Lacombe

Alleged members of an Indian gang and its leader have been sending shivers down the spines of members of the South Asian diaspora in Canada for years, says a city councillor in Richmond, B.C.

Kash Heed said the Bishnoi gang, led by Lawrence Bishnoi, gained notoriety and instilled fear among Indian Canadians well before the RCMP accused the syndicate this week of orchestrating violent crimes on Canadian soil.

There was no clear winner in Saturday's British Columbia election, but the leader of the B.C. Conservatives says the province's political landscape has "changed forever," after his party pushed the incumbent New Democrats to the brink.

Neither party won enough seats to claim a majority, and vote counting was set to continue Sunday, with Premier David Eby's NDP in striking range of a minority government if he gets the co-operation of the Greens, who won two seats.

Potential recounts mean it could be next week before the winner is decided.

On October 10, the federal government passed legislation for the first phase of national universal pharmacare. The Pharmacare Act received Royal Assent and immediately came into force.

According to the federal press release, The Minister of Health will continue working with provinces and territories to reach bilateral agreements to provide universal, single-payer, first-dollar access to a range of contraception and diabetes medications as the first phase of a national universal pharmacare program.

Driving could be challenging to start the week as Environment Canada has issued a Special Weather Statement for much of Central Alberta with the first significant snowfall of the season expected on Monday.
 
Snow is expected to begin Monday morning in the Calgary area and along the Highway 2 corridor, and move east through the day.

The Red Deer Regional Health Foundation, in collaboration with Alberta Health Services, announced Friday that the Cardiac Catheterization Lab (Cath Lab) at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre will open five years ahead of schedule.

With a permanent facility scheduled for completion in five years, this fixture will allow for care on an accelerated timeline, offering life-saving cardiac care to the residents of Central Alberta.

The Blackfalds Bulldogs took a 3-2 lead into the third period Friday night but couldn't hold on as the Sherwood Park Crusaders squeaked out a 4-3 win at Eagle Builders Centre.

The loss dropped the Bulldogs record to 1-9 on the season. The Crusaders occupy third spot in the Interior East Division with a 7-3 record.

Robin Benoit opened the scoring for the Crusaders on the power play at 4:15 of the first with his fifth of the season.

The Bulldogs would tie the game a few minutes later when Luke Dahlen found the back of the net.

Local students have been cleared for takeoff, after participating in a career pathway learning opportunity in aviation.  

Through a partnership between Chinook’s Edge School Division, Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools, Central Alberta Collegiate Institute (CACI), and Sky Wings Aviation 12 Grade 11 and 12 students were selected to participate in the aviation ground school program in April.  

Central Alberta women are invited to network, learn, and build relationships through the Power of an Unstoppable Woman Conference.  

The two-day event this weekend (Oct. 19)  to Oct. 20) features 14 speakers and presenters from across North America, who all have a different story to share, and experience to take participants through.   

The executive team from the Assembly of First Nations will meet in the coming days to discuss how to proceed with new negotiations for a child welfare reform deal after chiefs voted against the government's proposed $47.8 billion agreement at a meeting in Calgary Thursday.

AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, who had helped negotiate the deal and pushed for it to be approved, was blunt in her assessment of the outcome in her closing remarks to the special chiefs assembly Friday.

Here's a look at some of this week's top news photos as selected by editors.

B.C. NDP Leader David Eby is seen through a bus windshield as he arrives for a campaign stop in Nanaimo, B.C., Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck