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Tag: Foothills County

  • Foothills venues line up World Cup viewing events

    Local fans should have no trouble finding a place to kick back.

    Soccer fans in Okotoks and nearby communities will have several places to watch the FIFA World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19 across Canada, Mexico and the United States.

    The 2026 tournament includes 48 countries and 104 matches in 16 host cities. It is the first FIFA World Cup hosted in Canada, and local venues are planning watch parties and food specials throughout the month-long event.

    Okotoks Elks Hall will show matches at the Elks Lounge, with beer, chicken tenders, fries and wing specials available. Secretary Rose Marie Litwin said the lounge has big-screen TVs and a new patio with a television for outdoor viewing. Updates are expected on the Elks’ Facebook page. Funds raised by the Elks support community initiatives, including youth groups and programs.

    The Turner Valley Golf Club is offering World Cup specials at the Royalite Grill through the final on Sunday, July 19. Its licensed patio and restaurant are open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with daily specials, homemade soups and an appetizer deal.

    In Okotoks, The George Traditional House will show matches on more than 20 televisions with full sound. The pub is also offering a free Banger on a Bun during England matches until halftime.

    The Canadian Brewhouse locations are showing every World Cup match through the final. The restaurant chain is also running a Coca-Cola partnership contest for tickets to a FIFA World Cup match.

    For families willing to travel into Calgary, the Calgary Minor Soccer Association is hosting Team Canada watch parties at Eau Claire Plaza with a large LED screen, food trucks, mascots and interactive drills led by Cavalry FC and Calgary Wild FC.

    Scheduled Calgary watch parties include:

    • June 12, 1 p.m.: Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina at Eau Claire Plaza
    • June 18, 4 p.m.: Canada vs. Qatar at Eau Claire Plaza
    • June 24, 1 p.m.: Canada vs. Switzerland at Eau Claire Plaza
    • July 19, 1 p.m.: FIFA World Cup final on Stephen Avenue, with teams to be determined

  • Water Not Coal campaign says it has met Alberta petition threshold

    For now, the campaign has cleared a major seam in the process.

    Corb Lund’s Water Not Coal campaign says it has collected enough signatures to meet the minimum requirement under Alberta’s Citizen Initiative Act.

    The petition seeks legislation to stop new coal mining and exploration on Alberta’s Eastern Slopes. It specifically names Northback Holdings’ Grassy Mountain Mine and Valory Resources’ Blackstone Mine project.

    The campaign needed 177,732 signatures between Feb. 11 and June 10 to move the citizen-led initiative forward. Lund made stops in High River and Okotoks on June 8 during the final days of signature collection.

    Since launching in February, organizers say more than 3,000 registered canvassers have collected signatures across Alberta, including at community events, markets, ranches, breweries, sidewalks and doorsteps. The campaign also included a multi-day horseback ride from Longview to Edmonton to draw attention to concerns about coal development in the Eastern Slopes.

    A Water Not Coal news release said the effort reflects concern about potential long-term effects of coal mining on water quality, headwaters protection and downstream communities.

    Lund, campaign organizers and volunteers are scheduled to deliver the petition to Elections Alberta on June 10 at 3 p.m. for formal verification.

    If Elections Alberta validates the petition, the initiative will move to the next step under the Citizen Initiative Act.

  • Foothills student bands recognized at provincial festival

    These Foothills students clearly struck the right chord.

    Several Foothills-area school bands earned Superior Band Awards at the Alberta Festival of Bands, held in Red Deer in May.

    Holy Trinity Academy said its Grade 10 Symphonic Band received a Superior Band Award in the Grade 3 category after performances, sight-reading and adjudication. The school’s Grade 11 and 12 Wind Ensemble also received a Superior Band Award and an Adjudicator’s Choice Award in the Grade 5 category.

    Only four of the 154 bands at the festival received an Adjudicator’s Choice Award.

    Holy Trinity Academy’s bands are directed by Brianne Coventry.

    Other Foothills-region groups were also listed among the festival’s Superior Band Award recipients.

    • Foothills Junior Concert Band, directed by Breanne Jamieson, in the Grade 1 category.
    • Senator Riley Middle School Grade 7 Concert Band, directed by Paul Stetler, in the Grade 1 category.
    • St. John Paul II Collegiate Grade 8 Concert Band, directed by Jennifer Ralph, in the Grade 2 category.
    • Alberta High School of Fine Arts Concert Band, directed by Matthew Ellis, in the Grade 4 category.
    • Highwood High School Grades 9-12 Concert Band, directed by Jace Stearn and Dylan Wiest, in the Grade 4 category.

    The Alberta Festival of Bands drew more than 150 bands from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

    In a Facebook message, Stetler said 51 bands performed in the Grade 1 category. He said the Okotoks middle school was one of two bands in that category made up of Grade 7 and 8 students, and credited school support and the middle school’s Grade 6 band start for helping students take part.

  • Foothills School Division approves deficit budget for 2026-27

    For FSD, the numbers are headed back to class.

    The Foothills School Division board of trustees approved its 2026-27 operating budget on May 27, with spending planned to exceed revenue as the division focuses on class sizes, curriculum work and inclusive education.

    The budget is guided by FSD’s 2024-29 Education Plan. Board chair Theresa Letendre said trustees aimed to align resources with priorities for students and families while considering the long-term needs of communities served by the division.

    FSD is budgeting $104.48 million in revenue and $105.57 million in expenses using the Adjusted Enrolment Method. The division says it will remain above Alberta’s minimum reserve requirement, which requires school boards to hold operating reserves of at least one per cent of expenditures based on their most recent audited financial statements.

    The division plans to spend approximately $80.7 million on staffing, about 75 per cent of budgeted expenditures. Other planned spending includes $3.36 million for custodial services, $14.96 million for contracts, services and supplies, and $6.55 million for capital and debt servicing.

    FSD projects 7,406 kindergarten-to-Grade 12 students in 2026-27, down 2.2 per cent from 7,573 students in 2025-26. The division says enrolment has declined 8.36 per cent since the 2022-23 school year, and it hopes to increase enrolment through Foothills Digital School expansion and continued program development.

    The division’s capital priorities include proposed new schools in Okotoks and High River. The Okotoks proposal is for a 900-student K-9 school, while the High River proposal is for a school in the Spitzee Crossing development with the grade configuration still to be determined.

    FSD also listed nine modernization priorities, including Riley Middle School, Turner Valley School, C. Ian McLaren School, Cayley School, Joe Clark School, Big Rock School and Longview School.

    A separate new Grade 10-12 high school in Okotoks, announced by FSD in February 2025, is being developed with Alberta Infrastructure, the Town of Okotoks and the project’s engineering, design and consulting firm. The division expects occupancy in April 2029.

    FSD said budget planning was shaped by feedback from education partners, including calls for manageable class sizes, literacy and numeracy supports, services for diverse learners and resources for curriculum implementation. Superintendent Chris Fuzessy said the budget and education plan reflect what the division heard from families, students and staff.

  • Foothills riders prepare for Diamond Valley and Stampede parades

    The team is looking to stirrup plenty of community support this summer.

    The Foothills County Riding Team is preparing for a busy summer parade season, beginning with the annual Diamond Valley Parade on Saturday.

    The team includes riders from a range of backgrounds, including law enforcement, health care and education. Twelve riders are expected to represent the Foothills in Diamond Valley before the group turns its attention to the Calgary Stampede Parade in early July.

    Kelly Hamzic, a longtime organizer and 15-year member of the team, said the group is built around volunteer commitment and a shared interest in representing the region at community events.

    Hamzic said the Diamond Valley entry will be larger than most equine groups in this year’s parade, with the team bringing about a dozen horses. She selects riders each year for appearances at regional events, including the Diamond Valley Parade, Santa Claus Parade, Okotoks Parade, Calgary Stampede Parade and Little Britches Parade.

    The Little Britches Parade was cancelled in mid-May because of weather, making Diamond Valley the team’s first summer parade of 2026.

    After Diamond Valley, the team is scheduled to appear in the Calgary Stampede Parade. Hamzic said horse entries for that parade are now invitational, with a limited number chosen each year.

    Team members volunteer their time and cover their own costs, including travel, lodging, horse stabling, food and fuel. Hamzic said one participant travels from the Edmonton area to ride with the group.

    Hamzic encouraged residents to attend the summer parades and support the local riders as they represent the Foothills across southern Alberta.

  • Foothills County included in regional wildlife movement study

    This project is helping wildlife stay on the right track.

    A conservation project in the Calgary region is collecting data on how wildlife moves through developed and high-traffic areas, including parts of Foothills County.

    The Miistakis Institute has launched Nature’s Network, building on the Calgary Connect wildlife camera monitoring project. The initiative uses trail cameras near known animal-vehicle collision hotspots to track wildlife activity and identify areas where road safety measures may be needed.

    The project is intended to help map important habitats, movement corridors for land mammals, and priority locations for wildlife-road mitigation. Miistakis says the information can support efforts to maintain ecological connections while improving safety for both animals and people.

    Nature’s Network also uses amphibian information gathered through acoustic recording units to help identify key wetland habitats and links between wetlands.

    The institute says understanding where natural connections remain in urban and regional landscapes is important for deciding how to protect them.

  • Sheep and Highwood rivers remain under high streamflow advisory Tuesday

    With rivers running high, it is a good day to keep travel plans from going downstream.

    The Sheep River and Highwood River remained under a high streamflow advisory Tuesday morning as heavy rain continued in the region.

    Preliminary data from Rivers Alberta showed elevated flows at local monitoring stations:

    • At 6:30 a.m., the Sheep River at Okotoks was flowing at 120.69 cubic metres per second, with a water level of 27.5 metres.
    • At 6:05 a.m., the Highwood River at High River was flowing at 158 cubic metres per second, with a water level of 2.77 metres.

    Alberta River Basins says its online data is provisional and preliminary. The information is automatically generated by remote equipment, may not have been reviewed for accuracy, and can change after review or correction.

    Environment Canada reported that 40 to 120 millimetres of rain had fallen across the region since Saturday evening, with some parts of southwestern Alberta receiving up to 135 millimetres. Another five to 10 millimetres of rain was expected Tuesday.

    Water could pool on roads and in low-lying areas, and utility outages were possible. Drivers were advised to avoid flooded roads and watch for washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts.

  • High streamflow advisory continues for Sheep and Highwood rivers

    River updates like this help residents go with the flow.

    A High Streamflow Advisory remains in place for the Sheep River and Highwood River as officials continue monitoring water levels after significant rainfall.

    At 4:05 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2, the Highwood River below the Little Bow Canal was flowing at 170 cubic metres per second, with a depth of 2.949 metres. For context, the highest historic flow rate recorded in 2013 was 1,820 cubic metres per second.

    In its 4 p.m. monitoring update, the Town of High River said residents may see faster water, elevated river levels, more debris and localized pooling in low-lying areas. The town said pooling is expected after heavy rain and should ease as stormwater systems handle the excess water.

    The Beachwood area remains closed because trails are covered by water and ground conditions are soft. The next High River update is expected Wednesday, June 3, at 10 a.m.

    In Okotoks, the Sheep River was flowing at 168.03 cubic metres per second as of 3:30 p.m. The Town of Okotoks said the river had risen 1.17 metres since Sunday, May 31, with the latest projections indicating levels should begin to taper.

    Okotoks remains in Stage 1 of its Emergency Management Plan and is continuing to monitor the Sheep River, with the option to move to Stage 2 if needed. The town is asking people to avoid the river and nearby areas while water is high and moving quickly, noting that conditions can shift quickly, banks may be unstable and debris may be carried downstream.

    Andrew Livingstone, communications director with Environment and Protected Areas, said the Sheep River at Okotoks was expected to peak Tuesday evening about 0.4 metres below the level that would affect Riverbend Campground. He said river flooding was not expected.

    Livingstone said Sheep River levels are slightly higher than in some recent years, but similar levels were seen in 2020, 2022 and 2025. He described the expected peaks as within the normal range for peak summer flows at Okotoks.

  • Sheep and Highwood rivers remain under advisory as rainfall continues

    Local officials are keeping a current watch on river conditions.

    The Sheep River and Highwood River remained under a high streamflow advisory Monday afternoon as communities monitored conditions during significant rainfall.

    Preliminary data from Alberta River Basins reported:

    • The Sheep River at Okotoks was flowing at 38.04 cubic metres per second at 2:30 p.m., with a water level of 26.77 metres.
    • The Highwood River at High River was flowing at 85.9 cubic metres per second at 1:05 p.m., with a water level of 2.14 metres.

    River basin readings are automatically collected by remote equipment and have not been reviewed for accuracy. The figures may change after corrections.

    Diamond Valley reported at 2 p.m. that repairs to the Black Diamond river monitoring station were expected by the end of the day. Diamond Valley Emergency Management said crews were using field observations and other data sources while the station remained offline.

    The agency had not identified river flooding concerns. It said continued rain could still cause water pooling, overloaded drainage systems and minor overland flooding in low-lying areas.

    A yellow-level wind warning was also expected to remain in effect Monday evening, with gusts of up to 90 km/h. Saturated ground could increase the risk of falling trees, utility outages and property damage.

    Conditions were forecast to ease within 24 hours. Diamond Valley Emergency Management said further updates would be issued if needed.

  • Rainfall warning continues across Foothills region through Wednesday

    Residents should keep an eye on the forecast before the situation becomes a washout.

    Residents across the Foothills region are being advised to prepare for several days of heavy rain as Environment Canada continues a rainfall warning for Okotoks, High River, Diamond Valley, Longview, Nanton and surrounding communities.

    The warning, issued Sunday, calls for widespread rainfall totals of 50 to 100 millimetres through Wednesday morning. Some localized areas could receive more than 100 millimetres.

    Affected areas include:

    • Okotoks and De Winton
    • High River and Aldersyde
    • Turner Valley and Black Diamond
    • Longview and Eden Valley
    • Cayley, Blackie, Nanton and Claresholm
    • Portions of Vulcan County, Ranchland and the Kananaskis region

    Environment Canada says the prolonged rainfall could cause water to pool on roads and in low-lying areas, creating hazardous travel conditions.

    Motorists are urged not to drive through flooded roadways and to watch for washouts near rivers, creeks and culverts.

    The warning carries a moderate impact level. Forecasters say confidence in the rainfall event remains high.

    Residents are advised to monitor forecasts and weather alerts as conditions change. Drivers can check current road conditions through Alberta 511, while streamflow information and flood advisories are available from the Alberta River Forecast Centre.