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AlbertaNov 24, 2025

Six more UCP MLAs face recall efforts, raising questions about government majority

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
AlbertaNov 20, 2025

Alberta auditor says failed lab privatization left public with $109 million bill

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
AlbertaNov 19, 2025

Albertans choose Banff’s Moraine Lake for upcoming Strong and Free licence plate

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-proposes-law-to-add-citizenship-status-and-health-numbers-to-drivers-licences
AlbertaNov 18, 2025

Alberta proposes law to add citizenship status and health numbers to driver’s licences

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-committee-backs-motion-to-scrap-blanket-rezoning-ahead-of-full-council-vote
AlbertaNov 17, 2025

Calgary committee backs motion to scrap blanket rezoning ahead of full council vote

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-apologizes-after-voicemail-with-expletive-becomes-public
AlbertaNov 17, 2025

Alberta cabinet minister apologizes after voicemail with expletive becomes public

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
AlbertaNov 17, 2025

Calgary father and daughter die after powerful wave pulls them into ocean off California coast

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
alberta-says-talks-with-ottawa-continue-as-province-presses-for-new-pipeline-approval
AlbertaNov 14, 2025

Alberta says talks with Ottawa continue as province presses for new pipeline approval

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says the province is encouraged by the federal government’s latest list of major projects flagged for potential fast-track approval, even though a proposed bitumen pipeline sought by her government was not included. Prime Minister Mark Carney announced earlier today that seven additional energy and infrastructure proposals have been sent to the federal major projects office for further review. The projects identified by Ottawa include a nickel mine in northern Ontario, a hydroelectric development near Iqaluit, and two initiatives in northwest British Columbia i
AlbertaNov 14, 2025

Edmonton health officials confirm localized tuberculosis outbreak linked to inner city

Health authorities in Edmonton have confirmed a tuberculosis outbreak after laboratory results linked two inner city patients to the same strain of the disease. The declaration was made in October once testing showed evidence of recent local transmission. According to Alberta Health Services, a total of 12 tuberculosis cases have been identified this year involving individuals connected to the city’s inner core or experiencing homelessness. Three of those cases have been confirmed as sharing the same strain and are now classified within the outbreak. Tuberculosis primarily affects the lungs

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CanadaDec 12, 2025

Fifteen people accused in B.C. extortion cases file refugee claims, CBSA confirms

Canada’s border agency says 15 foreign nationals linked to ongoing extortion investigations have submitted refugee claims, a move that has drawn concern from local officials in Surrey as the region continues to grapple with a surge in extortion-related crime. The Canada Border Services Agency says each claimant will be assessed under federal asylum rules, but did not disclose the individuals’ nationalities or details of their applications. Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke says she is troubled by the development and argues that the public expects federal systems to prevent criminal suspects from u
worksafebc-issues-more-than-1-3-million-dollars-in-penalties-after-fatal-crane-incident-at-oakridge-park
BCDec 12, 2025

WorkSafeBC issues more than 1.3 million dollars in penalties after fatal crane incident at Oakridge Park

WorkSafeBC has levied more than 1.3 million dollars in fines against EllisDon Corporation and Newway Concrete Forming following a series of crane-related safety violations, including the February 2024 incident at Vancouver’s Oakridge Park development that killed construction worker Yuridia Flores. The penalties stem from multiple investigations involving highrise projects in Vancouver and Victoria. Flores died when a large concrete form mould – measuring nearly 10 metres by six metres – fell 26 storeys after accelerating out of the side of the building while being moved between floors. E
alberta-ends-fall-sitting-after-sweeping-use-of-notwithstanding-clause-draws-scrutiny
AlbertaDec 12, 2025

Alberta ends fall sitting after sweeping use of notwithstanding clause draws scrutiny

Alberta’s fall legislative session closed this week with Premier Danielle Smith’s government advancing two major bills that relied heavily on the Charter’s notwithstanding clause, a move that has renewed debate over the limits of provincial authority and the protection of individual rights. The clause was applied four times in the sitting, shielding the legislation from certain court challenges for up to five years. The government first invoked the clause when it passed a law ordering more than 51 thousand public school teachers back to work following a three-week provincewide strike. Th
AlbertaDec 12, 2025

Advocacy groups shift legal strategy in bid to challenge Alberta’s gender care law

Two national advocacy organizations say they are pivoting their legal strategy as they continue efforts to challenge Alberta’s restrictions on gender-affirming care for youth. Egale Canada and the Calgary-based Skipping Stone Foundation launched a constitutional challenge last year after the province passed legislation prohibiting doctors from prescribing puberty blockers or hormone therapy to people under 16, and from performing gender-affirming top surgery on anyone under 18. The groups say the path through the Charter of Rights and Freedoms has become significantly more difficult since th
IndiaDec 12, 2025

Threatening email targets multiple schools in Amritsar, prompting closures and police response

Authorities in Amritsar ordered an immediate shutdown of several private schools after administrators reported receiving an email threatening bomb attacks on campus. The message, sent to multiple institutions early Tuesday, triggered evacuations and a large-scale police deployment. Local officials said at least 15 well-known private schools were identified in the threat. Police teams, including the bomb squad and fire services, secured school grounds while investigators worked to verify the credibility of the email. The Deputy Commissioner directed schools to release students for the day as a