Edmonton Daily Digest — Feb. 23, 2026

A painful reminder: Dale Lang, father of Jason Lang who was killed in the 1999 Taber school shooting, says the Tumbler Ridge tragedy leaves families with a “very helpless feeling.” He recalls April 1999 (Jason was 17), the lasting grief over 27 years, and how Jason’s legacy — including a scholarship — helped community healing and conversations about bullying and forgiveness.

A legacy celebrated: Rosalind “Ros” Smith, Edmonton Public Schools’ first Black female principal in 1996, is being honoured this Black History Month after a 40-plus-year career in education; she died Jan. 6. Colleagues and students remember her 15 years as a principal (including at M.E. LaZerte) and her work creating Black Student and Teacher associations; a celebration of life is planned for spring.

Scary weekend in Calgary: Two shootings linked to an extortion series hit homes on Feb. 22 (Saddleridge Dr. N.E.) and Feb. 23 (Savanna Park N.E.), with no injuries reported. Police and ALERT say the incidents tie to a wave of extortions targeting the South Asian community — investigators have identified 28 extortion cases, including 13 shootings since 2025 — and they’re asking anyone with information to call 403-266-1234 or Crime Stoppers.

A routine check that mattered: Edmonton’s Keri Pratt learned she had a bicuspid aortic valve after a yearly physical and had a Ross procedure at age 39 — she credits that checkup with saving her life. On Feb. 22 Heart Valve Voice Canada ran Canada’s largest stethoscope-check at West Edmonton Mall (the fourth year), and cardiologists urge regular heart-listening because valve disease affects more than a million Canadians.

Distillery pulled off shelves: Bridgeland Distillery in Calgary was told by the CFIA to remove some popular corn-based spirits (like “Berbon”) after a complaint filed June 27, 2025, and follow-up inspections in July and a Feb. 4 notice. Owners say the product name (B-E-R-B-O-N) isn’t trying to mislead; the CFIA says it’s reviewing findings — about 50% of the distillery’s sales come from the contested spirits and no health risk has been identified.

Measles alert causes confusion: Alberta issued a standing measles advisory for Parkland County on Feb. 19 after 17 positive tests, but local officials say they weren’t directly notified. Alberta reports 77 lab-confirmed measles cases so far in 2026; health officials urge people (especially those born in/after 1970 with fewer than two doses) to check immunization status — measles is highly contagious (R number 12–18).

Arrest in Alberta: Jacob VanRoostelaar, the older brother of the Tumbler Ridge shooter, was arrested in Sylvan Lake on a Canada-wide attempted-murder warrant and was found with brass knuckles. RCMP say he now faces two weapons charges and five breach charges; he previously faced attempted murder and breaking-and-entering charges in Fort McMurray in 2024 — the shooter, Jesse VanRootselaar, killed eight people on Feb. 10.

Big boost for doctors — and a tight budget: Premier Danielle Smith announced physician spending will rise by about 22% to $7.7 billion next fiscal year (a $1.4B increase), including $450 million for recruitment, while warning of a multibillion-dollar deficit. The province says it has a record 13,000 registered physicians, but opposition critics question whether the increase will cut wait times or fix frontline shortages.

Recall push stalls: Two more recall petitions failed — Rajan Sawhney’s petition gathered roughly 3,400 signatures versus nearly 15,000 required, and Myles McDougall’s campaign collected about 25% of the needed total. More than 20 petitions were launched late last year against UCP members, but so far none have succeeded as 10 petitions reached their submission deadline on Monday.

OpenAI called to Ottawa: AI Minister Evan Solomon summoned OpenAI reps to explain safety protocols after reports the Tumbler Ridge shooter had troubling interactions with ChatGPT; the account was suspended in June 2025 but wasn’t flagged to police as an immediate threat. OpenAI says it contacted the RCMP after the Feb. 10 killings and will cooperate; Solomon wants clarity on when and how companies escalate threats to law enforcement.

Big U.S. court case for climate lawsuits: The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear ExxonMobil and Suncor’s appeal to toss a 2018 Boulder, Colorado climate suit that seeks damages for costs tied to climate change. The companies argue the case interferes with federal rules like the Clean Air Act; the appeal follows a May 2025 Colorado court decision and could affect nearly 60 similar suits nationwide.

Experts: immigration plan could backfire: Critics say Premier Smith’s proposed immigration measures (fees for some services, one-year ineligibility for some non-permanent residents) risk hurting Alberta’s labour supply. Experts point to past migration figures — 220,000 net new residents in 2023–24 (about 100,000 non-permanent) versus much lower numbers since — and warn the real budget problem is falling oil prices, not newcomers.