Okotoks

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan has written to the federal government asking for emergency use of strychnine to control gophers
 

The Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan wants strychnine reinstated under emergency use provisions.

The organization has asked the federal agriculture and health ministers to “urgently” consider the request.

APAS said there is a significant uncontrolled increase in the population of Richardson’s ground squirrels costing about $9 million a year.

Firm behind plan to build Saskatchewan fertilizer plant had to recently deal with former CEO’s financial problems

 It is full steam ahead at Genesis Fertilizers despite a tumultuous June, say proponents of the proposed Saskatchewan mega-project.

“It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when we get this project off the ground,” said Terry Drabiuk, vice-president of business development with Genesis.

The project is a proposed $2.89 billion, farmer-owned nitrogen fertilizer plant to be built in Belle Plaine, Sask.

A gnarly competition in K-Country will have competitors hanging ten and riding waves.

The Mountain Wave Classic is returning to Kananaskis this August for its 15th year.

According to David Rousseau, who is on the board for the Mountain Wave Classic, surfers will be surfing on a river on the Eastern Slopes of the Rockies.

The WPCA Battle of the Foothills chuckwagon races hit the High River Ag Society track this Thursday night.

All the top contenders will be here, including High River's own Jason Glass in heat 8 and Calgary's Chanse Vigen in heat 7.

Vigen is coming off winning the Calgary Stampede for the first time, and Vigen will be defending his Battle of the Foothills title this year too, as he won it in 2024.

It's also back to the traditional 4 wagons per heat over 9 heats, for a total of 36 wagons and drivers.

Environment Canada issued a rainfall warning for today.

Heavy rainfall is expected today, accompanied by an additional 10 to 20 mm of rain.

The rain is expected to end tonight; however, it will be a wet, windy, and cold day.

Wind is expected to come out of the north at 20 km/h and gusting up to 40.

The high is only expected to hit 13° today with an overnight low of 5°.

There is good news on the horizon as Environment Canada is forecasting a high of 28 by Thursday.

See our weather page for more.

A new addition to Okotoks' Arts and Learning Plaza is being unveiled this week.

On Wednesday, July 23, the Town of Okotoks is holding a grand opening ceremony for a new water feature in the space.

The Town's Parks and Recreation Director, Christa Michailuk, said funding for the project was donated by a local family back in 2020.

The founding CEO of the five-year-old organization will stay on until January 2026

Seeds Canada is looking for a new chief executive officer after Barry Senft announced he is stepping down from the role he’s held for about four years.

Senft will continue to serve as CEO until the end of January 2026.

“I think after five years, it’s time for new leadership,” he said during the 2025 Seeds Canada conference in Quebec City.

He said someone with more seeds experience would make sense now that the organization is up and running.

As five former Canadian world junior hockey players await a ruling in their sexual assault trial, legal experts say videos shown in court of the complainant saying she was OK with what had happened highlight a broader misunderstanding of consent and sexual assault law in Canada.

Two cellphone videos in which the woman says she’s “OK with this” and that “it was all consensual” were presented as evidence during the trial of Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, and Callan Foote.

Several Conservative MPs are criticizing the Crown's approach to prosecuting two key organizers of the Freedom Convoy protests, with the party's deputy leader calling it an act of "political vengeance."

Tamara Lich and Chris Barber were convicted of mischief in April for their roles in organizing the demonstration, which blockaded streets around Parliament Hill for more than three weeks in early 2022.

Barber was also convicted of counselling others to disobey a court order.

Rimrock Renewables has received approval from the provincial government to proceed without further Land Use or Development Permit approvals from Foothills County, for the biodigester facility. 

The Government of Alberta issued an Order in Council amending the Exemption Regulation of the Municipal Government Act (MGA) on July 9.