Detainees Dropped in Streets, $38.5M Beaumont Campus & 673K Mail Ballots — Edmonton Friday

🏛️ Government & Politics

1. Alberta minister calls recent downtown detainee drop-offs ‘human error.’ Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis told reporters at the Alberta Municipalities convention in Edmonton that two surveillance videos showing corrections transport vans dropping detainees in an inner-city neighbourhood were the result of “human error,” and Mayor Andrew Knack pressed for details after the incidents were published by CBC and Global News this month.
2. Alberta NDP asks court to strike new restricted voter-list rules. The NDP filed a court application in Edmonton Thursday arguing the government’s regulation limiting Elections Alberta to providing only voter counts by area is beyond cabinet authority and undermines the voter-list purpose set out in law; Justice Minister Mickey Amery’s office says the rule is temporary and will expire at year-end.
3. 673,000 Albertans have applied for mail-in referendum ballots as deadline hits. Elections Alberta reported 673,000 mail-in ballot requests as of Thursday, with applications accepted until midnight Friday and ballots due Oct. 16 at 5 p.m. for the Oct. 19 referendum on 10 questions including whether to stay in Canada.
4. Edmonton Police Service seeks $8,400 payment from homeless man before lawsuit proceeds. The EPS asked a court to order a homeless man to pay $8,400 as a condition for moving forward with the city police service’s civil claim, according to the court filing reported by local outlets.

🎨 Community & Culture

1. City of Edmonton expands accepted recycling to include styrofoam and coffee cups. The City announced changes to curbside recycling that will allow additional items such as polystyrene foam and paper coffee cups to be accepted, with program details released by municipal services this week.
2. Elks’ strong 6-1 home record fuels first playoff berth since 2019. The Edmonton Elks sit 6-1 at Commonwealth Stadium this season, a run the team says has driven its return to the CFL playoffs after missing them since 2019; head coach and quarterback comments came ahead of Saturday’s home game versus Hamilton.

🚨 Crime & Public Safety

1. ALERT arrests man accused of tracking two youths via Snapchat location. Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams’ internet child exploitation unit says the suspect allegedly tracked two victims using Snapchat location features, coerced explicit videos, and officers made an arrest after the victims reported threats and the offender travelled to their family home.
2. Airdrie man charged with six counts of sexual assault after women groped in stores. RCMP charged a 30-year-old Airdrie man after six alleged incidents beginning Aug. 12 at a Walmart and including assaults at a No Frills on Sept. 17; the suspect was arrested at his home and is due in court next week.

💼 Economy & Business

1. Province pledges $38.5 million to build infrastructure for Beaumont innovation park and safety campus. Alberta announced $38.5 million to the City of Beaumont to support roads, utilities and servicing for a planned 160-acre Beaumont Innovation Park south of Edmonton, including an AMTA Safety Campus with an emergency vehicle operator track and commercial vehicle training facilities.
2. Alberta municipalities ask for provincial surplus share to fund infrastructure. Municipal leaders are pressing the province to allocate a portion of its surplus to help pay for local infrastructure projects, according to submissions from municipal associations reported this week.

📰 Also Today

• ALERT says man charged with child luring used Snapchat location tool to track youth.
• WCB data indicates rising violence against Alberta health-care workers.
• Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk is heading to the ISS next week.
• Poll: Danielle Smith’s popularity dips; UCP now tied with NDP in support.
• New poll shows Alberta separatism support slipping with time running out.
• Alberta education minister unveils plan to strengthen school safety measures.
• TSB calls for new process to ID deteriorating railcar wheels after 2023 derailment.
• Alberta separation group releases report claiming affordable transition to independence.
• Advance voting for the Oct. 19 referendum begins Oct. 13; mail ballots due Oct. 16.
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