns a Saskatchewan trucking business, were in cahoots to block roads and disrupt locals in a bid to pressure the federal government to drop COVID-19 vaccine mandates in 2022.

The Canadian Cattle Foundation (the Foundation) presented the second annual Reg Schellenberg Next Generation Legacy Award to support the Canadian Cattle Young Leaders (CYL) Program last night at the Canadian Beef Industry Conference. 

The recipient of the 2024 award Cassie Marchand from Vernon, BC was presented by Lynn Grant, Vice President of the Foundation & Canadian Cattle Association Board member. 

A High River man recently won $100,000 on a lottery ticket that was gifted to him.

Phillip Regnier's daughter regularly purchases a variety of lottery tickets, and just so happened to gift her father the EXTRA ticket that would win him $100,000.

He was quoted in a release from the AGLC, saying his daughter was one of the first people he showed his winning ticket off to.

“I showed her, and she was going ballistic!” he laughed. “I showed my wife after that, and she didn’t believe me.”

The demands of protecting parliamentarians and other public figures are placing "significant strain" on RCMP personnel and taking resources from other federal policing priorities, warns an internal briefing note. 

The national police force is "forced to walk a delicate balance" in providing protective services in response to threats flagged by parliamentarians, says the newly released February memo.

"The limited capacity of the RCMP's protective services must be prioritized based on these assessments."

Monday's supermoon was the first of four this year.

During a supermoon, the full moon inches a little closer than usual to Earth. A supermoon isn't bigger, but it can appear that way in the night sky, although scientists say the difference can be barely perceptible.

September's supermoon will coincide with a partial lunar eclipse. October's will be the year's closest approach, and November's will round out the year.

The Canadian Beef Industry Conference is being held this week in Saskatoon for the first time.

The four-day event brings together 500 attendees from cattle producers, to government agencies, beef industry representatives and researchers from across the country to share ideas.

Vice President of the Canadian Cattle Association Tyler Fulton says its an opportunity for participants to hear from some keynote speakers and take part in the CCA committee meetings.