Alberta

Alberta News: Opening more doors to primary care

Alberta News: Opening more doors to primary care

Alberta’s government is working to ensure every resident has access to the primary care services they need. With a focus on regions with limited access to care, the new centres will serve as hubs for services in rural, remote and Indigenous communities. The centres will increase access to primary care providers – such as physicians, nurse practitioners and pharmacists – while easing pressure on emergency departments and urgent care centres by providing convenient, day-to-day health care services under one roof. “We are committed to making primary health care more accessible. Advancing plans for new primary care centres will make it…
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Boosting Alberta’s fire network for faster wildfire response

Boosting Alberta’s fire network for faster wildfire response

Calgary (Rajeev Sharma): Alberta's government is providing a $900,000 boost to the Alberta fire weather network to upgrade equipment, protect at-risk communities and improve wildfire response.  With the 2025 wildfire season underway, Alberta’s government is focused on improving wildfire prevention, mitigation and readiness to respond. Central to these efforts is the province’s fire weather network, which plays a vital role in predicting fire conditions and detecting fires earlier. That is why Alberta’s government is investing an additional $900,000 over three years, bringing the total to $1.9 million over three years for upgrades to the network and to add new stations…
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Alberta’s Education Minister Proposes changes to Education Act

Alberta’s Education Minister Proposes changes to Education Act

Calgary (Rajeev Sharma): Alberta's Minister of Education Demetrios Nicolaides has proposed changes to the Education Act that would respond to changes in the education system and respond to feedback from Albertans. If passed, the Education Amendment Act, 2025, would respond to feedback from parents and education partners. These changes would reflect the wide range of programming that private schools offer, strengthen democratic accountability in school boards, and increase clarity and efficiency in the teacher discipline process. If passed, the act would also align school board and francophone school boards’ joint use and planning agreement requirements with their municipal partners. Finally, changes to the Education…
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Alberta proposes amendments to modernize and streamline municipal processes

Alberta proposes amendments to modernize and streamline municipal processes

Calgary (Rajeev Sharma): Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring that Albertans’ local governments are strong and collaborative and that their investments in new homes are protected. That is why Alberta’s government is proposing amendments through the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 to modernize and streamline municipal processes in the Local Authorities Election Act, the Municipal Government Act, and the New Home Buyer Protection Act. These amendments build upon previous legislative changes. “We’re proposing updates to legislation to ensure that Albertans’ local governments deliver them the best results by working collaboratively, and that their investments in new homes are protected. Our proposed amendments are based off…
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Alberta’s Ethnocultural Grant Program supports community-driven multicultural initiatives across province

Alberta’s Ethnocultural Grant Program supports community-driven multicultural initiatives across province

Calgary (National Times): Alberta’s government is committed to fostering a province where people from all backgrounds are valued and respected. One way of doing this is through the Ethnocultural Grant Program that supports vibrant and welcoming multicultural communities. Budget 2025 provides $12 million over three years to continue promoting cross-cultural knowledge and understanding while celebrating and supporting cultural diversity and Indigenous cultures. “Alberta is filled with vibrant, multicultural communities, and these grants support community-led initiatives that provide many ethnocultural groups with the opportunity to share their unique heritage with Albertans. This is multiculturalism in action.”Muhammad Yaseen, Minister of Immigration and…
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Alberta Govt Advancing cancer care and organ tissue services

Alberta Govt Advancing cancer care and organ tissue services

Calgary (Rajeev Sharma): Alberta’s government is ensuring that key health care services are well supported within the new refocused health care system. Significant progress has been made to achieve the goal of providing better care to all Albertans, no matter where they live. Three of the four provincial health agencies are now operational: Primary Care Alberta, Acute Care Alberta, and Recovery Alberta. Assisted Living Alberta will be operational later this year. As the work to transition AHS to a hospital-based service provider under the oversight of Acute Care Alberta continues, Alberta’s government is taking additional steps to ensure that Alberta’s…
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1 in Canada: Albertans recycle more than other Canadians

1 in Canada: Albertans recycle more than other Canadians

National Times Bureau, April 3, 2025: After narrowly being beaten out by Prince Edward Island in 2022, Alberta is back on top, regaining the highest beverage container return rate in all of Canada. In 2024, Albertans returned more than two billion cans, bottles and other containers, or 85 per cent of all non-refillable beverage containers. The national average was a paltry 76 per cent. Runners-up include Saskatchewan at 84 per cent, British Columbia at 83 per cent, Ontario at 75 per cent and Quebec at 68 per cent. Alberta also continues to rapidly gain in the North American rankings, going…
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Danielle Smith’s Soft Approach to Trump Sparks Controversy in Canada

Danielle Smith’s Soft Approach to Trump Sparks Controversy in Canada

National Times Bureau, March 30, 2025 – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is willing to step into the "lion's den" to persuade American officials against imposing Canadian tariffs, taking an unorthodox approach by courting former U.S. President Donald Trump and engaging with right-wing media.While many Canadian leaders, including Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford, have taken a hard stance against Trump, Smith has chosen a more diplomatic route. However, her strategy has drawn criticism not only from political opponents but also from allies in Alberta and across the country.Her approach has put federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in…
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Alberta News: Supporting Indigenous business development

Alberta News: Supporting Indigenous business development

Calgary (Rajeev Sharma): Budget 2025, if passed, provides $10 million in annual funding for the Aboriginal Business Investment Fund (ABIF) to help community-owned Indigenous businesses buy or upgrade the equipment and infrastructure they need to create jobs and contribute to sustainable, thriving communities. Since it launched in 2014, the ABIF program has supported more than 105 community-owned businesses with more than $58 million in capital grants, helping create almost 1,000 jobs for Indigenous people in Alberta. Between 2022 and 2024, Alberta’s government doubled annual ABIF funding from $5 million to $10 million, leading to a record number of ABIF grants…
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Avalanche warning issued for parts of Alberta and B.C.

Avalanche warning issued for parts of Alberta and B.C.

Alberta (Rajeev Sharma): In partnership with Alberta Parks, Parks Canada, and the Province of British Columbia, Avalanche Canada has issued a Special Public Avalanche Warning for the central Rockies. The avalanche warning is in effect immediately and remains in place through Monday, March 24. The warning is widespread and applies to avalanche forecast regions including areas in and adjacent to: Kananaskis Country Banff National Park Jasper National Park Kootenay National Park Yoho National Park “With a special public avalanche warning in effect for Kananaskis Country, we want to make sure anyone heading to the mountains exercises extreme caution. All backcountry…
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