• The Foothills Storm edged the Calgary Titans 2-1 in the first game in franchise history to kick off the 2023-24 Alberta Junior Female Hockey League regular season in style at WinSport. Kanika Sandhu scored the first goal in franchise history late in the first period with Taylor Shubert adding what held up as the game winner in the second.
• Foothills Search and Rescue joined the search for a Calgary woman believed to be missing near Cochrane. After police located the woman’s vehicle, the volunteer Foothills Search and Rescue joined Cochrane Search and Rescue to search in the area northwest of Waiparous Village.
• Barry the Barley Bull, a massive barley straw creation, has taken shape on the Holden family farm just south of Granary Road in Foothills County. Pat Holden and husband Darcy Wenaas said they created Barry, with the help of farmer Bruce Bamford, to bring a few smiles to the neighbourhood.
• The Diamond Valley Sustainable Living Centre, a striking 2,800-square-foot facility that includes specialized tools and equipment for sharing, held a grand opening weekend. The centre is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization led by local volunteers who share knowledge, ideas and tools to encourage sustainable living in the community.
• The Town of Okotoks has chosen a site near Meadow Ridge School on 32 Street East for a purpose-built pickleball and tennis centre. Site selection was the latest step in the process after the $8-million facility was approved in the Town’s 2023 capital budget. Funding for phase one is expected to be in place by the end of 2024. Once completed, the racquet centre is to be operated as a not-for-profit facility.
• Eight alpacas and a dog were lost in a late-night fire that burned a barn to the ground at Prairie Spirit Alpacas south of Millarville. When they arrived, firefighters found a large barn fully engulfed in flames and partially collapsed. The fire started in a stack of 500 hay bales, delivered that day, that were outside the barn.
• Okotoks capped off Month of the Artist by hosting the Face-to-Face conference at the Rotary Performing Arts Centre. Artists and entrepreneurs discussed ideas and challenges in making arts and culture an economic driver in the Town of Okotoks. Artist in residence Tanya Zakarow’s portraits of prominent community figures were also unveiled.
• The Okotoks Basketball Association celebrated its 20th anniversary season with unprecedented registration numbers. President Blake Husky said the association has grown greatly over the years and now has 33 teams. In addition to 340 registered for fall programming in U11-U18, there are 50 more in the tykes program.
• The provincial government almost doubled its contribution to a regional water pipeline after the cost of the project increased significantly. The Foothills Okotoks Regional Water Project received $14.2 million through the Province’s Water for Life program, which is in addition to nearly $16 million in provincial funding announced in July of 2022.
• The Okotoks RCMP reported an increase in the online sharing of compromising photos among youth, which has given rise to an alarming increase in sextortion cases. Police said sending intimate photos or videos exposes individuals to the risk of blackmail, which can result in demands for money, additional photos or other inappropriate favours.
• Priddis historian Max Foran was inducted into the Alberta Order of Excellence along with seven other Albertans during a ceremony at Government House in Edmonton. Foran is a highly respected teacher, professor, author, historian, media figure and wildlife activist. The honour is the highest the Province can present to a citizen.
• Grade 10 Oilfields High School student Carver Morris chased down the top spot amongst junior boys to bring home gold at the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association Provincial Cross-Country Championships in Trochu. The only Oilfields Driller taking part in the championships, Morris edged a pair of Cochrane runners to claim provincial gold.
