Okotoks

Police have identified the remains of a Calgary man who disappeared 2 1/2 years ago and are investigating his death as a homicide.

The remains were discovered in May 2024 at an undisclosed location outside Calgary.

Robert Stanley Mainland was last seen in January 2023 at a 7-Eleven convenience store.

He was 65 at the time of his disappearance and had lived in the same northeast Calgary neighbourhood for over 40 years.

Police say they believe Mainland was the victim of foul play.

Update:

The Bubble Chase was cancelled due to weather conditions on Aug. 8.

"The safety of our participants, volunteers, and staff continues to be our top priority," the Town of High River said in a Facebook post.

The town thanks participants for their understanding and patience.

Swimmers in Okotoks will have to find a new place to swim for a while.

The Okotoks Rec Centre's aquatic facilities will be closed while crews complete their annual maintenance.

Currently, the work is scheduled to happen from Aug. 24 to Sept. 7.

While the work is being completed, there won't be any classes scheduled.

To check out other drop-in activities in town at that time, click here.

With the summer in full swing, the Town of High River is reminding residents and visitors to be mindful of potential dangers when cooling down in the Highwood River.  

The High River Fire Department doesn’t encourage rafting or swimming in the river.   

However, if you do go swimming in the river, you’re asked to wear a well-fitted Personal Floatation Device (PFD) or a life jacket.  

A local theatre troupe is headed to the biggest fringe theatre festival in North America.

This Play Has Zombies, an original production from Foothills-based collective The Erratic Players, is among 223 productions featured at the 44th Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, running from August 14-24.

The WCBL West Division Championship kicked off last night (August 6), and the Brooks Bombers had a ruff go of it.

With a final score of 11-4, the Okotoks Dawgs started the playoffs on the right foot, as they chase their fourth consecutive championship title.

The game started off quiet, but the Dawgs opened up the game with a four-run second inning, and managed to score in almost every inning after that.

Not only were the Dawgs able to hold off the Bombers from scoring for the first five innings to secure the win, but they also saw success at the plate.

The chuckwagons are in Dawson Creek, B.C., this week for the latest leg of the WPCA Pro Tour.

Day one of the Battle of the North was held on Aug. 6 and saw Evan Magee take the top spot, followed by High River's Jason Glass, who finished just ten one-hundredths of a second behind.

Glass currently holds the number one spot in the WPCA world standings.

Dayton Sutherland of De Winton landed in ninth place, with Jordie Fike of Blackie placing 15th.

The Battle of the North continues nightly until Sunday, August 10.

High River's Museum of the Highwood will once again serve as a filming location over the next several days.

It was closed on Monday and Tuesday of last week, and has just announced additional closures and limited access extending into next week.

The Alberta RCMP are on the lookout for Dustin Edward Wood for various crimes.  

Wood was included in this week's edition of Wanted Wednesday.  

His last known location is Calgary, with areas of activity including Okotoks, Black Diamond, Brooks, Langdon, and Strathmore.  

The Town of High River is warning residents about the presence of a noxious but pretty weed.

Creeping Bellflower, a perennial plant with purple, bell-shaped flowers, has been spotted around town. Despite its beauty, it spreads aggressively and is tough to get rid of.

Each stem can produce up to 15,000 seeds, and the plant is resistant to some herbicides, making it difficult to control. It typically blooms between June and September.

Because of its rapid spread and resistance, Creeping Bellflower can damage gardens, crops, and local ecosystems.