Sexual assault charges against an Edmonton-area spiritual leader and his wife have been stayed, the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service confirmed Friday. Johannes “John” de Ruiter and Leigh Ann de Ruiter each faced six counts of sexual assault and were scheduled to stand trial in September. The charges, first laid in 2023, will not proceed after prosecutors determined there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction, according to a statement from the Crown. Police previously alleged that John de Ruiter, described as the leader of a group known as the College of Integrated Philosophy, also ca

A youth is in custody after police say threats were made on social media to shoot students at a high school in Stettler, Alta. According to a release from Royal Canadian Mounted Police, officers received reports Wednesday night about messages sent over the Snapchat platform involving a school in the central Alberta town, located east of Red Deer. Police say they launched an investigation shortly after the report was received. RCMP say a youth has been arrested and a charge of uttering threats is pending. The identity of the youth cannot be released under youth justice laws. Police have not con

A 15-year-old boy accused of attacking his grandmother in northeast Calgary is now facing a charge of second-degree murder, according to the Calgary Police Service. Police say officers were called on March 29 to a residence following reports of an altercation. A woman in her 50s was found injured and taken to hospital, where she later died. The youth had initially been charged with aggravated assault. Investigators say that charge has now been upgraded to second-degree murder following the victim’s death. He also faces one count of mischief to property. Authorities have not released the vict

Alberta’s government has introduced legislation that would allow cabinet ministers to review major industrial project proposals earlier in the approval process, according to a bill tabled Tuesday. Energy Minister Brian Jean said the proposed changes would apply to projects valued at more than $250 million and are intended to help companies strengthen their applications before entering formal regulatory review. According to the provincial government, the system would involve select cabinet members assessing proposals at an initial stage, with the aim of identifying issues that could delay app

The Alberta government says it will not change its provincial fuel tax framework following the federal decision to temporarily suspend excise taxes on gasoline and diesel. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that the federal excise tax on gasoline and diesel will be suspended from April 20 to Sept. 7. According to the federal announcement, the measure is expected to lower prices by about 10 cents per litre for gasoline and four cents per litre for diesel during that period. Alberta Finance Minister Nate Horner said the province will maintain its current fuel tax formula, which adjusts based o

A recall has been issued for several 7-Eleven brand ready-to-eat products in Western Canada due to possible listeria contamination, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The agency said the affected sandwiches, subs and wraps were distributed to stores in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Products listed in the recall include chicken Caesar wraps, pizza subs, tuna salad wedges and Japanese-style egg salad sandwiches, among others. According to the CFIA notice, the items carry best-before dates ranging from April 12 to April 16. Consumers are advised not to consume the pro

A sharp drop in temperature is expected to bring snowfall to Edmonton beginning Tuesday night, following unseasonably warm conditions earlier in the week. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, temperatures are forecast to fall by roughly 10 degrees from Monday’s high of 16 C, with daytime conditions Tuesday bringing periods of rain or a mix of rain and snow. The precipitation is expected to transition to heavier snowfall overnight into Wednesday, affecting a wide area from Hinton and Grand Cache east to Cold Lake and Lloydminster. Forecast estimates indicate 5 to 15 centimetres

A 16-year-old boy is facing multiple charges after a stabbing at Jasper Place School in Edmonton that sent another student to hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to police. The Edmonton Police Service said the incident occurred Friday at the west-end high school. Police allege the accused confronted another 16-year-old boy over an earlier argument. Investigators say the victim was stabbed as he attempted to walk away. According to police, other students tried to restrain the suspect, who was able to flee the school. A school resource officer arrived shortly afterward and assiste

The City of Calgary says preliminary field work is set to begin this month as part of planning for a potential northward extension of the Blue Line LRT toward the airport. According to a city notice, crews will conduct on-site investigations along the proposed corridor to 88th Avenue N.E., including assessments of ground conditions, groundwater levels and site-specific details needed for early-stage design. The work is part of the city’s long-term transit planning and would inform future decisions by council on whether to advance the project, including funding, design and timelines. The airp