Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says as classrooms get over whelmed with new grade school students, her government will fast-track new school builds with 8.6-billion dollars over the next three years. In a televised address, Smith says the province's existing education budget isn't enough to keep up with rapid population growth in kindergarten to Grade 12 schools. She says often the only thing holding back cash is school boards getting projects and sites ready for construction. The government is also changing the process of approving construction funding so school boards don't need to wait eve

The municipality of Jasper in Alberta's Rocky Mountains is taking the next step this weekend as it recovers from a July wildfire that destroyed a third of its buildings. Jasper Mayor Richard Ireland says the state of emergency will formally end on Sunday. Ireland says the move means Jasper is transitioning from a short-term recovery perspective to a long-term view. He also says removing the state of emergency order will help the tourist town's much needed visitor economy return. The wildfire destroyed more than 350 of the town's buildings, including 800 housing units. The town estimates 2,

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she's committed to Calgary's multibillion-dollar Green Line light-rail transit project, but as it was originally envisioned. Smith declined to say how much her government is now willing to fund, but says she is concerned the line is getting shorter while its budget has ballooned from the original price tag of $4.5 billion. Smith calls the Green Line ``the incredible shrinking project,'' and says it needs to be more cost-effective and have its route rethought. Smith was making her first public comments on the Green Line since her transportation minister ann

Premier Danielle Smith is defending making a string of policy announcements at private United Conservative Party events, saying Albertans shouldn't be surprised by her agenda. When asked why she's not offering the details to all Albertans, Smith says she regularly talks with them on her call-in radio show and says it's no secret she takes guidance from party members. She says Albertans shouldn't be caught off guard by any of the laws her government plans to introduce when the legislature convenes in the fall. Last month, Smith told a UCP town hall she could transfer the operation of some Albe

A judge is expected to hand down sentences today for two men convicted for their roles in the 2022 Coutts, Alta., border blockade. Anthony Olienick and Chris Carbert were convicted last month of public mischief over $5,000 and possessing a firearm dangerous to the public peace. Olienick was also convicted of possessing a pipe bomb. A jury found them not guilty of the most serious charge they faced: conspiracy to murder police officers. The men were charged after RCMP found guns, ammunition and body armour in trailers near the blockade at the key Canada-U.S. border crossing. The blockade was on

Nearly seven weeks since a wildfire forced the evacuation of Jasper National Park and burned nearly a third of the townsite's structures, Parks Canada says the blaze is now officially under control. Landon Shepherd, incident commander with the parks agency, told an online media briefing Saturday the change in status means the fire has been sufficiently suppressed to ensure it won't spread outside of its defined perimeter. Shepherd says that perimeter is 278 km long. The fire's status was last changed on Aug. 17 when it moved from being out-of-control to ``being held,'' which meant it wasn't

Parks Canada says a weekend drenching of rain on parts of Jasper National Park is doing a lot to quell fire activity, but the wet weather also comes with a warning. In a daily update on the local wildfire situation, Parks Canada says parts of the national park received over 30 millimetres of rain on Friday night. Cooler temperatures were also in the forecast, which the agency says could further decrease fire activity. But Parks Canada cautions all that rain could make slopes and burned trees unstable, and gusty or shifting winds could cause fire-weakened trees with loose roots to fall. The wil

Thirstier lawns, shorter showers and fewer but fuller dishwasher loads are in store for Calgarians again as a troubled water main undergoes a new round of repairs starting this week. The Bearspaw South Feeder Main in the city's northwest burst in early June, drenching a stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway and forcing the city to impose onerous restrictions on water use for several weeks. The rationing had just started to ease earlier this month when Mayor Jyoti Gondek announced several additional problem spots had been detected on the more than 10-kilometre pipe that would need to be fixed bef

One of Canada's most scenic highways has reopened as the wildfire in Jasper National Park continues to be held. Jane Park, incident commander with Parks Canada, says Highway 93, also known as the Icefields Parkway, is now open to through traffic. But she warns travellers must head straight through the mountain- and glacier-lined road without stopping. She says there are no services available on the highway between the town of Jasper and the Icefields Discovery Centre and Saskatchewan River Crossing, a stretch of about 150 kilometres. Park says RCMP and emergency services are available on the r