Area veterinarian Dr. Tye Perrett at his acreage near Okotoks on Feb. 5. Perrett was awarded Consultant of the Year by the Academy of Veterinary Consultants.Brent Calver/OkotoksTODAY
The Foothills Canadian Conservative Party Electoral District Association called for an accelerated leadership review for party leader Erin O’Toole. The association issued a release indicating its board of directors passed a motion requesting the National Council and Party Leadership hold a review of O’Toole’s capability by June 15.
Okotoks’ chief administrative officer was acknowledged for her leadership work throughout the pandemic. The Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) sent a letter to Elaine Vincent thanking her for leadership throughout the past two years.
Foothills MP John Barlow said the message from those protesting vaccine mandates and COVID-10 restrictions atop Parliament Hill is ‘they want to be heard.’ Barlow said he learned this through conversations with Canadians from all over after thousands travelled to Ottawa for the freedom convoy.
The HBO adaptation of triple-A video game title The Last of Us set up to film in Okotoks with production to start at the beginning of February. A leaflet was distributed to area residents in the Suntree Lane area.
The Okotoks Bisons locked up top-spot for the consecutive full season in the Heritage Junior Hockey League. The 5-3 win, Okotoks’ 30th of the season, over Medicine Hat on Jan. 28 clinched first overall and home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
Okotokian Corban Knight was named to Team Canada’s men’s hockey roster for the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. Knight, an Okotoks Jr. A Oilers alumnus, earned one of the coveted 25 spots on the roster. The NHL players previously announced they would not be part of the competition, opening the door for other professional such as Knight, who plies his trade in the Kontinental Hockey League.
Okotoks Jr. A Oilers captain Tucker McRae landed an Ivy League scholarship. The Oilers captain and third-year defenceman announced his commitment to the NCAA’s Dartmouth College for the 2022-23 season.
In a list of Canada’s most romantic restaurants published by OpenTable, Okotoks restaurant Heartland Cage made the list among just 100 Canadian and 15 Albertan establishments.
Erin O’Toole was ousted from his position in the federal Conservative Party’s top seat after caucus voted in a secret ballot on Feb. 2 with a vote of 73-45. “A change needed to happen if we’re going to remain united,” Foothills MP John Barlow told the Wheel on Feb. 3.
An Okotoks veterinarian was recognized by the Academy of Veterinary Consultants (AVC) for his work in the beef cattle industry. Dr. Tye Perrett, a managing partner at Okotoks Feedlot Health Management Services, was honoured as the AVC’s Consultant of the Year Award winner.
Century 21 Foothills Real Estate raised $110,000 for Easter Seals Alberta through its annual golf tournament. From left: Easter Seals board member Marina Morozowski, event committee member Susan Anderson, board member Vineeta Maguire, C21 Foothills Beverly Gordon, board member Kyle Scott, C21 Foothills, Blair Gordon and board member Adam Darbellay. . Submitted Photo
Two Okotoks minor lacrosse graduates had their names called at the 2022 Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League’s Jr. A Draft. Justin Rea was selected in the second round by the Calgary Mountaineers while Cole Morris went to the Okotoks Raiders in the fourth round.
The first signing and captain in Cavalry FC history announced his retirement from professional football after a decorated his 20-year run. Nik Ledgerwood, a 37-year-old midfielder, played three seasons with the Cavalry and internationally earned 50 caps with the Canadian national men’s team from the 2007-17 period.
During a Feb. 8 press conference, Premier Jason Kenney announced the Restriction Exemption Program (REP) would officially expire as of midnight, eliminating the requirement for businesses to ask for proof of vaccination or a negative test result from patrons prior to entry. That afternoon, the Town of Okotoks announced it would follow suit and no longer require vaccination proof from individuals entering buildings such as the Centennial Arenas, Okotoks Art Gallery, Rotary Performing Arts Centre and other municipal facilities.
Realtors from High River’s Century 21 raised more than $100,000 this year to send kids to camp with the Easter Seals landing them in the third spot on the Top 21 list of fundraisers for the non-profit. The local agents raised more $1110,000 for Easter Seals Alberta through the JC Anderson Memorial Golf Tournament at the Sirocco Golf and Country Club.
A field was scorched and one man was injured resulting from a grass fire near Turner Valley on Feb. 12. The burn area was 10-20 acres in size, said Black Diamond Fire Chief Jamie Campbell. One member of the public was injured while initially trying to extinguish the fire, suffering burns to the leg.
A towering presence on the Okotoks Oilers blueline announced he’s headed to the State of Hockey. Okotokian Riley Bodnarchuk parlayed a terrific season of development with his hometown Alberta Junior Hockey League team to a commitment to the NCAA Division 1 powerhouse Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs for the 2022-23 season.
Turner Valley curler Michael Keenan and Team Wipf were officially added to the 2022 Canadian U18 Curling Championships after weeks of uncertainty as the second team from Alberta head to the finals in Oakville, ONT.
Okotokian Kesler Bachek and Team Duncan swept the field to capture the Alberta Curlers Corner U15 Provincial Championship in an extra-end nailbiter on Feb. 6 at the Medicine Hat Curling Club.
Winter got a whole lot sweeter with the kickoff of the Okotoks Hot Chocolate Festival. The annual event ran Feb. 10-21 and featured local businesses offering their unique take on the classic comfort drink.
The Stockton Block building on Okotoks’ McRae Street officially joined the Town of Okotoks’ list of historic resources. The big, red brick building joined the Rotary Performing Arts Centre, the 1890 Okotoks Post Office which houses Bistro 1882, the 1929 Canadian Pacific Rail Station, which is now the Okotoks Art Gallery, and the Macleod Trail Cultural Landscape, all of which have been designated as municipal historical resources by the Town.
Okotoks Town council voted in favour of bringing the bird electric scooters back for a second, one-year trial period in partnership with Bird Canada, following residents’ positive reviews on the previous summer’s program.
The wheels on the potential merger of Black Diamond and Turner Valley continued to turn after councils voted to support the application for amalgamation on Feb. 16. Black Diamond councillors voted 4-3 to support the application for amalgamation, with councillors Daryl Lalonde, Ted Bain and Chad Vandenhoek opposed. Turner Valley council voted unanimously in support. The vote came at the request of Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver in response to the town’s application which was submitted the previous year.
Turner Valley man Chris Carbert, 39, was the victim of mistaken identity when he was mistaken for the suspect of charges laid against several people at the Coutts border blockade on Feb. 15, including a Chris James Dean Carbert, of Lethbridge. Turner Valley’s Carbert was doxxed and was made a victim of harassment of social media since the news broke prior to coming forward to the news with his story.
A dramatic comeback and some help on the out-of-town scoreboard paved the way for the Okotoks Bow Mark Oilers to make the Alberta Elite Hockey League U18 AAA playoffs. Okotoks scored a terrific comeback victory over the Airdrie CFR Bisons on Feb. 18 and coupled with the Red Deer Chiefs dropping their final matchup were able to get into the playoffs. Okotoks and Lethbridge were paired together for the playoffs.
Corban Knight and Team Canada’s men’s hockey squad at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing were eliminated from the competition in the quarter-finals by a stingy Team Sweden by a 2-0 score on Feb. 16. The 31-year-old Knight, an Oilers alumnus prior to playing for North Dakota and embarking on his professional career, finished tied for seventh in team scoring with two goals and three points in five games in Beijing. Finland won gold in the event.
