Talk of the Town: Las Vegas-themed mystery dinner theatre in Rowley

CBC Calgary’s morning radio program, the Calgary Eyeopener, has a weekly series called Talk of the Town.

It looks at the stories of southern Alberta, outside of Calgary, offering a dedicated focus on what’s happening in smaller communities.

And we want to hear your ideas, too.

You can email the Calgary Eyeopener team at eyeopener@cbc.ca to let them know what’s percolating in your city, town, village or hamlet. Or just let us know what you think of what you’ve heard so far.

Listen to the segment live every Friday between 6:35 and 6:45 a.m. on 99.1 FM with hosts Loren McGinnis and Angela Knight.

Or, if you miss an interview, you can find it below.

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Rowley: Las Vegas-themed mystery dinner theatre

The Village of Rowley has invited a Calgary-based theatre company to put on a Vegas-themed murder-mystery dinner event this week to raise money for a local project.

Mira Gallaway, director of the board at the Rowley Community Hall, told the Calgary Eyeopener that proceeds from the show will go toward restoring three of the town’s historical grain elevators

High River: The Hitchin Post is now open

A popular drive-in eatery that has been serving the local community for 50 years has opened for the season, firing up its grill to serve delicious burgers and shakes to locals and visitors.

The owner of the Hitchin Post Drive-In, Carmen Lamoureux, gives the full lowdown on the Calgary Eyeopener.

Three Hills: Building new homes

The town of Three Hills is set to welcome a batch of new homes after the town made the decision to cut prices on residential lots. 

Three Hills is also working on an incentive program for houses that will be reviewed by the town council on Monday. The town’s mayor, Ray Wildeman, breaks it all down on the Calgary Eyeopener.

Milo: Creating a community cookbook from scratch

Locals in the village of Milo have worked hard to bring a community cookbook to life. Recipes from scores of homes in the village have been compiled into a cookbook by the Milo Library.

This is the cookbook’s second volume. Celia Lahd, who is the library manager, offers more details on the Calgary Eyeopener.

Crossfield: Competing with root vegetables

The town of Crossfield is gearing up for an annual event called the February Food Fest. Now in its fourth year, the festival is bringing back one of its most unusual traditions — bowling with rutabagas.

The game made its way to the festival during the pandemic. The organizer of the Rutabaga Bowl, Cheryl Shea, shares more details on the Calgary Eyeopener.

Olds: Museum turns 50, celebrates with the 1950s

This is a big year for a local museum in central Alberta. It’s celebrating its 50th anniversary. 

Chantal Marchildon is the manager and curator of the Mountain View Museum and Archives in Olds. Every year, the museum’s theme changes to reflect a different part of the town’s history.

Marchildon says they just reopened for the 2024 season, and this year, the exhibits are focused on Olds in the 1950s to mark the occasion. 

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Penhold: Honouring local world record holder

The town of Penhold is home to a Guinness World Record holder, Josephine Michaluk, who has made the most blood donations by a woman.

Penhold has now launched a special blood drive to mark her achievement. Michaluk shared more details on the Calgary Eyeopener.

Brooks: Bandits changing leagues

The Brooks Bandits have now officially left the Alberta Junior Hockey League. The team will finish out the season as a member of the British Columbia Hockey League instead.

The Bandits are one of five Alberta teams making the move. The news comes after more than a week of cancelled games and uncertainty. Sandra Stanway, a reporter with the Brooks Bulletin, breaks it all down.

Arrowwood: Documenting the community’s history 

The Arrowwood Restoration Society is updating the community’s history book. The previous one was published in 1982 —  and now community members are catching up on what’s happened over the past four decades.

 The group recently received a $10,000 grant to cover publishing costs. Linda Gooch is the head of the committee that’s putting the book together.

Drumheller: Easing a housing crunch 

As municipalities big and small across Alberta are dealing with a tight housing market, Drumheller has come up with a way to ease things a bit.

It’s a new home-sharing program aimed at helping seasonal workers find a place to stay. Alison Roppel, the executive director of Community Futures Big Country, explains. 

Diamond Valley: One year in a new municipality 

It’s been one year since Black Diamond and Turner Valley officially tied the knot, creating a new municipality known as Diamond Valley. 

Mayor Barry Crane gives an update. 

Etzikom: Roof repair at a windmill museum 

Windy conditions are more than welcome in Etzikom. The hamlet southeast of Calgary is home to a windmill museum.

And that’s where a costly roof renovation is in the works. Skyler Stromsmoe, a volunteer at Etzikom Museum, explains. 

East Coulee: Hanging lights at historic site

We headed up to East Coulee in the Drumheller Valley to celebrate Christmas in a coal mine. More than 40,000 lights have been strung for Christmas in the Coulee at the old Atlas Coal Mine. 

Sarah Newstead, the executive director of the historic site, is our guide. 

Beiseker: All out for Christmas 

Folks in Beiseker went all out for their annual Christmas in the village event.

Cathryn Hagel with the Village of Beiseker explains. 

Nanton: Lights the Way

Each year, Nanton hosts a Christmas lights contest called Lights the Way.

Steve Rooke was the 2022 champion in the residential category. And this year he’s trying to top it.

Rosedale: Repairing a pedestrian bridge 

Work has now begun to repair the old Star Mine Suspension Bridge in Rosedale, a community roughly 150 kilometres northeast of Calgary. The pedestrian bridge over the Red Deer River has been closed since 2020 due to structural concerns.

Don Johnston is the owner of Wild West Badlands Tours. He’s been running tours that visit the bridge for 15 years.

Cardston: Remembrance Day 

Saturday, Nov. 11, is Remembrance Day in Canada. Ceremonies are scheduled in communities throughout southern Alberta,  including in the town of Cardston.

Cammi Bevans is the facilitator of that ceremony. She explained it on the Calgary Eyeopener. 

Coleman: Working to build a new skate park

We’re grabbing our boards and shredding down to the Crowsnest Pass. Efforts are underway to build a new skate park in the community of Coleman.  

Ian Gauthier is with the Southwest Alberta Skateboard Society, which is behind the effort. 

Fort Macleod: A special anniversary

This week we’re hurrying hard in Fort Macleod. The local curling club is celebrating 125 years of rocks and rings. 

Sherri Zoeteman, the club president, explains the club’s history. 

Taber: Town’s largest hunting festival 

The Taber Pheasant Festival begins on Saturday. The week long event is billed as the largest hunting festival in the country. 

It’s put on by the Alberta Conservation Association.

Todd Zimmerling president and CEO, explained how it works. 

Penhold: Fundraising for the fire department

Members of Penhold’s volunteer fire department have teamed up with a restaurant in Red Deer for a fundraiser. 

All October, if you buy the special burger at Cilantro and Chive, $2 from each purchase goes to the Penhold Volunteer Fire Association. 

The special is called the Firehouse Burger and Dwayne Marsden helped come up with the recipe. He spoke to the Calgary Eyeopener about the burger. 

Delburne: A big day for card sharks

The fall cribbage tournament is underway in Delburne. 

Dozens of players are registered to count some fifteen-twos and try not to get skunked too bad. Linda Attfield is the president of the Delburne and District Drop-In Centre — she explains the event. 

Bow Island: A new festival 

We headed down to Bow Island — the town recently launched a new harvest festival. 

To talk about it is Christina Unruh, Bow Island’s tourism coordinator.

Coleman: New plans for an old school

Work has just begun to fix up a former school in Coleman, Alta. 

The plan is to turn the old classrooms into bedrooms.

Greg Bueckert owns the property, and he shared the story with the Calgary Eyeopener. 

Didsbury: A parade of scarecrows

Didsbury is home to the annual Scarecrows on Parade event. It’s a contest where families, businesses, and local municipal governments create their own scarecrow, hoping for a chance to receive a people’s choice award in their category. 

Listen to more from Dawn Stewart, manager of the Didsbury Museum, which played host to the scarecrows.

Sundre: 105 years of the local fair

The annual school and community fair has been happening in Sundre, about 110 kilometres northwest of Calgary, for more than a century. 

Kids get the day off of school for the special event.

Fair committee member Karen Tubb dived into its history. 

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Champion: Ricky the rock snake

A colourful snake has been slithering through the village of Champion, about 140 kilometres southeast of Calgary.

However, this is no ordinary reptile — he’s made of rocks. 

Kathy Perley, executive director of family and community support services for the village, shared the story of Ricky.

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Cardston: Temple’s 100-year anniversary

Cardston is celebrating 100 years since the original dedication of its famous The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints temple.

Diana Mackenzie explains why the anniversary is so significant to the town located 230 kilometres south of Calgary.

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Stettler: The Amazing Race

A popular reality show has inspired an annual summer event at the library in Stettler, about 220 kilometres northeast of Calgary.

Jaden Norman, a summer student at the Stettler Public Library, shared what to expect at this year’s Amazing Race challenge.

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Irricana: Celebrating 100 Years of John Deere Tractor

Pioneer Acres near the town of Irricana, about 65 kilometres northeast of Calgary, is holding its annual show celebrating the agricultural history of the prairies.

This year’s theme is “The Year of the Deere.” The museum is marking 100 years of the John Deere Model D tractor. 

Bob Anderson, president of Pioneer Acres, shared the details.

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Diamond Valley: Ian Tyson Memorial Music Festival

Diamond Valley is hosting its first annual Ian Tyson Music Festival.

The community, about 65 kilometres southwest of Calgary, wants to honour the work of the late cowboy singer-songwriter.

Murray Rodgers, president of the Diamond Valley Chamber of Commerce, explained why. 

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Claresholm: A grueling gravel bike race

For the third time, the town of Claresholm, about 130 kilometres south of Calgary, is hosting a gravel bike race called The Range.

More than 300 riders will take on the 124-kilometre challenge.

Creator and organizer Garth Stotts shared what riders are in for. 

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Longview: Little New York Daze

The annual Little New York Daze festival is back in Longview, about 50 kilometres south of Calgary.

It’s a two-day festival, with a parade that hasn’t waltzed through town in four years. 

Sean McCarthy, president of the Little New York Daze Association, spoke to the Calgary Eyeopener about what to expect and how the festival got its name.

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Hanna: Hosting all-star football

The 25th annual CanAm Bowl is coming to Hanna, located northeast of Calgary.

It’s the first time the game has been held in the province. 

The best six-man high school football players from Alberta and Saskatchewan make up Team Canada. They’re up against an all-star team from the Unites States.

Team Canada’s offensive co-ordinator, Darryl Dickson, set the stage.

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Athabasca: Flooding before a festival

Flooding along the Athabasca River caused last minute issues ahead of a big festival in the northern Alberta town.

However, that’s not stopping the Magnificent River Rats Festival from happening in Athabasca.

Fred Minville, the vice-president of the festival, explained what they’re up against.

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Champion: Discovering an old mural

An old mural was discovered on the side of a building on the main drag in the town of Champion, 130 kilometres southeast of Calgary.

 And no one in the community can remember it.

Racille Ellis, 91, was born and raised in the area. She shared what she knows about the building.

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Langdon: New life in the heart of town 

Langdon, located just east of Calgary, is one of the fastest-growing communities in Alberta. This week, the town of roughly 6,000 celebrated the opening of a new park in the heart of town.

The amenity features a community garden, fire pits, a playground, a skate park, a library, basketball hoops and even pickleball courts. 

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Lethbridge and Coaldale: Beef club marks 100 years

The Lethbridge Coaldale 4-H Beef Club marked a major milestone recently. The group celebrated its 100-year anniversary.

Club leader Rebecca Tokariuk shared the impact the club has had over the years. 

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Strathmore: Mural unveiling

There’s a fresh new splash of colour in the town of Strathmore, east of Calgary. A new mural has been unveiled downtown. 

It was created in part by participants in the Prospect Human Services Skills for Success program, which helps unemployed or underemployed people in the area gain skills through art.

Team lead Shantelle Vermeylen explained how the mural was created.

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Castor: Renovating the town’s last grain elevator

The last remaining grain elevator in the town of Castor, about 140 kilometres east of Red Deer, has been undergoing renovations. It’s also being repainted in its original colours from the early 1900s.

John Wright, secretary of the Castor and District Museum Society, shares the history of the structure and why it’s important to the community. 

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High River: Little Britches Parade and Rodeo

The annual Little Britches Parade and Rodeo kicks off in High River, about 50 kilometres south of Calgary.

Parade chair Hank Leeferink explains what’s happening over the weekend and how this special event got started in 1959.

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Mossleigh: Train rides to revisit history

There’s no time like the present to revisit Alberta’s railway past.

Passenger train rides are back at Aspen Crossing, near the hamlet of Mossleigh, about 90 kilometres southeast of Calgary.

Roma Howlett, the train lead at Aspen Crossing, shares some of the history that passengers will learn and the adventures they’ll experience along the ride — including a mock robbery. 

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Strathmore: Over the Hill Gang 

A group in Strathmore is calling themselves the Over the Hill Gang, and they cruise around the community on mobility scooters!

Allan McKinnon is one of the founders. He described how the gang came to be, and why they banded together.

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Stettler: Restoring an old locomotive

People in Stettler, about 80 kilometres east of Red Deer, are working to get a locomotive chugging again.

The 6060 locomotive was a gift to the people of Alberta to mark the 75th anniversary of the province. 

The Rocky Mountain Rail Society owns the train. Brian Henderson, the group’s treasurer, shared a bit about the train’s history.

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Rosebud: Celebrating 50 years of the arts

Over the years, the hamlet of Rosebud — about 100 kilometres northeast of Calgary — has become synonymous with live theatre.

This year, it’s marking 50 years since it all began, when a small arts summer camp took form in the community.

Morris Ertman, the Rosebud Theatre’s artistic director, described how they plan to celebrate.

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Crossfield: Do Good in Your Hood

Typically, you want to avoid getting ticketed by a police officer, but not in the town of Crossfield, about 50 kilometres north of Calgary.

Local kids are trying to get ticketed for performing good deeds. It’s part of a program called, “Do Good in Your Hood.”

Nicole Vandenberghe runs it. She explained how the program works.

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Hanna: Restoring the town roundhouse

Residents of Hanna are trying to keep the town’s railroad heritage alive by fixing up a historic roundhouse.

Sandra Beaudoin is the president and founder of the Hanna Roundhouse Society, which is fixing up the building.

She described the structure, its current condition and residents’ hopes for its future.

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Trochu: Small town wants more people to move there

You’ve likely heard of the Alberta is Calling campaign, which encourages people from across the country to move to the province. But did you know Trochu is calling, too?

The town is trying to grow the community of about 1,000 people northeast of Calgary.

Jamie Collins, executive assistant with the Town of Trochu, explained why.

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Sundre: The push for a pump and cycle track in town

The Sundre Bike n Ski Club wants to build a pump and cycle track in the town. 

The club, formed in 2015, is made up of a group of residents who promote the enjoyment of outdoor physical activities.

Club member Josh Rozenhart explained the group’s latest idea.

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Nanton: Popular Nanton antique shop closes its doors

Nanton is known as a destination for antique hunters.

But one of the town’s most popular shops, Sentimental Journey Antiques, has closed. 

Becky Scott is the president of the Nanton and District Chamber of Commerce. She explained what the closure means for the town.

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Strathmore: Raising funds for the local food bank

Members of the Strathmore Fire Department challenged their community for a good cause.

They wanted to see who could raise more donations for the Wheatland County Food Bank over a two-week period, between Feb. 27 and March 10.

Chief David Sturgeon with the Strathmore Fire Department explained the goal of the campaign.

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Pincher Creek: The end of a local paper

Twelve community newspapers in Alberta ended their print editions on Feb. 27. The Postmedia-owned outlets are now publishing their stories only online.

One of those papers is the Pincher Creek Echo, which has been published weekly since 1900.

Farley Wuth is the curator of the Kootenai Brown Pioneer Village in Pincher Creek and has thumbed through countless editions of the paper. He explained a bit about its history.

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Coleman: Bringing new life to an old theatre

Efforts are underway to transform an old theatre in Coleman, in the Crowsnest Pass, into an arts destination for the area.

Howard Vandenhoef is with the Crowsnest Cando Society, which owns the Roxy Theatre and is behind the push to restore it.

He described the theatre’s history and his vision for its future.

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Drumheller: Flood mitigation project requires some to leave homes

A massive flood mitigation project is going on in Drumheller, and soon, it’s heading into a new phase.

A public information session was held Feb. 9 to give folks a sense of what’s coming. 

Darryl Drohomerski is the chief administrative officer with the Town of Drumheller. He explained why the mitigation work is necessary.

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Torrington: Beloved museum in need of repairs

The hamlet of Torrington, in central Alberta, is known for its World Famous Gopher Hole Museum.

But the site has seen better days. The two buildings housing the dozens of displays of taxidermy gophers are in need of significant repairs.

Museum director Laural Kurta told us what’s needed to get the museum back to its former glory.

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