Alberta's government is looking to give the green light to hydrogen as a home and commercial heating fuel in a move it says will boost demand and reduce emissions. If passed, legislation tabled by Utilities Minister Nathan Neudorf will allow utility companies to blend hydrogen into their supply of natural gas _ provided customers sign off on receiving the blended heat source. Neudorf says safety is top of mind and the province will work with regulators to set an acceptable blending rate, as hydrogen is easily ignitable and more explosive than methane. Neudorf's bill also sets th

Two people have been killed after being trapped under a house on a small island off British Columbia's coast. RCMP in Powell River say they received a call on April 6 about two people trapped under the house on Savary Island, just off the coast of the small city, about 150 kilometres northwest of Vancouver. Police say when the island's volunteer fire department and emergency health services personnel arrived they determined the house was under renovation and was being lowered onto a new foundation when it collapsed. Two men under the house were found dead, while a third man was t

As Alberta heads into the heart of wildfire season, the province is committing almost $1 million to upgrade its early-warning systems. Forestry Minister Todd Loewen says $900,000 is being allocated to upgrade and expand its network of 150 weather stations. These stations monitor environmental conditions, like temperature, humidity, wind and moisture, in real time to help fire crews know where they will be needed when the weather gets hot and dry. The monitors will also be able to monitor snowpack levels, which are strong indicators of Alberta's fire risk early in the season.

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi says the government's proposal to wipe out municipal councils' codes of conduct could create a free-for-all of delinquency and grift. It comes a day after Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver proposed a new bill, saying codes of conduct have been weaponized to silence dissent on municipal councils. McIver says the changes won't offer free rein to misbehave, and the aim is to create a better system of standards that can't be misused. But Nenshi, the former Calgary mayor, says the proposed bill is part of a naked attempt to slant elections in Alberta'

Alberta is looking to reduce the self-policing powers of elected public school boards and municipal councils. The changes are included in two bills put forward by Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative government. In one bill, Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver proposes pulling local council's codes of conduct and also ending any related ongoing complaints or sanctions that aren't before the courts. McIver says in some cases, codes of conduct have been weaponized to silence dissent on municipal councils. In the second bill, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides propo

An American man who abducted an Edmonton teen, took her over the U.S. border and subjected her to ``horrific sexual abuse'' has been given a 50-year prison sentence by a U.S. judge. The decision against Noah Madrano was meted in Portland, Ore., almost three years after the teen was located and Madrano was arrested by FBI agents at a hotel in the U.S. state. Earlier this year, the 43-year-old pleaded guilty to sexual abuse and kidnapping charges. The manhunt began in the summer of 2022 after the girl, then 13, failed to show up for class at her junior high school in Edmonton.

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange says Alberta's measles outbreak isn't dire enough for the province's top doctor for public health to address the public, despite mounting calls for the government to do more to stop the spread. Alberta has reported 43 cases of the highly infectious disease over the past month.The Edmonton Zone Medical Staff Association says the spread is a result of government inaction, especially around Alberta's low vaccination rates. The association is calling on the province to improve how it updates the public on the outbreak and develop a vaccination plan.

Alberta's government is taking another step toward giving municipalities the option of ditching the RCMP in favour of a new provincial police service. Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis says an independent Alberta service could step in to help address concerns he's heard about the Mounties' staffing shortages and rising costs. If passed, a proposed bill would mean a new agency must operate under a Crown corporation that would be at arm's length from the government. An extra $6 million has been set aside for the agency's leadership team, but Ellis says if the province shifts about

A man has been charged with arson after the memorial statue of a prominent Canadian solider was destroyed in a community east of Edmonton last month. RCMP say the statue of Sam Steele, which was made of wood, was burned on March 21st in Sherwood Park. Police say they arrested a 23-year-old Sherwood Park man shortly after the incident and he is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow. Steele was a key figure in the North-West Mounted Police and the Canadian military in the 19th and early 20th centuries.