Things began on Sept. 1 when J.W.G. Morrison was chosen to be the representative for the Conservatives in the upcoming federal election. Unfortunately, when the election happened later in the year, Morrison finished with only 26 per cent of the vote and lost to the United Farmers of Alberta candidate Henry Spencer. A day later on Sept. 2 when Lord Clarendon and his party arrived in Vermilion to look over the new Clan Donald settlement and interview the homesteaders for the Br

Summer and Fall are the perfect time to enjoy lots of salads. It’s especially nice when you can make them ahead and just pull them out of the refrigerator. This one is also great to take to pot lucks, barbeques, out to harvesters in the field and any outdoor entertaining that is on your list. If you study the blue zones of the world, which have the highest percentage of healthy centurions, people that live to be 100 and over, and are healthy, what most of them have in common

Vermilion’s first Hometown Celebration proved to be a hit Thursday night, with more than 700 people coming through the gates for an evening of live music, food and community. Featuring Canadian country artist Nate Haller, the inaugural event brought a large crowd together and offered Vermilion something a little different as summer began to wind down. Throughout the evening, people gathered around the grounds, stopping for something to eat, spending time in the beer gardens a

There is one sure sign that summer is winding down in Vermilion and surrounding communities, and it has nothing to do with the leaves beginning to change colour or the temperature dropping overnight. The school buses are back on the road. On Wednesday, Sept. 2, students across Buffalo Trail Public Schools returned to the classroom for the beginning of another school year, bringing with them backpacks, lunch kits, new school supplies and, depending on the student, varying degr

Our river valley is one of those places that looks like nature got halfway through building a normal landscape, and then added secret passageways, surprise hills, hidden coulees, and enough dips and hollows that a person could disappear without anyone ever knowing, unless, of course, they left behind a good hat. One day, many years ago, a fellow was walking down the main road that leads to another main road, (because out here even the roads need connections before they commit

Alberta agricultural producers affected by excessive moisture this growing season will have additional time to enrol in AgriStability following changes announced by the Alberta and federal governments. In response to wet conditions affecting producers after the original April 30 enrolment deadline, late participation has been opened for the 2026 AgriStability program year. Alberta producers now have until Oct. 1 to sign up for the program. The interim payment rate for 2026 ha

Stacks of expired solar panels in Brooks. photo credit Sunset Renewable Asset Management Inc Alberta will ban solar panels from being disposed of in landfills beginning Oct. 1 as the province launches what it says will be North America’s first solar panel recycling program. The program is intended to ensure solar panels are directed toward reuse and recycling once they reach the end of their useful lives, recovering materials that would otherwise be sent to landfills. Alberta

Square Dance Lloydminster and Area. Photo submitted The Servus Sports Centre was busy on Sept. 2 as Lloydminster residents came out to explore the many opportunities available throughout the community during the Fall Community Registration and Information Night. Thirty five clubs and organizations were on hand for the evening, giving residents the chance to meet representatives, ask questions and learn more about programs, activities and services available in the city. The ev

Alberta farmers will soon have more flexibility when it comes to managing temporary and seasonal water on their own cropland. Beginning this fall, the provincial government plans to remove Water Act approval requirements for routine agricultural work involving temporary wetlands and areas that only hold water for a short time. The changes will allow farmers to cultivate, seed, spray, ditch, drain or infill affected areas without first going through a lengthy approval process.

Micro Duck in action. File Photo When people think about artificial intelligence, they often picture chatbots, computer programs or maybe even humanoid robots from science fiction. But one of the newest examples of advanced tech is a lot smaller, and a lot quirkier, than that. It is called Microduck, a tiny biped robot created by Pollen Robotics in partnership with Hugging Face. Standing about 25 centimetres tall and weighing less than 800 grams, the little robot is designed

The Lakeland College Rustlers opened their 2026 soccer season with four home games over the August 29 and 30 weekend, giving local fans their first look at the teams on Holy Rosary High School’s new outdoor artificial turf field. The women’s team got the weekend off to a strong start on Saturday, evening with a 3–2 victory over The King’s University Eagles. The men followed later that afternoon but were unable to hold off the Eagles, falling 5–2 in their season opener. The Ru

A new season of Lakeland College Rustlers athletics is underway, as student-athletes returned to competition and soccer where they had the first chance to welcome local fans back to the sidelines. The Rustlers women’s and men’s soccer teams opened their home schedule, taking to the field at Holy Rosary High School in Lloydminster on Saturday, Aug. 29 against The King’s University Eagles. The women kicked things off at noon, followed by the men at 2:15 p.m. There wasn’t much t

From left, #14 driven by Neil Fitzgerald, #7 driven by Dave Vennard, and #8 driven by Grant Mills with Ford Dealer Principal Mike Webb. Photos Sue Chikie Webb’s 14 41 Ford brought together community support, classic vehicles and a little horsepower during its Customer Appreciation event in Wainwright on Friday, Aug. 28. The event featured a barbecue by donation in support of the Wainwright Food Bank, along with vehicles ranging from nearly century-old Model Ts to three trucks

Fall is upon us. The kids are heading back to school. The farmers are swathing and combining. The potatoes are ready in the garden. In the farm we often cook up a big pot of potatoes and use the leftovers in various ways. That is exactly what this recipe is. It is a new twist n using cooked and cooled potatoes. Cabbage is rich in antioxidants and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties in our bodies. Cabbage juice aids in the healing of stomach ulcers and improves digestive hea

Men attending Art in the Park in Vermilion this September will once again have an opportunity to take a few minutes out of their day to check on their health when the MAN VAN® returns to the community. The mobile men’s health clinic will be set up at the Vermilion Ag Grounds, 5510 College Drive, on Saturday, September 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The clinic will offer free PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) blood tests to men between the ages of 40 and 70. No appointment or identif

A $7,500 boost from ADAMA Canada is helping the Mannville and District Agricultural Society tackle an unexpected repair at one of the community’s most important gathering places. The Mannville Gadsden Recreation Centre was selected as one of 23 projects across Canada to receive funding this year through ADAMA Canada’s Stomping Grounds community investment initiative. While the money was originally earmarked for renovations to the centre’s aging washrooms, a leaking roof quick

I was once invited to tag along to my friend’s family reunion because she didn’t want to make the long drive alone. She promised I wouldn’t be bored, which should have been my first warning. When someone says their family is “entertaining,” they usually mean there’s a strong chance of casseroles, confessions, and at least one person crying near the loo. At first glance, it all looks wholesome; hugs, potato salad, polite compliments, and people saying, “We really should get to

Main Street in Kitscoty was anything but quiet Wednesday evening, Aug. 26, as a large crowd came out for an evening of classic vehicles, live music and a community barbecue in support of a new free library. Hosted at Farmstead Market, the event brought people downtown throughout the evening, with the Farmstead hopping as residents stopped in for something to eat, checked out the vehicles and spent time visiting with friends and neighbours. The barbecue ran through the early e

Anyone heading down Highway 16 between Lloydminster and Kitscoty this summer may have noticed there is something a little different growing in one of the fields. Dolly Parton, complete with her guitar, books and butterflies, has taken over the Maizex Corn Maze for 2026. The eight-acre maze, located on the Headon family farm near Kitscoty, is celebrating Parton this year while also raising money for something that was very close to her heart; Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Vermilion Kuk Sool Won students had a rare opportunity this past weekend as Chong Jae Nim Alex Suh, son of Kuk Sool Won founder Grandmaster In Hyuk Suh and CEO of the World Kuk Sool Association, made his first visit to the Vermilion school. Suh was joined by Sa Bum Nim Hong, a fourth-degree black belt from Korea, with the visiting instructors spending Friday and Saturday and part of Sunday in Vermilion. The weekend marked the school’s first Kuk Sool Won seminar and the first