Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has not ruled out the possibility of holding a referendum on Alberta separation this October, as separatist organizers publicly increase pressure on the provincial government to allow a vote. Asked directly whether she would commit to not holding such a referendum, Smith said the government is still waiting on several developments before making a decision. She said discussions with caucus members and cabinet ministers would help determine the province’s next steps. Some members of Smith’s United Conservative cabinet have publicly distanced themselves from sep

RCMP lifted a shelter-in-place order in St. Albert on Saturday after searching for a suspect connected to a recent armed robbery, according to police. Mounties issued the order earlier in the day for residents in the city northwest of Edmonton, advising people to remain inside their homes and avoid opening their doors to anyone while officers searched the area. Police said the order was lifted about two hours later, although the suspect had not been located. According to RCMP, investigators no longer believe the suspect is in the community. No additional details about the armed robbery or the

Two people are dead and two others including a child remain in critical condition following a two-vehicle collision northeast of Calgary on Saturday morning, according to RCMP. Mounties said officers responded to reports of a crash involving a Ford Escape and a GMC truck towing a trailer near an intersection in Rocky View County. Police said the Ford Escape was carrying four occupants at the time of the collision. RCMP confirmed two female passengers in the Ford Escape died from their injuries. One was pronounced dead at the scene, while the second died later in hospital. A child and an adult

Lethbridge Police say a 36-year-old man has been charged after officers allegedly found him in contact with a youth while bound by court-ordered release conditions connected to previous child sexual abuse charges. According to a Lethbridge Police Service release, officers responded May 6 to a report of a vulnerable 15-year-old girl getting into a vehicle with an adult male in the parking lot of a northside swimming pool. Police conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as a man prohibited from having contact with anyone under 16 years old. Police said the accused was also subject to c

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith met with Prime Minister Mark Carney in Ottawa on Thursday to discuss federal–provincial energy cooperation and major infrastructure project approvals. Smith said Albertans and industry investors are growing frustrated with delays tied to large-scale projects. She called for an oil pipeline and energy cooperation memorandum of understanding to be finalized within days. According to Smith, some conditions tied to the agreement between the federal and Alberta governments were supposed to be completed by April 1, a deadline that has already passed. She also argued

Daytime temperatures in Edmonton are expected to remain between 18 C and 23 C through the rest of this week and into next week, according to weather forecasts. Forecasters say several periods of strong winds are also expected across the region over the next one to two weeks. Environment and Climate Change Canada forecasts stronger wind conditions on Thursday and Friday. Wind speeds could approach 40 kilometres per hour during the afternoon hours. After easing overnight, winds are expected to increase again Friday morning, reaching about 30 km/h. Forecast models suggest conditions may remain re

A Calgary criminal defence lawyer is facing multiple child sexual exploitation-related charges, and police say they are seeking to identify additional potential victims. According to a Calgary Police Service news release, 46-year-old Jordan Bonner was arrested Thursday. Investigators executed search warrants at a residence and a law office in Calgary in connection with the case. Police allege Bonner engaged in sexually explicit online conversations with multiple youths and shared child sexual exploitation material. The allegations have not been tested in court. Authorities say the complainants

A 47-year-old Alberta man is back in custody after police say he breached court-ordered restrictions on internet use just hours after being released from jail. According to a Lethbridge Police Service news release, the man was released from custody at about 7 a.m. last Friday. Police allege he was observed shortly before noon the same day using a social media account at a public library to view images of children. Police say the man is subject to a lifetime prohibition order that restricts his access to social media and other internet platforms. The order was imposed following his convictions

Alberta's United Conservative Party caucus says staff attended a meeting to discuss how to access a website that's now the focus of investigations into a massive breach of personal data. The caucus says in a statement that staff regularly attend meetings of political interest and, in this case, organizers told them the database was obtained legally. The database contained the names and addresses of three million Alberta voters and was run by the Centurion Project, a group committed to getting Alberta to leave Canada. Elections Alberta says Centurion was not legally entitled to h