Calgary Daily Digest — March 20, 2026

Good news for worried families: Edmonton police say a year‑long probe identified more than 50 suspects linked to extortion networks targeting South Asian communities, and two people — Arshdeep Singh and Sukhnaaz Singh Sandhu — have been deported with about 70 more removal orders issued nationwide; Calgary police reported at least 41 extortion attempts since January 2025, including 17 shootings, and have referred 45 names to Canada Border Services. This matters because investigators say the schemes target young, newly arrived workers and students, and community leaders hope deportation and cross‑jurisdictional police work will deter further attacks.

Think pipelines could change Canada’s economy? A new ATB Financial study says Canada could boost oil production by 1.5 million barrels per day (about one‑third more), adding an average $31.4 billion a year to GDP for the next decade (roughly a 1.1% annual gain) and creating about 112,000 jobs over ten years, peaking at 136,100 during construction — but it would cost roughly $41 billion for pipelines plus $100+ billion in upstream investment. The report (released this week) notes big payoffs but also huge investment needs and cites the 2024 Trans Mountain expansion (nearly $35 billion) as context.

Big change for Calgary’s harm‑reduction services: Alberta will close the Sheldon M. Chumir supervised consumption site in Calgary and a mobile Lethbridge unit, with both slated to shut at the end of June; Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis and Addictions Minister Rick Wilson say funding will shift to recovery‑oriented services and three supervised sites will remain in the province (two in Edmonton and a Grande Prairie mobile). The Chumir site opened in 2017 and its closure — amid past political fights and a legal challenge over Red Deer — raises questions about whether Alberta has enough treatment services ready to replace it.

Stay out of the backcountry this weekend: Avalanche Canada warns of "extreme" avalanche danger across parts of southwestern Alberta and southeastern B.C. (Banff, Kootenay, Yoho) as an atmospheric river brings up to 70 mm of rain and heavy mountain snow; Highway 93 between Lake Louise and Jasper is closed through Saturday while control work continues. Forecasters say recent wild swings in temperature, wind and heavy precipitation have weakened the snowpack — avalanches can run to low elevations — so check forecasts, carry rescue gear and avoid risky terrain.

Break in a Calgary murder case: Two men from Edmonton — Aken Bolakok Aken, 23, and Ayomide Opemipo Adeyinka, 21 — were arrested in B.C. and charged with first‑degree murder and conspiracy in the Dec. 10 fatal shooting of 32‑year‑old Feysal Osman Abul‑Aziz in Ogden; RCMP say they located the pair after their vehicle went into a ditch on Highway 5 near Blue River on March 12, and a youth is also charged. Police are still seeking a fourth suspect, Yahya Abdullahi, 22, who may be in Edmonton, the Lower Mainland or the Northwest Territories and ask anyone with information to contact investigators.

Oilers fans had a rough night: The Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 4‑0 in Edmonton on Thursday, with Sergei Bobrovsky making 21 saves for his fourth shutout this season (53rd career) and goals from Anton Lundell, Cole Reinhardt, A.J. Greer and Carter Verhaeghe; the Panthers are 34‑31‑3 and the Oilers 34‑27‑9. Edmonton also learned it will finish the regular season without Leon Draisaitl (lower‑body injury), and the team is now 0‑10‑2 this season when Connor McDavid is held without a point.