Strathmore

As the clock ticks toward a potential provincewide strike by Alberta’s teachers, parents say classroom overcrowding is having a disastrous domino effect on learning with tutors being hired to fill in the gaps.

Kira Schulz says she hired a tutor for her 10-year-old daughter, Skyelar Schmidt, to prevent her from falling behind while trying to tune into teachers over the din of her peers jammed in classrooms.

"It's really tough to see," Schulz said from her home in Airdrie, a bedroom community of Calgary.

September is Organic Month, letting people know some of the organic foods available in Canada. That's being spearheaded by the Canadian Organic Trade Association, through their Choose Canada Organic program.

Tia Loftsgard, the Executive Director at the Canada Organic Trade Association, talks about Organic Month and what they hope to share with Canadians.

"Organic Month is the national celebration of all things organic, and we have a series of events that are promoting and educating consumers and everybody about what organic is and the benefits of organic."

A group representing Canada's obstetricians and gynecologists says it has reviewed evidence on Tylenol use during pregnancy and maintains that the painkiller is safe. 

The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada said on Monday that it has revisited its position in light of reports questioning whether there is a link between mothers taking acetaminophen while pregnant and autism in children. 

Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne says the government will table the federal budget on Nov. 4.

The long-awaited spending plan will be the federal Liberals' first under Prime Minister Mark Carney and comes as Ottawa's budget watchdog says he's worried about a lack of fiscal prudence.

It also will be Champagne's first budget as finance minister. He announced the date during question period Tuesday.

He said the plan will offer a "generational investment" in Canada's future.

The Alberta government is changing its industrial carbon tax program to let companies avoid paying provincial fees based on emissions by investing in their own emissions reduction projects instead.

Premier Danielle Smith says the move, likely to come into effect this fall, would support economic growth while ensuring companies work to lower emissions.

She says the province is also allowing smaller companies that don't meet the emissions threshold to opt out of the carbon pricing system for 2025.

Trees are being planted and roots are being honoured in more ways than one.

Siksika Nation, in partnership with non-profit Project Forest, is hosting a community barbecue and tree-planting event on Friday (Sept. 19) at the Deerfoot Sportsplex from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. 

The event is part of the Community Shelterbelt program, which aims to plant one million trees over five years across Siksika Nation. 

In 2024 alone, Forest Project planted 130,760 trees on the Nation's land. Species included common caragana, sea buckthorn, green ash, Scots pine, and others. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed Chrystia Freeland as Canada's new special envoy for the reconstruction of Ukraine.

While Freeland announced her resignation as transport minister on social media today, she will remain in the House of Commons as an MP until the next election.

She left today's regular cabinet meeting smiling and talking with Carney, but neither answered questions from reporters stationed outside the room.

For the first time, the Alberta Government is requiring voters to register for the upcoming Municipal Election.

According to Elections Alberta, voters can register at any time, but there are several benefits to registering ahead of an election.

A local bike program delivered hundreds of bicycles to people in need throughout the community.

On Sept. 10, Lil Hoots Family Boutique announced its final delivery for the annual community bike program.

The program, run alongside Joker Bicycle Co, led to over 400 bicycles being donated throughout 2025.

"I've always worked on bikes," said Jake, owner of Joker Bicycle Co, "We've had a few people donate a few parts that we're very grateful for, but most of my funding comes from the normal bike shop duties that I do."

With just over a month until the municipal election, candidates have been announcing reelection plans, putting up signs, and talking to voters.

One of those people is Richard Wegener, who is trying to make it back to the council chambers for a second term.