Alberta's former finance minister officially launched his campaign to succeed Premier Jason Kenney as leader of the United Conservative Party on Saturday by stressing the need for unity and warning against the dangers of division. Travis Toews, who resigned from cabinet Tuesday to run for his party's top job, told an audience of supporters that he was extending a call home to those who felt ``wrongly categorized'' and ``disregarded.'' Kenney announced he would step down as UCP leader as soon as a new one is chosen after he received lukewarm support of 51.4 per cent in a leadership review last

People in Edmonton are being warned to be wary of aggressive coyotes after a man and his dog were attacked by five of the animals in a south Edmonton park. The city says the dog-walker tried to scare the coyotes away but was not able to do so and both the dog and its owner were treated for minor injuries. coyotes attacked a man walking his dog near Thibault Park in Terwillegar around 10 a.m. on Tuesday. The city says two of the coyotes that were believed to have been involved have been killed. A city official says there are reports someone has been feeding coyotes in the area.

Alberta's chief medical officer of health says the province has identified a case of monkeypox. Dr. Deena Hinshaw says in a post on social media that an adult has tested positive for the rare disease that can cause fevers, aches and rashes. She also says monkeypox does not spread easily between people. Monkeypox typically spreads from close person-to-person contact through respiratory droplets, direct contact with skin lesions or bodily fluids, or indirect contact through contaminated clothing or linens. She says the first person in the province to test positive for the disease had close conta

The Alberta government says a private laboratory service that collects blood and other samples for medical testing will be expanding its operations. Health Minister Jason Copping says DynaLIFE (DYE'-nah-life) Medical Labs, which already operates in Edmonton and some northerncommunities, will upgrade its facilities and open more service centres. Copping says communities that can expect to see new labs in the summer include Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Okotoks, Strathmore and Cochrane. He says the province is expanding its contract with the lab service because it is cost effective and there will

Strathmore RCMP is investigating a reported child abduction in the southern Alberta town. Police in a community east of Calgary say two men tried to abduct a girl on her way home from school on Tuesday. Strathmore RCMP say the youth was approached by two men in a white pickup truck and reportedly forced inside. The girl was walking home from her school bus drop-off about 3 p.m. Police say she was taken to a residence, but was able to get away and run to safety. RCMP said the girl was found by a family member about 5:30 p.m., who then called police. The girl was taken to Alberta Children's Hosp

Police in Calgary are warning parents, caregivers and teens about an online ``sextortion'' scam. Police say they have already had 48 reports this year and most have targeted teenage boys. Sextortion is a form of blackmail in which online scammers, using a phoney profile, make a connection with potential victims and express romantic interest. The scammer will ask for intimate photos and videos as the online conversation progresses. Police say the scammer then demands money and threatens to share the explicit material if payment is not received. The service's cybercrime team is investigating sev

The first United Conservative backbencher to publicly call for Premier Jason Kenney to quit is now running to replace him as party leader and premier. Todd Loewen announced in a Facebook post that he has registered with Elections Alberta to run, and says he will have a formal announcement next week. Loewen made headlines more than a year ago when he published a letter resigning as caucus chair and called on Kenney to quit. He said Kenney had lost the confidence to lead, citing weak dealings with Ottawa, ignoring caucus members, delivering contradictory messages, and botching critical issues su

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.