The Alberta government has approved a bid by the Enoch Cree Nation near Edmonton to build a private clinic to perform thousands of publicly covered hip and knee surgeries. Health Minister Jason Copping says the clinic is to be built by the middle of next year to reduce a backlog of orthopedic operations in and around the capital. The clinic will be a partnership between the Enoch Cree and Surgical Centres Inc., a private operator that runs seven clinics in Canada, including two in Calgary. Alberta Health says the partners will be responsible for building and equipment costs, while surgeries th

A Belgian man faces charges after a suspect was caught with five kilograms of heroin in luggage at the Calgary International Airport. RCMP say the accused had arrived at the Calgary International Airport on a flight from Frankfurt, Germany on May 27, and was referred to a secondary inspection. That's when Canada Border Services Agency officers seized four packages containing the dope. Bernard Vandenberghe, who is 63, is charged with smuggling and possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.

Police in Calgary say a 24-year-old woman has died and a man was badly hurt after a crash in the city's downtown. Police say the sudden movements of the car caused the passenger to fall out from the front passenger door. According to Calgary Police Service officials, witness reports and CCTV footage confirmed the girlfriend was at the passenger side of the Kia Soul with the door open when she realized her boyfriend, the driver, was in distress. She began to call for help and the SUV began to move. The open door of the SUV knocked the woman to the ground. The SUV ran over her and she became pin

Premier Jason Kenney says Ottawa's decision to decriminalize possession of small amounts of illegal drugs in British Columbia will likely result in a dramatic increase in drug use, violence, trafficking and addiction. Under the program, adults in British Columbia who possess up to 2.5 grams of illicit drugs for personal use will not be arrested or charged starting early next year. It's part of the province's request for an exemption from Canada's drug laws following a record number of overdose deaths. Kenney says his government supports dealing with addiction as a health-care issue while keepi

An Edmonton jury has found two men guilty in the shooting deaths of two Metis hunters in rural Alberta. Jacob Sansom and Maurice Cardinal were found dead on the side of a road near Glendon in March 2020. Anthony Bilodeau was found guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter and his father Roger Bilodeau was found guilty of two counts of manslaughter. A spokeswoman for the victims' families thanked the Crown for bringing justice for the ``senseless murders. Anthony Bilodeau's lawyer, Brian Beresh, said he was disappointed in the verdict.

Travis Toews has resigned as Alberta's finance minister and launched his campaign in the race to replace Jason Kenney as United Conservative Party leader and premier. Toews, in a statement, says he wants to focus on healing rifts in the UCP and returning to core party values. Kenney says he received Toews's resignation letter earlier today and has not decided on a replacement. Kenney has stated cabinet ministers who run to replace him must resign their posts. Toews, 57, is a first-term legislature member from the constituency of Grande Prairie-Wapiti and has been finance minister since the sta

Alberta's justice minister and Edmonton's mayor are to meet today to discuss a spike in violent crime on downtown streets and on public transit. Last week, Tyler Shandro demanded a report from the city on what is being done to get crime under control. Shandro gave the city two weeks to respond and pointed to the recent killings of two men in the Chinatown district. On Monday, Mayor Amarjeet Sohi outlined a partial plan, which includes $1 million to revitalize Chinatown and grants for businesses to upgrade their security. Wen Wong is the executive director of the Chinatown and Area Business Ass

Fresh organic strawberries sold in Saskatchewan and Alberta have been linked to a hepatitis A outbreak. The Public Health Agency of Canada says the strawberries were sold at Co-op stores in the two provinces between March 5th and March 9th. The strawberries are past their shelf life, but consumers who may have frozen them are being urged to throw them out. The agency says six people in Saskatchewan and four people in Alberta became ill with hepatitis A last month _ four were hospitalized. Hepatitis A is a virus that can cause liver disease and, in rare cases, liver failure and death.

Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews has officially entered the leadership contest to replace Jason Kenney as United Conservative Party leader and premier. Toews has not made a formal announcement, but has registered his candidacy on the Elections Alberta website. He could not be immediately reached for comment, but said last week he was considering a run. Toews is a first-term legislature member from the constituency of Grande Prairie-Wapiti and has been finance minister since the start of Kenney's government in April 2019. UCP backbencher Brian Jean and Danielle Smith _ both former Wildrose