St. Albert news

• NDP to create buffer zones around abortion clinics: health minister

  04-04-2018 23:08 via edmontonjournal.com
  Alberta’s health minister trumpeted upcoming legislation to create buffer zones around abortion clinics and prevent protestors from approaching patients or staff. 
  “Sometimes these protestors are in groups, sometimes they have … signs with graphics or violent imagery,” said Sarah Hoffman at a Wednesday news conference. “This is not about freedom of speech. This is about deliberate targeting by intimidation, shame, harassment and bullying of women who are often
  
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• Sheriffs shut down north Edmonton drug house, scene of 2017 homicide

  04-04-2018 23:04 via edmontonjournal.com
  Alberta sheriffs say they’ve shuttered a “drug house” in a north Edmonton neighbourhood that police say had become a magnet for crime. 
  City police were called to the beige one-storey at 11838 54 St. dozens of times in 2017, including for the killing of a 49-year-old man stabbed on the front yard. 
  The home will be boarded up, its locks will be changed and a fence will be erected around the property during the 90-day court order, during which time the owners and
  
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• Government quietly changes $1.2 billion affordable housing plan

  04-04-2018 21:30 via edmontonjournal.com
  A much-vaunted affordable housing investment by government has quietly had its timeline extended by two years. 
  The provincial government announced in June 2016 it was throwing $1.2 billion at affordable housing builds in Alberta over five years. 
  But Seniors and Housing Minister Lori Sigurdson told a legislative committee Wednesday in Edmonton that the timeline has been extended by two years. 
  When asked in an interview with Postmedia why the plan won’t meet deadline, Sigur
  
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• 10 things to do in Edmonton this week: Rod Stewart, Orchid Fair and dinosaurs

  04-04-2018 21:26 via edmontonjournal.com
  Nightwish
  To the vast majority of Edmontonians there’s no doubt that Jari Kurri is Finland’s most recognizable export. For everyone else there’s Nightwish, a symphonic metal band that boasts over 9 million in record sales across the globe. The veteran hard rock unit, fronted by vocalist Floor Jansen, is coming through town on the Decades world tour, celebrating the just released compilation album of the same name. 
  When: Thursday, April 5 at 8 p.m.
  Where: Jubilee Auditoriu
  
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• Pride Centre throws open the doors

  04-04-2018 21:10 via edmontonjournal.com
  The Pride Centre of Edmonton will throw open its doors to its new community space Wednesday afternoon.
  The centre — now at 10618 105 Ave. — has served the LGBTQ communities for almost 40 years, says a news release. 
  “The pride centre’s mission is to enrich and improve the lives of LGBTQ people, their allies, and the broader community in the Greater Edmonton area,” notes the release. “The centre provides resources, social and wellness supports, public educ
  
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• Cigarette blamed for fatal Edmonton house blaze, say fire officials

  04-04-2018 20:48 via edmontonjournal.com
  A house fire that killed a person and sent another to hospital in the Jasper Park neighbourhood last Thursday was caused by a cigarette, fire officials said Wednesday.
  Investigators say the 4:26 p.m. blaze at the home near 87 Avenue and 153 Street started in the living room and caused an estimated $400,000 worth of damage.
  Fire officials are not identifying the victim. A dog and car also died in the fire.  
  Crews had the blaze under control by 4:50 p.m.
  Fire services officials note tha
  
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• Stolen Edmonton charity guitars retrieved from Calgary pawn shop

  04-04-2018 20:10 via edmontonjournal.com
  It is almost guaranteed that Todd Crawshaw will be driving down Highway 2 to Calgary this afternoon with a massive grin plastered right across his face. 
  That’s because the executive director of The Rock and Roll Society of Edmonton is going to retrieve four of the five guitars stolen from his charity organization in the early hours of Easter Sunday. 
  Thieves smashed through the glass front door of their headquarters in the city’s southeast at around 1 a.m., and fled w
  
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• 'Like a fetish': City to battle loud vehicles with photo-radar style noise guns

  04-04-2018 19:52 via edmontonjournal.com
  Edmonton officials will acquire and test new photo-radar style noise guns to catch the few “scofflaws” destroying people’s sleep this summer.
  While tickets may not be issued this year, the goal is to develop a permanent city-run program that will use automated enforcement to fine offenders, perhaps with escalating fees or higher fees for night-time disturbances.
  “Our focus has got to be on the scofflaws. This is not about the average person,” said Coun. Ben Henderso
  
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• Speed signage for 407 expanded playground zones now complete

  04-04-2018 19:14 via edmontonjournal.com
  City crews have finished installing the last of 407 playground zones in Edmonton — expanded speed restrictions that officials say will keep kids safer. 
  Crews installed signage for playground zones at St. Basil Elementary/Junior High School, 10210 115 Ave., and Spruce Avenue School, 11424 102 St., on Wednesday. 
  Previously, certain school zones in Edmonton did not include the area in front of sports fields and play equipment, raising safety concerns. The new zones restrict speeds
  
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• MacEwan University recovers $10.9 million lost to scammers

  04-04-2018 18:26 via edmontonjournal.com
  MacEwan University has recovered 92 per cent of the $11.8 million stolen in a phishing scam last August.
  The administration says recovery of the $10.9 million is due to a “swift response” by the legal counsel in several jurisdictions, fraud units at the banks involved and police agencies.
  In August, low-level MacEwan University staffers were tricked into transferring $11.8 million into scammers’ bank accounts. The majority of the money, $11.4 million, had been traced to ba
  
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• Soundtrack Music Festival features TLC, Goo Goo Dolls at Kinsmen Park

  04-04-2018 17:58 via edmontonjournal.com
  Pop the champagne — Edmonton has a new, nostalgia-driven music festival!
  On Saturday, June 23, the decidedly ’90s-vibed Soundtrack Music Festival Vol. 1 will bring TLC, Goo Goo Dolls, Blind Melon, MA$E and Eve 6 to Kinsman Park. The one-day show will also feature Wannabe (A Spice Girls Tribute), Notorious YEG and former MuchMusic VJ Master T as the event’s MC.
  TLC sold more than 65 million records worldwide on the back of such hits as Waterfalls and No Scrubs — you p
  
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• Lacombe Park West Open House - Park Planning

  04-04-2018 17:39
  Help shape the future of parks in Lacombe Park West! The neighbourhood of Lacombe Park West is a popular and... Read Post
  
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• Enforcing pot bylaws will cost $10M-$12M, Don Iveson says

  04-04-2018 17:33 via edmontonjournal.com
  Edmonton might need to raise property taxes to cover costs related to enforcement, regulation and administration of legalized cannabis.
  “We have no indication whatsoever that the property taxpayers won’t be left on the hook for this and that’s still unacceptable,” Mayor Don Iveson said Tuesday. “We understand there’ll be some transitional costs, but I’m frustrated that it probably looks like I’m gonna have to ask taxpayers to chip in in our next bu
  
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• One injured in homeless camp fire

  04-04-2018 15:36 via edmontonjournal.com
  One person was injured when fire broke out at an encampment near Yellowhead Trail Wednesday morning. 
  Fire crews received multiple calls about a fire near Beverly Bridge and responded around 6:45 a.m., said Edmonton fire spokeswoman Claire Harvey. Crews arrived on scene four minutes later and extinguished the fire. 
  One person was assessed and was being transported for further medical treatment, she said. 
  The original call was for a fire at a homeless encampment. 
  Harvey sai
  
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• Today's Top Three: Notley rallies pipeline support; Edmonton's worst intersection; transit boost

  04-04-2018 14:52 via edmontonjournal.com
  Today’s Top Three is a daily online feature highlighting a few of the most interesting and newsworthy stories you can expect to see on edmontonjournal.com.
  Notley heads to Toronto, U.S. to build support for pipeline
  Premier Rachel Notley says she will soon head to Toronto and New York to rally support among business leaders for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
  Details of who the premier will meet with and when have not been released.
  “I believe it’s something worth fighti
  
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• Edmonton weather: It never ends. Wind, snow in the forecast

  04-04-2018 14:31 via edmontonjournal.com
  A look at today’s Edmonton weather by Environment Canada.
  Wednesday morning temperatures at the Edmonton Blatchford station measure -12.7 C with a 9 km/h wind contributing to a -18 wind chill.
  Today: Increasing cloudiness. A few flurries beginning this morning and ending this afternoon. Amount 2 cm. Wind becoming northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 this afternoon. High -6 C. UV index 3 or moderate.
  Tonight: Partly cloudy. Wind northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light near midnight.
  
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• Fewer Albertans believe in global warming than any other Canadians, poll shows

  04-04-2018 14:16 via edmontonjournal.com
  Fewer Albertans believe there’s strong evidence for global warming than anyone else in Canada, a survey released Wednesday indicates.
  Only 52 per cent of Alberta respondents see conclusive or solid evidence the Earth’s average temperature has been growing warmer in the last few decades, while 16 per cent said there’s little or no proof this is happening, according to a poll by Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission.
  At the other end of the scale is Quebec, where 70 per cent of peo
  
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• Wednesday's letters: Keep treasured golf course eatery local

  04-04-2018 14:00 via edmontonjournal.com
  My family, friends and I have delighted in having found a treasure in our city. It has been a wonderful oasis where people can eat great food in an atmosphere that encourages the gathering of families and those keenly interested in trying good food, locally sourced, in a business run by local chef Brad Lazarenko and family, with an excellent reputation for serving great food at reasonable prices.
  Now I discover the contract for operating the Dogwood Cafe at the Victoria Park facility has gone to
  
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• Orchid growing can be as easy or difficult as you want it to be

  04-04-2018 11:00 via edmontonjournal.com
  When it comes to growing orchids, “it varies from super-easy to impossible,” says Darrell Albert, president of the Orchid Society of Alberta. 
  “When you are looking to get your first orchid, you want to sort of have an idea that it is something that you have a chance of success to grow,” says Albert. 
  A beginner, he says, needs something they can grow on their window sill and not something that requires a rain forest environment or a greenhouse.
  One common mista
  
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• David Staples: City rejects local restaurateur in favour of multinational at Victoria Golf Course

  04-04-2018 11:00 via edmontonjournal.com
  A moving van will pull up to the Victoria Golf Course clubhouse in the river valley Monday to clear out the Dogwood Cafe, a much-loved restaurant that has operated there for three years. 
  The City of Edmonton’s contract to operate food services expired at the golf course. Instead of sticking with Dogwood, operated by longtime local restaurateur Brad Lazarenko, city staff chose to go with a multinational company, Civeo, which trades on the New York Stock exchange and is best known for
  
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• Oilers coach Todd McLellan on TSN's McKenzie's list of coaches who could be gone soon

  04-04-2018 08:07 via edmontonjournal.com
  This in from TSN’s Bob McKenzie in regards to NHL coaches who might get axed: “Starting with Barry Trotz, he’s in the final year of his contract. If the Washington Capitals go deep, well who knows he could be there for a good long time, but he’s also potentially a free agent. Let’s go through the rest of the list: Glen Gulutzan in Calgary, Bill Peters in Carolina, Joel Quenneville, that’s fascinating, if he goes that might start a ripple-effect, Jeff Blashill
  
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• Edmonton looks for sweet spot in cannabis regulation as it enters new world

  04-04-2018 05:22 via edmontonjournal.com
  Edmonton might need to raise property taxes to cover costs related to enforcement, regulation and administration of legalized cannabis.
  “We have no indication whatsoever that the property taxpayers won’t be left on the hook for this and that’s still unacceptable,” Mayor Don Iveson said Tuesday. “We understand there’ll be some transitional costs, but I’m frustrated that it probably looks like I’m gonna have to ask taxpayers to chip in in our next bu
  
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• North vs. south: Councillors make pitches for future LRT lines

  04-04-2018 04:20 via edmontonjournal.com
  It was north versus south in the LRT debate as councillors made their best pitches Tuesday. 
  Funding is now secure for the west LRT extension and the short hop to extend the Metro Line from NAIT into Blatchford.
  But where should the trains run after that?
  Ward 2 Coun. Bev Esslinger argued for the north side at council’s urban planning committee Tuesday.
  A bridge over Yellowhead Trail and the Calder rail yards would allow Edmonton to run bus rapid transit to the north end while it wait
  
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• Edmonton may test self-driving vehicles as early as next January

  04-04-2018 03:51 via edmontonjournal.com
  Edmonton might see the testing of automated vehicles early next year.
  Ward 1 Coun. Andrew Knack wants the city to lead the way in testing automated vehicles, especially given its snowy weather, he said Tuesday at an urban planning committee meeting.
  “I think we have seen testing occur in a number of cities in the U.S. and a little bit in Toronto, but there is really no northern North American city with a climate like ours where we see a lot of snow for testing,” he said. “That&
  
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• Gridlock: Edmonton's most congested intersections unveiled

  04-04-2018 03:20 via edmontonjournal.com
  Edmonton released a list of its 20 most congested intersections, but it might be cold comfort for those stuck in traffic.
  Few intersections are likely to ever get better.
  There’s no space or money to improve them, said chief planner Peter Ohm, who presented the data to council’s urban planning committee Tuesday. “You’re going to be taking land, you’re going to be affecting businesses. … That’s something you don’t want to do.”
  The two interse
  
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• Education Minister David Eggen looks to Ontario for superintendent pay limits

  04-04-2018 02:45 via edmontonjournal.com
  Alberta’s education minister is studying how Ontario regulates pay for top school district employees.
  David Eggen paused his approval of any new school superintendent contracts while his office reviews the compensation issue.
  “We are working on a matrix by which we can ensure a fair compensation, but not excessive,” Eggen said Tuesday.
  Like Ontario, Alberta will put superintendents in different categories depending upon the size of the school district, he said.
  He said he will
  
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• Woman testifies against co-accused in shopping cart killing

  04-04-2018 02:03 via edmontonjournal.com
  A defence lawyer told court that a Crown witness who testified on the opening day of a second-degree murder trial Tuesday is a “thoroughly disreputable, rotten human being.”
  Lana Pelletier, who is already serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to second-degree murder for her role in Andrea Berg’s murder, was the first witness called in a trial for two other women accused in the death.
  Sophie Frenchman, 51, and Carrie Jones, 37, each face a charge of second-degree murder
  
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• Premier heads to Toronto, U.S. to build support for Trans Mountain expansion

  04-04-2018 01:58 via edmontonjournal.com
  Premier Rachel Notley says she will soon head to Toronto and New York to rally support among business leaders for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
  Notley says she will also take her message to a meeting of U.S. and Mexican governors and Canadian premiers in Scottsdale, Ariz., in early May.
  Details of who the premier will meet with and when have not been released.
  The premier said it’s imperative to keep up pressure to get the Trans Mountain expansion completed so that more oil can mo
  
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• Notes from the Dome: Council shuts down, a dry pregnancy campaign

  04-04-2018 01:01 via edmontonjournal.com
  Streamlining roles
  Alberta’s children’s services minister says shutting down an arm’s-length council to improve the child intervention system is a matter of streamlining processes. 
  “The big change was moving things towards the child and youth advocate,” Danielle Larivee said Tuesday. 
  Saturday marked the last day for Child and Family Services Council for Quality Assurance, which launched after a 2010 child intervention system review panel. 
  Chil
  
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• Oilsands camp company Noralta Lodge bought by American multinational

  04-04-2018 00:58 via edmontonjournal.com
  One of Alberta’s major oilsands accommodation companies has been bought for $367 million by an American multinational workforce housing firm.
  Nisku-based Noralta Lodge Ltd., which operates 11 lodges and a total of 7,900 rooms for workers across northern Alberta, was taken over by Houston’s Civeo Corp. in a deal completed last weekend, the companies said in a news release.
  Civeo owns 19 lodges and villages in Canada and Australia with a total of more than 24,000 rooms.
  This includes 1
  
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• Rachel Notley heads to Toronto, U.S. to build support for Trans Mountain pipeline

  04-04-2018 00:15 via edmontonjournal.com
  Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says she will soon head to Toronto and New York to rally support among business leaders for the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion.
  Notley says she will also take her message to a meeting of U.S. and Mexican governors and Canadian premiers in Scottsdale, Ariz., in early May.
  Details of who the premier will meet with and when have not been released.
  The premier said it’s imperative to keep up pressure to get the Trans Mountain expansion completed so that mor
  
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