The Alberta government has announced a plan to match up to 350,000 dollars in donations made to eligible provincial sport, physical activity and recreation programs. The province says the plan will begin on April 1st to help such programs recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Individual donations of up to one-thousand dollars will be accepted for matching until August 30th or until the 350,000 limit is reached. Eligible recipients of donations may receive up to 10,000 dollars in matching funds.

Alberta has introduced a bill to consolidate rules on continuing care for more consistent and stronger enforcement. Health Minister Jason Copping says the aim is to bring together six related pieces of legislation and three standards of care, some going back more than 30 years. All care facilities including home care, designated supported living facilities, and hospices would be licensed and regulated. There would be more authority for the minister to monitor and enforce standards, and penalties for violations would increase to $100,000 a day from the current maximum of $1,000. The government

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is defending the use of a meme from the Oscars as a contemporary way to draw attention to what he considers failing green energy policies. The meme, shared widely online, is a photo of actor Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage over comments Rock made about Smith's wife at the Hollywood awards show on Sunday. In the version shared on Kenney's social media accounts, the word ``Reality'' is written in text over Smith with ``Green Energy Policies'' in text over Rock. Opinions on the premier's use of the meme have varied online, with some critics saying it

A second man accused in the fatal stabbing of a popular Calgary chef has testified there was never any plan to harm the victim. Tommie Holloway has testified that he and Anthony Dodgson wanted toget into the chef's new restaurant to rob an adjacent cannabis shop. The pair have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Christophe Herblin on March 14th, 2020. Herblin's new restaurant was weeks away from opening and he was stabbed in its parking lot after a report of a break-in. Dodgson is accused of stabbing Herblin, while the Crown alleges Holloway smashed the chef's car windo

A major rival to Premier Jason Kenney says he plans to send a complaint to Elections Alberta after the United Conservative Party moved to a mail-in vote on Kenney's leadership. Brian Jean says he will also file an arbitration request with the party because he fears voting my mail instead of in-person will be rampant with cheating and fraud. The MLA elect in Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche says he's having a sense of deja vu after losing the UCP leadership to Kenney in 2017 in a race marred by allegations of collusion and voting irregularities. Jean says he's heard again of possible membership mini

Several constituency association presidents with Alberta's United Conservative Party say they're not content with changes to voting rules for an upcoming meeting to review Premier Jason Kenney's leadership. They are planning a news conference on the steps outside the legislature at noon. The leadership vote was to take place in person in Red Deer on April 9th. Yesterday, the party changed it to a mail-in vote.

Alberta's chief medical officer of health says the Omicron subvariant has become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in the province. Doctor Deena Hinshaw says about 60 per cent of positive cases are now the B-A-2 strain. She says the subvariant is more transmissible than Omicron, but doesn't appear to be causing more severe infections or outcomes. But she adds a surge in cases, even if not life-threatening, can still have a big effect on the public and health care. Dr. Hinshaw says she expects to see transmissions trending upwards in the coming weeks.

Criticizing the agreement reached between the Canadian federal government and the NDP, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said the agreement is "unfortunate" for Alberta. He said that this agreement goes against Alberta's plans. It’s worth mentioning that the Liberals and the NDP, among others, have reached an agreement on dental programs and Pharmacare. Following this agreement, the NDP has promised to support the Liberal minority government during this tenure till 2025. According to Trudeau, his government will now run the office until 2025.

It appears the United Conservative Party government will slam the brakes on its plan to move traffic ticket challenges online and away from court while charging people a fee to fight them. Transportation Minister Rajan Sawhney says she is recommending the plan be scrapped. She says her recommendation is based on feedback from Albertans who don't like the idea. Sawhney says her recommendation must still be approved by Premier Jason Kenney's cabinet.