Excess humidity in the attic often tends to freeze before eventually melting and leaking, causing condensation and leakage issues that are hard to ignore.

Even if Liberal MP Ken McDonald had stuck with his initial call for a leadership review of Justin Trudeau, there's no formal way to make it happen.

Global Affairs Canada say they are monitoring the situation of Mansour Shouman, who has not been in contact with family or friends for a week.

The Edmonton Farmers Market Association will declare bankruptcy and dissolve, following a vote Saturday morning.

Researchers at the University of Alberta have investigated how fungal pathogens affect the ability of trees to defend against attacks by mountain pine beetles.

The Edmonton Oilers' impressive win streak has reached a sweet 16. Connor McDavid had a goal and three assists as the Oilers extended their franchise record run to 16 consecutive wins with a 4-1 victory over the visiting Nashville Predators on Saturday.

A man has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of a person found with gunshot injuries in his Sundre home in Mountain View County on Jan. 25.

Alberta's New Democrats have mapped out rules for a leadership contest that will name a new party head by June 22. Candidates who wish to run have until March 15 to register.

Malveaux was a member of the Stampeders' Grey Cup championship squad in 2001 and played an important role in that year's West final victory over Edmonton with a pair of interceptions.

Calgary's Alex Loutitt captured World Cup bronze in women's ski jumping on Saturday for her sixth podium finish of the season.

Avalanche Canada says a Saskatchewan man was killed Friday on Mount Temple, the highest peak in the Lake Louise, Alta., area.

Most Albertans are unaware the taxes exist, said the Insurance Bureau of Canada. It wants the Alberta government to get rid of them while it looks at long-term changes to save drivers costs.

This month's deep freeze has been followed by thawing temperatures, and avalanche risks have been considerable for much of the past week — now, forecasters say even warmer temperatures are on the way, raising the risk.

Smaller herds, drought conditions mean strong prices on the market for farmers.

The experience of having packed up and moved across the world is a common one in Canada. At a recent CBC Calgary town hall, we asked immigrants about the surprises and challenges.

The Alpine Club of Canada has erected a massive ice climbing wall right in the heart of the city, which will play host to the UIAA Ice Climbing World Championships in February. Host Mark Connolly geared up to test it out.

Pincher Creek’s Dana Connelly has a new added role in the community. After applying to become a volunteer with the Alzheimer Society’s Alberta chapter, she was chosen by the not-for-profit organization as the area’s community dementia ambassador.

“We’re really here to educate as many people as we can about Alzheimer’s and the different dementias,” Dana explains. “To also help relieve some of the stress of caregivers.”

A caregiver doesn’t necessarily mean a professional and in many cases can be someone in the family.

Most commonly referred to as Alzheimer’s, dementia is a debilitating disease that begins with mild memory loss and can progress to the point where a person may not recognize close family members or be able to carry on a conversation.

“My parents are both in their 80s,” Dana shares. “I have noticed some memory loss with my mother, maybe related to other things.”

Concerned, she reached out to the society to gather more information about memory loss. Part of the package she received asked if she’d also consider becoming a volunteer.

“So, I filled it out and sent it in,” she says. “I was thinking it was a good time in my life where I should be giving something back, spending my spare time doing other things.”

As ambassador, one of her first goals is to establish a local caregiver support group.

“I’m hoping to co-facilitate the sessions with a colleague, a community navigator, out of Lethbridge,” Dana says.

The gatherings are likely to start sometime in mid to late spring.

Until then, she suggests checking out the society’s website, alzheimer.ca/ab/en.

“There’s tons and tons of information, and the website is a great place for caregivers,” she says. “For people maybe starting to see signs of dementia or community groups looking to help.”

January is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and, as the name indicates, is meant to bring awareness to a disease which, surprisingly, still brings with it a stigma.

Alzheimer’s, Dana points out, accounts for 64 per cent of all dementias and while there are no definitive triggers, experts in the field believe that certain behaviours lead to a higher risk — high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and obesity, among them.

There are ten warning signs that may indicate the presence of dementia

Memory changes that affect day-to-day abilities

Are you, or the person you know, forgetting things often or struggling to retain new information?

Difficulty doing familiar tasks

Are you, or the person you know, forgetting how to do a typical routine or task, such as preparing a meal or getting dressed?

Changes in language and communication

Are you, or the person you know, forgetting words or substituting words that don’t fit into a conversation?

Disorientation in time and place

Are you, or the person you know, having problems knowing what day of the week it is or getting lost in a familiar place?

Impaired judgment

Are you, or the person you know, not recognizing something that can put health and safety at risk?

Problems with abstract thinking

Are you, or the person you know, having problems understanding what numbers and symbols mean?

Misplacing things

Are you, or the person you know, putting things in places where they shouldn’t be?

Changes in mood, personality and behaviour

Are you, or the person you know, exhibiting severe changes in mood?

Loss of initiative

Are you, or the person you know, losing interest in friends, family and favourite activities?

Challenges in understanding visual and spatial information

Are you, or someone you know, having problems seeing things correctly? Or co-ordinating visual and spatial information?

Statistics compiled by the Alzheimer Society show that over 600,000 Canadians are currently living with the condition. It estimates that more than 350 people develop dementia every day, and it’s predicted that close to one million people in Canada will be diagnosed with the disease by 2030.

The post Alzheimer Society selects community ambassador appeared first on Shootin' the Breeze.

Edmonton city hall remains closed while the city reviews security protocols for the building, four days after a man fired shots and threw an incendiary device in the main atrium.

Seven people were taken to hospital Friday morning after a fire ignited in an Edmonton apartment building. Police say the fire started inside a suite, in which a man had barricaded himself.

Premier Danielle Smith has waded in on the topic, criticizing the new rules and encouraging residents to “call your councillor and call your mayor and tell them what you think.”

Charges have been formally withdrawn against a Calgary man who murdered his estranged wife outside of an elementary school during morning drop-off last week before taking his own life shortly after.

Slammed by the auditor general, the Alberta government’s decision to move the payment dates for AISH recipients has been reversed to what it was four years ago.

A Calgary company is making ice cream just for dogs, and your pup could be on the packaging.

Another 10 Albertans have died from COVID, according to the latest weekly data released by the province. That brings the death toll for the current season to 430.

At around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, fire crews responded to a 911 call reporting a house fire in the community of Evanston.

Two city councillors are critical of the city's plans for informing Calgarians about a proposed city-wide change to zoning rules in residential areas.

Two Edmonton-area residents say they are still trying to get their money back nearly eight months after their reservations at a Parkland County glamping resort were cancelled. 

The George Spady Society is working to relocate its medically-supported detox program from its current downtown location to a building beside the Jasper Place Transit Centre.

Ward Nakota Isga Coun. Andrew Knack said the potential move could help the city better achieve its goal of decentralizing social services, while also filling service gaps in the west end.

"Many of us have heard the same stories — those individuals experiencing homelessness aren't necessarily feeling comfortable going into the downtown core, and that their network, their community is in the west end," Knack told Taproot. "Even though the services they might need to access aren't available in the west end, they've been more likely to stay in the west end."

Several support services for vulnerable people have disappeared in the west end in recent times. Jasper Place Wellness Centre's community resource centre, health centre, transitional housing, and emergency shelter all closed within the last few years. Knack said the centre has chosen to step back from emerging problems to focus on permanent solutions, like affordable housing. Meanwhile, Fusion Fellowship Church's outreach program has ended, and the Mustard Seed runs a "very limited site" in the area, he said.

A service like that offered by the George Spady Society is "something that's been needed in the west end," Knack said.

The organization's website describes its current medical detox facility, located at 10015 105A Avenue NW, as "a safe, fully medically-supported space (for clients to) withdraw from substances, stabilize their health, and receive referrals to treatment facilities, mental health supports, and housing."

The organization performs intake each weekday morning, with admissions based on need and bed availability. Once the client's health is stable, they work with the staff to come up with a plan to improve their life, the website reads.

The George Spady Society has applied to rezone a property at 15625 Stony Plain Road NW, beside the Jasper Place Transit Centre. The building's existing zoning already allows it to be used as a detox centre. But, according to the application, the George Spady Society wants to double the floor area that can be used for detox to 2,000 square metres.

The application details that the building could host "in-patient medical treatment and out-patient services associated with addiction and detoxification." The George Spady Society is also proposing to build an addition to the existing building as part of the rezoning.

The proposed rezoning is scheduled for a public hearing on Jan. 29.

City administration supports the application, citing the need to decentralize social services. The city said the location beside a transit centre, and a short walk from a future Valley Line West LRT stop, makes sense as it expects the majority of users to walk, bike, or take transit to the centre.

The city's planning report notes public engagement on the application received no formal responses aside from conversations with the Stony Plain Road Business Association. The report indicates these conversations led to a meeting that included nearby business owners, the CEO of the George Spady Society, and a community safety liaison.

The planning report notes stakeholders talked about the proposed use of the site, parking, safety, and the future relationship between the social service and residents and businesses in the area.

Knack said he wasn't surprised that there was no opposition to the project. "While there haven't been a lot of (social) services offered in the west end, those that are in the west end are seen as really strong contributors to the community, and they help make a stronger community," he said.

The George Spady Society did not respond to requests for comment.

A revised design for a proposed solar power project northwest of Pincher Creek was front and centre at an open house Jan. 16.

Slightly leaner in size than one presented almost a year ago, the project’s placement of solar panels is the biggest modification.

“We’ve made a number of changes that we think offer advantages relative to our earlier concept,” said Mike Peters, director of public affairs for Evolugen, the company behind the Sunrise Solar Project proposal.

“In spring 2023, we were in the community and held an open house. Subsequent to that, we’ve done a number of followup consultations and engagement with the public, with the town and with the MD.”

A visual change in the layout is the most substantive difference, Peters added.

“Within the quarter-section that was closest to town, we’re going to move [those panels] further north,” he said.

“So, that’s going to reduce the proximity to the municipal district boundary. As part of that, we’ve actually ended up reducing the size of the project by 15 per cent.”

Peters believes the new concept will help to reduce not only the visual impact but its effect on existing agricultural land in the area.

“We’re really trying to shrink our footprint,” he said.

While there’s no formal plan in place on who might be connected to the power generated from the solar panels, there’s no doubt it’s needed provincially in light of the recent extreme cold snap that saw power consumption result in grid alerts being issued for five consecutive days.

“We see the benefits of this project on so many levels,” Peters told Shootin’ the Breeze.

“We can look at it as an overall contribution to the electrical grid and this idea of bringing on new power generation to meet rising demand, new less carbon-intensive energy. So, we see that contributing to grid stability.”

Other benefits the company feels Sunrise will bring include stable long-term tax revenue to the MD, a rise in the need for local labour during the construction phase and something new to the table — a community benefits fund.

“We’re proposing initially a contribution of $25,000 annually,” Peters said. “That would be something that would be directed towards community priorities, causes, events, as a way to ensure the community is really benefiting from this project.”

If approved, this would be Evolugen’s second undertaking in Alberta. Its first venture, the Spring Coulee project, northeast of Cardston, with a 42-megawatt capacity, could be fully up and running by next month.

The post New draft for proposed solar project in MD of Pincher Creek appeared first on Shootin' the Breeze.

Connor McDavid had two goals and an assist and backup goalie Calvin Pickard made 27 saves for the shutout as the Edmonton Oilers kept their spectacular streak alive with a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday.

The owner of Calgary live-music venue The Blues Can says he expects the Inglewood bar will be home to its last twangy song this fall.

The Alberta government is touting an expansion of private pharmacy clinics across the province as a significant relief valve for family doctors and emergency rooms under severe strain.

The City of Leduc is lobbying the Alberta government to reduce speeds on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway, which runs between Calgary and Edmonton.

A convicted fraudster whom the Crown called “an admitted liar” and “an admitted thief” has delayed his sentencing to consider backing out of his guilty plea.

A year-long police probe has led to a 911 call taker in Calgary being charged with what investigators describe as “intentionally sharing protected information for organized crime purposes.”

As the expansion of the Trans Mountain oil pipeline nears completion, the Alberta Investment Management Corporation (AIMCo) has expressed interest in buying a stake in the project.

Alberta's oilsands operations produce far more potentially harmful air pollutants than officially recorded — putting the daily output on par with those from gridlocked megacities like Los Angeles, new research suggests.

Alberta is on track for what could be its lowest influenza vaccination rate in at least a decade. Less than one-quarter of Albertans — 24.1 per cent — have received their annual flu shot so far this respiratory virus season, according to provincial data.

A photo of a sign reserving multiple accessible parking spaces for Alberta's health minister and deputy health minister at the Foothills Medical Centre began circulating online on Tuesday.

Bezhani Sarvar, the security guard accused of firing shots and causing a small fire with Molotov cocktails in Edmonton’s city hall on Tuesday, made a brief court appearance on Thursday.

A Norwegian clean energy development company has signed an agreement with the City of Edmonton to create one of Canada’s first industrial-scale waste-to-energy facilities.

Grade 11 Sherwood Park student Shelby Hartman says that while climate change is top of mind for her generation, there remains a knowledge gap between advocates and the general population that prevents faster change.

That gap is why Hartman, one of 60 global youth chosen to attend the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference in December, is now calling for the Alberta government to add climate change education to the provincial curriculum.

"One of my big concerns is a lot of people aren't really educated on climate change," Hartman told Taproot. "Most adults I talk to about climate change, they have the same level of knowledge or less than me, which seems really odd. So, definitely there's a very big information gap between the general population and those people who campaign about climate change, so that bridge needs to be fixed."

Hartman said the Alberta curriculum should change, but added governments and politicians should also shift their approach to climate change, especially with the language and information they use.

"They just keep it in these crazy high scientific terms that most people don't understand, and no one's going to go out of their way and look it up if they just don't understand it," she said. "Some people will, but not everyone will, so we need to reach the general population, not the elite select few at the top."

Hartman said adding climate change to the curriculum could move the needle on this point. "The government controls (the) curriculum and controls how we educate our youth, so if they implement climate change in the curriculum, and climate change knowledge at a comprehensive level for each grade, then climate change knowledge overall will increase and also children can educate their parents."

Hartman's trajectory to attending COP28 began with her childhood passion for the outdoors. This naturally expanded into environmentalism as she grew up. "As a little kid you take all these little actions … (and) you know why you're doing them, but you don't understand the bigger picture," she said.

Hartman said COP28 was an opportunity to see the bigger picture, and one central takeaway from the experience was the shared effect that climate change has had on people across the globe.

"It was just very enlightening to know that we're all in this together, and then it was also very educational to learn about how different groups react to climate change," she said.

Hartman believes there are youth like her who want to get involved in climate-change advocacy but don't know where to turn. She said small actions can snowball into greater change, such as recycling, composting, or planting flowers.

"You have to continue those small actions even though they don't look like they're very big. If everyone else is doing them too, they do add up," Hartman said.

She also said those interested could join environmentally-minded organizations such as the Girl Guides or Scouts Canada, or the Canadian Wildlife Federation.

Although Hartman stressed the change individuals can make, she has larger concerns that require policy shifts.

Hartman is a member of #Decarbonize, an international youth education program organized by the Centre for Global Education, which informs students about climate change and encourages them to take action in their communities.

After competing to secure her spot against her entire Advanced Placement class, the Centre for Global Education and AP College Board chose Hartman to join the other international students in Dubai, and advocate for the youth manifesto published by #Decarbonize's students.

"I definitely feel like we really accomplished spreading the child voice in our manifesto and showing what our goals and ambitions were," Hartman said.

The 2023 manifesto's top priorities ask for governments to create and implement climate-change education standards into Nationally Determined Contributions, which outline the efforts each country agrees to contribute to climate change agreements. This education would include informing students about these contributions, so they can keep governments accountable.

Hartman said that the atmosphere among the youth present at COP28 was hopeful.

"We were talking to all these adults that wanted to listen to us and take our opinions into consideration, and also do something about climate change and this issue we're really passionate about," she said.

Here are opportunities to get involved in engagement efforts affecting Edmonton, including strategic planning for the city's newest river valley park and two downtown revitalization projects.

• North Saskatchewan River flood study — The province is seeking feedback on new flood hazard maps for the North Saskatchewan River in the Edmonton area. The maps identify areas at risk of flooding and will help with long-term planning. The section of the river being mapped runs from slightly west of Devon to Township Road 570, northeast of Fort Saskatchewan. Residents and landowners can submit feedback about the maps and associated reports through an online form until Feb. 12.
• 103A Avenue and 99 Street Streetscape and Pedway — The city has begun a second round of engagement for two separate downtown revitalization projects: a new streetscape for parts of 103A Avenue and 99 Street and an underground pedway between the Churchill LRT Station and the upcoming Station Lands development. A What We Heard report based on the city's previous engagement says participants generally liked the idea of improving the pedestrian experience with the streetscape, but reactions to the pedway were mixed, with concerns largely centred on safety. Residents can review design booklets for the streetscape and the pedway, and share their thoughts on an online discussion board, until Feb. 13.
• Northeast River Valley Park Strategic Plan — The Northeast River Valley Park, the newest park in Edmonton's river valley, opened in September. The city now seeks feedback from residents to inform the park's strategic plan, which will include its vision, guiding principles, and approach to naturalization, restoration, and programming. Residents can share their ideas until Feb. 29.

More input opportunities

• Until Jan. 27: Public Washroom Strategy Survey
• Until Jan. 31: Meyonohk Neighbourhood Renewal (planning)
• Until Feb. 5: La Perle and Belmead Neighbourhood Renewal (planning)
• Until Feb. 14: 2023 Public Satisfaction Survey (Strathcona County)
• Until Feb. 19: Winterscapes photo contest (nominations)

Photo: The Northeast River Valley Park, which still hasn't been named, offers a lake, a 25,000-square-foot event centre, and year-round activities. (City of Edmonton)

Community members across the country have come together to save the life of an Albertan therapy horse that helped save theirs.

The City of Calgary is working on a transit-oriented development plan for the Franklin LRT station in the southeast.

A 74-year-old woman with dementia who was admitted to hospital with multiple serious infections suffered medical neglect at a nursing home in Barrhead, her children allege.

Should there be public consultation when changes affecting health care are proposed? Should there be an opportunity to ask questions? Should we be concerned when budget cuts could drastically affect our community?

I asked these questions in a March 2020 article after Pincher Creek physicians voiced concerns about budget changes at a community town hall.

A key point, one I hadn’t considered before, was that rural family medicine practices are small businesses with fixed costs. And when cost outweighs income, changes must be made for a practice to remain viable.

Financial costs aren’t the only consideration. At the time, Dr. Jared Van Bussel referred specifically to potential changes to maternity care and the cost of losing it. His concerns have not changed.

He also noted that disruptions to maternity care and individual health services impact the viability of the community.

A month later, Associate Clinic physicians announced a planned withdrawal of hospital-based services to come in 90 days. The move was prompted by a continuing lack of trust between doctors and Alberta Health, and ongoing uncertainty for the future. The uncertainty was not just for the physicians themselves but for their staff, patients and community.

The point hit home, and Pincher Creek rallied around its doctors. Letters were sent to government officials and a drive-by rally was held in June.

At the same time, Covid-19 was moving in, stretching local, provincial, national and global medical care to its limit.

Negotiating a master plan between the Alberta Medical Association and the provincial government piled even more pressure on Alberta’s medical professionals.

In October, local physicians chose to continue working in the emergency room and hospital rather than withdrawing those services. The community gave a collective sigh of relief, but problems remained unsolved.

By April 2021, a tentative master plan from Alberta Health had been brought forward and voted down by AMA members. Tyler Shandro, then minister of health, had also been to Pincher Creek to meet with Associate Clinic doctors, who were cautiously optimistic that agreement could be found.

It was September 2022 before a new funding contract was agreed to between AMA and the province.

The number of doctors at the clinic began to decline. Some retired while others chose to pursue careers elsewhere.

Finding replacements continues to be a challenge. Meanwhile, the cost of operating the clinic remains.

As we have all seen the cost of living rise dramatically, the cost of running any kind of business has increased as well.

To put this in perspective, as with any business, the financial burden on each partner increases substantially when the number of partners declines.

Speaking from personal experience, the stress and workload also increase significantly when staffing changes occur.

Let’s take stock of what we have in Pincher Creek.

We have a clinic and hospital providing continuity of care under one roof, personal relationships with physicians, an anesthetist and a surgeon, and even a CT scanner. Most importantly, we have a team of family doctors providing comprehensive care.

We also have our medical community working in difficult circumstances and likely losing hope for positive change. The emergency department was closed overnight twice in July due to a shortage of physician coverage.

About 800,000 Albertans do not have a family doctor, a situation especially dire in rural areas.

Our community has amazing medical resources, which are easy to take for granted, but a lack of stability under the very foundation of our health care system leaves it in danger of caving in.

“It’s crumbling around us as we speak.”

Dr. Paul Parks, president of the Alberta Medical Association, spoke those words Tuesday morning while sharing the results of a family and rural generalist physician survey conducted last week.

Asked to put the current state of affairs into medical terms, he likened it to a mass casualty that is bleeding out. The bleeding needs to be stopped and the patient stabilized.

Only then, once the chaos has passed, can treatment proceed.

About 30 per cent of Alberta doctors participated in the AMA survey. Most have been practising for 11 or more years and 43 per cent are dealing with 1,000 or more patients.

Of respondents, 21 per cent feel their finances can sustain their practices for up to a year, while 20 per cent say they are unlikely to be viable beyond six months and eight per cent say only three months.

While $100 million of federal assistance earmarked for stabilization was announced in December, Parks says “not one cent has flowed to family physicians yet.”

He also noted that financial assistance is available immediately when there are wildfires and other emergencies. The health-care crisis, which physicians and their association have been red-flagging for over a decade, has yet to trigger the same response.

The old model needs to evolve because physicians are leaving Alberta for greener pastures where governments are responding to the crisis. Actions must match promises so health-care workers and all of us can look forward with hope.

If we sit quietly and say nothing, the system will continue to crumble, with disastrous consequences.

At a town hall last May, Dr. Gavin Parker said, “If you want to find someone who can fix this, find a mirror.”

On its website, Alberta Health says, “The future of health care is in your hands.”

Alberta Health is holding public engagement sessions in Crowsnest Pass at 10 a.m. today and in Pincher Creek at 5 p.m. Registration is required.

TODAY!

This long backstory leads to a strong call to action.

If you are concerned about a crumbling health-care system, please register for a session.

Have your say — your life may depend on it.

The post ‘It’s crumbling around us as we speak’ appeared first on Shootin' the Breeze.

The U.S. commentator pressed Alberta's premier on legal cases linked to the Coutts blockade, an issue she's had to tiptoe around before.

Based on parish records, investigators believe 335 children died at the school while it was based in Saddle Lake Cree Nation.