RCMP west of Calgary are urging residents to stay away from the Bow River as water levels remain elevated following recent rainfall and snowmelt. According to a release from the Cochrane RCMP, officers have responded to multiple reports of people venturing too close to the river despite hazardous conditions. The Bow River originates at Bow Lake in Banff National Park and flows through communities including Canmore and Calgary. Police said fast-moving water and changing river conditions can increase the risk of injury or drowning. RCMP are asking residents and visitors to prioritize safety by k

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is defending her government's decision to include a question on Alberta's potential separation from Canada in a provincial referendum scheduled for Oct. 19, despite the petition supporting the measure not yet being formally verified. According to Smith, the group Stay Free Alberta submitted more than 300,000 signatures in support of the referendum question. Under Alberta's citizen initiative rules, approximately 177,000 valid signatures are required to advance a proposal to a province-wide vote. Smith said Elections Alberta has been unable to complete its verific

A 23-year-old Lethbridge man is facing criminal charges after police say his two-year-old son was found unattended in a stroller that was moving toward traffic in downtown Lethbridge. According to a Lethbridge Police Service news release, officers responded on May 27 to a business in the 500 block of 1 Avenue South after security staff intervened to stop a toddler from entering a roadway. Security staff reported the child, who was strapped into a stroller, used his feet to propel himself toward 1 Avenue while an adult male was slumped against a nearby pillar and did not attempt to retrieve him

Calgary police say a man who was struck by a C-Train in downtown Calgary last week has died from his injuries. Police said the collision happened Thursday afternoon when a man in his 60s was walking in the downtown core and entered the path of an oncoming light-rail transit train. According to the Calgary Police Service, the man became pinned beneath the train and was taken to hospital in critical condition. Police confirmed this week that he later died. Investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the collision. Police have not released the man’s identity and no further

Rapid snowpack melt caused by warm weather in Banff and surrounding mountain regions has pushed water levels higher along the Bow River, prompting the Town of Banff to issue a High Streamflow Advisory. Municipal officials said several low-lying pathways and riverbank areas have already been flooded as water levels continue to rise. According to the advisory, the Bow River could rise by an additional 30 centimetres by Friday if warm temperatures persist. The advisory applies to areas from upstream of Banff to the Ghost Reservoir. Lake Louise RCMP and Parks Canada have also issued public safety

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the United Conservative Party supports Alberta remaining in Canada following conflicting public statements from party leadership ahead of a proposed fall referendum on separation. The clarification came after UCP president Rob Smith said earlier this week the party would not take a position on Alberta separation before the vote. Danielle Smith has repeatedly stated she supports Alberta staying within Confederation. In a new statement issued Wednesday, the party said it supports Alberta remaining in Canada and “has always supported that position.” The dis

A provincial court judge is recommending stronger vaccination campaigns and action on overcrowded housing conditions following the 2020 death of a six-year-old Indigenous boy in northern Alberta. In a fatality inquiry report released Tuesday, provincial court Justice Claus Thietke said the boy died on Nov. 13, 2020, at a local nursing station after experiencing abdominal pain and hours of vomiting. Evidence presented during the inquiry found meningococcus bacteria in the child’s bloodstream caused an infection that led to organ failure. According to the report, the boy lived with about 20 re

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s office says Jason Stephan has resigned as the government’s parliamentary adviser on constitutional affairs. Stephan, the United Conservative Party MLA for Red Deer-South, remains a member of the government caucus, according to the premier’s office. No reason was provided for the resignation, which the office said was submitted earlier this year. The constitutional affairs advisory role was created by the Alberta government last year and was described at the time as “critically important” to advancing the province’s interests in federal-provincial re

A judge in Edmonton Court of King’s Bench is expected to deliver a verdict Tuesday in the manslaughter trial of Dennis Okeymow, who is accused of selling a rifle later used in the fatal shooting of two Edmonton police officers in 2023. Okeymow, 21, has pleaded not guilty in connection with the deaths of constables Travis Jordan and Brett Ryan. According to court proceedings, the officers were responding to a domestic disturbance call at an apartment building when 16-year-old Roman Shewchuk allegedly opened fire on them. Police said Shewchuk later died by suicide at the scene. During the tria