Local News Stories Making Headlines From May 29-June 11, 2025

Picture: The Olds Municipal Library is a good deal, saving about $3.5 million for the community, returning about $6.10 for every dollar invested, library manager Lesley Moody says. 

Council: 

Olds Council OKs Sponsorship of Two Local Events 

Town-owned Mountain View Power will sponsor this fall's annual Oldstoberfest (Sept. 11-13) for $10,000 and Summer Synergy ( July 7-12) for $1,000 

Olds mayor will not run for re-election this fall 

Judy Dahl will not seek re-election in this fall’s municipal election. 

Dahl, who has served as mayor for 17 years, announced her decision in a letter to the editor issued June 11. 

Community News:  

Olds library saves community $3.5 million, manager says 

However, the library is running close to capacity, so if the town grows as expected, some strategies will have to be devised to cope with that, manager Lesley Moody said 

Water restriction in Olds planned for June 9-13 

The purpose of the restriction is to enable crews to make water meter repairs to the Olds North Reservoir. A Level 2 restriction bans all outdoor residential watering, pool filling, vehicle washing, and some non-residential uses. 

Risk of grass or bush fire burning homes in Olds is low: fire chief 

Olds Fire Chief Justin Andrew says the risk is low because the town is primarily surrounded by grass and or agricultural fields and the trees in a wooded area tend to be leaf-bearing rather than those with pine needles 

Canada Day celebrations scheduled around Central Alberta 

Canada’s birthday is less than one month away, but it’s not too late to make plans. So far, festivities have been scheduled in the Towns of Innisfail, Olds, and Sundre. 

Olds RCMP gets Face-booked: Residents encouraged to follow local RCMP on social media 

The Town of Olds is encouraging everyone to give the local RCMP a follow on their new Facebook account to stay in the know about all their operations in the community. 

Olds College & Chinooks Edge:  

Scott Exner to speak at 2025 Americas Agriculture and Food Security Forum on June 16 

On Monday, June 16, MLT Aikins lawyer Scott Exner will speak at the 2025 Americas Agriculture and Food Security Forum in Olds, Alberta.   

This session will explore how advanced food technologies are boosting productivity, creating partnerships across the Americas and making Canada a launchpad for the future of food innovation.   

Regional, Provincial & Federal:  

Four candidates in Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills riding 

Wildrose Loyalty Coalition candidate named on June 5 ahead of nomination deadline for byelection with vote taking place June 23 

Town of Olds asks residents to share feedback with the province surrounding proposed changes to the Water Act 

The Town of Olds is encouraging residents to take part in the Province of Alberta’s public engagement survey on the proposed amendments to the water act. 

Emergency exercise south of Olds will include simulated train derailment 

Public advised that presence of emergency vehicles and personnel south of Olds as well as in Didsbury is a controlled exercise and not a real incident. 

Farmers markets sprout up across Mountain View Count

The Olds Farmers Market kicked off its open season with an evening of fresh produce, handmade gifts, and baked treats at the Cow Palace. Don’t worry if you missed it though – the market will return every Thursday of the summer from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 

Mountain View County issues fire ban “until further notice.

The ban is effective immediately, and as of June 9th, the Fire Restriction that was previously in place has been upgraded to an outright ban throughout the county.