Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says members of her United Conservative caucus are ready to defend their work as several MLAs face active recall petitions across the province. More than a dozen campaigns have been launched under Alberta’s recall legislation, which allows constituents to attempt to remove an elected official before the next general election. Smith pointed to two senior ministers as examples of what she described as a strong government record. She said Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides has overseen significant increases to school operating and capital budgets, and that Se

A broad group of Alberta health professionals, including frontline paramedics, has voted to ratify a new four-year contract with Alberta Health Services. The Health Sciences Association of Alberta says roughly two-thirds of participating members supported the mediator-recommended agreement after a weeklong vote. The deal provides general wage increases totalling 12 per cent over the life of the contract. Several classifications will also receive additional one-time adjustments to bring salaries in line with market conditions. The union says the agreement marks progress for workers who have fac

Six additional members of Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative caucus are now the subject of recall petitions, according to Elections Alberta, marking a significant expansion of efforts to challenge sitting government lawmakers. The new approvals bring the total number of UCP MLAs under recall to nine. The most recent petitions target four cabinet ministers – Rajan Sawhney, Myles McDougall, Dale Nally and RJ Sigurdson – along with House Speaker Ric McIver and Associate Minister for Multiculturalism Muhammad Yaseen. Earlier this month, petitions were authorized against Education M

Alberta’s auditor general says the province’s attempt to shift community lab testing to a private operator resulted in significant financial losses and gaps in government oversight. A new report from Auditor General Doug Wylie estimates taxpayers absorbed roughly $109 million after the privatization effort collapsed. Wylie’s review found that senior officials in government advanced the plan despite internal warnings that the projected savings were unlikely. He says weaknesses in record keeping, financial analysis and contract oversight contributed to the breakdown of the agreement with D

Alberta’s next generation of licence plates will feature one of the province’s most recognizable mountain landscapes after residents selected Moraine Lake as the new image. The provincial government said more than 240,000 people participated in an online vote, making this the first major redesign of the plate in more than four decades. The change follows the government’s earlier decision to retire the long standing Wild Rose Country slogan and replace it with Strong and Free, a phrase drawn from Alberta’s official motto and referenced in Canada’s national anthem. Officials say the up

Alberta has introduced legislation that would require citizenship status and provincial health numbers to be displayed on all driver’s licences and government ID cards. The proposal formalizes a plan the province first signalled earlier this year, prompting debate about how much personal information should appear on identification used for everyday transactions. Privacy advocates previously warned that the change could expose a person’s citizenship status in routine situations such as age verification at stores or restaurants. Government officials argue the measure will make it easier for

Calgary’s executive committee has endorsed a motion from Mayor Jeromy Farkas to roll back the city’s blanket rezoning bylaw, setting the stage for a final decision by full council on December 15. The move begins the formal process to undo a housing policy approved earlier this year under former mayor Jyoti Gondek. The bylaw, adopted in April 2024, allowed fourplexes and rowhouses on all residential lots without requiring individual public hearings or neighbourhood-level consultation. Council approved the changes despite strong opposition from residents who argued the citywide approach w

Alberta cabinet minister Tanya Fir has issued a public apology after a voicemail she left for a Calgary constituent captured her using an expletive once she believed the call had ended. Fir, who serves as minister of arts, culture and Status of Women, acknowledged the remark in a written statement and described it as a lapse in judgment. The voicemail, released over the weekend by Alberta columnist Doug Firby, begins with Fir returning a constituent’s call and referencing feedback she had received. After offering a goodbye, the line remains open as she turns to speak with someone nearby. In

Authorities in California say a Calgary resident and his young daughter have died after a large wave swept them into the Pacific Ocean at Garrapata State Beach, an area known for strong surf and steep coastal cliffs. Local officials identified the victims as 39-year-old Yuji Hu and his seven-year-old daughter, who were visiting the Monterey County shoreline with family on Friday. Investigators say the child was pulled into the water by a wave estimated at about six metres high. Both parents reached toward the girl in an attempt to bring her back to safety but were also carried away by the surg