HighRiver

The Rolling Barrage reached Okotoks on Wednesday, Aug. 14.

Now in its ninth year, the Rolling Barrage is an annual cross-Canada motorcycle ride that raises funds to support veterans and first responders living with PTSD.

The Okotoks stop has been part of the tour since 2019, and it has become a beloved town tradition.

There will be teams of cowboys and cowgirls competing at the Bar U Ranch this weekend.

The Bar U Ranch is hosting their annual Old Time Ranch Rodeo this weekend, which will see 12 teams of four compete to see who will come home the champions.

According to Christy Gustavison, the Visitor Experience Manager for the Bar U Ranch and Waterton Lakes National Park, the competitions will do events that demonstrate the typical ranch activities.

There's a growing push for Prime Minister Mark Carney and the Liberal government to step up and help support Western Canadian producers that are being impacted by the increased tariffs on canola.

The Town of High River is letting residents know they may hear sirens today (Aug. 14).

Crews are doing routine maintenance, and the Town says the alarms will sound at a lower volume than usual during testing.

Those living in the northwest are more likely to notice the siren.

The Town stressed that there is no emergency and the testing is strictly for maintenance purposes.

A U.S based company is hoping to see more flax grown in the prairies.

Grain Millers, a Minnesota based company, is expanding its operations in Western Canada. 

The company operates an oat processing facility at Yorkton, Saskatchewan, and has been leasing a small flax processing facility in Saskatoon.

President and CEO Todd Stohlmeyer says with the lease wrapping up and the interest they've seen in flax they decided to build their own facility at Delisle, Saskatchewan
about 43 kilometres southwest of Saskatoon.

The Town of High River is advising drivers of traffic light maintenance today (Aug. 14). 

Crews will be working on the traffic lights at the intersection of Macleod Trail SW and Centre Street S between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.  

Drivers are asked to use caution and follow signage while in the area. 

Officials say the largest wildfire burning in Newfoundland and Labrador may have destroyed up to 100 homes and structures.

However, Premier John Hogan says it is still too dangerous for crews to get into the area to complete an accurate tally.

The fire burning along the northwestern shore of Conception Bay began on Aug. 3 near Kingston, N.L.,  and Hogan says it now measures more than eight square kilometres.

All of the rain the area has received this summer has caused the Town of High River to play catch-up.

While the rainfall has caused the parks and green spaces in town to become brightly coloured and vibrant, it has caused the grass and weeds to grow faster and more aggressively than usual.

Due to that rapidly aggressive growth, Town of High River maintenance crews have a heavier-than-normal workload, which is resulting in delays.

"Our staff is committed to keeping these spaces safe, tidy, and welcoming for everyone," the Town stated in a media release.

A judge is expected to decide today whether a special court review of a proposed Alberta referendum question on separation should go ahead.

Alberta's chief electoral officer, Gordon McClure, referred the question to court last month for a judge to determine whether it violates the Constitution, including treaty rights.

The group that submitted the question applied to have the referral quashed, and Court of King's Bench Justice Colin Feasby heard arguments last week.

The Battle of the Foothills was going full tilt last night under drizzly conditions in Rocky Mountain House.

The drivers are not just racing for the Battle of the Foothills Championship; they're also battling it out to be declared the overall World Professional Chuckwagon Association champion.

High River's Jason Glass is sitting in first place overall in the World Standings, but he's now only 2.5 points ahead of Calgary's Chanse Vigen after last night's heats.

Glass is coming off a big win at the Strathmore Stampede last week.