Edmonton Daily Digest — March 13, 2026

Big win for kids’ life support: The Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton has received a platinum Centre of Excellence award from the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) for its ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) program. Three years ago a four‑year‑old named James (JJ) was flown from Calgary to the Stollery after Group A strep put him into cardiac arrest; doctors gave him ECMO with a roughly 50% survival chance and he’s now healthy — the program dates back to the NICU in 1988 and the team even runs a mobile retrieval unit.

Privacy vs. safety debate heats up after Tumbler Ridge: Regulators and legal experts at the Victoria privacy summit discussed how to balance online safety, innovation and Canadians’ privacy after the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting and the family lawsuit by 12‑year‑old Maya Gebala against OpenAI. Speakers including OPC head Philippe Dufresne and Alberta’s Diane McLeod urged clearer rules (age verification, a Children’s Privacy Code) while Ottawa tables bill C‑22 on lawful access and experts warn current laws — including the Online Harms Act proposals — must be modernized to address AI risks.

Six‑year‑old hurt in Airdrie hit‑and‑run: RCMP say a gold‑coloured Acura SUV lost control just before 6 p.m. on Thursday on Cobblestone Blvd., mounted the sidewalk, struck a tree and hit a six‑year‑old who suffered minor injuries. Police believe a female driver aged 16–20 and a teen boy 16–18 were in the vehicle; the SUV was later found abandoned and seized — anyone with info is asked to call Airdrie RCMP at 403‑945‑7267.

Hawrelak Park reopens after a major makeover: William Hawrelak Park’s 68‑hectare site has reopened after a three‑year rehabilitation that replaced underground utilities and refreshed amenities — visitors now have a new playground, lakefront promenade, upgraded pavilion, gender‑neutral washrooms and paved multi‑use trails. The city named Tiramisu Bistro (operating as “Lift Me Up on the Lake”) as pavilion operator later this spring, with an official grand reopening party set for May 30 and festivals returning June 1.

Canada vs. USA in the World Baseball Classic — Alberta connections: Team Canada meets the U.S. in a WBC quarterfinal as Calgary native Michael Soroka is slated to start, and reliever Matt “Tugboat” Wilkinson (an Okotoks Dawgs alumnus) may follow. Canada advanced past pool play for the first time after a 7–2 win over Cuba, boasts a tournament ERA of 2.38, and hopes to build on the proud moment for southern Alberta baseball fans.

World women’s curling lands in Calgary: The BKT Women’s World Curling Championship starts this weekend at WinSport and runs through the gold‑medal game on March 22, with Team Canada skipped by Kerri Einarson (Val Sweeting, Shannon Birchard, Karlee Burgess) hoping for home‑ice advantage. Organizers expect a roughly $11‑million boost to Calgary tourism and say the event is already helping grow local club memberships.

Court upholds Canmore’s controversial ‘livability’ tax: The Alberta Court of Appeal rejected a challenge to Canmore’s levy targeting homes left empty for more than half the year (two continuous months required to count as occupied). Part‑time homeowners face an average bill of more than $6,300 a year versus about $2,100 for full‑time residents; Canmore says a quarter of homes are part‑time and the median single‑family assessed value was over $1 million in 2024.

‘Dexter’‑inspired killer denied prison leave: Parole authorities denied temporary leave for Mark Twitchell, who is serving a life sentence at Bowden Institution for the 2008 murder of Johnny Altinger (convicted 2011), saying a visit to Edmonton could harm victims psychologically despite noting behavioural progress. Twitchell told the board he’s been in therapy and claims personal change, but the panel concluded the potential impact on victims outweighs the leave request.

Traffic fines jump in Alberta starting March 13: The province raised some fines by up to 50% (e.g., excessive speeding 40+ km/h, careless driving, racing or stunting) and increased distracted‑driving tickets by 30% — distracted tickets rise from $300 to $390 while careless/racing fines go from $567 to $852. Demerit points don’t change immediately, but experts warn convictions can raise insurance premiums for up to three years.

Province launches inspection into Calgary’s Bearspaw feeder main: Alberta Municipal Affairs ordered a municipal inspection led by David Goldie after the Bearspaw feeder main failed for a second time (Dec. 30), with the province having requested thousands of city documents by Jan. 27. The probe — expected to run into the fall — can compel testimony and documents and could force corrective action; Calgary has begun emergency repairs and is seeking an extra $600 million for water infrastructure.

Judge refuses to pause law that ended teachers’ strike: Justice Douglas Mah denied the Alberta Teachers’ Association’s request to suspend the back‑to‑work law (which used the notwithstanding clause) that ended the October strike, saying pausing it would likely cause chaos and immediate return to strikes. The judge kept the door open for a full hearing in September and said the legal arguments raise serious questions about the use of the notwithstanding clause.

Shelter hosts black‑cat event to fight superstition: Tails to Tell Animal Rescue in Crossfield will showcase about a dozen black (and mostly black) cats this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pet Valu in Airdrie to boost adoptions — the shelter cares for roughly 75 cats (about half mostly black) and is offering a $50 adoption discount to help find forever homes.

Landowners block pumpjacks over unpaid leases: Southwest Edmonton landowners Mark Dorin and Dale Braun erected a wooden blockade after MAGA Energy allegedly failed to pay three years of lease fees (about $12,000/year), terminated the lease and say the company may only return to decommission. The Alberta Energy Regulator says agreements are private, Energy Minister Brian Jean calls the problem important, and landowners are urging stricter enforcement rather than taxpayer compensation.