Okotoks

Lane widening work is being done at an intersection south of Okotoks this week.

Crews will be working at the intersection of Highway 783 and 434th Avenue near the Foothills Regional Landfill.

The work begins on Thursday, May 14, and it's expected to be completed in two weeks.

Traffic disruptions are expected during that time, but lane closures aren't anticipated.

According to Alberta 511, the speed limit will be reduced to 50 km/h while crews are present.

Students from Oilfields High School in Diamond Valley were given a harrowing look at the immediate impact of impaired driving on Tuesday, May 13.

The Municipal Enforcement-led program, Operation Prevention, took 57 high school students through every step of a simulated impaired driving collision response.

That includes hearing a 911 call and seeing a simulated car wreck.

YORKTON, Sask. —Those affected by quarantines and eradication policies want more financial assistance from the federal government.

Efforts to trace the bovine tuberculosis case discovered last fall have put several farms in quarantine and under financial pressure.

The positive test found on a Saskatchewan cow at slaughter Nov. 29, 2024, brought with it numerous ramifications as a result of Canada’s tracing policies to ensure continued trade under international animal health rules.

Okotoks Town Council approved the 2025 RCMP’s Annual Performance Plan and Okotoks Municipal Enforcement’s (OME) priorities during the May 12 Regular Meeting.  

Both agencies collected feedback from the 2025 Public Safety Survey to determine local policing and community safety strategies that aligned with what matters most to residents.   

The union representing thousands of Alberta government workers has voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action.

Guy Smith, president of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, said members have voted 90 per cent in favour of hitting the picket lines.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Smith said the goal remains to get a deal at the bargaining table.

"We do not want to have to use the clear strike mandate we have received, but we will, if necessary," he said, calling it a historic strike vote.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's chief of staff is sounding the alarm over Prime Minister Mark Carney's pick to head up the government's environment portfolio.

Rob Anderson took to social media Tuesday to air his misgivings about new Environment and Climate Change Minister Julie Dabrusin.

"Sit down for this one Alberta...Meet Canada's new Environment Minister," he writes.

Calgary legislature member Ric McIver is the new Speaker of the Alberta legislature.

McIver resigned as municipal affairs minister early Tuesday and soon after was voted into the Speaker's job by his peers, defeating Opposition NDP candidate Heather Sweet.

After the vote result was announced, McIver was ceremoniously dragged to the Speaker's chair by Premier Danielle Smith and Opposition NDP house leader Christina Gray.

Some jovial heel dragging on McIver's part meant Gray dropped his elbow and started pushing him from behind while Smith led the way.

The Town of Nanton’s property taxes are increasing by 5.6. per cent this year.  

As property tax bills will soon be mailed to residents, Nanton’s Town Council released a letter on social media breaking down how the additional revenue will be used.  

A section of North Railway Street in Okotoks will be detoured for several months due to construction.

Traffic will be rerouted beginning May 20 and is expected to remain detoured until October.

The work is part of the town’s downtown improvement project. It includes the installation of a roundabout at Lineham Avenue, upgrades to underground water and sewage infrastructure, and the widening of sidewalks and boulevards.

Enhancements will also be made to the nearby Triangle Park.

The 2025 Okotoks Parade will follow a different route this year.

The town has mapped out a new path to accommodate ongoing construction projects in Okotoks' downtown core.

North Railway Street is typically used as the staging area, but this year, Daggett Street and Riverside Drive will serve that purpose.

The parade will travel east down Riverside Drive and onto Daggett Street, then loop onto North Railway and head west to McRae and Elizabeth Street.

Streets along the parade route will be closed during the event.