Calgary city councillors are set to receive and discuss a long-awaited independent report examining repeated failures of a major watermain that supplies drinking water to much of the city. The report focuses on the Bearspaw South Feeder Main, a critical piece of infrastructure that delivers treated water to roughly 60 per cent of Calgary residents. The line first ruptured in the summer of 2024, triggering weeks of mandatory water restrictions across the city. Concerns intensified again late last month when the same watermain ruptured for a second time on Dec. 30, forcing the city to reintroduc

City officials in Calgary are asking residents to sharply reduce their daily water use after a key water feeder main ruptured late last month, placing pressure on the city’s drinking water system. Mayor Jeromy Farkas said the Bearspaw South Feeder Main remains in a critical state following the Dec. 30 break, leaving Calgary using more water than it can currently produce and store. The situation has prompted renewed calls for voluntary conservation across the city of roughly 1.6 million people. According to Chris Huston, the city’s manager of drinking water distribution, Calgary needs to ke

Calgary residents are facing renewed water restrictions after a major water main break overnight flooded a busy northwest interchange, trapping vehicles and forcing emergency rescues. The rupture occurred near the intersection of 16th Avenue NW and Sarcee Trail, close to Canada Olympic Park, an area that serves as a key commuter route. Fire crews were called in to rescue 13 people from vehicles surrounded by freezing water as the break sent water rushing across the roadway. Police closed the interchange, and city officials say the road will remain shut while crews assess damage and begin repai

The head of the national RCMP union is criticizing a provincial panel report that recommends Alberta continue efforts to replace the Mounties with a provincial police force. Brian Sauve, president of the National Police Federation, described the Alberta Next panel’s report as “misleading,” saying it relies on outdated references and misinterpreted federal policies to support its conclusions. He added the panel appears to be reviving a proposal that Albertans have already rejected in past consultations. The Alberta Next Panel, established and chaired by Premier Danielle Smith, was tasked

Premier Danielle Smith says 2025 marked a turning point for Alberta’s sweeping health-care overhaul, with the legal framework for the province’s new system now firmly in place. She says the coming year will be focused on showing Albertans whether the changes deliver measurable improvements. Smith said her government believes the restructuring will lead to better patient outcomes after years of strain on the health system. Alberta is in the process of replacing Alberta Health Services as a single province-wide provider with four separate organizations responsible for acute care, primary car

RCMP in northern Alberta have charged a 42-year-old man with two counts of second-degree murder following a fatal shooting that claimed the lives of a married couple on a rural road near Grande Prairie. Police say officers were called early Saturday to reports of an active shooting near the intersection of Range Road 35 and Township Road 730, north of Grande Prairie. When officers arrived, they found David Lagace, 54, and his wife Michelle Lagace, 44, dead beside their vehicle. Investigators identified Curtis Phillip Halladay as the suspect later that day. RCMP say Halladay was known to the co

Elections Alberta has approved three additional recall petitions against sitting members of the provincial legislature, bringing the total number of active recall efforts across the province to 26. The latest petitions target two United Conservative Party backbenchers, Ron Wiebe and Justin Wright, along with Opposition New Democrat MLA Peggy Wright, who serves as the party’s labour critic. With the new approvals, 24 of the 26 active petitions are aimed at UCP politicians, representing more than half of Premier Danielle Smith’s 47-member caucus. Petitioners seeking the removal of Wiebe and

Alberta’s election authority has approved a proposed referendum question that would ask voters whether the province should separate from Canada and become an independent country. Elections Alberta confirmed the question meets the technical requirements under provincial legislation. The wording asks voters whether they agree that Alberta should cease to be part of Canada in order to become an independent state. The application was submitted by the Alberta Prosperity Project, an organization that advocates for increased provincial autonomy and independence. The group now has until early Januar

The Alberta government says it will move ahead in 2026 with a pilot project that would increase speed limits to 120 kilometres per hour on certain rural divided highways across the province. Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said the decision follows public feedback gathered through an online survey earlier this fall, when the province asked Albertans whether speed limits should be raised on divided highways. According to the government, about 59,000 people responded, with 68 per cent expressing support for higher limits. Currently, many rural divided highways in Alberta are capped at 110