Edmonton Daily Digest — Feb. 17, 2026

North-side shooting shocks neighbours — Edmonton police say officers responded about 1:45 p.m. on Monday to a shooting near 109 Street and 166 Avenue; a man was rushed to hospital and later died, an autopsy is scheduled later this week, and police ask anyone with dashcam or doorbell video from 12:00–2:30 p.m. to call 780-423-4567 or #377.

Family uses a billboard to find a miracle — Calgary’s Alice Pesta (kidney disease since age 11 from IgA nephropathy) needs a living donor after her first transplant (at 29, a kidney named Lucy) lasted 25 years; she’s back on dialysis since 2020, is highly sensitized (about 90%), and the family has set up kidney4alice.life to share her story.

Redblacks bulk up the line — The Ottawa Redblacks signed Canadian Gregor MacKellar (Timberlea, N.S.; 6'4", 331 lb; played all 18 games in 2025; 61 career CFL games; Grey Cups in 2022 and 2024) and American Martez Ivey (6'4", 305 lb; 67 career games; All-CFL West 2024); both were with the Edmonton Elks last season (report published Feb. 17, 2026 by The Canadian Press).

Alberta buys bigger waterbombers — Premier Danielle Smith and Minister Todd Loewen announced a $400-million contract to buy five De Havilland DHC-515 waterbombers (adding to the province’s four older planes); the first should arrive by spring 2031 and De Havilland will build them partly at a new Wheatland County plant that’s expected to be finished by 2030.

Small town heals after school shooting — Paige Hoekstra, 19, shot in the chest in the Feb. 10 Tumbler Ridge school attack, had surgery and her family said on Feb. 16 doctors are confident she can return home soon; 12-year-old Maya Gebala remains critically ill at BC Children’s Hospital, eight people were killed in the shooting (six students plus the shooter’s mother and stepbrother), and temporary classroom units are being sent to the town.

Jay Treaty explained for travellers — The 1794 Jay Treaty is cited by First Nations (like Chippewas of Nawash and Saugeen) saying Indigenous people born in Canada have rights to cross into the U.S.; communities advise carrying a status card plus a passport, long-form birth certificate and, if asked, a blood-quantum letter (50% requirement), while Indigenous Services Canada warns acceptance is up to U.S. officials.

Winter hits the Prairies again — A powerful system brought 10–20 cm of snow to much of Alberta (Calgary high about -15°C, Edmonton -17°C before falling to near -23°C overnight), gusts up to 80 km/h and wind chill near -30°C; Saskatchewan could see up to 35 cm, Winnipeg up to 25 cm, drivers warned to avoid non-essential travel, and Calgary International reported 27 cancelled flights by late morning.

Provinces brace for tricky 2026 budgets — A Desjardins analysis by deputy chief economist Randall Bartlett says many provinces are in better fiscal shape than feared thanks to Statistics Canada’s upward GDP revisions for 2022–23 and some resilience to U.S. trade pressures, but risks remain (CUSMA review, targeted tariffs and world oil shifts); B.C. began budget week on Feb. 17 and Alberta follows next week.