Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is defending a nearly 23 per cent increase to her office's budget, saying it's coming at the expense of the Energy Ministry as her office assumes some formal and financial responsibility for promoting the province's oil and gas industry.

Critics say the Alberta government's proposed health-care and education spending in its new budget won't address long-standing problems in either sector.

"Public education, once again, with this budget ... is not a priority with this government," said Alberta Teachers' Association president Jason Schilling.

"This government should be ashamed of themselves for, once again, short-changing the students of this province."

An Alberta oil and gas company has been fined $15,000 for failing to report a potentially lethal amount of hydrogen sulphide, or sour gas, had been released into the atmosphere.

In its decision, the Alberta Energy Regulator says a tank at a Mcland Resources work site near the hamlet of Tees, northeast of Red Deer, ruptured in March of 2023.

The toxic gas was released for more than three hours at a potentially lethal concentration, but nobody was harmed, says the report.

Alberta Health Minister Adriana LaGrange is facing a renewed call to step down over allegations of high-level corruption in health contracts -- but this time the call is coming from one of her own cabinet colleagues.

Infrastructure Minister Peter Guthrie, in a memo obtained and reported on Friday by the CBC, says LaGrange and the top civil servant in health, Andre Tremblay, should be moved to other jobs while the scandal is investigated.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says Health Minister Adriana LaGrange has her full support as they navigate allegations of high-level government corruption in medical contracts.

“I still have confidence in my health minister,” Smith told reporters Wednesday while in Washington, D.C. to lobby with other premiers against U.S. tariffs.

“We have to see if there's any wrongdoing first. And if there is, then we have to clean it up.”

This year, Kim Stark's kids took responsibility for decorating the family Christmas tree.

Ornaments include toy cars, puzzle pieces, string and a pair of binoculars — things her three young daughters had handy after the family lost their home in summer’s devastating Jasper wildfire.

"I have the most wonderful tree on the planet," said Stark.

"It's part of our story and part of who we are.

“If (the kids) are happy, I'm happy."

The town of Jasper says early numbers indicate last month’s wildfires destroyed $283 million worth of property.

The town also reports that while 358 structures were destroyed, mostly businesses and homes, the total number of housing units lost is about 800.

The figures were delivered to councillors by chief administrative officer Bill Given at a virtual meeting Tuesday.

Given said the numbers get even more daunting as the town moves forward with rebuilding because the lost structures equate to a $2.2-million loss in annual property tax revenue.

Residents of Jasper, Alta., who lost their homes in last month’s wildfire face unique rebuilding challenges tied to leasing provisions nearly as old as Canada, followed modern rules dictating what they can and can’t construct.

Lawyer Jessica Reed said property owners in the townsite in Jasper National Park own their buildings but, unlike other municipalities, don’t own the land they sit on.