The Okotoks Podcast

Stories and Strategies
Stories and Strategies
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The Okotoks Podcast is your ultimate guide to life in Okotoks! Hosted by Carlin Lutzer, a professional realtor and proud Okotokian, this podcast brings you stories, insights, and conversations about what makes this town just south of Calgary such a special place to live. Whether you’ve called Okotoks home for years or you’re just getting to know the community, this podcast is your connection to everything happening in town. From local businesses and real estate trends to community events and hidden gems, The Okotoks Podcast celebrates the people, places, and experiences that define life here. We talk about what it truly means to be an Okotokian, cheering for the Dawgs and Okotoks Oilers, sharing firsthand perspectives from those who shape the town’s unique identity.  And, of course, we can’t talk about Okotoks without mentioning the legendary Big Rock, an iconic landmark that serves as a symbol of our strong, growing community. Join Carlin Lutzer as he explores the heart and soul of Okotoks, bringing you engaging interviews, local insights, and everything you need to stay connected to the place we proudly call home. Whether you’re looking for the latest news, local recommendations, or just a reason to love Okotoks even more, this podcast has something for you!

  1. 3d ago

    Alberta: Why Stay? Why Go? | Keith Wilson & Paul Howarth

    Send us Fan Mail Why Stay? Why Go? | Keith Wilson & Paul Howarth Alberta is facing a question that is creating passionate debate across the province: Should Alberta stay in Canada, or is it time to go? In this episode of The Okotoks Podcast, Keith Wilson and Paul Howarth sit down for a respectful, candid conversation about Alberta’s future. Keith makes the case for why Albertans should have the opportunity to consider a future outside of Canada, while Paul offers the opposing perspective and makes the case for staying. The conversation explores Alberta’s relationship with Ottawa, the economy, energy, equalization, pensions, trade, national unity, and what separation could mean for future generations. But this episode is about more than deciding who is right. At a time when Alberta, and Canada as a whole, can feel deeply divided, conversations like this matter. We need to be able to disagree, challenge one another, listen to the other side, and still treat each other with respect. Please listen right to the end. The way Keith and Paul finish this conversation may be one of the most important parts of the entire episode. It demonstrates what healthy political discourse can look like, even when two people strongly disagree about something as significant as the future of Alberta. Listen to both sides. Ask questions. Get informed. And make up your own mind. This is “Why Stay? Why Go?” with Keith Wilson and Paul Howarth on The Okotoks Podcast.

    Alberta: Why Stay? Why Go? | Keith Wilson & Paul Howarth

  2. 5d ago

    Travellers Concert Series

    Send us Fan Mail What does it take to bring live music to the Foothills? This week on The Okotoks Podcast, I’m joined by Kevin Levacque, who organizes the Travellers Concert Series, and recording artist Meera Sylvain. Kevin shares what goes into bringing performers to our region, while Meera talks about her music and the path that led her to the stage. We also hear Meera perform. Listen to the end for more of her music and details about where you can see her live. For upcoming concerts and series information, visit http://www.travellersconcertseries.ca

    Travellers Concert Series

  3. Sep 26

    Is Alberta Too Divided to Listen?

    Send us Fan Mail Politics can divide friends, families and entire communities. Is there a way to disagree without giving up on each other? On this episode of The Okotoks Podcast, Carlin sits down with Brandi Weston, a University of Calgary researcher whose work examines populism and Take Back Alberta. Brandi began studying political division after watching relationships fracture during COVID. Her research led her to ask why people join movements, how those movements gain influence, and whose voices get heard along the way. Carlin and Brandi discuss Take Back Alberta’s role in getting people politically involved, Alberta’s frustration with Ottawa, and the tension between party members’ priorities and a premier’s responsibility to the whole province. They also explore pluralism, anti-liberalism, distrust of the media, and what “faith, family and freedom” mean in a society where people hold different beliefs. They don’t agree on everything. But this conversation is a chance to hear a different perspective, challenge an idea, and perhaps leave with a better understanding of the person across the table.

    Is Alberta Too Divided to Listen?

  4. Sep 22

    Keeping Kids and Seniors Safe | Chris Kennedy

    Send us Fan Mail Are your kids prepared to speak up and get help if a situation feels unsafe? Would you recognize a scam if it sounded like someone you love? This week on The Okotoks Podcast, I sit down with Chris Kennedy, owner and instructor of Rhino Defense Inc. Chris spent 18 years with the Calgary Police Service and now teaches practical safety skills to children, adults and seniors. We talk about his child safety and abduction prevention program, including how kids can use their voice, create distance and make decisions when someone approaches them. Chris also explains how he teaches those skills in a way that builds confidence without creating fear. For seniors, we discuss staying confident while out in the community and recognizing common scams, from suspicious calls and emails to someone showing up at the door. Chris shares why awareness and a plan can matter more than knowing how to fight. Chris is bringing two programs to the Tenfold Regional Field House in Okotoks on October 4: a child safety course and a senior empowerment and crime and scam prevention session. Registration is through the Field House. Listen in for a practical conversation about helping the people we love feel safer and more confident.

    Keeping Kids and Seniors Safe | Chris Kennedy

  5. Sep 15

    Let Alberta Decide - Tanya Clemens

    Send us Fan Mail Alberta is facing an important conversation about its future—and Albertans deserve the opportunity to decide what that future should look like. In this episode of The Okotoks Podcast, I welcome Tanya Clemens back to discuss Alberta independence, the growing frustration with Ottawa and the movement calling for greater provincial autonomy. We talk about the proposed pathway to independence, the current level of support among Albertans and whether the independence movement has become divided. Tanya also responds to some of the difficult questions surrounding separation: trade, pensions, currency, national defence and Alberta’s future relationship with Canada and the United States. There is already plenty of noise, anger and name-calling surrounding this issue. This conversation is an opportunity to move beyond the slogans, hear another perspective and allow people to make up their own minds. You may strongly agree with Tanya, completely disagree with her or still be undecided. Regardless of where you stand, the most important thing is to become informed, take part in the conversation and get out and vote.

    Let Alberta Decide - Tanya Clemens

  6. Sep 8

    OKOTOKS AT A CROSSROADS

    Send us Fan Mail Okotoks is growing—but are we growing too fast, and are we prepared for what comes next? In this episode of The Okotoks Podcast, I sit down with Paul Howarth for a frank conversation about the future of our community. We discuss increasing housing density, traffic and infrastructure pressures, rising municipal debt, waste collection challenges, and the Town’s plan to grow Okotoks to approximately 96,000 people by 2049. Growth may be inevitable, but that doesn’t mean residents should stop asking tough questions: How much growth can our existing infrastructure handle? Will rapid development really keep taxes down? What happens to property values if housing supply outpaces demand? And how do we preserve the identity and quality of life that made people choose Okotoks in the first place? This conversation doesn’t hold back. Now is the time for residents to become informed, speak up and take part in shaping the future of our town. The Okotoks Concerned Citizens group will meet Monday, September 28 at 6:00 p.m. at the Crystal Shores Beach House to discuss the next steps in organizing this grassroots group. Everyone is welcome. Correction: During the conversation, I referred to an upcoming public hearing regarding Hopewell’s proposed west-side development. It is actually expected to be an open house, and no date was listed on the project website at the time of recording.

    OKOTOKS AT A CROSSROADS

  7. Sep 1

    Soul Sisters Café

    Send us Fan Mail On the northeast edge of Okotoks, a new commercial development has been taking shape for years. Now, it finally feels like the finish line is in sight. Located at the corner of Milligan Drive and 48 Street, the development will feature everything from a gas station and daycare to a dentist, pizza, 99-cent wings—and, of course, another liquor store, because apparently Okotoks needed one more! But at the heart—and perhaps the soul—of this new development is Soul Sisters Café. In this episode of The Okotoks Podcast, I sit down with Linda Froise to discuss the story behind Soul Sisters Café, why she wanted to open a café, the long journey to get here, and what customers can expect when the doors finally open. We also talk about the café’s connection to art, the atmosphere Linda hopes to create, and her vision for making Soul Sisters a welcoming gathering place for the entire community. It has taken patience, determination and plenty of hard work, but Soul Sisters Café is getting closer—and I think Okotoks is going to be excited about what’s coming. This is the story behind Soul Sisters Café.

    Soul Sisters Café

  8. Aug 30

    Tarriff This!!

    Send us Fan Mail Tariff This: Elbows Up, Egos Down “Elbows up” has become Canada’s rallying cry—but is retaliation actually a strategy? In this solo episode of The Okotoks Podcast, Carlin Lutzer draws on 15 years in real estate to examine how arrogance, pride and personality can prevent two sides from reaching a deal—even when the people they represent desperately need one. Carlin explores Canada’s dependence on the American market, our failure to diversify trade and the barriers that still make it difficult to trade within our own country. He also questions whether tariffs meant to punish the United States ultimately place Canadian families, workers and businesses in the penalty box instead. This isn’t about cheering for Donald Trump or surrendering Canada’s dignity. It’s about recognizing the imbalance between the two economies, controlling our retaliation and negotiating from a position grounded in reality. Politicians may take the penalties, but ordinary people pay the price. Elbows up? Absolutely.  Eyes open? Always.  Egos down? It’s time. What do you think? Is Canada’s “elbows up” approach protecting our interests—or hurting the very people it is supposed to defend?

    Tarriff This!!
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About

The Okotoks Podcast is your ultimate guide to life in Okotoks! Hosted by Carlin Lutzer, a professional realtor and proud Okotokian, this podcast brings you stories, insights, and conversations about what makes this town just south of Calgary such a special place to live. Whether you’ve called Okotoks home for years or you’re just getting to know the community, this podcast is your connection to everything happening in town. From local businesses and real estate trends to community events and hidden gems, The Okotoks Podcast celebrates the people, places, and experiences that define life here. We talk about what it truly means to be an Okotokian, cheering for the Dawgs and Okotoks Oilers, sharing firsthand perspectives from those who shape the town’s unique identity.  And, of course, we can’t talk about Okotoks without mentioning the legendary Big Rock, an iconic landmark that serves as a symbol of our strong, growing community. Join Carlin Lutzer as he explores the heart and soul of Okotoks, bringing you engaging interviews, local insights, and everything you need to stay connected to the place we proudly call home. Whether you’re looking for the latest news, local recommendations, or just a reason to love Okotoks even more, this podcast has something for you!

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