Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is defending her government's decision to include a question on Alberta's potential separation from Canada in a provincial referendum scheduled for Oct. 19, despite the petition supporting the measure not yet being formally verified. According to Smith, the group Stay Free Alberta submitted more than 300,000 signatures in support of the referendum question. Under Alberta's citizen initiative rules, approximately 177,000 valid signatures are required to advance a proposal to a province-wide vote. Smith said Elections Alberta has been unable to complete its verific

A 23-year-old Lethbridge man is facing criminal charges after police say his two-year-old son was found unattended in a stroller that was moving toward traffic in downtown Lethbridge. According to a Lethbridge Police Service news release, officers responded on May 27 to a business in the 500 block of 1 Avenue South after security staff intervened to stop a toddler from entering a roadway. Security staff reported the child, who was strapped into a stroller, used his feet to propel himself toward 1 Avenue while an adult male was slumped against a nearby pillar and did not attempt to retrieve him

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has suspended Cricket Canada's membership, citing what it described as "serious breaches of its membership obligations" following a board meeting in Ahmedabad, India. According to a statement released by the ICC, the suspension follows concerns over Cricket Canada's governance and financial administration. In May, the Dubai-based governing body froze funding to the organization and gave it six months to address deficiencies, including the absence of adequate governance systems and audited financial statements. Cricket Canada relies heavily on ICC funding

New Westminster police say an investigation into the alleged sexual exploitation of a youth led officers to seize multiple firearms and prohibited devices from a local residence. According to the New Westminster Police Department, the investigation began March 21 after a member of the public reported seeing an adult man behaving in what they believed was an inappropriate manner with a female youth in a public place. The witness provided police with a vehicle licence plate after the pair left the area. Officers later located the man and determined he had court-imposed conditions prohibiting him

Abbotsford Police say a woman was arrested Wednesday afternoon after officers conducting proactive patrols observed suspected drug activity in the 32400 block of South Fraser Way. According to an Abbotsford Police Department release, patrol officers arrested a 48-year-old Abbotsford woman shortly before 3 p.m. on May 27 in connection with the investigation. Police said a search following the arrest resulted in the seizure of more than 100 grams of packaged drugs, including fentanyl, along with a small amount of cash. Investigators have not announced any charges as of publication time, and the

Detectives with the Niagara Regional Police Service homicide unit are continuing to investigate the death of a 23-year-old woman in St. Catharines. According to Niagara Regional Police, uniform officers from 1 District responded to a residence near Lakeshore Road and Lake Street on Friday, May 15, after reports that two people were found without vital signs. Police said officers located 23-year-old Vidhi Kalpeshkumar Megha deceased inside the home. Investigators have not released further details about the circumstances surrounding the death. The victim’s family has been notified, police said

Calgary police say a man who was struck by a C-Train in downtown Calgary last week has died from his injuries. Police said the collision happened Thursday afternoon when a man in his 60s was walking in the downtown core and entered the path of an oncoming light-rail transit train. According to the Calgary Police Service, the man became pinned beneath the train and was taken to hospital in critical condition. Police confirmed this week that he later died. Investigators continue to examine the circumstances surrounding the collision. Police have not released the man’s identity and no further

U.S. President Donald Trump says a U.S. naval blockade affecting ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will be lifted, following days of disruption in one of the world’s busiest oil transit routes. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said vessels delayed in the strait “may start the process of ‘heading home,’” adding that the blockade had been “amazing and unprecedented.” According to international energy agencies, roughly 20 per cent of global crude oil shipments move through the Strait of Hormuz during peacetime. The narrow waterway along Iran’s southern coast is considere

Rapid snowpack melt caused by warm weather in Banff and surrounding mountain regions has pushed water levels higher along the Bow River, prompting the Town of Banff to issue a High Streamflow Advisory. Municipal officials said several low-lying pathways and riverbank areas have already been flooded as water levels continue to rise. According to the advisory, the Bow River could rise by an additional 30 centimetres by Friday if warm temperatures persist. The advisory applies to areas from upstream of Banff to the Ghost Reservoir. Lake Louise RCMP and Parks Canada have also issued public safety