A large section of a major road in Edmonton has been closed due to collisions and wintry weather.

A new 12-month pilot program will see peace officers more closely monitor and educate on traffic safety around Calgary.

Justice C.A. Rickards of Court of King’s Bench denied a request by Aaron Brown, a man with opioid use disorder, to keep the OPS open beyond March 31. 

The fear of measles has some parents with infants in Alberta looking for ways to avoid exposure and take advantage of early vaccination opportunities.

With the discovery of two new measles cases in central Alberta, the virus has now found its way into all five of the province's health zones.

One of the country's top Conservative strategists who just helped Ontario Premier Doug Ford win a sizable majority government says Pierre Poilievre urgently needs to make a pivot and start talking more about the issue voters care about most — the U.S. threat — or he risks losing the federal election.

She'll be interviewed by the host of controversial non-profit PragerU's podcast, who asked her last Canadian guest if Canada should be the 51st state (he said yes).

After an initial investigation, Calgary police now say the person who died in Wednesday morning's crash on Crowchild Trail was a 16-year-old boy, whose vehicle was struck by another driver who had changed lanes.

If there’s one thing the former head of Canada’s public service wants Canadians to know right now, it's that their country still has a government. “Whether during prorogation, during dissolution, there’s always a functional government with its powers and its duties and obligations,” Michael Wernick said.

Alberta's government is putting $19 million toward municipal flood and drought prevention projects as part of its new budget.

The Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC), a polling industry association, has received numerous complaints about these text-message tactics from ERG National Research.

The Parkland Institute report raises concerns about the government's declining investment in public hospitals while funding for private surgical facilities grows.

Former Alberta justice minister Jonathan Denis is fighting his Law Society of Alberta (LSA) convictions, fines and the costs he was ordered to pay following the findings of guilt on two instances of professional misconduct.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre announced Thursday that a government led by him would allow Canadians to contribute $5,000 more a year to their tax-free savings account (TFSA) — as long as that extra cash is being invested in Canadian companies.

After an icy, wet night night across much of Alberta, a wintry storm is expected to hit central and northern parts of the province with heavy snowfall this morning.

At Banff's annual summer job fair on Wednesday, businesses and applicants alike said immigration changes and staff housing have been at the top of their minds.

With health outcomes significantly worse in women, Alberta researchers are pleased to see the province declare March Women's Health Research Month

As city administration prepares a Downtown Action Plan, Puneeta McBryan, the executive director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association, says the Downtown Core Patrol service that her organization contracts to Hiregood, a company that employs people with lived experience with being unhoused, needs more money.

The Downtown Action Plan goes to the city's Urban Planning Committee on May 13. It includes reviews of the Capital City Downtown Plan, the Downtown Vibrancy Strategy, the Downtown Investment Plan by a group of non-city entities, and more.

McBryan said she hopes it yields funding for the Downtown Core Patrol, a service that responds to safety issues downtown and tries to prevent problems before they happen.

"(The Downtown Core Patrol) was the result of years of conversations with our members and our board and the community about how many challenges we were having," McBryan told Taproot about the initial nighttime program that launched in November 2022. "We basically decided (that) emergency services are obviously not able to be out and about the way we need eyes and ears out on the streets overnight."

In 2024, what used to be called the Downtown Night Patrol & Outreach Services responded to 3,221 incidents, of which 1,088 were wellness checks. The other biggest numbers were for garbage (595), property trespassing and disturbance (550), and property vandalism (549). The patrol was initially staffed by one private security guard and one Hiregood team member. The City of Edmonton's Downtown Vibrancy Fund invested $400,000 to pilot the program from November 2022 to November 2023, while the EDBA spent approximately $100,000 that year on staff and "other expenses," McBryan said.

"(It) was made very clear to us from the Downtown Vibrancy team that it was not to be ongoing operational funding," McBryan said. "The pilot did everything we needed it to — to prove that there was value in us providing this service. We did learn a lot along the way. We didn't see a lot of value in the security guard component of it."

The EDBA got half of the $400,000 for its second year from the Downtown Vibrancy Fund. Roughly $80,000 of that went to a daytime patrol pilot that lasted from late October 2024 through January 2025. Those funds ran out at the end of 2024, so the EDBA now funds the core patrol out of its operating budget. The patrol is now made up of two units per night, from midnight to 8am, which comprise two Hiregood staff each.

"It really feels like the city should be paying for part of that," McBryan said, adding that the city has denied two applications by the business association to the Community Safety and Well-being Grant Program.

Hiregood is also no longer the subcontractor for Bee-Clean Building Maintenance, which hired a different subcontractor to run the washroom attendant program in 2024, the City of Edmonton told Taproot in an email.

Hiregood CEO Jodi Phelan said that boiled down to a salary dispute. "We were getting paid only $23.50 per person to do the work," Phelan told Taproot. "We have a lot of staff, and we were starting to lose money, so we couldn't maintain it. We're not a profit-driven business, but we have to be able to sustain what we do to keep doing what we do."

The City of Edmonton said it is at Bee-Clean's discretion to work with a subcontractor of its choosing. It added that recent policy changes "ensure that all contracts for services include a requirement to pay a living wage to all employees working in City facilities."

Work to review existing contracts and agreements to reflect the new policies is underway, the city added.

Phelan said she thinks downtown revitalization priorities could expand in a LinkedIn post when funding for OEG projects in the ICE District was in the news.

"Downtown Edmonton is at a turning point," she wrote. "With significant funds being allocated to revitalize the core, the focus should not only be on infrastructure and aesthetics but also on real, lasting solutions that address safety, cleanliness, and community well-being."

Few companies are not looking for further investment. Phelan said the reason Hiregood is a solid option for downtown is because so many of her staff have been unhoused, know what people in distress are going through, and instill feelings of safety.

"If you take someone who's on the street, who maybe causes a lot of the social disorder, we get them here, they start working, we mentor them, they're gainfully employed, they get housed, they have a peer group, and they're successful," Phelan told Taproot. "You have less vandalism, less police calls, less ambulance calls — what could be better than that?"

Phelan, who is also the CEO of Four Directions Financial, which offers banking and other services to people with barriers to financial services such as a lack of identification, expanded Hiregood to Calgary to operate a washroom attendant program for the city in 2023. The City of Calgary pays for this, and recently said the program will expand this year.

"(The difference between Edmonton and Calgary) has been like night and day, although I love Edmonton," Phelan said. "Buy Social Canada has really supported the City of Calgary on social procurement, which is critical in doing these kinds of things."

Phelan said she'd like Hiregood to operate washroom program in Edmonton again and receive more support for the patrol, although maybe it's time for a new project instead of the washroom program. She said her staff are "getting into security." (McBryan said she's found greater success with Hiregood than with any private security company.)

"I want to be able to do more here, because we are literally taking people who are in front of the whole mission, and we're getting them gainfully employed," Phelan said.

One thing Phelan would like to do is staff LRT stations with Hiregood employees. The city is considering a number of safety changes at LRT stations, including increased transit peace officer presence. Coun. Anne Stevenson said she would like to see a "holistic approach" to safety that includes more than just peace officers and private guards. Her idea sounds a lot like what Hiregood does.

"What I would love to see is what I would call a safety attendant," Stevenson told CBC. She said this role would be a "three-in-one combo" that would "be the best value for the investments we're making." The three parts would be helping people navigate the system, respond to disruptions, and do some light cleaning.

The EDBA also employs Hiregood for its Downtown Shine program, a litter-removal service that collected 1,451 bags full of trash in 2022. McBryan thinks Hiregood has the potential to do much more. If she had a blank cheque to offer the company, she would enlist it to run the province's Navigation and Support Centre, which aims to consolidate support services for people who are unhoused. One advocate told Taproot in 2024 that the centre has caused "abject misery" for its users.

"I think the province's intention with the navigation centre is bang on, frankly," McBryan said. "I think having a central facility that has all of the services that a person would need if they don't have a fixed address, if they're struggling from addiction, if they don't have ID, if they need to get on income support — all these different problems that people have, there should absolutely be one place that they could walk in and have all of those needs met. It's wild to me that that didn't exist before."

Here are opportunities to inform municipal decisions about recreation, parks, and more. Please only answer surveys from the municipality where you live.

• Engage and Play: Shaping Public Recreation — The City of Edmonton is working on a sports and recreation plan, which will affect decisions about programs, facilities, and budgeting. Residents are invited to share ideas and stories about local sports and recreation until March 28.
• Community Park in Rosenthal — The City of Edmonton proposed two design options for a community park being planned alongside a new public K-6 school in the Rosenthal neighbourhood. Residents can review the design options and take a survey until April 2.
• Holiday Display Feedback — Strathcona County is considering updating holiday décor in and around county facilities to be more inclusive. Residents can provide feedback on holiday displays by completing a survey before April 3.
• 2025 Winter Park Use Survey — The City of Edmonton is gathering feedback about how residents use river valley parks in the winter months. Results will help administration determine what opportunities to explore in the future. A survey will be open until April 7.

More input opportunities

• Until March 31: 2026 Budget Planning Survey (City of Leduc)
• Until April 15: Passenger Rail Master Plan Survey (Government of Alberta)
• Until April 18: Naturalization 2025 (City of Edmonton)
• Until April 21: Building a Safe and Inclusive Edmonton for the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community (City of Edmonton)
• Until April 25: Agricultural Workshop Interests — Leduc County
• Until April 30: Green Industries Questionnaire (City of Edmonton)

Town councillor Wayne Oliver has been appointed the new deputy mayor of Pincher Creek, taking over the remaining six months of outgoing deputy mayor Garry Cleland’s term.

The appointment was confirmed during the March 25 council meeting, where a motion by Cleland received unanimous support from Mayor Don Anderberg and councillors Mark Barber, David Green and Sahra Nodge. Coun. Brian Wright was absent from the meeting.

Oliver’s appointment follows the town’s rotational deputy mayor system, which allows councillors to take turns serving in the role. As deputy mayor, Oliver will assist Mayor Anderberg with official duties, represent the town at events, and step in when the mayor is unavailable.

Anderberg and fellow council members expressed their confidence in Oliver’s leadership, acknowledging his commitment to the community. Oliver said he looks forward to taking on the role and continuing to support municipal initiatives over the next six months.

The post Wayne Oliver appointed deputy mayor in Pincher Creek appeared first on Shootin' the Breeze.

Crowsnest Pass municipal council gave first reading March 11 to a property tax rates bylaw that proposes a one per cent mill rate increase.

According to chief administrative officer Patrick Thomas, the 2025 budget, approved by council in November 2024, has a municipal tax requirement of $12,048,252, which necessitated raising the mill rate.

The increase proposed in Bylaw 1216-2025, if approved through second and third readings, would generate an additional $1,485,075 in tax revenue.

“This comes from both growth and inflation,” Thomas said.

He recommended transferring this revenue to reserves to cover the upcoming capital project needs, including road repairs, water and sewer system maintenance, and facility upgrades.

“Currently, we are funding the reserves at about 30 per cent of our depreciation, which is causing a compelling backlog of projects and assets failing in the community,” he noted.

“This is anything from an increased number of potholes to sewer and facilities that are being depleted.”

With the additional funds, depreciation funding would increase to about 63 per cent.

“Still short, but a lot closer to at least maintaining the amount that’s depreciating each year,” Thomas noted.

He pointed out that a reduction in provincial funding has compounded the issue.

“Our provincial funding that we traditionally used to help fund capital projects was cut nearly in half over the last few years, and so it doesn’t contribute to a lot of external help with these projects,” he said.

To illustrate what the additional $1.5 million in tax revenue could fund, he said: “This would equate to 200 metres of a neighbourhood renewal with water, sewer and roadwork, or about half the cost of replacing the windows and doors at the MDM Community Centre.”

“It would also be approximately what the cost was last summer for one fire engine, and that cost has increased, so it would be most of a fire engine,” he added.

While councillors considered going forward with the first reading, they expressed concerns and indicated that the true debate would take place during the second and third readings.

Dean Ward and other councillors raised concerns about the impact of inflation on the community and how the proposed increase would affect taxpayers.

“If we maintain the mill rate with all this new assessment and inflation, I’m more concerned about the inflation than the new assessment,” Ward stated, emphasizing the need for further discussion to ensure the tax rate remains fair.

Coun. Glen Girhiny voiced concerns with the rising costs, particularly as the property market has inflated, saying, “It’s kind of really disheartening.”

Coun. Lisa Sygutek suggested that the administration bring back a more detailed graph comparing current assessments and the proposed mill rate to better understand the community’s changing financial landscape.

“We can say we raised it one per cent, but we can’t control assessment,” she said, stressing that the increasing property values must be addressed to avoid disproportionate tax burdens.

While the first reading passed, it was clear that council members were looking forward to a more in-depth discussion in subsequent readings, with a focus on how to balance the growing community, rising inflation, and the fairness of tax rates.

“I look forward to that debate after the first reading,” Sygutek said.

Following approval of the first reading, Ward put forward a motion requesting administration bring additional information when the bylaw returns for second reading.

He asked for a breakdown of total assessment, levy, mill rate and Alberta School Foundation Fund contributions for the years 2020 to 2025 on the same properties used at council’s May 28, 2024, meeting.

“People need to see what the province is forcing us to do,” he said.

Ward also requested projections for both the administration’s proposed tax rate and an alternative scenario reflecting a 9.1 per cent drop in the inflation rate.

Council carried the motion, and the requested information will be presented when the bylaw returns for second reading.

The post Crowsnest Pass eyes 1% tax hike, delays final decision appeared first on Shootin' the Breeze.

A report card on Canada’s biodiversity conservation progress gives Alberta a failing grade of D minus.

In 2022, Canada and 195 other signatory nations adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which sets targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. The framework includes protecting 30 per cent of terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine areas by 2030.

A new report from the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) evaluated the progress of federal, provincial and territorial governments. The report notes major commitments have been made in federal land and ocean protections, and by Nova Scotia, Quebec and the Northwest Territories.

Newfoundland and Labrador, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario are lagging behind other jurisdictions and have “demonstrated little or no commitment to protecting more of their land and have shown minimal interest in pursuing effective and equitable processes for establishing protected areas,” the report says.

About 15 per cent of Alberta’s lands and waters are protected. Up until 2020, the province was “actively participating with the federal government” to advance conservation but has since “really walked back some of their commitments to internationally agreed on protection targets,” said Tara Russell, program director for CPAWS Northern Alberta.

Major concerns raised in the report are threats to headwaters and mountain ranges posed by the province’s new coal policy development, changes to the Parks Act and Public Lands Act that allow for creation of different regulations for different parks or public lands, legislation allowing for protected area designations to be rescinded for all-season resort development, and conservation agreements that are failing to “protect and recover caribou populations.”

Despite these setbacks, Russell said conserving 30 per cent of Alberta’s land and water “absolutely is a viable target. And I think there’s so much opportunity in Alberta to improve conservation.”

Russell gave the examples of proposed expansions to the Gipsy-Gordon Wildland Provincial Park and Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Park as “low-hanging fruit” for conservation. Together, the expansion projects would protect a little less than 200 square kilometres of land. And, having already gone through planning stages, are only waiting for an Order in Council to formally designate the land to the parks.

“It’s like an administrative task that needs to occur now to protect that,” Russell said.

In the case of the Kitaskino Nuwenëné Wildland Park, the protected area has been awaiting the final sign-off from council since 2012.

“It’s such a clear example of how conservation is not a priority. Because I understand it is difficult to get new parks and protected areas in place, and we absolutely need to go through those difficult processes as a province, but we’re also not taking advantage of these very clearly low-hanging-fruit opportunities.”

The post CPAWS gives Alberta failing grade on conservation progress appeared first on Shootin' the Breeze.

Jurors have reached a verdict in the manslaughter trial of Jason Tait, 34, who was accused of participating in the 2022 death of Keanan Crane, 22.

The young man, convicted of manslaughter, will spend nine months in jail and nine months under supervision in the community, followed by a year of probation.

The Alberta premier has faced backlash for comments she made in a recent Breitbart News interview, and for her upcoming attendance at a PragerU event in Florida this week.

The Alberta government is preparing to open the province’s online gambling market to private companies like Bet365 in a bid to regulate more of the industry and capture revenue currently headed elsewhere.

On March 22, a well owned by Check Energy Ltd. released 60,000 litres of crude oil. The Alberta Energy Regulator said on its website that no impacts to wildlife were reported. 

The federal government is rolling out a new Canada Disability Benefit this summer but qualified recipients in Alberta won’t see the extra money if they already receive payments under AISH, or Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped program.

A vehicle struck a sign pole on northbound Crowchild Trail Wednesday morning, leaving one person dead, first responders confirm to CBC News.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is defending her plan to fly to Florida to appear at an event alongside a far-right U.S. influencer who calls Canada "a silly country," saying it is her duty to do everything she can to reach out to Americans to prevent tariffs.

A Calgary man is facing charges after a collision on Glenmore Trail in December led to the death of an 18-year-old passenger, police said Wednesday.

Young Albertans who grow up in the province’s child welfare system age out of that programming at 18. Now, a new bill proposed by the Alberta government would mean investigations into deaths of young people who have aged out of that care — would only be done on a discretionary basis for those between 18-20. And for those over 20, not at all. This week on the podcast we hear a conversation with three young Edmontonians who grew up in and aged out of care, sharing their experience and reaction to this proposed legislation.

Canadian country music star Shania Twain will lead the 2025 Stampede Parade, the Calgary Stampede said Wednesday.

As of March 24, three cases of measles have been confirmed in the south zone. All have been linked to an Ontario resident travelling in Alberta.

This latest update confirms the south zone is now at outbreak status, meaning two or more linked cases are in a given zone. Overall, there are now 17 confirmed cases of measles in Alberta across four health zones — three in the south, four in the Edmonton zone, and eight in the north zone.

According to an official from Alberta Health, Patient Zero is an Ontario resident who acquired measles in Ontario and was the initial case that led to exposure notifications in the Taber area.

The three cases, the official says, have all been identified as being within a single household and are confirmed as being linked to the Ontario resident. Two are under the age of 18, and none are currently hospitalized.

The potential for exposure, an advisory from Alberta Health says, began on March 8, 2025 on Flair Airlines Flight No. F8629 from Toronto Pearson International Airport to Calgary International Airport, the exposure time period was from 9:12 p.m. EST to 11:57 p.m. MST, and continued on March 9, 2025, at Calgary International Airport (YYC) and Budget Car and Truck Rental Calgary International Airport from 11:55 p.m. to 2 a.m.

From there, Alberta Health says, the potential for exposure continued at the Taber Health Centre Emergency Department on March 11, 2025, from 5:30 to 8:15 p.m., as well as at the Shoppers Drug Mart in Taber from 6:15 p.m. to 9 p.m., and on March 12 and 13, 2025, at the Taber Health Center’s Emergency Department from 10:15 p.m. to 10:50 a.m.

“Anyone who attended these locations at these times, who was born in or after 1970 and has less than two documented doses of measles-containing vaccine, is at risk for developing measles and is strongly encouraged to review their immunization records and monitor themselves for symptoms of measles,” stated the advisory.

“If symptoms of measles do develop, individuals are advised to stay home and call Health Link at 811 before visiting any healthcare facility or provider, including a family physician clinic or pharmacy.”

Alberta Health describes measles as being ‘an extremely contagious disease that is spread easily through the air, with the symptoms including a fever of 38.3° Celsius or higher, a cough, runny nose and/or red eyes.

A red blotchy rash appears three to seven days after fever starts, beginning behind the ears and on the face and spreading down the body, and then to the arms and legs.

The measles vaccine, Alberta Health says, is ‘highly effective at preventing infection and complications.

People born in or after 1970 who have received fewer than two doses of measles-containing vaccine are susceptible to infection.

Those who have received fewer than two doses of measles-containing vaccine and are pregnant, under one year of age, adults, and/or have a weakened immune system are at most risk of complications from measles and should contact Health Link at 811 promptly if exposed, as they may be eligible for vaccine or immune globulin to reduce their risk of becoming ill.

Vaccines for measles, Alberta Health says, are offered free of charge in Alberta through Alberta’s publicly funded immunization program and children in Alberta typically receive their first dose of measles vaccine at 12 months old, and their second dose at 18 months old.

Alberta Health says those unsure about their immunization information or that of their childrens’ can text ‘vaccine record’ to 88111, call Health Link at 811 or your local public health office.

Albertans, Alberta Health says, can also text ‘Measles’ to 88111 to get measles health information texted to their mobile device, and anyone who is not up to date for their recommended vaccines can receive them by booking an appointment with their local public health office.

Find additional information on measles here.

According to provincial vaccination data collated by the CBC, 59.6 per cent of children in the south zone born in 2021 were fully vaccinated (two doses) by their second birthdays in 2023, while the target is 95 per cent.

Drastically lower rates are being reported in local areas like the County of Forty Mile (27 per cent) and the MD of Taber (28.4 per cent).

The provincial average in 2023 was 69.3 per cent.

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Crowsnest Pass municipal council is facing growing public concerns over transparency and development following the recent introduction of land use amendment bylaws. While council maintains that the bylaws align with provincial mandates and public needs, some residents worry about the impact on the community and the environment.

One bylaw drawing significant opposition is Bylaw 1221-2025, which proposes redesignating multiple parcels in Bellevue and Coleman from recreation and open space (RO1) and non-urban area (NUA1) to high-density residential (R3).

Mayor Blair Painter defended the bylaw, emphasizing the need for more housing in the area.

“When it comes to housing, we are housing-negative. We do not have rental accommodations in our community,” Painter told Shootin’ the Breeze.

He pointed to a development underway in Blairmore, expected to employ 220 to 250 people, and asked: “Where are they going to live? Maybe some people can afford high-value homes, but the majority of them are looking for rental accommodations, which we do not have.”

Some residents, however, oppose the rezoning and development plans, citing concerns like overcrowding, inadequate parking spots, and potential effects on wildlife corridors and archeological sites.

Brian Gallant, a Bellevue resident and vocal opponent of the land rezoning, raised concerns about the planning process and the lack of clear infrastructure support for the proposed high-density residential development.

“There’s no plan. They keep pointing back to the municipal development plan and saying the density numbers are fine, but the plan talks about easing into higher density and placing it in more suitable areas,” Gallant argued.

“It doesn’t say anything about cramming it into the middle of existing neighbourhoods. That’s not good planning,” he told Shootin’ the Breeze.

He also highlighted concerns about the impact on traffic, parking and safety in the area.

Gallant said that while the municipality claims the infrastructure is adequate, they have now fast-tracked projects to revamp sewer and water lines to support the development.

“They’re making it up as they go along,” he said.

“There’s been no traffic study to understand how 300-plus new residents will affect our roads. And there aren’t even sidewalks in many areas — people walk on the roadways, so it’s a major safety concern.”

Gallant further questioned the adequacy of parking in the development.

“There will be overflow parking. Anyone with multiple vehicles or trailers will park on the street, taking up space in front of our homes,” he said, emphasizing that the community is a low-density residential area designed for single-family homes.

Gallant also raised concerns about the proximity of the proposed development to an archeological site.

“There’s a sign here that says ‘Archeological Site, No Entrance,’ ” he noted.

In response to these concerns, Painter defended the need for the rezoning.

“We need high-density housing,” he said. “We have direction from both the federal government and the provincial government to concentrate on high-density housing.” 

He stressed the demand for housing given the rising number of immigrants. 

“We have hundreds of thousands of people moving to Alberta. People are moving to our community. They want to live in our community and they are looking for accommodations,” he said.

“That’s why we need to build in our province, to accommodate all these people coming in. We have to put these people somewhere.” 

Gallant further argued that the process lacked genuine public engagement and transparency, questioning how the proposal got to this stage with minimal input from residents.

He criticized the limited information shared with the public, and said residents didn’t fully understand the scale of the development until the first reading in February. He also said that only a few people received the notification letter, and that the public hearing did not allow for open discussion about the development itself.

The process seemed disingenuous, Gallant said, especially since the rezoning was directly tied to the development. He also said it was unfair that developers were allowed to speak as if they were residents at the public hearing, while the affected residents only had five minutes to present their concerns.

Gallant called for a more transparent process for future redevelopments, suggesting that municipalities engage the public more effectively before land is rezoned or sold.

Painter said the municipality strictly follows the guidelines set by the province through Municipal Affairs, ensuring transparency throughout the process.

“There are definitely strict guidelines that we must follow. And we follow every single one,” he said.

Painter clarified that while public hearings allow residents to express concerns, the focus of a rezoning bylaw is strictly on land use changes, not on specific development plans.

“This is a rezoning bylaw only, not a development bylaw,” he said.

He said residents can be assured that concerns raised during the public hearings will be considered during the development process, if the rezoning passes.

Addressing opposition, Painter acknowledged the community’s limited space for development in a mountain valley that doesn’t have the vast amount of buildable area like prairie communities do. 

“So, being as we’re restricted to a very narrow corridor, we have to utilize all the space that we have.”

He also expressed frustration with opposition to development, pointing out what he considered a contradiction: “We’re hearing from people who want development, but then oppose it when it’s proposed.”

Following the public hearing, two groups of affected residents have raised concerns and are considering legal action.

One group has already written to the municipality through its lawyer, indicating its intention to take legal action.

Another group, which includes Gallant, has consulted with an attorney and is discussing options for judicial review or further legal action if the bylaw proceeds.

“This is not what we want,” Gallant said. “We would like to work with the municipality.”

He appealed to the municipality to talk to the people.

“Talk about how this could go ahead and what kind of development we want in our neighbourhood,” he said. “That is, I think, the sensible way to go, and it would make everyone feel included in the process.”

In response to questions about the possibility of legal challenges, Painter said the municipality follows all the required processes outlined in the Municipal Government Act.

While acknowledging the potential for legal action, he remained confident, adding, “What are they going to do? We follow all the laws. So, I’m not too worried about that. I know we follow every single step, and we go over and above.”

The post Crowsnest council faces backlash over rezoning bylaw appeared first on Shootin' the Breeze.

The driver of the van, a man in his 30s, was taken to hospital with life-altering injuries and the passenger, another man in his 30s, was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition.

An Angus Reid Institute poll suggests one in 10 Canadians would vote to join the U.S., if there were a referendum in this country to become the 51st state.

Evo will bring extended hours, a food menu, new programming, and greater access. Queer historian Ron Byers said it’ll be the first of its kind for the city, and a far cry from Edmonton’s first gay bar.

Lloydminster is Canada's only border city, sitting partially in Alberta and partially in Saskatchewan.

Norval Morrisseau Estate Ltd. has been outspoken against the profuse fraud of the late artist’s work. Now, it faces a $1.45 million lawsuit claiming it defamed an art gallery by implying its works could be fakes.

The answer, like everything to do with this policy, is complicated. But there's been a distinct shift in tone coming from many in the oil and gas sector, in particular.

Former cabinet minister Randy Boissonnault says he will not run again in the upcoming election.

Smith, facing repeated questions from reporters in Calgary about how far she'd be willing to go in a renewed fight with Ottawa, said Friday she'd strike a second Fair Deal Panel to "listen to what it is that Albertans want to do in consequence."

Lorne Thurston and Joseph McIntyre were planning to get an up-close look at the Wayne Gretzky statue in downtown Edmonton on Friday, when they realized it had been smeared with what appeared to be — and strongly smelled like — feces.

The Edmonton Oilers lost both a game and another superstar Thursday, falling 4-3 in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets after Connor McDavid left with a lower-body injury.

The Calgary Region Hydrogen Hub aims to create 100 jobs and generate $75 million in private sector development.

Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said he is considering taking a leave of absence as mayor to run in the upcoming federal election because Canada needs "serious, mature, determined, focused leadership" to face the political turbulence caused in part by United States President Donald Trump.

"I see this as an opportunity that I can play a role at the national stage, at a time when our country is going through some of the most unpredictable, unexpected, unprecedented times — the threat to our sovereignty, the threat to our jobs, to our economy, our way of life, from Trump and the impact that will have on the Edmonton region — (and) we need voices at the table," Sohi said during an interview for Speaking Municipally, Taproot's civic affairs podcast, on March 21. "What Trump is doing to our country is basically a wake-up call … that we need to reduce our dependency on a single customer who has become so volatile now and so unpredictable."

Sohi confirmed that Prime Minister Mark Carney asked him during his visit to Edmonton on March 20 if he would consider running for the Liberal party in the next federal election. Sohi said that, if he runs, he will do so in the new Edmonton Southeast riding. Carney is expected to call an election on March 23, sending voters to the polls on either April 28 or May 5.

Several news media, citing sources close to the mayor, have reported Sohi has already decided he will not run for re-election as mayor in the October 2025 municipal election and that he will instead seek a federal seat. Sohi told Taproot he is still thinking about his options but will make a decision in the next few days.

Sohi said he would take an unpaid leave of absence as Edmonton's mayor if he decides to run for a federal seat. If elected as a member of Parliament, Sohi would be forced to resign as mayor. If unsuccessful, however, Sohi told Taproot he would return to city hall, serve out the remainder of his mayoral term, and not run for mayor in the municipal election in October.

"If I do run federally, I will not be running for mayor at all. I think it's important to provide that clarity to Edmontonians."

This would not be the first time Sohi has switched between municipal and federal politics. He was first elected to city council in 2007 in Ward 6. In 2015, he left his Ward 12 city council seat (won in the 2013 election) when Justin Trudeau, then leader of the federal Liberal party, asked him to run in the Edmonton Mill Woods riding. Sohi won that race by fewer than 100 votes. Sohi served as a cabinet minister during Trudeau's first government. He lost his federal seat to Conservative Tim Uppal in the 2019 federal election. Sohi was elected mayor of Edmonton in 2021.

Asked if he was abandoning Edmontonians for a more prestigious position in Ottawa, Sohi said that isn't part of his decision.

"I can tell you, I've been a cabinet minister before, and I've been in this role for three and a half years — being mayor is more fun than being a cabinet minister," he said.

Sohi is considering re-entering federal politics because "we would be lacking strong voices from the region if the Liberals formed government," he said. "I also feel that my experience, my style of leadership, where I can remain calm, steadiness, and the temperament I have to deal with crises and the difficult situations could be helpful at a national level, when we are dealing with the most unpredictable times that we have never imagined before."

Sohi said he would not run in the federal election if Carney was not leading the Liberal party.

"I was watching the (Liberal leadership race) very closely, as much as I could, because I was feeling that who gets elected will be instrumental in what kind of leadership is required for us to navigate through these challenges," he said.

"I feel that the kind of maturity, temperament, and international experience that Mr. Carney has is required," he said, adding that "in normal circumstances, I would have said 'No' right away, because it's hard on the family."

The Liberals have made an astounding rebound in the polls since Trudeau resigned on Jan. 6, Trump launched attacks on Canada's sovereignty and economy, and Carney became prime minister.

Who will be mayor if Sohi becomes an MP?

If Sohi runs federally, he said he will take an unpaid leave of absence. Council would be required to actively fill the position both during this leave of absence and in the event Sohi was elected federally, city clerk Aileen Giesbrecht told Taproot. Edmonton councillors could adopt the deputy mayor list, which designates one councillor per month as deputy mayor in the event the mayor is unable to fulfill their duties. Council could also choose to appoint one or more councillors to the mayor's seat for the remainder of the term.

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