The latest numbers from British Columbia's coroner show suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths set new records in August and September, pushing total overdose deaths to another record for the first nine months of a calendar year. The BC Coroners Service says 181 people died in August and 152 in September, record figures for both months, and it brings the number of fatalities since the start of the year to 1,534. A coroner's statement says September marked the 12th consecutive month in which there were at least 150 deaths due to toxic illicit drugs. Chief coroner Lisa Lapointe says the toll is

Alberta's Opposition is calling for help for childcare program operators, saying some may have to shut down as COVID-19 support programs end and parents remain hesitant to return children to care centres. NDP critic Rakhi Pancholi (RACK'-ee pan-CHOE'-lee) estimates the Children's Services Department has about 70-million dollars in surplus funds because lower subsidies are going to care centres as a result of reduced capacity due to COVID-19.Children's Services Minister Rebecca Schulz's office says in a statement that enrolment numbers are going up, which means more parents will be accessing th

R-C-M-P say they are investigating a bomb threat at a high school in a city northwest of Edmonton.Police say Bellerose Composite High School in St. Albert notified R-C-M-P about a threat being reported to the school.The information referred specifically to a bomb threat on Wednesday, November 10th.St. Albert R-C-M-P say they are taking the threat seriously and has started safety planning with the school.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says she will take her first step toward declaring a climate emergency in the city.A notice of motion, which will be Gondek's first as mayor, is expected to be submitted during an executive committee meeting today. Vancouver and Halifax are among the other Canadian cities to havetaken similar steps.Gondek tells C-T-V's ``Question Period'' that Calgary needs to take the action that's expected to attract international investment and talent to the city.Alberta Premier Jason Kenney has called Gondek's motion a peculiar priority, suggesting she should be focused on bringi

Edmonton's first racialized mayor and a diverse city council sworn in Tuesday afternoon. Amarjeet Sohi, an immigrant from India and a former federal Liberal cabinet minister, won the municipal election last week. He will lead the capital's most diverse council yet.Eight of the 13 council members are women and four are people of colour.Sohi says in a statement that he is excited for the ceremony, which will abide with all public health orders related to COVID-19. Edmonton's council will have its first meeting following the swearing-in ceremony.

Alberta's top court has agreed to hear a sentence appeal of a man convicted of killing three people but a hearing date has been delayed indefinitely.Derek Saretzky was found guilty of first-degree murder in the 2015 deaths of Terry Blachette, the man's two-year-old daughter, Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette, and Hanne Meketech. He was sentenced to life with no chance at parole for 75 years.His lawyer, Balfour Der, asked the Alberta Court of Appeal for permission to challenge the constitutionality of consecutive parole ineligibility periods.The Appeal Court says it will hear the appeal, but only after

The final results from Alberta's equalization referendum show a split between the province's two major cities on whether it shouldbe removed from the Constitution. Overall, 62 per cent of those who voted were in favour of getting rid of equalization, including 58 per cent in Calgary.But 52 per cent of voters in Edmonton were in favour of leaving the system alone. A second referendum on whether to stick with daylight timeyear-round failed by the narrow margin of 50.1 per cent to 49.9 per cent.

Over a three-day period, B.C. is reporting 1,438 new cases of COVID-19, including two epi-linked cases, for a total of 209,703 cases in the province:Nov. 5-6: 553 new casesNov. 6-7: 462 new casesNov. 7-8: 423 new casesThere are 4,282 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 202,898 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 407 individuals are in hospital and 121 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. In the past 72 hours, 17 new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,218. The new deaths include:Fraser Healt

A man who pleaded guilty to setting three Masonic buildings on fire in North Vancouver and Vancouver last March has been sentenced to 40 months in prison. With time served, 43 year old Benjamin Kohlman's sentences equals about two and a half years. Both Crown and defence lawyers told the judge Kohlman has addictions and mental health troubles and that voices directed him to set the fires. Judge Laura Bakan says she accepted that Kohlman is sorry for his actions, and she hopes he'll be able to deal with his addiction issues while in prison.