Edmonton Daily Digest — March 9, 2026

Heads up — More than a dozen First Nations chiefs, councillors and elders packed the Alberta legislature on Monday (March 9, 2026) to demand Premier Danielle Smith’s government stop a growing push for Alberta to separate from Canada. They asked MLAs to hold a non‑confidence vote (tabled by NDP leader Naheed Nenshi) that was blocked by the United Conservatives; chiefs like Sturgeon Lake’s Sheldon Sunshine and Confederacy leaders Trevor Mercredi and Joey Pete say treaty rights are being sidelined and some are even taking the issue to the Crown in England. The Calgary Chamber of Commerce also warned this debate is hurting the economy — 51% of Calgarians say separation talk affects business, and 93% of those say the effect is negative.

Quick take — Wild swings in global oil prices (WTI hit nearly US$120 over the weekend before falling below $100) have renewed calls for Alberta to suspend its provincial fuel tax again. Alberta’s relief program kicks in only if WTI averages at least US$80 over a 20‑trading‑day review, and Finance Minister Nate Horner says volatility makes decisions hard; the province’s fuel tax is 13¢/L for regular gas (4¢/L for marked fuel) and officials are cautious because the 2026 budget projected a $9.4‑billion deficit.

Good news for families — The 2026 budget includes $44 million to plan 10 new school projects in Edmonton (eight new and two replacements), creating more than 8,400 student spaces. Edmonton Public Schools gets four projects (three K–9 and one K–6), Edmonton Catholic and Conseil scolaire Centre‑Nord get the rest, and the province says these add to 161 active projects across Alberta as student numbers grew by about 80,000 over the past three years.

Big winds hit — A powerful storm with gusts of 80–121 km/h swept Alberta on Sunday, toppling semis, ripping roofs and damaging Swan Hills School (about 200 km NW of Edmonton), which will stay closed while a structural assessment is done and roughly 200 students move to online learning. Two Hills recorded the peak gust at 121 km/h; EPCOR reported about 8,400 homes without power at 1 p.m., and parts of southern Alberta saw up to 20 cm of snow with dangerous travel conditions.

Weather alert — Environment Canada warned much of Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan and B.C. to expect damaging winds (roughly 90–110 km/h) and to secure loose objects as outages and tree damage continue. Fortis said outages peaked around 8,000 customers (down to about 2,000), BC Hydro saw roughly 1,900 outages in the Southern Interior (down to ~350), and officials reminded residents to stay well away from downed power lines; some southern areas could also see up to 20 cm of snow.