Hot Topics & New Developments — Your Edmonton Week in 2 Minutes

Reforms should target disinformation that undermines voters' trust, says elections chief

The head of Elections Canada says the Liberals' proposed electoral reform law doesn't adequately address concerns about bad actors attempting to sow doubt about the country's electoral system.

After his personal info may have been exposed by Alberta separatists, Kenney says he thinks it was no accident

Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney says he is taking security precautions and mulling civil action.

Fewer Albertans dying due to COVID-19, statistics show. But experts warn the risk isn’t gone

Alberta’s COVID-19 death toll continues to decline. While the trend is positive news, experts warn most of these deaths are still preventable and the threat is far from over.

Environmental law changes 'possible' to expedite resource projects: government House leader

The government House leader confirmed on Thursday plans to change regulations and legislation in order to speed up the approvals of major resource projects.

This woman’s identity was stolen in a CRA hack. Why hasn’t the impostor been charged in her case?

A B.C. nurse whose identity was stolen after her Canada Revenue Agency account was hacked says the CRA seems uninterested in pursuing the impostor who stole the public’s money after receiving a bogus refund in her name.

Referendum bid by Alberta separatists stuck in legal limbo, even if petition has enough names

A legal case brought by First Nations over treaty rights prompted a temporary injunction in April. What happens next?

Edmonton piano teacher found guilty of sexual interference against 9-year-old student

An Edmonton piano teacher cried in court Thursday, as a judge found him guilty of one count of sexual interference against one of his students, who was nine years old at the time of the last incident.

Appeal court increases sentence for Alberta man who cut off woman's finger, forced her to eat it

An appeal court in Alberta has nearly doubled the sentence for a man who cut off a woman's finger and then forced her to eat her own severed digit, saying in a ruling that the original judge downplayed the victim's suffering and terror.

University of Alberta among Canadian universities targeted in cyberattack

The University of Alberta is among more than 9,000 educational institutions implicated in a cybersecurity breach that caused chaos on campuses across Canada and beyond.

Canada's economy dropped 18,000 jobs in April as unemployment rose to 6-month high

April's loss means Canada has shed jobs in three of the fourth months so far this year, making for 112,000 jobs lost since January. The Statistics Canada data released on Friday indicates a continued weakness in the labour market, which has struggled in the ​face of U.S tariffs and trade uncertainty.

RCMP pilot sees officers once again live in remote part of northeastern Alberta that they serve

For the first time in nearly two decades, RCMP officers who serve in a remote part of northeastern Alberta will once again be living next to the residents of the region they serve. As part of a six-month pilot project launched last month, Mounties are now living in Conklin, a hamlet located more than 150 kilometres south of Fort McMurray.

Canada captain Alphonso Davies sustains hamstring injury weeks before World Cup

Canada men's soccer captain Alphonso Davies sustained a left hamstring injury in Bayern Munich's Champions League semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain, putting his availability for the upcoming World Cup in doubt.

Ontario MPP Lee Fairclough enters Liberal leadership race

Ontario Liberal legislator Lee Fairclough has announced her bid for the party's leadership. The rookie member of provincial parliament pried away one of three seats from the Progressive Conservatives in Etobicoke, where Premier Doug Ford lives, in the 2025 snap election.

Danielle Smith says she hopes MOU can be finalized in 'next number of days'

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday she hopes the memorandum of understanding between her province and the federal government can be completed soon because Albertans need to see that "Canada can work."

After more than a year of litigation, former AHS CEO’s wrongful dismissal lawsuit has much to sort out

Civil cases, especially complex ones, can take years to weave through the legal system. But 14 months after Athana Mentzelopoulos launched her wrongful dismissal suit, many Albertans may wonder about the status of the high-profile case.

Man called N-word during assault outside St. Albert mosque, friend says

St. Albert RCMP are investigating after a 56-year-old Black Muslim man was assaulted while driving home from the Muslim Association of St. Albert in early May.

McDavid up for 4th Hart Trophy, MacKinnon and Kucherov also named finalists

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Colorado Avalanche centre Nathan MacKinnon and Tampa Bay winger Nikita Kucherov are the finalists for this season's Hart Memorial Trophy, the NHL announced Friday.

Calgary on pace to set new record for number of deaths on city roads

Calgary is on pace to set a new record for the number of people killed on the city's roads in 2026, and reducing the disturbing trend will take time, one researcher says.

As condo prices fall, potential buyers should factor in rising fees, experts say

Condo prices have steadily fallen over the past year, leaving first-time buyers in a good position. But condo fees are rising and special assessments are becoming more common.

Several Canadian universities face security breach, student data leaked

The U of T, UBC and U of A are amongst the major Canadian post-secondary institutions dealing with fallout from a cybersecurity incident involving a popular platform called Canvas.

Pipeline company Enbridge unfazed by rival oil shipping projects

Oil and gas pipeline company Enbridge says its unfazed by rival expansions likely to jockey for oilsands producers' business, adding stepped-up competition is a good sign.

Ottawa proposes suite of measures to streamline project approvals, complete review process within 1 year

The federal government is proposing legislative changes to streamline the review process for major projects, including energy projects such as pipelines. The changes are aimed at completing these reviews within a year.

Celebrini headlines Canada’s roster for worlds

Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks headlines Canada's roster for the world hockey championships in Switzerland.

Risk of hantavirus pandemic 'very low,' Canada's top health official says

Edmonton police promise to crack down on disorder and crime in city hotspots

Police Chief Warren Driechel said in a Friday news conference that open drug use and public disorder have become normalized — and now officers will be taking a less lenient approach.

Edmonton man sentenced to life without parole for 13 years for 2023 murder

Harrison Belanger, a 26-year-old man who was convicted of fatally shooting Shane Bakewell, 32, near an Edmonton homeless shelter in 2023, was sentenced Friday to life in prison with no chance of parole for 13 years.

Feds greenlight $673M to keep Canada Post afloat this year

The federal government is handing hundreds of millions of dollars to Canada Post to keep the money-bleeding mail service afloat for the current fiscal year.

DVP closed, part of Line 2 shut down: What you need to know about getting around Toronto this weekend

Pack your patience and plan your routes this weekend as it may be more challenging than usual to get around Toronto given major road and TTC closures.

Calgary-based South Bow says demand strong for oil shipments to U.S. Gulf Coast

Calgary-based pipeline company South Bow says the recent turmoil in the middle east has customers clamouring for more oil from its pipeline network.

Calgary police report an increase in violent crime committed by youth

The latest stats from Calgary police show a disturbing trend involving youth crime in the city — it has shifted away from property crime and towards more violent crimes.

Feds want pipeline projects reviewed by energy regulator instead of impact agency

The proposal would undo the move the Liberals made eight years ago to create the Impact Assessment Agency as a one-stop shop for all national project reviews.

Danielle Smith says working out differences with feds key to quelling Alberta separatism

Premier Danielle Smith said Friday that she and Prime Minister Mark Carney are committed to working through the issues between Alberta and Ottawa as separatist sentiment rises in her province.

Attack after Friday prayers at St. Albert mosque leads to aggravated assault charge

The victim and his wife were leaving Friday prayers at the Muslim Association of St. Albert when another man allegedly drove up, blocked their vehicle and began shouting.

Lethbridge police charge man with sexual assault, say there may be more victims

Lethbridge police have charged a man from Fort Macleod with sexually assaulting two women and say they believe there may be more victims.

Several grassfires burn in Edmonton as city steps up prevention measures

Several grassfires broke out in Edmonton on the same dry, warm, windy day the city conducted a prescribed burn in Jan Reimer Park.

CSIS director says Alberta referendum vulnerable to foreign interference

The head of Canada's intelligence agency says Alberta's potential secession vote is susceptible to disinformation and foreign interference from players like Russia.

A cyberattack hit universities worldwide, including top Canadian schools. Here's what we know

Thousands of schools around the globe, including in Canada, have been hit by a massive cybersecurity incident involving Canvas, an online learning-management system that connects millions of students with their instructors.

A Toronto man could become the 1st Canadian cured of HIV thanks to rare bone marrow treatment

A man known as the "Toronto patient" could become the first Canadian cured of HIV. Medical experts say it's a miraculous achievement even if only a small group of people are eligible for the treatment.

From protest coverage to emergency updates: Behind the mic at the Dene Tha’ Community School

Teenagers are running a radio station in the First Nations community of Chateh, 850 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. They hope to keep the residents informed in the event of flooding and wildfire that could threaten the northern Alberta reserve.

This Alberta hamlet bought a post office, hoping to keep it open

Residents of Rolling Hills, Alta., have purchased the trailer that houses their Canada Post outlet in hopes of keeping it viable as the Crown corporation looks to cuts with a nationwide review of facilities and service levels. Community groups raised $30,000 to buy the structure from the retired postmaster.

Questions raised around who can access Alberta’s out-of-country health care funding

Tamara Polo lived a full and busy life, but that all came to halt when she was hit as a pedestrian in a parking lot in September of 2023.

All CFL teams slated to open training camp Sunday

Final debate for B.C. Conservative leadership hopefuls

Five candidates running to lead the BC Conservative Party are set to meet today for their final leadership debate after a divisive campaign.

Edmonton Stingers drop CEBL season opener against Winnipeg Sea Bears

Hometown product Mason Kraus made a pair of clutch free throws to reach the target score and give the Winnipeg Sea Bears a 77-75 win over the host Edmonton Stingers in the Canadian Elite Basketball League season opener on Saturday.

It's unclear if Canada will restrict vape flavours, despite federal promise

The federal Liberals have said since 2021 they'll restrict vaping flavours nationwide, but now Canada’s health minister won’t say when or even if it will still happen — despite widespread expert advice a ban could help curb the country's staggering youth vaping rate.

Winnie the Pooh has been beloved for 100 years. But fame wasn't so enchanting for the real Christopher Robin

One hundred years after Winnie the Pooh was published, it continues to enchant. Its origins have a happy beginning in the bond between a Canadian veterinary soldier and the cub he named for his adopted hometown, but the story takes an unhappy turn as the Milnes struggled with the effects of fame.

Fort McMurray's senior population rising, but care gaps concern advocates

More seniors are retiring in Fort McMurray to be closer to children and grandchildren. Advocates say there's plenty to do to keep seniors busy and social, but are finding gaps in housing and medical needs.

As social habits evolve, we sought to learn how people are making friends

"How do I meet new people?" That question — especially for adults — is all over the internet. CBC News spoke to Calgarians about how they're making friends, and an expert on the cost of loneliness and social isolation.

Smith hopes pipeline will lead to more Ottawa ‘accommodations’ for Alberta

The Alberta premier said she hopes an energy agreement that includes a new pipeline to the West Coast is reached soon, and affirmed that the government will not own it.