A sentencing decision is expected today in Edmonton in the death of eight year old Nina Napope, whose body was discovered in a hockey bag on the Samson Cree Nation in central Alberta in 2023. Ashley Rattlesnake pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the case and is scheduled to learn her sentence in Court of King’s Bench. Court proceedings have heard that the child was in Rattlesnake’s care when she was found in the back of a truck on the First Nation, located southwest of Edmonton. An autopsy determined the girl had suffered multiple broken bones and other serious injuries. Prosecutors have as

Alberta’s finance minister is in Calgary today to promote the province’s newly tabled budget, which projects a $9.4 billion deficit as the government ramps up spending in key sectors. Finance Minister Nate Horner is scheduled to meet with business leaders at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce to discuss the fiscal plan and the economic outlook. The budget, introduced Thursday, outlines increased funding for health care and education while acknowledging pressure from lower oil revenues and rapid population growth. Horner has said the province must maintain public spending to support services d

Alberta RCMP say human remains discovered earlier this month near a historic site south of Eden Valley have been identified as a 24 year old man from Calgary. Officers were called on February 4 after emergency crews responded to a grass fire in the rural area. Once the flames were extinguished, first responders located a burned out vehicle at the scene. A body was later found inside the vehicle. Mounties have not publicly released the man’s name, citing the ongoing investigation and the need to notify family members. Police also have not confirmed the cause of death. RCMP say the circumstanc

A Court of King’s Bench judge has dismissed an application seeking a judicial review of an Edmonton police decision not to lay charges in the stabbing death of a 13 year old boy at a downtown transit station. Justice Wayne Renke ruled against the request to review the actions of the Edmonton Police Service as well as Crown prosecutors involved in the case. The application had been brought forward by the family of Eric Omeasoo, who died in February 2024 after being stabbed on the MacEwan light rail transit platform in central Edmonton. Police previously stated that while the teen’s death wa

Family members of an eight year old Alberta girl whose body was discovered in a hockey bag on the Samson Cree Nation are delivering emotional victim impact statements as a sentencing hearing continues in an Alberta court. Relatives of Nina Napope described the child as kind and loving, telling the court that her siblings continue to ask where she is and struggle to understand her absence. The statements are being presented as part of sentencing proceedings for Ashley Rattlesnake, who was previously charged in connection with the girl’s death. Court heard earlier that Nina had endured chronic

The Alberta government has tabled legislation that would shift approximately 1,200 Alberta Sheriffs employees into a newly created provincial police agency, marking a significant step in the province’s ongoing discussion about the future of policing. If passed, the bill would establish the Alberta Sheriffs Police Service and allow it to assume local policing responsibilities currently provided by the RCMP, should municipalities choose to opt in. The proposed model is designed to give communities the option of moving away from federal policing services toward a provincially managed force. Pub

Two men are facing criminal charges after Calgary police say officers disrupted what investigators describe as a violent attempted kidnapping in the city’s downtown earlier this month. The Calgary Police Service said a patrol sergeant witnessed an assault in progress shortly after midnight on February 17 and intervened immediately. Officers allege the incident involved an attempt to forcibly abduct an individual. The victim was taken to hospital for treatment and has since been released. Police said the suspects fled the scene in a vehicle but were located and arrested a short time later. In

The Alberta government is once again asking the courts to strike down Ottawa’s Impact Assessment Act, arguing that recent amendments still infringe on provincial jurisdiction over natural resources and development. The Alberta Court of Appeal began hearing arguments in Calgary this week in the province’s renewed constitutional challenge. The legislation, first enacted in 2019, establishes a federal review process for major infrastructure and resource projects, including pipelines, mines and energy developments, assessing potential environmental, economic, health and social impacts. Alberta

Nursing care staff represented by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees have voted to ratify a new collective agreement with Covenant Health, the union announced Monday. According to the union, 89.2 per cent of participating members supported the deal. The agreement is retroactive to April 1, 2024, and will remain in effect until the end of March 2028. The four year contract includes a 12 per cent wage increase spread over the term of the agreement, along with what the union describes as significant market adjustments aimed at addressing recruitment and retention challenges. The agreement