The Alberta government is expected to record a budget surplus of billions of dollars this fiscal year, driven by higher crude oil prices. According to University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombe, the province has already accumulated a $3.8-billion surplus so far this fiscal year. He said every $1-per-barrel change in oil prices can make a difference of about $680 million to the provincial treasury. Tombe estimates that if oil prices remain above $66 per barrel, Alberta could end up with a surplus of around $6 billion, instead of the previously projected $9.4-billion deficit. Alberta

The Alberta government is sending additional firefighters and support crews to British Columbia today to help battle wildfires across the province. Alberta’s Ministry of Forestry and Parks says 186 firefighters have already arrived in B.C. and are assisting with wildfire response efforts, while another 40 personnel are being deployed Tuesday. The province is also providing air support, including two airtankers, two helitankers and a helicopter. An additional 45 support staff members, including an Incident Management Team, are also being deployed. More than 100 wildfires are currently burning

Calgary police say the man who shot at officers and struck one officer twice during a traffic stop yesterday had ties to organized crime. Police have not identified the suspect, who was later found dead in the Bow River from what they describe as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators have not provided details about the type of organized crime group he was allegedly connected to. The officer was shot twice and is expected to make a full recovery. The shooting happened shortly before noon near Spruce Cliff and Edworthy Park, west of downtown Calgary.

Correctional Service Canada says two correctional officers and an inmate have died during a transfer from the Edmonton Institution for Women. The federal agency announced the deaths Thursday in a social media post, describing the incident as a "tragic accident." It did not say when the deaths occurred or provide details about how the three people were killed. According to Correctional Service Canada, the transfer involved the Edmonton Institution for Women, a multi-level facility in west Edmonton that houses minimum- and medium-security inmates. No additional information about the circumstance

A man was injured after an RCMP officer opened fire during a domestic violence call in Cold Lake, northern Alberta, on Tuesday morning. The suspect was taken to hospital and is reported to be in stable condition. According to RCMP, officers responded to a report of a domestic violence incident involving a weapon in the 5600 block of 54 Street at approximately 9:45 a.m. When officers arrived, they encountered an armed suspect. During the confrontation, one officer discharged their service firearm, striking the suspect. The injured man was transported to a nearby hospital, where he remains in st

A 36-year-old High River man has been charged with first-degree murder following the fatal shooting of a woman in what RCMP are investigating as a domestic homicide. According to High River RCMP, the victim has been identified as Cayla Bleeker. Police identified the accused as Jarrett Stobbe, 36. Both were residents of High River. RCMP said officers responded to two separate calls from a residence on 112 Street East on Tuesday. Police said Stobbe first contacted RCMP at about 6 p.m., making allegations against Bleeker that investigators later determined were unfounded. A second emergency call

Calgary police have confirmed that 11-year-old Parker, who had been missing for the past two weeks, has been found dead following one of the largest search operations in the city's history. According to Calgary Police Chief Katie McLellan, Parker, who was autistic and non-verbal, disappeared from a day home on July 16. His body was discovered at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday inside a small pipe located approximately 137 to 152 metres into a tunnel near Deerfoot Trail. The location is about one kilometre from Connaught Drive N.W., where he was last seen. Police said the discovery followed a public

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith have announced a new infrastructure agreement aimed at supporting housing development across the province through upgrades to essential municipal services. Under the agreement, the Government of Canada will invest more than $510 million over the next eight years through the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF). According to the federal and provincial announcement, the funding will help municipalities build and upgrade drinking water, wastewater, sewer and stormwater infrastructure needed to support new housing construction. In

Edmonton has already recorded its wettest summer on record before the start of August, following weeks of persistent rainfall that has caused localized flooding and forced the cancellation of several events across the city. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, Edmonton had received 580 millimetres of precipitation by Tuesday morning. The total surpasses the previous summer record of 417 millimetres, set between June and August in 1953. Environment Canada says Edmonton typically receives an average of 213.3 millimetres of precipitation during the three-month period from June thro