Okotoks

One of the world's most famous outlaws, once portrayed by Robert Redford on the silver screen, has ties to a historic Alberta ranch.

If you've ever visited the Bar U Ranch National Historic Site near Longview, you've tread the same ground as Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, also known as The Sundance Kid.

Longabaugh was born in Pennsylvania in 1867 and was the youngest of five children.

In 1882, at the age of 15, he travelled west in a covered wagon with his cousin to help settle his relative's homestead near Cortez, Colorado.

The Town of High River's Social Wellbeing Assessment Report is out.

The vast majority of the population says they're proud to live here at 86%.

The 61-page document covers a wide range of issues.

Some of the highlights include other positive snapshots with 94% of seniors saying they can live independently.

However, the housing and affordability situation is challenging for 67% of the respondents.

Over 800 High River residents completed the survey however only 23 were between the ages of 13 and 24.

The 2024 WCBL Finals start on Thursday night with the Okotoks Dawgs hosting game one against the Moose Jaw Miller Express at Seaman Stadium to continue their quest for the three-peat.

During the playoffs, Okotoks' pitchers have been lights out so far. It's evident when looking at the statistics, with closer Ashton Luera leading the league with 16 strikeouts in just eight and one-third innings pitched. Dawgs veteran and 2024 WCBL All-Star Graham Brunner is in fourth place with 12 strikeouts in nine and two-thirds innings pitched.

Former Conservative MP and cabinet minister Chuck Strahl has died at the age of 67.

Strahl was first elected in 1993 and represented the B.C. riding of Chilliwack–Fraser Canyon until his retirement in 2011.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called Strahl a "dear friend" in a social media post Wednesday.

"Chuck's unwavering commitment to our movement and his deep love for Canada were part of everything he did," Poilievre said.

"He was a man of principle, integrity and compassion, and a foundational member of our Conservative party."

With farmers getting close to harvest they're taking an extra look at any diseases that could pop up this year, including verticillium stripe.

While more common in eastern portions of Manitoba, samples have been seen in fields all the west to Alberta.

The disease is a relative newcomer, with agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada Breanna Miller explaining its impact.

The RCMP have released an update on the fatal collision near Nanton on Wednesday morning.

Nanton RCMP was dispatched to the incident on Highway 2 at about 4:30 a.m.

A semi-truck carrying two tankers of ammonium nitrate had rolled over into the ditch, spilling the contents nearby.

The driver, a 31-year-old man from Calgary, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Both southbound lanes were closed into he early evening, but have since been reopened.

The Town of Okotoks will soon have live air quality readings available.

A portable air monitoring laboratory (PAML) has been set up in town through a collaboration between the Calgary Region Airshed Zone (CRAZ), Alberta Environment and Protected Areas, and the Town.

CRAZ is a non-profit that performs air quality monitoring in several Southern Alberta municipalities on behalf of the provincial government.

Their PAML, which is set up at 63 Wilson Street near Okotoks Junior High School and Percy Pegler School, will gather air quality data until July 31, 2025.

A recently released international report says Canada's temporary foreign worker program is a "breeding ground" for contemporary slavery.

The final report by a United Nations special rapporteur who visited Canada last year says a power imbalance prevents workers from exercising their rights.

A worker's status is dependent on a closed work permit that is specific to their employer. If an individual is fired, they may be deported from Canada. 

Workers are subject to a wide range of abuses and aren't always aware of their rights, the report says. 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says people seeking asylum at the border with Canada will have less time to consult a lawyer before making their case, as President Joe Biden's asylum halt makes its way to Canada’s doorstep. 

Biden announced sweeping changes mostly targeted at the U.S. border with Mexico in June, as the issue remains a thorn in the Democrats' side ahead of the November election. The new procedural changes, which the department confirmed Tuesday, will affect migrants crossing into the U.S. from Canada.

A Foothills brewery just had another impressive showing at an international award show.

Fahr Brewing, based out of Diamond Valley, was awarded three medals at the 2024 World Beer Awards.

Their Copper won gold and was named the country winner in the Amber/Dark Kellerbier category, their Alkoholfrei took silver in No & Low Alcohol Lager, and their Hefe won bronze in Strong Wheat Beer.

This was Fahr's sixth consecutive year of receiving some form of award at the World Beer Awards, with all three of this year's winners having received medals in previous years.