Connor May

Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides has released a statement in response to the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) sharing their thoughts on recently announced changes for the next school year.

Last week the ATA shared a letter that was sent to them by the Minister. According to the ATA, the letter outlined more testing that will be added for the 2024-25 school year.

According to the Minster, it is not additional testing but rather proficiency assessments.

Alberta broke a record on Tuesday, which was broken again on Wednesday, reaching an all-time summer peak in power usage.

According to the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), 11,820 megawatts were used on Tuesday and 12,122 megawatts were used yesterday. The previous summer record was 11,721 megawatts, a record set back on June 29, 2021.

"We have adequate generation forecasted for the next several days. That being said, our System Controllers remain alert, as always, to the ever-changing environment, and are prepared to respond if needed," stated AESO on Tuesday.

Alberta's government announced yesterday (April 17) that the previous one-year blue light pilot program will be extended for another five years.

The blue light pilot program allows tow truck drivers in Alberta to add blue lights (along with amber) to their vehicles to improve driver safety and be more visible.

Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, made the announcement.

With tax season around the corner, scammers pretending to be the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) are already out and about causing problems.

With that being said, it's important to catch these scammers before they do any real damage.

Wes Lafortune, the Communications Specialist with the Better Business Bureau wants to make sure people don't fall for these scams.

Albertans will have access to thousands more publicly funded orthopedic surgeries in Calgary as part of the Health Care Action Plan (HCAP).

The Health Care Action Plan, which was published in November, listed reducing surgical wait times as one of its top priorities. The government of Alberta is hiring more privately run facilities for publicly financed operations in order to help reach this aim.

During a press conference today (January 10), Alberta Premier, Danielle Smith, answered some hot-topic questions while also highlighting some of the government's recent successes. 

Smith started off the press conference by acknowledging the Affordability Action Plan that was given an update yesterday. 

The province is looking for input from Albertans for Budget 2023.

“Alberta is the best place to live, work and raise our families. Budget 2023 will put Albertans first by supporting our communities, businesses and families with strategic investments to position us for a prosperous future. I look forward to hearing your priorities and perspectives for Budget 2023. Please take the time to complete the survey or participate however you can,” stated Travis Toews, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Finance.

A teaser trailer for HBO's much-awaited series, The Last of Us, has unveiled a sneak peek.

The series, which is based on the similarly named and highly regarded PlayStation videogame was shot over the summer in Calgary and the surrounding area, including Okotoks.

The new scenes in the teaser feature Pedro Pascal (well known for his role as the Mandalorian), Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) and Nick Offerman (Parks and Rec). Pascal and Ramsey star as the main characters Joel and Ellie.

The Liberal government announced new legislation of Federal Bill C-21, which was tabled on Monday, and it has many gun enthusiasts frustrated. 

The bill includes a national freeze of purchases, sales, and transportation of handguns in Canada. The government also mentioned that magazines for long guns would be limited to less than five rounds.