Reach

Alberta's United Conservative Party says it has expelled former infrastructure minister Peter Guthrie from caucus over his repeated criticism of the government's handling of the health-care contract scandal.

Guthrie gave up his ministerial position in February over concerns about government contracts and has been sitting as a backbencher for his Airdrie-Cochrane riding.

His pushback against Premier Danielle Smith also led the caucus to suspend him from voting in caucus matters.

The City of Grande Prairie has issued a fire advisory, effective Tuesday, April 15, 2024, at 3 p.m. due to dry and windy conditions.

Under this advisory:

• Fire permits for open burning and fireworks will not be issued.
• Existing burning permits are suspended.
• New fire pit permits will be issued on a case-by-case basis, for light burning only.

Permitted activities:

On April 14 and 15, 2025, the Grande Prairie Rural RCMP conducted a speed enforcement operation on Highway 40. Police stopped multiple drivers for traveling at excessive speeds, including the following notable offences:

• 104km/h in a designated 50km/h construction zone with workers present;
• 120km/h in an 80km/h zone; and
• Performing stunts.

Several other drivers were stopped for a range of moving traffic violations, with numerous tickets and warnings being issued.

The Bank of Canada left its benchmark interest rate unchanged Wednesday as it waits to get a clearer picture of how global trade uncertainty is going to impact the Canadian economy.

The central bank held its policy rate steady at 2.75 per cent, the first time it has left the key rate unchanged following seven consecutive cuts since June.

That decision arrived in the midst of the United States' ever-shifting global trade war, and Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem made clear that the disruption from south of the border was the clear focus of Wednesday’s decision.

The stage will look different than originally planned Wednesday night, when Canada's major party leaders square off in the first of two nationally televised debates.

Instead of five podiums on the stage, there will now only be four.

The Green Party had its invitation rescinded less than 12 hours before the debate is set to start, with the Leaders' Debate Commission saying the party no longer met the criteria to be included.

Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault called the "last minute decision" both "unfounded" and "undemocratic."

A new animated series sharing the life of Christ will be released on Easter Sunday.

When it comes to the Bible, picking it up and reading it from front to back can be a task for many. RevelationMedia has found a way around this.

"We took about 300 scriptures from Genesis to Revelation, and we compiled a nine-minute animated video of the salvation message," said the Founder and CEO of RevelationMedia and iBIBLE, Steve Cleary.

A pastor who was abducted while in the middle of a church service in South Africa last week has been safely returned to his family. 

Josh Sullivan, 34, and his family were working at a church in Motherwell in South Africa last Thursday when it's alleged that six armed men entered the church and kidnapped the pastor.

Tom Hately, the pastor of Sullivan's home church, Fellowship Baptist Church in Maryville, Tennessee, announced early Wednesday morning that Josh had been released. 

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's government has introduced promised legislation to allow for people to be forced into addiction treatment facilities.

If the bill passes, parents, family members, health-care professionals, police or peace officers can apply for a treatment order from a new provincial commission.

Under the bill, those using substances and deemed a risk to themselves or others can be apprehended by police and ordered into treatment in a secure facility for up to three months, with the possibility of six months in community-based treatment. 

SaskTel is developing new assets to help tech companies better connect with farmers by providing them with more background infrastructure. The project's full name is The Smart Agriculture Data Hub, and it will provide tech companies with a digital toolkit to help them reach more farmers.

Heather Clair, the marketing manager for Smart Ag, says the program is all about partnering with all the right companies to deliver what Saskatchewan farmers need.

Alberta is seeking a new chief medical officer of health as the government says Dr. Mark Joffe's contract has expired.

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange's office said in an email Tuesday that Joffe's contract expired a day prior. It said an interim replacement is to be announced shortly and a search for a permanent replacement has begun.

Joffe was serving in the role on an interim basis after Premier Danielle Smith's government followed through on its 2022 commitment to fire Dr. Deena Hinshaw, who held the position throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.