The federal government says it will provide more than $35 million during the papal visit to Canada to support Indigenous communities, organizations and residential schools survivors. Pope Francis visit is set to start in Edmonton July 24th and will go to Quebec and Nunavut before it ends on the 29th. Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada are putting up 30.5-million dollars for community-led activities and travel for survivors. Another three-million dollars will support Indigenous groups in the three regions where Pope Francis will spend time, a

Data released by Statistics Canada shows people living in Edmonton and Calgary brought home less money in 2020 than they did five years prior. They were the only two cities among Canada's 10 largest urban centres to experience a decline in median after-tax income of households. Despite the decline, those living in Edmonton and Calgary continue to bring home some of the highest wages in Canada, taking in over $10,000 more than the average Canadian household. Out of the 10 cities, Calgary has the highest household income with the average after tax being 87-thousand dollars in 2020 --down from 92

The federal government will spend more than $1 million to fight opioid poisoning in Edmonton. Carolyn Bennett, minister of mental health and addictions and Edmonton MP and Tourism Minister Randy Boissonnault have announced funding for an outreach program to provide overdose response training and trauma support at a community level. The program, based at the city's Royal Alexandra Hospital, will also direct at-risk people to resources on treatment and recovery. In a release, the government says the program will support those disproportionately affected by substance use. ``This tragic loss of li

The Alberta government says it is changing how it tests people for COVID-19. Starting next week, Albertans who need a PCR test to inform their medical treatment must have a referral from a health-care professional. Clinicians are to determine the best testing option for their patients. Self-referrals will still be available to people with symptoms who live or work in isolated Indigenous communities and workers in certain high-risk settings, such as health care, continuing care and correctional facilities. Health Minister Jason Copping says in a statement that the changes would allow the provi

The Edmonton Police Commission has announced an independent review of what led a man accused in two murders to be dropped off in the city three days earlier, despite court-ordered conditions that he not be there. Justin Bone faces second-degree murder charges in the deaths of Ban Phuc Hoang and Hung Trang in May. The investigation is to look at how and when police interacted with Bone, examine police policies and review reports from the R-C-M-P, probation officers and other court processes. Mayor Amarjeet Sohi (am-ahr-JEET' SOH'-hee) welcomed the probe and says the public must know the details

A peacock on the loose for days in the western Alberta mountain town of Jasper has been euthanized. Parks Canada says its staff and town residents first saw the domestic peafowl last Saturday. The agency has said it isn't aware of how the peacock came to Jasper National Park or whether it was accidentally or deliberately released. Parks Canada says it consulted with experts outside the agency and, after six days of trying to capture and remove the peacock from the area, a decision was made to euthanize it on Thursday. The agency says the release of foreign species and domestic animals into

Mounties say a hiker has died after he slipped on a patch of snow and ice in Banff National Park. Police, fire rescue and Parks Canada responded to a call shortly before noon Saturday about a man who had fallen from Mount Temple near Lake Louise, Alta. They say the man was with a group of experienced hikers when he lost his footing. With the help of a Parks Canada helicopter, police say the man was located about 1,000 metres from the initial site of his fall. Mount Temple, a well-known peak above Lake Louise village, is described on the Parks Canada website as a technical route up the main fac

A candidate vying to lead Alberta’s United Conservatives has brought on a high-profile former federal politician as campaign chair. Rebecca Schulz says Rona Ambrose, the former Conservative Opposition leader, knows what it takes to unite and lead a party. In a video posted to social media, Ambrose says she has a ton of respect and confidence in Schulz, who had been provincial children’s services minister before stepping down to seek the leadership. Ambrose calls Schulz, the legislature member for Calgary-Shaw, a principled conservative and a compassionate Albertan. Schulz says in the video

CALGARY - The City of Calgary wants three dogs that mauled a senior last month to be euthanized. The 86-year-old woman who was attacked by the dogs on June 5 later died in hospital of her injuries. The city says in a release Thursday that it has submitted an application under the Dangerous Dogs Act asking the Court of Queen's Bench to order the animals to be humanely destroyed. Community peace officers seized the dogs after the attack and they are being held pending the outcome of the application. The city says police and Calgary Community Standards continue to investigate the dog attack. Afte