Alberta’s health minister says there will be $158 million in the upcoming budget to attract more physicians and other health-care professionals to fill gaps in care.Jason Copping says the workforce is stretched and that demands will only increase as the population ages.The budget is to be delivered on February 28, and Copping says that half of the $158 million will be used for programs to recruit physicians to rural areas, which are feeling the brunt of the doctor shortage.There will also be funds to help underserviced and remote communities, and money to bring in internationally trained nur

The Alberta government is moving ahead with a plan that would give oil and gas companies a tax break for meeting their legal obligations to clean up old well sites, inviting a select group of landowner organizations to a meeting to discuss a pilot project.On Thursday, Alberta Energy Minister Peter Guthrie is scheduled to host those groups to discuss "a concept for a royalty credit program to incent accelerated oil and gas site closure," indicates a government document that outlines the proposed pilot program, obtained by The Canadian Press.That pilot program, previously known as RStar and now

The Law Society of Alberta has voted in favour of keeping a requirement for its members to complete a course on Indigenous history and culture. Almost 3,500 lawyers voted on the motion, which would have struck down the society's right to require such courses. Last week, 51 lawyers signed a petition calling that right into question, with some of the signatories calling the required course political indoctrination. In the end, their petition was defeated by a roughly three-to-one margin. That means lawyers will continue to have to take the course as a condition of practising law in Alberta. Brit

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has won a seat in the legislature by defeating four opponents in the Brooks-Medicine Hat byelection. The unofficial results show N-D-P candidate Gwendoline Dirk was second while Barry Morishita of the Alberta Party was third. Smith is back in the legislature after winning a seat more than seven years after she left. Smith called the byelection shortly after she won the race to replace Jason Kenney as United Conservative Party leader and premier on October 6th.

The Alberta government says people in the province 12 years of age and older can soon get the latest COVID-19 vaccine booster. Health Minister Jason Copping says starting on October 24th, the bivalent (bye-VAY'-lent) Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, which includes some protection for the Omicron B-A-4 and B-A-5 subvariants, will be available This is in addition to the currently available bivalent Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, which includes the B-A-1 subvariant. Copping says many Albertans are looking to receive their COVID-19 booster dose and the B-A-4 and B-A-5 are the prevalent strains in the provin

Alberta is reporting a growing number of people in hospital with COVID-19. As of Monday, there were 1,014 people being treated for the illness, including 31 in intensive care. Dr. Dan Gregson, an infectious diseases physician, says a new wave of COVID coupled with a big wave of seasonal flu would really stress the health system. The latest data shows 4,951 people in Alberta have died from COVID-19.

Danielle Smith has become Alberta's new premier. Smith was sworn into office by Lt.-Gov. Salma Lakhani in a ceremony at Government House in Edmonton. Smith will also serve as intergovernmental affairs minister and plans to announce a revised cabinet on Oct. 21. In her first remarks as premier, the United Conservative Party leader promised to govern on core values of freedom, family, faith, community and free enterprise. She also promised to challenge the federal carbon tax and to introduce a sovereignty act that would reject federal laws deemed against the province's interests. The 51-year-old

Alberta RCMP say an Australian man has died while rock climbing in Banff National Park. Daniel Heritage, who was 28, fell from Cascade Mountain on Wednesday. Paramedics, Parks Canada, and STARS Air Ambulance responded to the area. A GoFundMe page says his wife witnessed the accident and he died in her arms. According to Heritage's LinkedIn page, he and his wife Emma moved to the Calgary area a few months ago to pursue their passion for the outdoors.

The new leader of Alberta's United Conservative Party is to be sworn in as the province's 19th premier today. Danielle Smith won the leadership race to replace Premier Jason Kenney last Thursday. Smith is scheduled to hold a media availability with reporters this afternoon following her first cabinet meeting. She has said a new cabinet will be announced October 21st. Smith doesn't have a seat in the legislature but announced over the weekend that she will run in a byelection in Brooks-Medicine Hat. That seat became vacant when the constituency's current representative, Michaela Frey, resigned