• Property assessment notices arriving in the mail in early January included significant increases in values, but the Town of Okotoks said that doesn’t mean property taxes would rise accordingly. The Town announced that the average residential assessment had increased by approximately 20 per cent over last year, a sign of a heated real estate market.
• A Diamond Valley family was overwhelmed by the support it received after being forced out of its home by a fire. Although firefighters arrived quickly, the fire caused enough damage that the Bentley family will be out of the house for months. “The response from the community has been so beautiful,” said Joe Bentley.
• Goaltender Carter Esler from the Okotoks Bow Mark Oilers U18 AAA squad was named to Hockey Canada’s roster for the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon, South Korea. “It’s a huge honour for me,” said Esler, one of three Albertans on the roster. “I’m just excited to wear the maple leaf and to do my country right.”
• Western Wheel Cares donors helped the holiday campaign hit a significant milestone in 2023, raising a record amount for local charities, it was announced on Jan. 10. The annual campaign, which just completed its 12th year, will be dividing $100,002 equally among seven charitable organizations that serve a wide range of needs in Okotoks and throughout the Foothills.
• Despite a dip in December, Okotoks house prices finished 2023 up 8.6 per cent, according to statistics released by the Calgary Real Estate Board. The benchmark price, which the board says is the price of a typical home in an area, finished 2023 at $565,400, up from $525,200 at the end of 2022.
• An accomplished Foothills craftsman is hanging up his tools as a top saddle maker after 61 years in the business. Custom saddle builder Chuck Stormes is retiring after a long career crafting saddles for working ranchers, pleasure riders and collectors, with some of his collector saddles fetching prices near six figures.
• The Town of High River announced it is appealing after the Province approved a controversial energy project west of town. Alberta Environment and Protected Areas issued approval for Rimrock Renewables Ltd. to construct and operate the Rimrock biodigester natural gas facility in December.
• Four people have now been charged in connection to a murder after a woman’s body was found near a highway east of Okotoks last spring. On Jan. 18, three Calgary residents and a man from Wheatland County were arrested in connection to the murder of 37-year-old Calgary resident Tara Miller.
• The Okotoks Oilers along with four other Alberta Junior Hockey League teams have agreed to terms to join the British Columbia Hockey League, the BCHL announced on Jan. 20. The Brooks Bandits, Blackfalds Bulldogs, Spruce Grove Saints and Sherwood Park Crusaders were the other Alberta teams to join the BCHL.
• Police arrested two suspects in a failed grandparent scam in Okotoks. An elderly couple contacted police after someone posing as a police officer said a family member needed bail money. The two suspects were found in possession of thousands of dollars, drugs and a black wig.
• The Turner Valley Legion marked its 95th birthday on Jan. 27, but that wasn’t the only thing being celebrated. Thanks to overwhelming community support, the organization’s CERB loan has been paid off.
