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

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

The mayor of Drumheller, Alberta, says the fate of Tyra the Tyrannosaurus is far from over. The Drumheller Chamber of Commerce plans to dismantle the towering tourist attraction in 2029 after it opened 25 years ago. Tyra brings in about 150-thousand visitors a year and is four times the size of a real Tyrannosaurus. But Mayor Heather Colberg wants to talk to the chamber and thinks an alternate solution can be worked out. She says the community is very fond of Tyra and she is an important part of the town and its tourism industry. Julia Fielding from Travel Drumheller says Tyra i

The Alberta government says it will spend$17 million to plan nine new urgent care centres across the province. Health Minister Adriana LaGrange says the centres will besmaller than hospitals and designed to treat people with urgent but non-life-threatening medical needs, such as broken bones. Alberta has six urgent care centres in operation and LaGrange says the new facilities would help reduce emergency room wait times in hospitals. She says the funding is earmarked for cities across the province, including Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, Airdrie and Lethbridge. LaGrange s

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is channelling Winston Churchill to categorically reject accusations she is turning her back on Canada by meeting and talking to U.S. officials and influencers who wish her country harm. It comes as Smith prepares to fly to Florida today to join an event with an American podcaster who has mocked Canada as a ``silly country'' and spoken about it being annexed as the 51st state. Smith, in a speech to the house, says it is now apparently, in her words, ``treason'' to talk to American media personalities whom we disagree with. And she says she is being unjustly

Premier Danielle Smith is getting set to fly to Florida for an event hosted by a far-right U.S. influencer, with her chief of staff calling the foray a patriotic act of courage by a ``noble'' leader. Smith is to make a speaking appearance this week with conservative media personality Ben Shapiro at an upcoming fundraiser for PragerU, despite weeks of calls for her to cancel. Alberta's Opposition NDP is renewing its demand that Smith abandon the trip, saying she is using taxpayer money to fundraise for an extremist organization after she's asked Americans to interfere in Canada's election.

A longtime Alberta New Democrat member of the legislature is resigning his seat, sparking what will be the third provincial byelection in Alberta since the 2023 provincial vote. Rod Loyola was first elected in 2015, and won his third term representing the Edmonton-Ellerslie riding two years ago. The Alberta Speaker's office says Loyola's resignation is to officially take effect Tuesday. Loyola says he can't yet comment on his future plans. The resignation comes after former Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley stepped down in December, paving the way for new leader Naheed Nenshi to ru