The Canadian Press

Alberta's government has named its own provincial police force and announced its first chief.

Premier Danielle Smith says former deputy Calgary police chief Sat Parhar has been tapped to lead the new force, which the province will call the Alberta Sheriffs Police Service. 

Parhar retired in 2019 after more than two decades with the Calgary Police Service in a variety of roles. 

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is set to announce today next steps in her plan to challenge what she and her government have called unfair intrusions from the federal government.

Smith will be in Calgary to announce details of the Alberta Next Panel. 

She will be joined by Adam Legge of the Business Council of Alberta at a news conference in Heritage Park.

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi has held Edmonton-Strathcona for the New Democrats in one of three provincial byelections.

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Unofficial results from Elections Alberta put him well ahead of the nearest competitor, United Conservative Party candidate Darby Crouch.

Parks Canada says the site remains closed where a rockfall killed two hikers and injured three more last week in Banff National Park.

Spokeswoman Amy Krause says safety is the agency's top priority and it is considering all options before reopening Bow Glacier Falls.

A slab of mountain broke loose last Thursday afternoon and rained rock down on a popular hiking trail near the falls, about 200 kilometres northwest of Calgary.

One of the two deceased has been identified as 70-year-old Jutta Hinrichs, a retired university professor from Calgary.

Defence lawyers representing five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team have begun their final submissions to the judge overseeing the players' sexual assault trial.

Prosecutors will follow later this week with their submissions to Ontario Superior Court Justice Maria Carroccia, who will then set a date to deliver her ruling.

Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Alex Formenton, Carter Hart and Callan Foote have pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.

McLeod has also pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of being a party to the offence of sexual assault.

Alberta is buying American alcohol and gambling machines again, three months after Premier Danielle Smith announced restrictions aimed at fighting back against U.S. tariffs.

Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally said Friday that the move signals a "renewed commitment to open and fair trade" with the United States.

Smith said in March that the province would no longer buy U.S. alcohol and video lottery terminals, or sign contracts with American companies. Alberta's liquor stores are privately owned but must order stock through the provincial government.

More than 300 people in Alberta have fallen ill from measles since March and a group of doctors are warning the virus could grow exponentially in the coming weeks.

The Alberta government is reporting 16 new measles cases to bring the province's total count to 313.

The rising number has prompted the association representing Alberta doctors to warn of an outbreak that could quickly reach the thousands.

A former Alberta premier has a new job in the provincial courts.

The provincial government says David Hancock has been named assistant chief justice of the Alberta Court of Justice in the Edmonton Family and Youth Division.

Hancock, a long-time legislature member, served as interim premier and Progressive Conservative Party leader after the 2014 resignation of Alison Redford, later calling it the "best summer job that I've ever had."

Hancock retired from politics after Jim Prentice was named as leader and was appointed in 2017 as a provincial court judge.

The sexual assault trial of five former members of Canada's world junior hockey team grappled with technological issues Tuesday as prosecutors sought to show security footage from a bar where the complainant and some of the players were the night of the alleged incident.

Michael McLeod, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube and Callan Foote have all pleaded not guilty to sexual assault in connection with an encounter at a hotel room in London, Ont., in 2018.

McLeod has also pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of being a party to the offence of sexual assault.

Alberta is reporting 16 more cases of measles, bringing the provincial total to 74 since the beginning of March.

The government says the new cases were reported in Alberta's central and southern zones.

Nearly all cases are in school-aged children, with 18 cases being reported in children under the age of five.

The province says 64 of the total cases have passed the point where the highly contagious disease could be transmitted to others.