Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she has not signed any citizen petitions currently circulating in the province, including one calling for a referendum on Alberta separating from Canada. Speaking alongside Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides, Smith said the citizen initiative process is designed for members of the public and not elected officials. She added that her government is monitoring several petition efforts underway but is not directly participating in them. A group advocating for Alberta to become an independent country is working to gather the required signatures to trigger a

Calgary police are investigating what they describe as an organized crime related shooting that took place outside a restaurant in the city’s southeast late Wednesday night. Officers were called to a Cactus Club location along Macleod Trail Southeast after reports that a man had been shot while sitting inside his vehicle in the parking area. Emergency crews transported the victim to hospital in critical condition. Police later confirmed his condition had improved and he is now listed as stable. Investigators believe the shooting was targeted and say the victim was likely followed or approach

An Alberta provincial court judge has sentenced a 13 year old boy to three years in an intensive rehabilitation program after he pleaded guilty to attempting to kill his younger brother in a violent attack last summer. Court heard the boy was 12 years old when he repeatedly stabbed his seven year old brother inside the family’s Lethbridge home in August. Police initially responded to reports that an unknown man had entered the residence and assaulted the child before fleeing. Investigators later determined the suspect was the older sibling. The youth admitted to attempted murder in earlier p

An Edmonton church deacon is facing criminal charges in connection with an alleged sexual offence reported to have taken place late last year. Edmonton Police Service say the investigation relates to an incident that occurred in November. A 48-year-old man has been charged with sexual assault and sexual interference. Police have not released additional details about the complainant in order to protect privacy. Investigators say they believe there may be other potential victims and are urging anyone with information or similar experiences to contact police. Authorities have not indicated whethe

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has expressed condolences following a deadly shooting at a secondary school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, that left 10 people dead, including the alleged gunman. In a public statement, Smith said her thoughts are with the students, staff and families affected, adding that Alberta stands with the entire Tumbler Ridge community during what she described as an unimaginable tragedy. According to the BC RCMP, officers responded to reports of shots fired at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School at approximately 1:20 p.m. Police said six people were pronounced dead at th

The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says any attempt by Alberta to separate from Canada would require the consent of First Nations and cannot proceed without respecting treaty rights. Speaking Tuesday at an AFN conference in Calgary, Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak described the province’s separatist movement as illegitimate and unconstitutional. She said Canada is founded on treaties between the Crown and First Nations, and those agreements would remain in force regardless of provincial political movements. “Canada is treaty territory,” Woodhouse Nepinak told delegates. “First

RCMP say a Calgary man is facing drug trafficking charges after officers intercepted drugs allegedly delivered by drone to a federal prison in Manitoba. In a news release, RCMP said officers were alerted early Sunday morning after a drone dropped a package onto the grounds of Stony Mountain Institution, north of Winnipeg. Correctional Service Canada said the package contained methamphetamine and other controlled substances. RCMP said officers already in the area observed a vehicle parked near the institution around the same time. Police said the vehicle was stopped and investigators located a

RCMP say a Two Hills man has been charged in connection with a sexual assault that occurred more than three decades ago after investigators used a modern genetic genealogy technique to develop a lead from historical DNA evidence. RCMP say the assault occurred in June 1992 in Two Hills, Alta., when a woman was attacked in her home at knifepoint while her children were present. Investigators collected DNA at the time but were unable to identify a suspect. Police say the investigation was reopened after a familial DNA lead was identified and investigators obtained a DNA warrant to compare a dire

Federal transportation investigators are heading to central Alberta to examine a Canadian National Railway derailment that sent dozens of rail cars off the tracks west of Edmonton. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada confirmed it is deploying a team after 37 loaded train cars derailed Thursday near the hamlet of Wildwood, roughly 110 kilometres west of the provincial capital. The site is along a CN main line that carries a mix of freight through rural communities in the region. CN spokesperson Ashley Michnowski said preliminary information indicates the cars were loaded, but the company