Calgary voters are heading to the polls today for a provincial byelection in Calgary-Shaw, a longtime United Conservative stronghold that has been without a legislature member since former cabinet minister Rebecca Schulz resigned in May. Five candidates are contesting the seat, including Mike Derry of Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party and Kyle Campbell of Naheed Nenshi’s NDP. Derry has focused his campaign on affordability, education, health care and government transparency, while Campbell has made health care a key issue. The other candidates are teacher Kyle Joseph of th

Calgary police have laid extortion charges against 23-year-old Kanurit Kaur, 21-year-old Tanveer Singh and a 17-year-old youth in connection with an extortion investigation. Police are searching for Singh, who is wanted on a warrant for possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000. According to police, on March 25 at around 4:30 p.m., a woman received a demand for money through WhatsApp from an unknown number. The suspects appeared to have detailed information about the victim’s personal and business affairs. The caller repeatedly attempted to contact the victim and made explicit thr

More than 19,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the Edmonton Oilers to reverse their decision to sign Alex Formenton. The petition was started by longtime Oilers superfan Mary Loewen, known as “Mama Stanley,” who said she would no longer support the team while Formenton remains on the roster. The Oilers signed Formenton to a one-year, US$850,000 contract on Wednesday. He was one of five former Canadian world junior players acquitted last year of sexual assault charges stemming from an encounter with a woman following a 2018 Hockey Canada gala in London, Ont. The petition

Edmonton police have laid several criminal charges against 27-year-old Austin Sim-Pelletier in connection with an Aug. 21 incident at Nanaksar Gurdwara Sahib. According to police, Sim-Pelletier faces two counts of bodily harm, along with charges of possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose and mischief. He is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 18. The incident was reported at about 5 a.m. on Aug. 21. The Edmonton Police Service’s Investigative Response Team and Hate Crime Unit are jointly investigating to determine whether the incident was motivated by hate. Staff Sgt. Eric Stewart said

Edmonton police are set to provide new updates this afternoon on their investigation into the stabbing incident at Nanaksar Gurdwara Sahib. Investigators say charges are expected to be laid against a 27-year-old man who allegedly entered the gurdwara on August 21, just one day after being released from jail, and attacked two people with a screwdriver. The two injured men, aged 75 and 51, are now out of danger and recovering, according to gurdwara officials. Police say the accused was previously in custody for aggravated assault and assaulting a police officer. He allegedly failed to report to

The federal government and Alberta are pledging to build at least 1,460 affordable housing units across the province. Ottawa will provide up to $220 million through Build Canada Homes, a federal agency formed to speed up the delivery of the housing, while Alberta will pay up to $165 million. The governments are expecting to receive $238 million from other sources. A news release says the 21 planned housing projects will include supportive and transitional housing. There is a target of building at least 500 homes using modern methods of construction, including off-site and factory-built approac

An organization representing labour and community groups has spoken out in support of 10 international students in Alberta who are facing deportation proceedings. The Migrant Rights Network, an organization advocating for migrant rights, alleges that the students were deliberately targeted after taking part in a protest with about 1,500 Portage College graduates in Calgary. According to the organization and the students, they had successfully completed programs that were eligible for a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) when they enrolled. However, their work permit applications were later rej

A person has died following a hit-and-run collision in Lloydminster, located on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, early Monday morning. Lloydminster RCMP were called at around 6:30 a.m. after an injured person was found unconscious on the roadway near 49 Avenue and Highway 16. Police and emergency crews responded to the scene and the victim was taken to hospital, where they were pronounced dead. Investigators say they have identified the suspected vehicle and driver involved in the collision. The investigation remains ongoing as police work to determine the circumstances surrounding the inciden

An Edmonton woman whose two Cane Corsos fatally attacked an 11-year-old boy in 2024 has been sentenced to two years of house arrest. Crystal McDonald was found guilty in May of criminal negligence causing death in the killing of Kache Grist. Along with the two-year house arrest sentence, McDonald must complete 200 hours of community service and is banned from owning dogs for life, although she can appeal the lifetime ban after 10 years. Kache, who lived with his mother in B.C., was visiting his father, Wesley Grist, in Edmonton’s Summerside neighbourhood during Spring Break. At the time, Wes