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Weekly Edmonton May 11 - May 17, 2026

Baskets, Billboards & Burnouts — Your Edmonton Week in Review!

49 articles 1 week ago 24

Did you know Canada is a force to reckon with in 3x3 basketball? The 3x3 Women's Series basketball team has captured the title with Ottawa’s Russell shining as MVP. This victory not only brings pride to our athletes but shines a spotlight on youth sports and their potential to inspire future generations.

Forever Canadian Avenue? Yep, you heard that right! Edmonton councillor Michael Janz wants to rename part of 99th Avenue to promote national unity amid separatist sentiments. This is a clever twist on local identity that could attract tourists while reinforcing our attachments to this beautiful country.

Another life lost waiting for care — how many will it take? The Alberta Medical Association reported a man died in the waiting room of a major hospital. This tragic news strikes a chord for many in the community and raises serious questions about our healthcare system's capacity, igniting calls for urgent reforms.

Kidnapping in Edmonton — what is going on? Alberta police revealed a dramatic kidnapping and extortion case linked with five men charged in a scheme targeting the South Asian community. Such incidents remind us how vital it is to enhance community ties and safety.

Teen rallying support after a violent assault — the power of community! Fourteen-year-old Rylin Brinston, who was assaulted, received a wave of support in Red Deer, showcasing the fierce loyalty locals share. This shows that community spirit can break through the darkest of moments.

Cultural revival after a blaze! The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village is reopening just in time for the long weekend, after being closed due to a devastating fire. This site not only celebrates cultural heritage but offers families a chance to reconnect and learn about Alberta’s rich history.

Wildfire threats loom large — stay safe out there! As evacuation orders around Whitecourt lift, many breathe a sigh of relief. However, it serves as a reminder of the natural dangers we face and the importance of preparedness in facing the elements.

The path to separation faces new roadblocks. A recent court ruling has left Alberta's separatists scrambling for direction, with many realizing that unity may be more essential now than ever before in our tumultuous political landscape.

Pipeline plans on the horizon — is Alberta ready? A new agreement could lead to pipeline construction by 2027, involving consultations with British Columbia. This could have significant economic implications for Alberta and its place in the national energy landscape.

Caught on camera — schoolyard violence sparks outrage. The distressing footage of a teen assault in Red Deer has ignited conversations about youth safety and bullying prevention. We must come together to protect our vulnerable populations.

Carbon pricing agreement reached — can both sides win? Alberta and Ottawa's commitment to a carbon pricing deal marks a significant step in energy policy, hopefully bridging some divides in pursuit of environmental goals while maintaining economic growth.

A cry for women’s rehabilitation in prisons. Experts are calling for better support systems as Canada struggles with a lack of women’s prisons. It raises critical discussions on rehabilitation and the standards we set for our justice system.

Pipeline disputes heighten as B.C. lashes out. B.C.'s Premier criticized the federal government's new pipeline agreement with Alberta. This feud poses questions about regional autonomy versus national interest, which will surely resonate in our multicultural mosaic.

Windy weather wreaks havoc on sports facilities in Red Deer. An indoor sports complex had to close after severe winds caused structural damage — a stark reminder of nature's unpredictability in our everyday lives.

Big changes to auto insurance coming — drivers, brace yourselves! Alberta is introducing an adjustable rate cap and a “care-first” model for auto insurance. It promises relief for drivers while ensuring that safety remains paramount in our insurance policies.

Source Articles (49)

Alberta separation petition signature sheets remain locked up after court ruling

Alberta’s chief electoral officer says he accepts a court’s ruling overturning his decision to authorize a separatist group to gather signatures for a proposed independence referendum.

General May 15, 2026

Why the U.S. is noticing this Canadian security bill

A Liberal government bill that proposes giving police and spies easier access to information during investigations has fallen into the crosshairs of U.S. tech giants and two American congressional committees, threatening to become the latest irritant in the Canada-U.S. relationship.

General May 15, 2026

Military reprimanded soldiers who raised concerns about monitoring Canadians online during COVID-19

The military reprimanded soldiers after they raised concerns about an order to monitor Canadians' online activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, CBC News has learned.

General May 15, 2026

Iran quagmire: why can’t the U.S. end the war?

With a ceasefire on “life support” and no clear end to the war in sight, the U.S. seems stuck in a quagmire in Iran. What will it take to get out of it?

General May 15, 2026

For Danielle Smith and Alberta separatists, no clear path left for referendum after court loss

Pressure is mounting for premier to commit to the vote her UCP base wants, but First Nations have blocked.

General May 15, 2026

Red Deer indoor sports facility closed and evacuated after strong winds damage structure

Whipping winds in central Alberta damaged an indoor sports complex in Red Deer Thursday afternoon, forcing the facility to be evacuated.

General May 15, 2026

Evacuation orders begin to lift near Whitecourt, Alta., as wildfire risk subsides

Some residents forced from their homes this week due to a fast-moving wildfire northwest of Edmonton will be allowed to return home Thursday.

General May 15, 2026

Some Clearwater County residents told to prepare for possible evacuation as wildfire burns in central Alberta

A wildfire alert was issued for parts of Clearwater County and Mountain View County on Thursday.

General May 15, 2026

Red Deer school officials seek to 'dispel rumours' after student assault, bomb threat

Public school officials in Red Deer are reassuring parents that students are safe after an unfounded bomb threat was called into a local school and a violent assault of a student was captured on video.

General May 15, 2026

Carney says the 'best place for Alberta is in Canada,' amid fracas over a separation referendum

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday that the best place for Alberta is undoubtedly in Canada, and his government is working to patch up relations with the province after years of bad blood over stalled energy development.

General May 15, 2026

Edmonton man sentenced to 9 years in prison for fatal 2024 assault

A man convicted of manslaughter in a violent beating in 2024 was sentenced to nine years in prison. White Nganika, 26, was sentenced Tuesday in Edmonton Court of King’s Bench.

General May 15, 2026

Alberta removes creeping bellflower from list of prohibited noxious weeds

Albertans no longer have to keep creeping bellflower — known for its bright purple flowers and stubborn root system — under control, after the province removed the invasive species from its list of regulated weeds in January.

General May 15, 2026
Red Deer teens face assault charges after attack caught on camera

Red Deer teens face assault charges after attack caught on camera

According to RCMP, the attack happened around 2:21 p.m. on Monday at a field in the Lancaster Meadows area along 30th Avenue.

Crime May 14, 2026
Adjustable rate cap part of ‘care-first’ auto insurance model coming to Alberta

Adjustable rate cap part of ‘care-first’ auto insurance model coming to Alberta

Drivers will see changes in how their auto insurance rates increase in 2027, as Alberta rolls out a new, adjustable rate cap alongside its planned 'care-first' system.

Consumer May 14, 2026
Calgary police charge 5 men following ‘elaborate’ extortion scheme

Calgary police charge 5 men following ‘elaborate’ extortion scheme

Calgary police have charged four men and issued warrants for a fifth following an investigation in an 'elaborate' extortion scheme targeting members of the South Asian community.

Crime May 15, 2026
30 cm of snow to 30 C: Long weekend weather varies greatly across Canada

30 cm of snow to 30 C: Long weekend weather varies greatly across Canada

Multiple weather systems are bringing a mixed bag of weather across Canada for the long weekend, with snow and wind in the Prairies and above-seasonal temperatures across Ontario.

Weather May 15, 2026
Owner of Summerside dogs that killed boy tells court training was in the works

Owner of Summerside dogs that killed boy tells court training was in the works

Crystal MacDonald, who is on trial for criminal negligence causing death, said she was working on getting her intact Cane Corsos trained before they killed 11-year-old Kache Grist.

Crime May 15, 2026
Shots fired following early morning crash in Airdrie, RCMP investigating

Shots fired following early morning crash in Airdrie, RCMP investigating

Airdrie RCMP say four people were sent to hospital after shots were fired during an 'altercation' between several vehicles early Friday morning.

Crime May 15, 2026
Ottawa, Alberta agree on carbon pricing deal, pipeline construction timeline

Ottawa, Alberta agree on carbon pricing deal, pipeline construction timeline

In November, Carney and Smith signed a memorandum of understanding that aims to lay the groundwork for a new pipeline from Alberta to the B.C. coast.

Canada May 15, 2026

Court documents show new details on Elections Alberta probe into voter information breach

Documents filed in the Court of King’s Bench shed new light into Elections Alberta’s investigation into how a separatist group exposed the personal information of millions of Alberta voters online.

General May 15, 2026

Carney, Smith reach energy agreement that could see pipeline construction start in 2027

The federal and Alberta governments have advanced a climate and energy agreement that could see construction on an oil pipeline to the West Coast start as early as September 2027.

General May 15, 2026

Police say suspects kidnapped man in Edmonton, drove him to Calgary in 'elaborate' South Asian extortion case

Calgary police have charged four men they say kidnapped a man in what they call an "elaborate scheme" related to the ongoing extortion against members of the city's South Asian community. They are still looking for a fifth man, and believe others may have been involved.

General May 15, 2026

‘Words matter in court’: Court reporters 'devastated' as province pulls stenographer funding

Alberta Justice is eliminating funding for court reporter services — stenographers who record what is said in court — for criminal trials in the Court of King’s Bench this fiscal year.

General May 15, 2026

Owner of dogs that killed boy in Edmonton home testifies at trial

A woman whose dogs attacked and killed a boy who was staying at her south Edmonton home in 2024 testified in court on Friday.

General May 16, 2026

Edmonton mayor defends hybrid work model amid push for return-to-office

A letter signed by a provincial minister, real estate associations and business advocates is calling on Mayor Andrew Knack to return municipal employees to downtown offices

General May 16, 2026

Wildfire in Alberta's west country rages on, campers evacuated from backcountry

A wildfire continues to rage through a vast expanse of Alberta’s foothills Friday and emergency officials are urging backcountry users to keep their distance from the front lines.

General May 16, 2026

Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village reopening east of Edmonton after destructive fire

The Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, just east of Edmonton, will celebrate its reopening on May 16 following a devastating fire last year.

General May 16, 2026

B.C. energy minister says Carney making national pipeline deals without involving other provinces

B.C.'s energy minister says that the federal government is making nationally-significant energy deals without involving the entire country, on the same day that the federal and Alberta governments advanced a climate and energy agreement that could see construction on an oil pipeline to the West Coast start as early as September 2027.

General May 16, 2026

Staycations stay popular as summer camping season starts over May long weekend

After a long, dark Prairie winter, Abby Dowell is determined to be outdoors and touch grass — regardless of whether or not the green blades are coated in hoarfrost.

General May 16, 2026

Construction, flood mitigation lead to fewer riverside events in Fort McMurray

Fort McMurray has lost a few major events this year for a myriad of reasons, all of which mean one thing: the riverfront is going to be quieter in 2026.

General May 16, 2026
Hundreds rally in Red Deer to support teenage girl recovering from violent assault

Hundreds rally in Red Deer to support teenage girl recovering from violent assault

Rylin Brinston is battered and bruised from an assault earlier this week in Red Deer that left her with a concussion, internal bleeding and possible permanent eye damage.

Crime May 15, 2026
Eby says Ottawa is rewarding Alberta’s ‘bad behaviour’ with pipeline agreement

Eby says Ottawa is rewarding Alberta’s ‘bad behaviour’ with pipeline agreement

Eby said that it can't be the case that projects get prioritized in Canada because a premier threatens to leave the country, referring to the separation movement in Alberta. 

Politics May 15, 2026
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village reopens after being damaged by fire in 2025

Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village reopens after being damaged by fire in 2025

More than a year after a grass fire destroyed the visitor's centre at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, the attraction east of Edmonton is re-opening to visitors.

Fire May 15, 2026

Hantavirus has no cure. Here's where researchers are at with treatments and vaccines

Researchers across the world are working on a hantavirus vaccine, though they say development is in the early stages and rollout could be years away.

General May 16, 2026

In spies he trusts? In Cuba, Trump looks again to CIA chief, rather than a diplomat, to deliver a message

U.S. President Donald Trump's maximum pressure campaign on Cuba now includes overtly dispatching a spy chief to Havana to ensure that his demands are clear.

General May 16, 2026

With a possible referendum looming, Carney and Smith find common ground on carbon pricing

Prime Minister Mark Carney said Friday's landmark agreement with Alberta is about "building trust in a Canada that works." Opinions will vary on his particular weighing of pragmatism and ambition, but he will presumably hope that he has something that can hold together.

General May 16, 2026

Manitoba's social media ban could bar teachers using YouTube in the classroom, says Kinew

Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says his province's ban on social media and AI chatbots for kids will likely bar teachers using YouTube in the classroom — a move that comes as the federal government continues to deliberate over whether to enact its own restrictions.

General May 16, 2026

Alberta’s acting chief justice won’t ask judges to chair new electoral boundaries panel

Alberta’s acting chief justice has declined an all-party legislative committee’s request for help finding retired and sitting judges to lead the latest effort to redraw Alberta’s electoral boundaries.

General May 16, 2026

‘Gold in a bag’: Shortage of vital product for newborn calves leaves some Alberta farmers scrambling

Sidney Haeberle, a farmer and farm supply store owner in east-central Alberta, says sourcing enough bovine colostrum has become a recent challenge, despite it never being an issue in the past.

General May 16, 2026

Separatist leader appealing court decision on Stay Free Alberta petition

An Alberta separatist leader is appealing a Court of King’s Bench judge’s decision to overturn the approval of his group’s petition, which seeks a referendum question on Alberta independence.

General May 16, 2026
Another man has died while waiting for care at hospital: Alberta Medical Association

Another man has died while waiting for care at hospital: Alberta Medical Association

The Alberta Medical Association says another patient has died while waiting for treatment at a major hospital, renewing concerns about health-care pressures.

Health May 16, 2026

Canada's lack of women's prisons makes rehabilitation harder, experts say. What's the answer?

Experts say the lack of women's prisons in Canada hurts rehabilitation chances for the women sent to prison across the country every year, posing a challenge for both the inmates and the broader society they'll eventually return to.

General May 17, 2026

Should all political parties get access to the full voters list in Alberta?

Alberta, like other provinces, allows all registered political parties access to the voters list containing the personal information of all electors — no matter how many candidates they run in an election.

General May 17, 2026

Q&A: Why treaty rights and First Nations consultation stand in the way of an Alberta separation referendum

Matthew Wildcat, director of Indigenous governance at the University of Alberta, spoke with CBC’s Edmonton AM on Friday. He explained how Indigenous treaty rights and the duty to consult First Nations could impact a potential Alberta separation referendum.

General May 17, 2026

U.S. Forest Service still prepared to support Canada with wildfire assistance, officials say

Despite budget cuts and extensive restructuring, the U.S. Forest Service says it is still ready to support Canada with any requests for wildfire assistance.

General May 17, 2026

Moving to Canada was an unpleasant shock. Then I experienced my first snowfall

Moving to Canada is a dream for many in Dubai, writes Sidra Mundia, but the challenges of living in Regina came as a rude shock. Her first snowfall brought a reset.

General May 17, 2026

National lab confirms hantavirus case for Canadian cruise passenger isolating in B.C.

Canada's public health agency confirmed a positive case of hantavirus in a Canadian isolating in British Columbia after leaving the cruise ship affected by a deadly outbreak.

General May 17, 2026

Canada captures 3x3 Women's Series basketball title, Ottawa's Russell named MVP

Merissah Russell led the way as Canada defeated Amsterdam in overtime to capture the 3x3 Women's Series title in Shanghai on Sunday.

General May 17, 2026
Edmonton councillor pitches ‘Forever Canadian’ street amid separatist push

Edmonton councillor pitches ‘Forever Canadian’ street amid separatist push

Michael Janz says he will be submitting an application to rename the portion of 99th Avenue that's adjacent to the Alberta legislature to Forever Canadian Avenue.

Canada May 17, 2026