Alberta

By Rosa Saba Star Calgary Mon., April 29, 2019 CALGARY—Premier-designate Jason Kenney thanked an Alberta energy expert Monday for quitting the Alberta Energy Regulator board “a day before we could fire him.” Ed Whittingham resigned from the regulator on Sunday citing “smear” tactics by Kenney and his United Conservative Party as well as fundamental disagreements over the incoming government’s energy policies. The AER is a government corporation that is tasked with overseeing the development and management of the province’s energy resources, while also protecting water and the environment. Whittingham, who led the Pembina Institute environmental think tank from 2011 to 2017 and pushed for a cap on oilsands emissions, was named to the board in February. From Day 1, Whittingham says he was “subjected to a smear campaign without precedent in Alberta for a public appointment held by a private citizen,” according … [Read more...] about Jason Kenney thanks Alberta energy adviser for resigning ‘a day before we could fire him’

By The Canadian Press Mon., April 29, 2019 LETHBRIDGE, ALTA.—A man who police say has a history of property offences is facing theft and other charges after a series of break-ins in Lethbridge, Alta., including one at the city’s courthouse. The break-ins happened between March and April and also targeted a high school, a dental centre, a credit union and a metal fabrication business. Police say in most cases, entry was gained by forcing open doors. Investigators have said that a number of rooms were rummaged during the courthouse break-in earlier this month before money was taken from a cash box in a library. A suspect who is known to police in Prince George, B.C., was arrested by the RCMP in Jasper, Alta. Article Continued Below Rodney Bruce Prince, who is 57 and of no fixed address, was to appear Monday in a Lethbridge courtroom. Police said the stolen property included wallets that contained debit and credit cards, which were used to obtain cash … [Read more...] about Accused in Alberta courthouse break-in returns to scene of alleged crime

By Bill Graveland The Canadian Press Sun., April 28, 2019 TABER, ALTA.—It was a snowy, spring day on April 28, 1999, when an angry teenager walked through the doors of W.R. Myers High School. Wearing a blue trench coat, the 14-year-old pulled out a sawed off .22-calibre rifle and fired four shots in the hallway of the public school in Taber, a small agricultural community in the heart of Alberta’s southern Bible Belt. One bullet struck Jason Lang, a 17-year-old Grade 11 student. His friend Shane Christmas, also 17, was blasted in the stomach. Lang died. Christmas survived. Article Continued Below “It still affects me 20 years later,” says Christmas. “It affects every aspect of my adult life.” Christmas, who now lives in nearby Lethbridge, says in a brief online message that he has since forgiven the gunman, who was arrested by an unarmed school resource officer that day. Court later heard the teen was the victim of bullying. … [Read more...] about ‘Total blackness,’ Remembering Alberta school shooting 20 years later

By Brennan Doherty Star Calgary Sun., April 28, 2019 CALGARY—Much of southern Alberta was left shovelling out of the remnants of a spring storm Sunday morning, after winter came back for an encore the night before. Around 13 centimetres of snow fell on Calgary over the course of Saturday, according to Environment Canada. Blowing snow, high winds, and zero visibility conditions made driving exceedingly difficult on Saturday. The RCMP told drivers to stay off southern Alberta highways. Exact conditions weren’t clear on Sunday morning, according to Cpl. Ronald Bumbry, but RCMP detachments were still hard at work. “It was pretty bad last night,” he said. Over the course of the evening, a bus crashed into a ditch and rolled over on Highway 1 east of Highway 22, injuring several occupants, while four semi-tractors and 11 other vehicles also collided on Highway 1 near Jumping Pound. Thirty semi-tractors also found themselves stranded in the … [Read more...] about Southern Alberta digging out after spring storm leaves snow and traffic troubles