Tag: Western

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Strathmore excited for new Western Events Centre

Strathmore excited for new Western Events Centre

An exciting new facility that aims to highlight agriculture and the western way of life is being constructed by the Strathmore and District Agricultural Society. The society’s new Western Events Centre will be located just north of Strathmore on 146.63 acres of land at SW-30-24- 24-W4M.

A public hearing was held at Wheatland County council on Tuesday to speak about the construction of the centre, which will have a seating capacity of 1,500-2,000 and that will contain a variety of uses including an equestrian centre, entertainment venue, community and cultural facilities, and other compatible and supplementary amenities.

Ryan Schmidt General Manager of the Strathmore and District Agricultural Society speaks about what the facility will mean for promoting western heritage in the region.

“With this facility the ag. society will be able to accomplish its mission year-round by serving youth groups like 4H, Wheatland County cowboys and cowgirls, all types of groups that require facilities like that through the winter, but also will host major events at this facility huge barrel racing competitions, and cutting and reining competitions,” he said.

“We really see it as an opportunity to put Strathmore and Wheatland County really, at the heart of Western heritage in Canada. The place to go to experience real Western heritage. This facility will really take the area to a new level,” he said.

Schmidt said, “The Western Event Center and associated practical ranching school and year-round rodeo academy is an important project. And really, at the heart of the agricultural society’s strategic plan. We were very excited that yesterday Wheatland County approved our land designation request, which was an important step towards that goal.”

He said right now the society is conducting a feasibility study, “which is third party rigorous analysis of all of our business assumptions and basically making sure that the market demand is there.”

After the study, the society will move into the fundraising phase of the project. Afterward they hope to start construction in 2023.

The Western Events Centre will be located approximately 0.8 km northeast of the Town of Strathmore northeast of the intersection of Twp Rd 244 and Range Road 250.

The county meeting saw the public hearing, and the second and third reading of the bylaw pass. Bylaw 2022-06 was to redesignate the land from ag general to direct control district.

Some of the concerns from adjacent landowners were related to control and maintenance of local roadways as well as parking on site.

Another concern was related to the Strathmore Stampede and if any of the stampede activities that are normally hosted in Strathmore will be moved to the site.

The GM said that, “The Strathmore Stampede grounds in Strathmore will stay there and all the events we currently host at our AG grounds in the town of Strathmore will stay there.”

The Western Events Centre will provide for items like a commercial kitchen, livestock stalls, and enclosures, a riding arena and more. There will also be parking for up to 800 vehicles on site.

Send your news tips, story ideas, pictures, and videos to news@strathmorenow.com 

 

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B.C. community to hold first official Pride event in its history – Penticton Western News

B.C. community to hold first official Pride event in its history - Penticton Western News

Vanderhoof will hold the first Pride walk in the community’s history at Riverside Park in the afternoon on June 25. Pride walk organizer Kjerstina Larsen said the event is about “celebrating and embracing the idea that we are all equal.”

Larsen has been preparing for the event since last summer and hopes to have stations set up with face-painting, rock painting, beading, coloring, a reading corner and photo station.

“It’s kind of a free-for-all. I’m going to encourage people to dress up rainbow. If they don’t have stuff I have purchased over 30 flags… Hopefully with that and everyone’s existing rainbow stuff there will be enough,” Larsen said.

“The spirit I’m hoping to go for is mostly just to draw out a lot of allies… So they have the opportunity to show up and support.”

Larsen said there has been some controversy around LGBTQ2+ issues in Vanderhoof with some in the community not feeling safe to express their identities openly.

Vanderhoof Mayor Gerry Thiessen said he’s planning to attend and that the district council fully endorses Pride.

“What I’m hearing from council is that we want to show that not only are we an inclusive community but that we value each and every citizen in our community,” Thiessen said.

“We want to make sure that they feel very much part of our community. It’s a time for us to really show who we are as a town and how we care about those around us.”

Initially the plan was for a Pride-themed photo shoot but when restrictions lifted Larsen began planning more activities.

“All of a sudden I had a really great response from the community and so it turned into an event.”

Larsen said since it’s their first Pride event it’s going to be small but could grow into something bigger going forward. Possibly a full-on Pride parade. The hope is that having a Pride event will open the doors to more tolerance in a community that has taken more time to “catch up.”

“I would like for there to be less hate and more love. There’s a lot of misconceptions and I think that just causes a lot of fear for people — and they’re scared of being different,” Larsen said. “I would just like to see the community more united.”

Vendors that would like to create and sell any Pride and rainbow merchandise during the activities are invited to get in touch and set up a booth.

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Uphill race in Summerland resumes as scaled-down event – Penticton Western News

Uphill race in Summerland resumes as scaled-down event - Penticton Western News

The Giants Head Grind — Christopher Walker Memorial Race is returning to Summerland in May. However this year the fundraising event will be smaller than in the past.

The event is an uphill race from the shore of Okanagan Lake at Peach Orchard Beach up to the summit of Giant’s Head Mountain. The course is 5.6 kilometres, with an elevation gain of 500 metres.

The event was first held in 2014 and continued annually until 2019. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 event was cancelled and the 2021 race was held as a virtual race rather than a traditional contest.

This year it will be limited to 100 participants for the in-person event. Within a day after registration opened on April 13, the event had almost filled.

Aside from the start of the race at the beach, all other events including breakfast, yoga, barbecue and awards ceremony will be held at the Summerland Waterfront Resort.

“We appreciate that some people are concerned about large groups, and with the rise in the latest variants we want to ensure that everyone is feeling as comfortable as possible. We are also aware that many of our volunteers are also stretched for time as the world begins to reopen,” said Ellen Walker-Matthews, organizer of the event.

In addition to the in-person race, a supporter race package is also available this year. This event is open to an unlimited number of people. Similar to the 2021 event, the supporter package allows participants to run the race on their own, either in Summerland or at another location.

“We’re excited that it’s going to continue in a slightly different form this year,” Walker-Matthews said. “For 2023, it will be very nice to do a full event.”

The grind began in 2014, in memory of Walker-Matthews’s son Chris Walker, who died from colorectal cancer in 2013. The event raised money for colorectal cancer research and to improving the trails in Giant’s Head Park in Summerland.

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Hurley, Sorah Pace Wolves On Final Day Of Adams/Klein Combined Events – Western Oregon University Athletics

Hurley, Sorah Pace Wolves On Final Day Of Adams/Klein Combined Events - Western Oregon University Athletics

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Jenelle Hurley and Brennen Sorah each had solid second days of the Adams/Klein Combined Events on Friday to lead the Western Oregon University men’s and women’s track and field teams. Hurley remained in eighth, while Sorah moved up one spot to place seventh.

Hurley finished with 4,480 points to place eighth in the heptathlon. Sorah totaled 5,560 points to come in seventh in the decathlon. Amity Deters moved into the top-10 in program history in the heptathlon with her 4,332 points to place ninth on Friday. Macy Clemens also competed in the heptathlon posting 3,795 points to come in 17th. JJ Walker was only able to compete in one event on Friday and posted a result in three of the events during the meet.

Hurley and Deters came out strong to start day two in the long jump with Hurley placing fifth and Deters in sixth. Hurley hit a distance of 17-1.75 for 623 points and Deters was right behind at 17-0.25 for 612 points. Clemens placed 14th in the event to come away with 519 points. Next up was the javelin and Hurley came away with a strong throw to place third hitting a mark of 114-2.25 and 568 points for a new PR. Deters hit a distance of 91-10.75 to come in 11th and earn 439 points. Clemens placed 18th to tally 347 points. To close out the heptathlon, Hurley led the Wolves in the 800 coming in seventh with a time of 2:28.99 and 706 points. Deters crossed in 15th with a time of 2:35.28 and 628 points. Clemens was just a few spots back in 17th crossing with a time of 2:36.36 to earn 615 points.

Deters posted multiple PR’s throughout the event including in the 200, 800, 100 hurdles, long jump, shot put, and javelin.

The 110 hurdles started the day in the decathlon with Sorah coming in with a top-five finish crossing at 15.65 to place fourth and earn 773 points. Walker led the Wolves in the discus coming in seventh hitting a distance of 101-4.75 to earn 482 points. Sorah was a few places back in 11th to earn 386 points. Sorah tied for seventh in the pole vault reaching a height of 11-5.75 to collect 482 points. He almost added another top-five results in the javelin hitting a mark of 133-8.25 to come in sixth and earn 453 points. To close the decathlon, Sorah competed in the 1,500 and crossed in 11th to earn 556 points.

With the combined events meet completed, the rest of the WOU track and field teams will compete tomorrow (Saturday) in Salem at the Willamette Invitational.

 

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Deters, Sorah Lead Wolves After First Day Of Adams/Klein Combined Events – Western Oregon University Athletics

Deters, Sorah Lead Wolves After First Day Of Adams/Klein Combined Events - Western Oregon University Athletics

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. –Amity Deters and Brennen Sorah are off to strong starts at the Adams/Klein Combined Events following the first day on Thursday that took place on the campus of Westmont College in Santa Barbara.

Deters compiled 2,653 points over the first four points to sit in seventh. Sorah tallied 3,000 points over the first five events to sit in eighth. Jenelle Hurley is right behind Deters with 2,583 points to sit in eighth. Macy Clemens has 2,314 points through the first day and is in 14th place. JJ Walker was only able to compete in a few of the events on Thursday and finished the day with 730 points.

In the first event of the day in the women’s heptathlon, Hurley led the way for the Wolves coming in third with a time of 15.41 for 788 points in the 100 hurdles. Deters crossed in 10th with a time of 15.94 to collect 722 points. Clemens was right behind in 11th with a time of 15.99 to come away with 715 points. Deters tied for fifth in the high jump hitting a height of 5-2.75 for 736 points. Clemens tied for 11th hitting a height of 4-10.25 for 599 points. Hurley tied for 13th with a height of 4-9 to come away with 566 points. Hurley led the Wolves in the shot put hitting a distance of 29-9 to come in 14th with 469 points. Deters was just a few spots back in 17th hitting a mark of 29-3.75 for 460 points. Clemens came in 23rd to pick up 397 points. In the final event of the day, Hurley paced WOU coming in third in the 200-meter with a time of 26.43 to come away with 760 points. Deters was just a few spots back in sixth with a time of 26.72 for 735 points. Clemens rounded out the results crossing in 19th for 603 points.

In the men’s decathlon, Walker opened the first event strong in the 100-meter crossing in sixth with a time of 11.61 for 730 points. Sorah posted a time of 12.21 to come in 15th for 610 points. Sorah came back with a solid result in the long jump hitting a mark of 18-9 to come in eighth and earn 527 points. In the shot put, Sorah hit a distance of 35-5.75 to come in sixth and collect 535 points. Walker came in 12th to earn 419 points. Sorah tied for sixth in the high jump reaching a height of 5-10 to earn 610 points. Sorah then finished the first day competing in the 400-meter crossing with a time of 52.16 to earn 718 points.

Friday’s events will start at 11 a.m. for the decathlon and at noon for the heptathlon to concluded the combined events meet.

 

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Russia expects different ties with western countries after Ukraine events

Vladimir Putin


The Ukraine events will result in a new quality of relations between Moscow and the United States, Europe, as well as NATO, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Third European Department Director Oleg Tyapkin told Sputnik.


“We presume that as a result of the current events, our country will have a new quality of relations both with European countries and the EU as a whole, as well as with the United States and the North Atlantic Alliance guided by them,” Tyapkin said.





In the early hours of February 24, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine after the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) appealed for help in defending themselves against the Kyiv forces.


Russia said that the aim of its special operation is to “demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine and that only military infrastructure is being targeted. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that it has no plans to occupy Ukraine.


According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the goal is to protect the people of Donbas, “Who has been subjected to abuse, genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.”


In response to Russia’s operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow, which includes airspace closures and restrictive measures targeting numerous Russian officials and entities, media, and financial institutions.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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Travel Penticton distributes $150,000 to 22 upcoming local events – Penticton Western News

Travel Penticton distributes $150,000 to 22 upcoming local events - Penticton Western News

A total of 22 local events got a big boost on Friday (March 4), thanks to Travel Penticton and its latest funding program.

Over $150,000 will be allocated across a number of upcoming Penticton-based events, including Expedition Canada, Meadowlark Nature Festival and Bighorn Bushwack Adventure Races.

The money has been provided for the purpose of marketing initiatives, according to Travel Penticton.

“Our Board was unanimous in their decision to re-establish our Event Funding Program for 2022 and provide much needed financial support to ensure events can continue to thrive, attract visitors to Penticton and generate overnight stays for our accommodators,” said Thom Tischik, the organization’s executive director.

Several local events are returning in 2022 after year-long — or even multi-year-long — hiatus’ amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Along with the aforementioned three upcoming occasions, Travel Penticton has granted funds to an additional 19 events.

• 97 South Song Sessions

• Penticton Elvis Festival

• Peach City Beach Cruise

• Okanagan Granfondo

• Penticton Beer Week

• The BC Bike Race & Gravel Explorer

• Penticton Bridge Tournament

• Okanagan Trestles Tour

• Okanagan Valley Throwdown

• Penticton Beer Run

• Okanagan Fest of Ale

• CSSHL Championships

• Okanagan Fall Wine Festivals & Sensation

• Pentastic Jazz & Music Festival

• The Penti-Con

• Nufloors Penticton Curling Classic

• Penticton Dragon Boat Festival

• Penticton Peach Festival Society

• Penticton Scottish Festival Society

“The past couple of years have been extremely challenging for event organizers and we admire the resilience and effort it has taken to keep operations running in the face of such adversity,” Tischik added.

Penticton’s Peach City Cruise, and Elvis Festival recently announced their pending returns to the local entertainment scene.

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Western Canada’s largest Celtic festival returning with live, in-person events

Western Canada's largest Celtic festival returning with live, in-person events

The live-event hiatus is over for CelticFest.

While it’s unlikely many will be walking around shouting ‘Kiss me, I’m Irish’ CelticFest 2022 is bringing back live, in-person events this year.

Western Canada’s largest annual Celtic festival returns to Vancouver after going virtual during the pandemic.

With that comes live music, dance shows, demonstration sports, comedy night, family activities, food and more. The two-day festival will be taking place at Robson Plaza and šxʷƛ̓ ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square in the city’s core on March 19 and 20.

“We’re very pleased to be bringing back the live festival and have a great weekend in store for festival-goers of all ages,” says festival chairman Harry Cussen in a press release. “We’ve got performances from some incredible local Celtic acts in music and dance and are thrilled to bring the community together to celebrate Celtic culture in BC.”

Musical acts Blackthorn and Fight Outside will be playing, while dancers from O’Brien School of Irish Dance and Eire Born Irish Dance will take to the main stage. 

While the events at the square are free, there are some associated events that are ticketed, like the comedy night with Amy Walsh and the St. Patrick’s Day breakfast hosted by the Irish Canada Chamber of Commerce.

While a schedule hasn’t been released yet, a map of the festival grounds show’s a beer garden, a kids zone, a marketplace, and area for Irish wolfhounds. Food trucks will be lined up down Howe Street.

 

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Penticton Peachfest adding mountain biking event – Penticton Western News

Penticton Peachfest adding mountain biking event - Penticton Western News

Penticton’s Peach Festival is bringing back old favourites and new events with their first enduro-style cycling competition added to 2022’s 75th festival this August.

The PeachFest RPR Heating & Air Conditioning PeachDuro will be held at the Three Blind Mice Trail above the Naramata Bench, and the festival’s organizers hope it will become an annual family favourite.

The short course will be geared towards the younger racers and new riders looking to get a feel for what it is like to race bikes. The long course is designed for the more serious, competitive racers and will have a cash prize for the fastest racers of the day.

“Riders will be treated to challenging climbs, epic views and fast technical descents in a race against others and themselves,” said Josh Shulman, one of the directors of Peach Festival.

Shulman believes the event is perfect for PeachFest as the two different courses make it inviting for the entire cycling family to participate.

The RPR PeachDuro will take place on Sunday, Aug. 7, starting at 8 a.m. Awards and an aprés race social will take place at Origin Wines.

The RPR PeachDuro will include a short course, with two timed stages, and a long course, with five timed stages. Registration is $78 for the long course and $53 for the short course – this includes your entry fee, swag and a good time on a bike. All riders under 16 must ride/race with a guardian.

The event will be capped at 200 riders, so organizers are encouraging cyclists to register as soon as possible so they don’t miss out on this inaugural event. Register online at www.peachfest.com/peachduro.

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