Okotoks

The federal finance minister said Tuesday he wants to address service delays at the Canada Revenue Agency within 100 days, even as Ottawa plans spending cuts across the public service.

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne set the timeline in a letter to Liberal MP Karina Gould, chair of the House of Commons finance committee, which was posted to his X account Tuesday morning.

In that letter, he said it's "increasingly apparent" the CRA is not meeting Canadians' standards.

The federal NDP officially launched the race to find its next leader on Tuesday, leaving seven months for interested candidates to mount a campaign.

The next NDP leader will be elected at a national convention in Winnipeg in March.

In a news release, the party says there has been strong interest in the leadership contest since Aug. 20, when the application packages were made available.

Police in Calgary say a woman has been charged after a south-end neighbourhood was essentially shut down over an explosive substance left out in the elements.

The 59-year-old woman faces one count of criminal negligence and is slated to appear in court next month.

It comes after a two-day saga in the Manchester neighbourhood, where residents were subjected to evacuations and a series of loud bangs as officers tried to destroy a package of picric acid.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government is rewriting a ministerial order directing school divisions to ban books containing sexually explicit content to ensure classic books stay on library shelves.

Smith says the order is being changed to only target books that contain images of sexual content.

The initial order covered books with images, illustrations, audio and written passages with sexually explicit content.

As harvest operations begin across the prairies, CN Rail is monitoring the impact of weather on the harvest and working with customers as it prepares to ramp up grain movement. 

David Przednowek,Vice President of Grain for CN Rail says with the seasonal decline that they usually see in shipping, they move some of the hopper car fleet into long-term storage, and it's time to bring them back out and get them ready to roll.

The body of a Calgary woman was found on Highway 2 near Okotoks Monday night (Sept. 1).

Okotoks RCMP responded around 11:10 p.m. and discovered the 20-year-old deceased in the southbound lanes near 306 Avenue.

Investigators believe she was struck by a large vehicle, possibly a semi-truck.

No driver or vehicle was located at the scene.

RCMP are asking anyone who was driving in the area between 10:00 and 11:10 p.m. with dashcam footage to contact them at (403) 995-6400.

Graham Greene, the Canadian Indigenous actor, died on Labour Day Monday at the age of 73.

Greene was a well-established actor who made a name for himself in the 1990 movie Dances with Wolves.

Greene was a proud Canadian who ended up featured in many roles over the years, including a comedic role in Maverick in 1994.

The list of movies he acted in is long, and his TV appearances might be even longer.

The 73-year-old also acted in some locally shot films in the 90s.

The black bear spotted wandering around in Okotoks in August is sticking around.

On Aug. 17, the Town of Okotoks warned of a black bear sighting in Waller Park, and signs were put in place to let residents know.

On Sept. 1, the Town took to Facebook to let people know the bear is still in Town.

This time, the bear was spotted in the Mountain View area (Mist Mountain Rise and Banded Peak), and Report-a-Poacher has been notified.

The Rowan House Society is removing barriers for individuals who are experiencing domestic violence and abuse to access the organization's emergency shelter.  

Starting today (Sept. 2), the Rowan House Society is welcoming cats and dogs to accompany their owners who stay at the emergency shelter.  

“Pets aren’t just animals, they’re family, and family shouldn’t be left behind,” a Rowan House Society Facebook post said.  

The Town of Okotoks has joined in investing to strengthen the Greater Calgary area economic growth.

As part of a region-wide effort to create more jobs, attract new businesses and expand opportunities for residents, the Town of Okotoks has joined the Invest Greater Calgary (ICG).

The ICG is a collaborative partnership that will unite the communities to help showcase the region's strength to the world.