News
Westerner Days Attendance Off To A Great Start!

The 2017 Westerner Days Fair & Exposition started Wednesday, July 19 with over 13,500 people in attendance. People crowded the streets of downtown Red Deer to watch the Westerner Days Parade, presented by Holiday Inn & Suites, and thousands of fans attended the Jess Moskaluke Main Stage show in the ENMAX Centrium with Nice Horse and Hey Romeo, presented by Real Country 95.5 and Real Country 93.3.
The Parade, which is the annual event that kicks off Westerner Days, had 136 entries participate this year. The winner of the Grand Award, sponsored by Etek Office Supplies, was Blue Grass Nursery, Sod & Garden Centre with their princess themed float, complete with an enchanted forest and Cinderella carriage. They also took home the 1st place award for a Commercial Entry. For a complete list of winners, visit the Westerner Days website under Community Events.
New this year, the 2017 Westerner Days Pony Steeplechase Championship Series saw the smallest horses with the biggest hearts take centre stage on the Race Track prior to the Red Deer Motors North American Pony Chuckwagon Championships. You still have a chance to see these little animals in action; races are at 4:30 pm daily, except for Sunday when they show at 12:30 pm.
Fair attendees can win Grub Hub cash by participating in the Openhwy “Come Together and Get Social” contest, sponsored by Plato’s Closet. Use free access areas to Shaw Go WiFi and post your stories on social media. Fair-goers should use #WesternerDays and #TicketsAlberta to win daily prizes! If they are a winner, they will be notified day of and can pick up their prize at the Guest Services booth.
Speaking of the Grub Hub, over 25 food vendors are available on site. With everything from mini donuts to mac n’ cheese and elephant ears, there’s something sure to please the taste buds of everyone in attendance.
Fans of Jess Moskaluke were thrilled to see her perform, including Jr Reporter Hayden Brilz (age 7) who was able to interview the Canadian songwriter for Shaw TV. You can catch that interview on The Community Producers: Westerner Days Edition.
Tonight, Thursday, July 20, the ENMAX Centrium Main Stage will be taken over by Chilliwack and Kim Mitchell. The show begins at 8:00 pm, but fans can receive reserved floor seating tickets (free with gate admission) by going to the Tickets Alberta Box Office at 4:00 pm.
For a full list of events and other Fair information, click here.
Fair Attendance
Wednesday, July 19, 2017 – 13,583
Record – 15,410 set in 2010
Red Deer Motors North American Pony Chuckwagon Championships
Top Four Wagons from Wednesday, July 19, 2017
- 1st – Louie Johner – Wei’s Westerner Wear, Red Deer 1:15:82
- 2/3 Split – Lee Anderson – A1 Rentals, Camrose/Wetaskiwin 1:17:10
- 2/3 Split – John Stott – K. Jochem Contracting Ltd, Innisfail 1:17:10
- 4th – Jack Stott – Alberta Milk, Edmonton 1:17:49
Parade Winners
- Grand Award (Etek Office Supplies) – Blue Grass Nursery, Sod & Garden Centre
- Grand Award Honourable Mention (Pivotal Chartered Professional Accountants) – Alberta Motor Association (AMA)
- Adult Community Organization (Red Deer Overdoor) – Parkland Class/Relax Crew
- Big People/Little People (Prairie Office Plus) – Ashley & Friends Playschool
- Civic Organization (ProVerus LLP) – Stettler Board of Trade
- Collector Vehicles (Fas Gas Plus) – Renny & Shannon Ceccato
- Comic and/and Novelty (Peters’ Drive-In) – Curves
- Commercial Float (Nymans Trophies Awards Promotionals) – Blue Grass Nursery, Sod & Garden Centre
- Decorated Vehicle (Copper Kettle Fudge Co.) – Red Deer Child Care
- Professionally Decorated (Doctors EyeCare) – Alberta Motor Association (AMA)
- Horse Hitch (Triple A Electric Ltd) – Double Tree Village & Museum
- Riding Group (Raven Printing) – Electric Strides Drill Team
Media
CBC journalist quits, accuses outlet of anti-Conservative bias and censorship

From LifeSiteNews
Travis Dhanraj accused CBC of pushing a ‘radical political agenda,’ and his lawyer said that the network opposed him hosting ‘Conservative voices’ on his show.
CBC journalist Travis Dhanraj has resigned from his position, while accusing the outlet of anti-Conservative bias and ”performative diversity.”
In a July 7 letter sent to colleagues and obtained by various media outlets, Travis Dhanraj announced his departure from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) due to concerns over censorship.
“I am stepping down not by choice, but because the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has made it impossible for me to continue my work with integrity,” he wrote.
“After years of service — most recently as the host of Canada Tonight: With Travis Dhanraj — I have been systematically sidelined, retaliated against, and denied the editorial access and institutional support necessary to fulfill my public service role,” he declared.
Dhanraj, who worked as a CBC host and reporter for nearly a decade, revealed that the outlet perpetuated a toxic work environment, where speaking out against the approved narrative led to severe consequences.
Dhanraj accused CBC of having a “radical political agenda” that stifled fair reporting. Additionally, his lawyer, Kathryn Marshall, revealed that CBC disapproved of him booking “Conservative voices” on his show.
While CBC hails itself as a leader in “diversity” and supporting minority groups, according to Dhanraj, it’s all a facade.
“What happens behind the scenes at CBC too often contradicts what’s shown to the public,” he revealed.
In April 2024, Dhanraj, then host of CBC’s Canada Tonight, posted on X that his show had requested an interview with then-CBC President Catherine Tait to discuss new federal budget funding for the public broadcaster, but she declined.
At a time when the public broadcaster is under increasing scrutiny and when transparency is needed, #CanadaTonight requested an intvu w/ @PresidentCBCRC Catherine Tait. We wanted to discuss new budget funding, what it means for jobs & the corporation’s strategic priorities ahead.…
— Travis Dhanraj (@Travisdhanraj) April 19, 2024
“Internal booking and editorial protocols were weaponized to create structural barriers for some while empowering others—particularly a small circle of senior Ottawa-based journalists,” he explained.
According to Marshall, CBC launched an investigation into the X post, viewing it as critical of Tait’s decision to defend executive bonuses while the broadcaster was cutting frontline jobs. Dhanraj was also taken off air for a time.
Dhanraj revealed that in July 2024 he was “presented with (a non-disclosure agreement) tied to an investigation about a tweet about then CBC President Catherine Tait. It was designed not to protect privacy, but to sign away my voice. When I refused, I was further marginalized.”
Following the release of his letter, Dhanraj published a link on X to a Google form to gather support from Canadians.
“When the time is right, I’ll pull the curtain back,” he wrote on the form. “I’ll share everything…. I’ll tell you what is really happening inside the walls of your CBC.”
Click here to read a note directly from me:https://t.co/FYncgnOZ1E pic.twitter.com/OFaLi2OGkn
— Travis Dhanraj (@Travisdhanraj) July 7, 2025
CBC has issued a statement denying Dhanraj’s claims, with CBC spokesperson Kerry Kelly stating that the Crown corporation “categorically rejects” his statement.
This is hardly the first time that CBC has been accused of editorial bias. Notably, the outlet receives the vast majority of its funding from the Liberal government.
This January, the watchdog for the CBC ruled that the state-funded outlet expressed a “blatant lack of balance” in its covering of a Catholic school trustee who opposed the LGBT agenda being foisted on children.
There have also been multiple instances of the outlet pushing what appears to be ideological content, including the creation of pro-LGBT material for kids, tacitly endorsing the gender mutilation of children, promoting euthanasia, and even seeming to justify the burning of mostly Catholic churches throughout the country.
International
CBS settles with Trump over doctored 60 Minutes Harris interview

CBS will pay Donald Trump more than $30 million to settle a lawsuit over a 2024 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris. The deal also includes a new rule requiring unedited transcripts of future candidate interviews.
Key Details:
- Trump will receive $16 million immediately to cover legal costs, with remaining funds earmarked for pro-conservative messaging and future causes, including his presidential library.
- CBS agreed to release full, unedited transcripts of all future presidential candidate interviews—a policy insiders are calling the “Trump Rule.”
- Trump’s lawsuit accused CBS of deceptively editing a 60 Minutes interview with Harris in 2024 to protect her ahead of the election; the FCC later obtained the full transcript after a complaint was filed.
Tonight, on a 60 Minutes election special, Vice President Kamala Harris shares her plan to strengthen the economy by investing in small businesses and the middle class. Bill Whitaker asks how she’ll fund it and get it through Congress. https://t.co/3Kyw3hgBzr pic.twitter.com/HdAmz0Zpxa
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) October 7, 2024
Diving Deeper:
CBS and Paramount Global have agreed to pay President Donald Trump more than $30 million to settle a lawsuit over a 2024 60 Minutes interview with then–Vice President Kamala Harris, Fox News Digital reported Tuesday. Trump accused the network of election interference, saying CBS selectively edited Harris to shield her from backlash in the final stretch of the campaign.
The settlement includes a $16 million upfront payment to cover legal expenses and other discretionary uses, including funding for Trump’s future presidential library. Additional funds—expected to push the total package well above $30 million—will support conservative-aligned messaging such as advertisements and public service announcements.
As part of the deal, CBS also agreed to a new editorial policy mandating the public release of full, unedited transcripts of any future interviews with presidential candidates. The internal nickname for the new rule is reportedly the “Trump Rule.”
Trump initially sought $20 billion in damages, citing a Face the Nation preview that aired Harris’s rambling response to a question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That portion of the interview was widely mocked. A more polished answer was aired separately during a primetime 60 Minutes special, prompting allegations that CBS intentionally split Harris’s answer to minimize political fallout.
The FCC later ordered CBS to release the full transcript and raw footage after a complaint was filed. The materials confirmed that both versions came from the same response—cut in half across different broadcasts.
CBS denied wrongdoing but the fallout rocked the network. 60 Minutes executive producer Bill Owens resigned in April after losing control over editorial decisions. CBS News President Wendy McMahon also stepped down in May, saying the company’s direction no longer aligned with her own.
Several CBS veterans strongly opposed any settlement. “The unanimous view at 60 Minutes is that there should be no settlement, and no money paid, because the lawsuit is complete bulls***,” one producer told Fox News Digital. Correspondent Scott Pelley had warned that settling would be “very damaging” to the network’s reputation.
The final agreement includes no admission of guilt and no direct personal payment to Trump—but it locks in a substantial cash payout and forces a new standard for transparency in how networks handle presidential interviews.
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