Alberta's government is taking another step toward giving municipalities the option of ditching the RCMP in favour of a new provincial police service. Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis says an independent Alberta service could step in to help address concerns he's heard about the Mounties' staffing shortages and rising costs. If passed, a proposed bill would mean a new agency must operate under a Crown corporation that would be at arm's length from the government. An extra $6 million has been set aside for the agency's leadership team, but Ellis says if the province shifts about

A man has been charged with arson after the memorial statue of a prominent Canadian solider was destroyed in a community east of Edmonton last month. RCMP say the statue of Sam Steele, which was made of wood, was burned on March 21st in Sherwood Park. Police say they arrested a 23-year-old Sherwood Park man shortly after the incident and he is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow. Steele was a key figure in the North-West Mounted Police and the Canadian military in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Alberta's government will soon tie public hospital funding to the number and type of procedures performed, a move critics warn won't improve the public system and will only accelerate private delivery. Premier Danielle Smith says the new ``activity-based'' model, expected to be implemented for some surgeries in 2026, will drive costs down by fostering competition among public and private providers who will be rewarded for delivering better results. Smith says it will make the system more efficient, lower wait times, provide more transparency and attract more surgeons to the province. Albert

A meeting of the five Singh Sahibs has been called by the acting Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, Giani Kuldeep Singh Gargaj, tomorrow (Tuesday). The meeting will focus on discussions related to Khalsa Sajna Divas, as well as Panthic, religious, and social matters. Sources indicate that while no formal agenda has been released for the meeting, the ongoing dispute regarding the recruitment of Shiromani Akali Dal under Panthic matters may be addressed. At the same time, the Shiromani Akali Dal has called a meeting of its working committee tomorrow afternoon at its Chandigarh office. During thi

The popular passenger train service between Vancouver and Seattle has resumed, including trains to and from Portland. On March 26, Amtrak, the US government-run company, had suspended the train service indefinitely to replace old trains. In the interim, Amtrak had been offering bus service between Vancouver and Seattle twice a day. Now, full train service has been restored. However, Amtrak has stated that the trains are currently operating with a limited number of cars, and passengers are advised to book in advance. Amtrak spokesperson Kelly confirmed that the train service to Vancouver has b

US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose an additional 50 percent tariff on China, giving the country until tomorrow to withdraw its 34 percent retaliatory tariffs on American goods. In a social media post, Trump stated that if China does not remove its tariffs by tomorrow, he will enforce the new 50 percent tariff on China starting April 9. Trump also warned that any requests from China for talks regarding trade concerns would be rejected. This threat comes as the Chinese and Hong Kong markets have seen a significant decline in today's trading. Meanwhile, protests against Trump's p

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has pledged to alter federal drug laws to prevent the opening of supervised drug consumption sites across Canada if his government is formed. He also stated that he would fire bureaucrats who advocate for prescribing alternative drugs in place of traditional prescription medications. Poilievre made the announcement yesterday during an election campaign in New Westminster, B.C., declaring that the funds currently allocated to supervised consumption sites would be redirected to build new drug treatment centres. In the meanhile, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh durin

Shiromani Akali Dal General Secretary Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad has resigned from his position, just ahead of the scheduled Shiromani Akali Dal Working Committee meeting tomorrow. Following his resignation, Peer Mohammad criticized the Akali leadership, claiming that the party had deviated from its core ideology. In response, senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema fired back at Peer Mohammad, accusing him of resigning strategically before the Working Committee meeting. Cheema suggested that the party's entire structure was set to collapse following the meeting on Tuesday

Millions of Canadians are set to receive their final Canada Carbon Rebate payment ahead of the April 28 vote. Residents of eight provinces, including Alberta and Nova Scotia, which had a federal carbon fuel charge, will receive their final Canada Carbon Rebate payment on April 22. In addition, British Columbians will receive their final B.C. Climate Action Tax Credit payment. The federal government will distribute approximately $4 billion in payments under the Canada Carbon Rebate to around 13 million Canadians. According to the Canada Revenue Agency, only those who filed their tax returns be