AlbertaOct 15, 2024
Alberta’s new “Primary Care Alberta” agency to launch next month, aims to improve access to family doctors
Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange says the province’s new Primary Care Alberta agency - tasked with improving access to family doctors and nurse practitioners - will be operational by next month as part of the government’s major overhaul of the province’s health system.
The new organization will focus on strengthening primary care delivery, developing new models of patient-centred care, and expanding after-hours access through virtual services. LaGrange said the move is designed to ensure Albertans can get timely access to medical care, especially in communities struggling with do
CanadaOct 15, 2024
Alberta pulp mill fined $1M for releasing 31 million litres of toxic wastewater into Peace River
The operator of a northwestern Alberta pulp mill has been fined $1 million after nearly 31 million litres of toxic wastewater were released into the Peace River, posing a serious threat to aquatic life and the surrounding ecosystem.
Environment and Climate Change Canada says the 2021 discharge by Mercer Peace River Pulp Ltd. was found to be “acutely lethal” to fish, in violation of the Fisheries Act. The company pleaded guilty last month, and as a result, its name will now be added to the federal Environmental Offenders Registry.
According to investigators, the release occurred in April 20
CanadaOct 15, 2024
Another water main break in Calgary leaves homes without supply, officials say not linked to June rupture
City officials in Calgary are working to repair a new water main break that has left several homes and businesses without supply, though they stress the incident is not related to the major feeder main rupture that caused widespread restrictions earlier this year.
Ryan Kidd, Calgary’s deputy director of water services, said the break occurred on a smaller 250-millimetre cast-iron distribution line near Bowness Road and 51 Street Northwest. The problem was first detected Sunday night when water began bubbling to the surface.
Crews immediately shut down the affected line and began repairs. Kid
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
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
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
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
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
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
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