UCP pro‑Canada pledge, Alberta DEI hiring ban & Gridin’s first multi‑goal — Calgary Tuesday

🏛️ Government & Politics

1. UCP candidates and board hopefuls must sign pro‑Canada pledge, Premier Smith says. Danielle Smith announced the declaration Tuesday and said it will apply to party board candidates for next month’s annual general meeting and to anyone running for the party in the October 2027 election; Smith said about two‑thirds of UCP candidates are still unnamed.
2. Alberta government tables bill to ban DEI in public‑sector hiring. Justice Minister Mickey Amery introduced the bill Tuesday that would prohibit public agencies, Crown corporations, post‑secondary schools, school boards and municipalities from using DEI policies for hiring and would restrict mandatory DEI training, with some exceptions yet to be defined.
3. Another UCP constituency board narrowly votes for a leadership review. The Bonnyville‑Cold Lake‑St. Paul association passed the motion 10‑9 in a secret ballot, Scott Cyr posted Tuesday; the party’s annual general meeting in Calgary is one month away and Smith has moved to rein in separatist elements after last week’s referendum where three‑quarters of voters said Alberta should stay in Canada.

🚨 Crime & Public Safety

1. Serial Calgary rapist from the 1980s convicted of nine offences. A court found the accused guilty of nine offences against multiple mothers and a teen girl from attacks in the 1980s, according to the conviction notice; sentencing details were not provided in the report.
2. Guilty verdicts returned in case where victim was beaten, given fentanyl and body burned. A jury found defendants guilty in the Calgary case in which the victim suffered beatings, was killed with fentanyl and the body was burned, per the verdict report; no names or sentence dates were included.
3. RCMP probe into Alberta health procurement alleges fraud, breach of trust and money laundering. Court documents in a wrongful dismissal suit by former AHS head Athana Mentzelopoulos say Mounties are investigating possible fraud, breach of trust and money laundering related to health‑care contracts; the RCMP confirmed a procurement probe last year.

🏈 Sports

1. Matvei Gridin has first two‑goal game as Flames beat Maple Leafs 5‑2. The 20‑year‑old scored a power‑play goal 25 seconds into the second period to make it 3‑0 in Calgary’s 5‑2 win Monday, marking his first multi‑goal and first three‑point NHL game; Gridin was selected 28th overall in the 2024 NHL draft.
2. Nathan Rourke, Brady Oliveira and Tyson Philpot named CFL top Canadian finalists. Rourke threw for 4,614 yards and 24 touchdowns this season, Oliveira rushed for 1,493 yards, and Philpot led the league with 124 catches for 1,809 yards, the CFL announced Monday.

📰 Also Today

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• Conrad Sparkles elected Calgary's dog mayor.
• Constituents weigh in after Red Deer‑South MLA Jason Stephan steps aside.
• Parks Canada ends search and rescue dog program.
• Five takeaways from Alberta referendum results.
• Navigate360 finds no evidence Crime Stoppers data used for fraud, company said Oct. 23.
• Alberta paying $26M for construction at five independent schools.
• Vulcan County man proposes AI centre to revive local economy.
• Federal Conservatives push to end B.C. North Coast tanker ban.
• Pedestrian who was run over twice succumbs to injuries.
• Arson suspected at home where murder‑trial witness was staying.
• Trial begins for Sundre woman accused of sexually assaulting teenager.
• WestJet signs code‑share partnership with Qatar Airways.
• Red Deer secures nearly $10M federal funding to replace bus fleet.
• Referendum tallies reveal rural‑urban divide on ‘the 9’.
• Online gaming generated roughly $56M for Alberta since July launch.
• Outspoken UCP MLA Shane Getson leaving Alberta’s legislature.