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alberta-government-shuts-down-edmonton-daycare-over-safety-concerns-for-children
CanadaOct 11, 2024

Alberta government shuts down second Edmonton daycare over child safety concerns

The Alberta government has revoked the licence of an Edmonton daycare over what it described as serious risks to the health and safety of children, marking the second such closure in the city this week. In a statement, the province confirmed that the Waverley Day Care, which had been operating under a probationary licence set to expire on October 31, was ordered to close immediately due to “conditions posing significant danger to children.” Specific details of the violations were not disclosed. The closure affects 56 licensed child care spaces. Officials say affected families are being con
alberta-company-fined-after-worker-severely-burned-in-2021-oil-and-gas-site-fire
CanadaOct 11, 2024

Alberta oilfield company fined $90,000 after worker severely burned in 2021 fire near Valleyview

O’Reilly Oilfield Services Ltd. has been fined $90,000 after pleading guilty to failing to protect the health and safety of workers under its supervision, following a 2021 oilfield fire that left one worker with severe burn injuries in northwest Alberta. According to the Alberta government, the incident occurred in July 2021 at an oil and gas site near Valleyview, when liquid from a decommissioned pipeline ignited and overflowed from a portable flare stack, sparking a fire that seriously injured a worker. As part of the sentencing, Crown prosecutors withdrew five other charges against O’Re
alberta-ucp-welcomes-mla-who-compared-transgender-kids-to-feces-back-into-caucus
CanadaOct 10, 2024

Alberta UCP welcomes MLA who compared transgender kids to feces back into caucus

An Alberta MLA who was expelled from the United Conservative Party caucus last year for comparing transgender children to feces has been reinstated after issuing a public apology and pledging to support inclusivity. Lacombe–Ponoka MLA Jennifer Johnson said she has grown “personally and professionally” since being removed from caucus 17 months ago. “Now, I am eager to apply what I have learned to benefit everyone who calls this province home,” Johnson said in a statement released Friday. Johnson was removed from the UCP in 2023 after a 2022 recording surfaced in which she compared tra
alberta-announces-tentative-deal-with-resident-doctors
AlbertaOct 09, 2024

Alberta announces tentative deal with resident doctors

Alberta’s Health Minister Adriana LaGrange says the province has reached a tentative four-year agreement with resident physicians, offering gradual wage increases over the term of the deal. The agreement, announced Thursday, includes proposed salary hikes of three per cent in each of the first two years and two per cent in each of the final two years. The deal still requires ratification by members of the Professional Association of Resident Physicians of Alberta (PARA). The development comes as the provincial government faces mounting labour pressures in the health-care system. Negotiations
premier-danielle-smiths-key-strategist-on-alberta-addiction-recovery-policy-to-exit-role
CanadaOct 09, 2024

Premier Danielle Smith’s key strategist on Alberta addiction recovery policy to exit role

One of Premier Danielle Smith’s closest advisers and a key figure in shaping Alberta’s addiction recovery model is leaving the provincial government. The premier confirmed that her chief of staff, Marshall Smith, will retire from public service at the end of October. Marshall Smith has played a central role in developing Alberta’s recovery-oriented approach to the drug crisis, which emphasizes treatment and rehabilitation over harm-reduction measures such as supervised consumption sites. The strategy has been both praised for expanding treatment capacity and criticized by public health e
westjet-limits-flight-service-to-lethbridge
CanadaOct 04, 2024

WestJet cuts Lethbridge flights to one per day, raising travel concerns for southern Alberta communities

Despite millions spent on recent renovations at Lethbridge Airport, the city’s only commercial carrier, WestJet, has reduced its service to just one daily flight, a move that has raised concerns for southern Alberta residents who rely on air links to Edmonton and Calgary for business, family travel, and medical appointments. WestJet had planned to scale back operations to a single flight starting October 3, but the change took effect slightly earlier. “We’ve got a schedule change that’s kind of started a little bit early, as of Oct. 1,” said Jared Mikoch-Gerke, WestJet’s director o
strike-vote-looms-for-alberta-nurses-union-as-informal-mediation-talks-unsuccessful
CanadaOct 03, 2024

Alberta nurses inch closer to strike as talks with province stall over pay and staffing issues

Tensions between the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) and the provincial government are escalating after another round of negotiations failed to produce a new collective agreement, raising the prospect of a province-wide strike that could impact hospitals across Alberta. David Harrigan, labour relations director for the UNA, said that while last month’s informal mediation meetings were “productive,” the gap between the two sides remains too wide to bridge. The union is demanding a 30 per cent wage increase over two years, citing inflation and the rising cost of living, while the Alberta go
a-few-processes-to-go-through-lagrange-says-more-work-to-do-on-doctor-pay-deal
CanadaSep 26, 2024

"A few processes to go through": LaGrange says more work to do on doctor pay deal

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange says there's more work to be done before a new compensation contract for Alberta's doctors is finalized. LaGrange says she has to make sure the new deal, which was agreed to in part this past April, is sustainable. She says doctor compensation under the existing contract over the past few years has risen quicker than inflation and population growth and is currently over budget this year. The group representing Alberta's doctors have said the government is dragging its feet in implementing the new deal and putting patients' lives at risk in the pro
alberta-medical-association-says-delayed-pay-deal-will-hurt-health-care-system
FeaturedSep 24, 2024

Alberta Medical Association says delayed pay deal will hurt health-care system

An Alberta doctors' group says even though a new pay deal with the province is ready to be implemented, the government isn't putting its money where its mouth is. Dr. Shelley Duggan, the Alberta Medical Association's new president, says doctors are worried the province's health-care system is on the verge of collapse, and the pay deal is still waiting on approval from the province's Treasury Board. Former association president Dr. Paul Parks says Premier Danielle Smith promised the deal by September and the delay is hurting the struggling health-care system. Parks says the government's work to

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surrey-police-probe-early-morning-shooting-at-newton-business
CanadaJan 20, 2026

Surrey police probe early morning shooting at Newton business

Surrey Police Service is investigating an early morning shooting that damaged a business and several vehicles in the city’s Newton neighbourhood. Police say officers were called to the 7200 block of King George Boulevard around 4:30 am after reports of gunfire. When members arrived, they found evidence of shots fired at a commercial property and nearby vehicles. The business was closed at the time, and no injuries were reported. The Surrey Police Service Frontline Investigative Support Team attended the scene, and the Major Crime Section has now taken over the investigation. Officers remain
woman-charged-in-alleged-downtown-eastside-stabbing-vancouver-police-say
BCJan 20, 2026

Woman charged in alleged Downtown Eastside stabbing, Vancouver police say

A 29-year-old woman is facing multiple charges following an alleged stabbing involving a stranger in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside early Sunday morning, according to police. Vancouver Police say an officer on patrol near the intersection of Hastings and Abbott streets was approached around 2:50 a.m. by several people who reported their friend had just been assaulted. Investigators allege the suspect used a knife to slash the victim’s shoulder before fleeing the area. Police located the suspect shortly afterward and arrested her following a brief foot pursuit. Officers deployed a taser duri
canadian-teens-death-on-australian-beach-shocks-friends-in-b-c
CanadaJan 20, 2026

Canadian teen’s death on Australian beach shocks friends in B.C.

Friends of a Canadian woman found dead on a remote Australian beach say the news has left them stunned and grieving, as authorities continue to investigate what happened. Police in Queensland say the body of a 19-year-old woman was discovered on a beach on K’gari, also known as Fraser Island, and that it appeared to have been interfered with by a pack of about 10 dingoes. Officials have not publicly confirmed the woman’s identity, though Australian media have reported she was Canadian. Brianna Falk, a close friend from Campbell River, B.C., says she first learned something was wrong while
fog-warning-extended-for-metro-vancouver-and-inland-vancouver-island
BCJan 20, 2026

Fog warning extended for Metro Vancouver and inland Vancouver Island

Environment Canada has extended a fog warning for parts of Metro Vancouver and inland areas of Vancouver Island, citing continued near-zero visibility conditions expected to persist into Wednesday. The weather agency says dense fog remains trapped over the region due to a ridge of high pressure that is holding moist air close to the surface. The warning covers much of Metro Vancouver, excluding the North Shore, as well as inland sections of Vancouver Island, including Port Alberni. The prolonged fog has already affected transportation across the Lower Mainland. Vancouver International Airport
AlbertaJan 20, 2026

Alberta Court of Appeal Overturns Calgary Man’s Double Murder Conviction

The Alberta Court of Appeal has overturned the conviction of a Calgary man previously sentenced to life in prison for the 2020 killings of two men in northwest Calgary. Gerald Benn was initially found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder three years after the fatal shooting. At trial, the judge cited surveillance footage and DNA found on plastic bags at the scene as key evidence. In its ruling, the Court of Appeal concluded that the evidence presented at trial was insufficient to conclusively prove Benn was the shooter. The decision means Benn’s conviction has been quashed, though th