Calgary Daily Digest — Feb 26, 2026

Elevator outage leaves senior homebound: Vikki and David MacKinnon say the elevator in their McKenzie Town condo has been out of service since December and, though repairs took five weeks, it still needs a final inspection by AEDARSA — which the association says will happen on Tuesday. Vikki, who had knee replacement surgery two weeks ago, says she’s homebound and would have to pay $200 each way for medical transport, making everyday tasks like grocery shopping much harder.

Critics slam Alberta’s 2026 budget as a new equalization: The UCP budget tabled by Finance Minister Nate Horner predicts a $9.4-billion deficit and adds about $360 million in new fees this year, drawing fire from the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s Kris Simms and NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi. Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas warned education property tax hikes will cost the typical Calgary homeowner an extra $340 (Edmonton $154) and said it feels like Alberta is funding other jurisdictions.

WWE Hall of Fame ring stolen in Lloydminster break-in: Harry Smith (Davey Boy Smith Jr.) says a priceless WWE Hall of Fame ring belonging to his late father was taken from the CWE tour trailer in Lloydminster; RCMP recovered a bag in an alley but the ring remains missing. Wrestler Natalya offered a US$5,000 reward and fans are asked to contact Lloydminster RCMP with tips.

Lethbridge researchers find possible cancer weak spot: University of Lethbridge’s Trushar Patel and Higor Pereira mapped the 3D structure of RMRP RNA and found it helps power cancer cell mitochondria, a discovery published in PNAS that could open new treatment paths. RMRP is elevated in breast, lung, prostate and colorectal cancers and targeting it might weaken cancer cells’ energy supply — though it’s early foundational research.

Pembina green-lights two pipeline projects and reports lower Q4 earnings: Calgary-based Pembina posted Q4 2025 earnings of $489 million (78¢/share) versus $572 million a year earlier, and cut revenue to $1.91 billion from $2.15 billion. The company approved $425 million in expansions — a $310M, 95-km line to move 120,000 barrels/day of NGLs between Birch and Taylor, B.C., and a $115M phase linking Taylor to Gordondale, Alta. — both due in service next year.

Alberta budget shows big spending increases but a $9.4B hole: Premier Danielle Smith’s budget forecasts $74.6 billion revenue against $83.9 billion in spending, creating a $9.4-billion deficit; health rises to $34.4B (+~6%) and education to $10.8B (+7%). The plan boosts the Heritage Fund long-term, raises fees (tourism levy to 6% in April), introduces a 6% rental-car tax in 2027, and projects taxpayer-supported debt climbing to about $109B.

What the budget’s fees mean for your wallet: The government expects to raise $360 million this year from higher premiums, fees and licences (growing to another $424M over two years), with a typical Calgary homeowner paying about $340 more for the education portion of property tax (Edmonton $154). Other hits include a new 6% vehicle rental tax (Jan 1, 2027), tourism levy to 6% on April 1, higher traffic fines (30–50%), and a long list of increased registry, land-title and licensing fees.

Police turn to AI amid staffing shortages — with caveats: Calgary Police introduced Microsoft Copilot in 2024 (about 800 users) and services like Tsuut’ina are using Axon Notes and Draft One to speed report-writing, but experts warn human oversight is vital to prevent AI “hallucinations.” Edmonton is trialing Axon facial-recognition on body cameras with up to 50 officers, and privacy watchdogs urge clearer rules as Alberta updates laws (FOIP replaced by ATIA and POPA).

Mesidor sells himself as a complete NFL prospect: Ottawa’s Akheem Mesidor told scouts at the NFL combine he brings pass-rush, run-setting and character — after a 2025 season with 60 tackles and 10.5 sacks and an All-ACC nod. Projected as a first-round pick (Daniel Jeremiah ranked him 18th), Mesidor will be 24 now and 25 by the season; he points to older age as maturity that helps teams immediately.

Big storm warnings for southern Alberta: Environment Canada warns up to 30 cm of snow in parts of southern Alberta (Calgary ~7 cm) with strong winds — Icefields Parkway could see over 30 cm and gusts to 50 km/h, while Lethbridge faces gusts up to 130 km/h and Edmonton gusts around 80 km/h. Drivers are advised to secure loose items and expect rapidly changing road conditions; temperatures will plunge to about -8 C Friday before moderating.

Iconic Ranchman’s Cookhouse & Dancehall to relocate in 2027: The 54-year-old venue at 9615 Macleod Trail S. will move because the property is being redeveloped, with owners saying they’ve leased a larger nearby site and will operate at the current location through 2026. This year’s Calgary Stampede will be the last in the long-time building that launched stars like Shania Twain and Keith Urban.

Return-to-work mandates spark renewed office demand: A Royal LePage report says 2026 brings revived interest in office space as big employers (RBC, Rogers, Starbucks) recalled staff in 2025–26 and the federal government will require four days in the office starting this summer. Markets vary — GTA is picking up, downtown Vancouver and Calgary lag — and companies focus on collaboration-friendly, amenity-rich spaces rather than raw square footage.

New chinstrap aims to cut facemask impact in football: Guardian Sports launched the Guardian Flex chinstrap, which the company says can lower HARM scores by up to 35% and targets facemask impacts that make up roughly half of hits; it retails for $69 and is compatible with major helmets. The CFL has reviewed the device (Guardian Caps already cut training-camp concussions by about 42%) and teams may choose to adopt it this season.

Man with 25 outstanding warrants arrested after balcony escape attempt: Calgary police say 30-year-old Brandon Lane Tallman was caught after trying to flee by climbing down building balconies; investigators say he had 25 outstanding charges dating back to 2023 and now faces more than 30 offences. Officers seized a folding combat knife in his vehicle and charged him with resisting arrest plus multiple failures to comply with release orders.