🌄 Foothills Scoop

👋 Hello Neighbours!

Spring is doing that thing where it almost convinces you it's arrived, then remembers it's Alberta. But there's no shortage of reasons to get out this week — from free improv comedy in High River to a buzzing zone basketball championship right here in Okotoks, a repair café, multiple drumming circles, a murder mystery still running at HTA, and more. Let's dig in.

✨ In Today’s Edition

High River retires its flood-era sirens. At its March 9 council meeting, High River voted to decommission its outdoor emergency siren system — the network installed after the 2013 flood — and move fully to the Alberta Emergency Alert system. Fire Chief Steve Debienne cited aging equipment, ongoing maintenance costs, and the siren system's limited reach in a growing community. The provincial system delivers alerts directly to phones, TVs, and radios. No timeline for decommissioning has been set, but a public education campaign is coming. If you're not signed up for Alberta Emergency Alerts, now's a good time.

Spring rec registration is open in Okotoks. Residents can register for spring and summer 2026 recreation programs starting March 12. Non-residents can register starting March 19. A 40-page Spring/Summer Community Guide covers programs for preschoolers, kids, youth, adults, and seniors — most beginning in mid-April. Summer day camp registration opens for residents on Tuesday, March 17 at 8 a.m., and for non-residents March 24. Find the full guide at okotoks.ca.

An Okotoks Oiler is headed to the NCAA. Oilers captain Hunter Sawka — a Cochrane product — has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Maryville University after the 2025–26 BCHL season wraps up. A big milestone for the program.

Zone girls basketball championships hosted in Okotoks. The South Central Zone 4A Girls Basketball Championships are underway at Foothills Composite this week (March 11–14). Three provincial berths are up for grabs. Zone final is Friday evening, bronze medal game Saturday morning.

A summer music festival is coming to Millarville. The Kinsmen Club of Calgary has announced KinFest, a three-day outdoor music festival at the Millarville Racetrack from June 19–21. Confirmed acts include Boondog, Souls in Rhythm, Natalie Inga & The Lady Bros, PeachPanic, Peter and the Wolves, and JK and the Relays. Food trucks, camping, and a free Father's Day pancake breakfast are part of the deal. Early bird tickets on sale through end of March; campsite bookings open March 15.

Forty students in Grades 10–12 at Holy Trinity Academy have spent months rehearsing a comedic murder mystery farce — and this weekend is their moment. This Murder Was Staged runs through Saturday, March 14 at HTA, with 7 p.m. curtain times. The disliked director of a theatre company is found dead, everyone is a suspect, and a series of flashbacks reveals everyone had a motive. It's a play within a play, comedy timing is unforgiving, and from all accounts this cast has been up to it. Saturday is your last chance.

🌿 Nature Fridays: Rivers — 10 a.m.–4 p.m. at the Environmental Education Centre, Okotoks. Drop-in, free. This week's theme is rivers — a fitting one as the Sheep wakes up for spring.

🏒 Okotoks Oilers vs. Brooks Bandits — 7:05 p.m. at the Viking Rentals Centre. Regular season winding down — the Oilers host the defending Fred Page Cup champions. Grab your green and gold.

😂 Loose Moose Improv Theatre Dessert Night — Highwood Centre, High River. Doors 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m. FREE. The Town of High River is hosting a full evening of improvised comedy from Calgary's legendary Loose Moose Theatre Company, with dessert and a cash bar. Tickets via Eventbrite.

🥁 Drumming Circle — Trevor Uruski (Didgeridoo) — 7 p.m., Sheep River Library, Diamond Valley. Didgeridoo musician and soundworker Trevor Uruski brings his healing frequencies to the library's drumming circle. Drop-ins welcome; registration encouraged at 403-933-3278.

🥁 Foothills Spiritual Life Centre Drumming Circle — 7–9 p.m., Okotoks United Church. Gita Grahame leads a monthly circle on the second Friday of each month, starting this week. Suggested donation: $15. ⚠️ Verify still running before publishing.

🏃 Sheep River Parkrun — 9 a.m. at Sheep River Park, Okotoks. Free weekly 5km run/walk, all ages and fitness levels. Loop begins and ends at the picnic shelter.

🎬 Hollywood Got It Wrong: Sully — Sheep River Library, Diamond Valley. Movie screens at 1:15 p.m., expert talk at 3 p.m. from retired commercial pilot Doug Robertson. First instalment of the library's 2026 series. Registration recommended.

🔧 Foothills Repair Café — Noon–4 p.m. at the Viking Rentals Centre, Okotoks. Bring broken electronics, small appliances, furniture, toys, clothing, and housewares to be assessed and hopefully fixed by volunteer repairers. Free.

🎭 HTA: This Murder Was Staged — Final performance, 7 p.m. at Holy Trinity Academy, Okotoks.

🎟️ Okotoks Elks Hall Meat Draws — Doors noon; draws 1:30–3:30 p.m.; Chase the Ace 4 p.m. No need to be present to win.

🎸 The Lovebullies Band Live at The Stop Coffee House — 8–10 p.m. at The Stop Coffee House and Gathering Place, 115 Government Rd S, Diamond Valley. Doors at 7 p.m. Calgary's beloved five-piece — known for honey-soaked harmonies and biting guitar riffs — brings their vintage pop-rock to Diamond Valley's favourite listening room. The Lovebullies have shared stages with The B-52s and The Beach Boys, and are fresh off work on a fifth studio album

🤝 New Residents Social Gathering — 6:30–8 p.m., Okotoks Public Library. Drop-in event to help newcomers connect with local resources and each other. Hosted by Foothills Local Immigration Partnership and Foothills Community Immigrant Services.

🎸 Acoustic Nights Open Mic — 7–9 p.m. at the Old Church Theatre, Okotoks. Bring your instrument for an open, all-ages jam. Listeners welcome too. Free.

✍️ Foothills Writers Group — 6–8 p.m., Okotoks Public Library. Third Thursday monthly. Writers of all levels welcome. Contact [email protected].

🙏 Spirituality Speaker Series: Bahá'í Faith with Patricia Verge — 7 p.m. at the Okotoks United Church. Patricia Verge, author of three books on the Bahá'í Faith and Indigenous peoples in Alberta, speaks on spirituality and reconciliation. Entrance by donation.

Cool and unsettled week ahead for the Foothills. Friday brings a mild afternoon around -5°C with only a 20% chance of snow — decent weather for the Oilers game or an evening out in High River. Saturday cools further to around -9°C with a 35% chance of snow flurries, so dress warm for the Repair Café or the parkrun. Sunday rebounds to a much nicer -2°C with clear skies. As always in March, keep an eye on conditions before heading out.

High River's siren decision is generating conversation — some residents have fond memories of the network that sounded the 2013 alarm, and there's real emotional weight in retiring it. Others see it as sensible modernization. Either way, the practical takeaway is clear: if you haven't set up your Alberta Emergency Alert notifications, this week is a good reminder.

The HTA play has been a quieter thread — parents and friends buzzing with pride watching teenagers pull off something genuinely difficult. Saturday is the last night.

And spring registration opening in Okotoks had families moving fast. Non-residents can register starting Thursday, March 19 at 8 a.m. Day camp registration opens for residents on Tuesday, March 17.

Thanks for reading, Foothills. Go watch some hockey, get something fixed, and let a retired pilot set you straight about Sully.

Until next week 🌿