Category Archives: Prairies/BC
High-flying oil and gas prices paint rosier shade of red ink on Alberta budget
EDMONTON — Alberta's budget outlook for this year is turning a rosier shade of red ink with jobs up, the deficit down and oil and gas prices humming along at unexpectedly high levels. Finance Minister Travis Toews says the deficit is
Alberta ups screening, tracing as it prepares for first Omicron COVID-19 cases
EDMONTON — Alberta does not yet have any reported cases of the new Omicron COVID-19 variant, but the province's chief medical officer of health says it's realistically only a matter of time. "It is very likely that Omicron will eventually reach
Higher energy prices expected to deliver boost in Alberta budget update
EDMONTON — Alberta's finance minister says the recent bullish run on energy prices is part of a stronger economic story on the province's bottom line that will be revealed in the upcoming second-quarter budget update. Travis Toews says investment is ga...
Proposed law would change some rules overseeing Manitoba police
WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government plans to bolster the civilian-led agency that investigates potential police wrongdoing, but is stopping short of requiring all officers to co-operate with probes. A bill introduced in the legislature Monday would intr...
Drought, wildfires, COVID-19 drives up deficit in Saskatchewan to $2.7B
REGINA — Recent drought and wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic have heavily contributed to a rise in Saskatchewan's deficit. The government has released its mid-year financial report that shows a deficit of $2.7 billion, which is an increase of $97
COVID-19 immunization clinics open to B.C. kids ages five to 11 on Monday
VICTORIA — British Columbia's health minister says the government is pleased that so many parents are interested in ensuring their children are vaccinated for COVID-19. Adrian Dix says those who registered their children aged five to 11 should expect ...
‘This will always be a fight:’ Women push for changes to Saskatchewan labour law
REGINA — After years of dealing with sexual harassment at work, Ariana Donovan created an online whisper network for others with similar experiences. Donovan, a model based in Regina, says she wanted to help others know who they should avoid in
Alberta ombudsman says she doesn’t have the power to probe EMS dispatch consolidation
EDMONTON — Alberta's ombudsman says she doesn't have the power to investigate a complaint about the decision to consolidate ambulance emergency dispatch services in the province. The complaint was filed by the cities of Red Deer, Calgary, Lethbridge an...
Kenney promises no direct cost download to municipalities on provincial police plan
EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is imploring rural leaders to consider the merits of a provincial police force, promising that any added costs — projected to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars — would not be downloaded
‘Palpable sigh of relief’: Manitoba begins vaccinating children against COVID-19
WINNIPEG — Seconds before getting her first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, Ava Meconse grabbed her mom's hand and squeezed her eyes shut. Within moments, the vaccine was administered and a sense of relief washed over the family. Ava, 10, was
