The man who was serving as the head of the Alberta Human Rights Commission is out of a job. The United Conservative Party government has rescinded Collin May's appointment in a dispute stemming from a passage in a book review that has been criticized as Islamophobic. Neither Justice Minister Tyler Shandro nor May has commented on the government's decision. Earlier this week, Shandro publicly urged May to resign after a Muslim advocacy group said May had failed to keep a promise to meet with them over comments in a book review he had written in 2009 that they deemed Islamophobic. May refused to

Parks Canada is welcoming visitors back to Jasper National Park after power was restored to the townsite that was knocked out by a wildfire north of the community earlier this month. The agency says it has been a difficult period for many and it appreciates the adaptability and flexibility of community residents, visitors to Jasper and the tourism industry. ATCO Electricity says it worked relentlessly to restore power to the area as quickly as possible. Parks Canada says the Chetamon Mountain fire, which is about 20 kilometres north of the townsite, remains active and is now about 60 square ki

The new bivalent COVID-19 vaccine will be available in Alberta next week. The province says adult Albertans can make appointments for the Moderna Spikevax booster starting on Wednesday. The bivalent vaccine protects against the Omicron B-A-1 variant and the original COVID-19 strain. People who received a series of shots and are at least five months from their last dose, booster, or most recent infection are eligible. The new vaccine is expected to be available for Albertans aged 12 to 17 later this month or in early October

Edmonton police say an officer was injured in a hit-and-run after trying to pull over a motorcyclist. Police say an officer was conducting traffic enforcement at a construction zone around 7:15 p.m. Wednesday when he tried to direct a red Honda motorcycle to pull over. Police allege the bike hit the officer and then fled northbound from the scene at Terwillegar Drive and 37 Avenue. Police say the officer was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The Major Collision Investigations Section is probing the incident and is asking for any witnesses to come forward. Police descr

A Calgary man has been charged after police allege he was running a fake firearms training course out of his home. Calgary Police say in a news release that Bradley Keith Bell offered private training between January and June, while posing as an ex-military veteran. Victims told police they thought they were registering to complete the course with a certified instructor. They allege Bell provided safety booklets and gave firearms handling instruction, before being asked to complete a Canadian firearms safety exam as the final step. Police say the victims provided payment, personal information

A new tool is being tested in Edmonton to detect distracted drivers, but it won't lead to any tickets right now. A trailer and camera are parked on the side of a busy road as part of a University of Alberta research project that will capture high-resolution images through windshields. The technology, developed by Australian company Acusensus, then uses artificial intelligence to compare the images to millions of others in an effort to detect drivers who use cellphones behind the wheel. The company claims that after police started using the system in Australia, traffic deaths went down.

The pilot of a crop dusting plane has died in a crash just east of Donalda, Alberta. RCMP say they were alerted to the crash just before 10 yesterday morning. The lone occupant has been identified as a 39-year-old man who lived in Bawlf. The Transportation Safety Board says it is deploying a team of investigators.

Two people are dead, including a paramedic, following a collision involving an ambulance southwest of Edmonton. RCMP say members responded to a report of a crash between an ambulance and an older Buick Skylark on Highway 39 just west of Thorsby early Saturday. Police say the driver and lone occupant of the Buick, a 27-year-old man from Edmonton, as well as the 51-year-old woman who was driving the ambulance, were both pronounced dead at the scene. Alberta Health Services later identified her as a paramedic but released no other details. A male passenger in the ambulance, who AHS said was also

Calgary police's hate crime and extremism team is investigating a recent act of vandalism that caused damage to a statue outside a church. Police say a man damaged a religious statue in front of Sacred Heart Church on September 1st before fleeing the area on foot. The suspect is described as about five feet 11 inches tall, with possible tattoos on his left arm and a slim build. Police say the man was an orange T-shirt, baseball cap, sunglasses, dark construction pants and construction boots. They say investigators have not determined a motive for the vandalism.