News

zmason@medicinehatnews.com A new bill tabled Monday introduces another round of changes to legislation governing recalls and citizen initiative petitions. Bill 23 would update several pieces of legislation, including the Citizen Initiative Act and the Recall Act. “We are committed to protecting the integrity of our elections and our democracy, and we believe that these amendments [...] Read More »

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com Alberta is updating the legislation that outlines protections for animals. If passed, Bill 22 will update the Animal Protection Act for the first time in 20 years. “Whether it’s livestock on a farm or pets, animals deserve appropriate care and to be protected from distress. It’s an important topic,” said Minister of Agriculture and [...] Read More »

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com A large vegetable processing company is closing its facility in Lethbridge, taking 70 jobs with it. Nortera, a frozen and canned vegetable processor, will shut down its facility in June as part of a consolidation of the company’s Canadian facilities. There are 13 Nortera plants across Canada and the U.S., processing and marketing more [...] Read More »

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com John Lewis, 45, of no fixed address, faces several charges after a patrol section officer discovered methamphetamine, ammunition and an air pistol during a traffic stop in the early morning hours Saturday. According to the Medicine Hat Police Service, an officer pulled over a 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit in the 600 block of College Drive, [...] Read More »

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com Ronald Bell, former fire chief of the Medicine Hat Fire Department, has passed away at the age of 93. Bell began his 33-year career with the fire department in 1960 serving as firefighter for 17 years before being promoted to deputy chief of fire prevention in 1977. In 1982, Bell was promoted to deputy [...] Read More »

VICTORIA — A First Nations leader says proposed amendments to British Columbia’s Declaration on the Indigenous Peoples Act would take a “sledgehammer” to the landmark legislation. Robert Phillips of the First Nations Summit says the amendments would “gut” DRIPA and turn back the clock on relations between the provincial government and First Nations by decades. [...] Read More »

BEAUPRÉ — Construction on a major wind farm northeast of Quebec City has been officially launched, with an investment of $3 billion. The first two phases of the Des Neiges wind farm — the southern sector and the Charlevoix sector — will comprise a total of 114 turbines and generate 800 Megawatts of wind energy, [...] Read More »

VANCOUVER — Former senator and Vancouver mayor Larry Campbell says he’s shocked at the “normalcy” of people stepping over others sprawled on the sidewalk in the city’s Downtown Eastside without anyone calling for help. Campbell says he needs another six months to complete his work as a provincial adviser on how to help those in [...] Read More »

OTTAWA — “It’s really hard to encapsulate the kind of impact that he’s had … It’s a huge loss.” — Former NDP national director Anne McGrath — “Stephen was a giant in our movement. He fought tirelessly to level the playing field for working class Canadians and take on inequality head-on. For me, Stephen was [...] Read More »

OTTAWA — Former politician and longtime Canadian social activist Stephen Lewis has died. Here are some quick facts about Canada’s former ambassador to the United Nations and one-time leader of the NDP in Ontario. Early life: Lewis was born in Ottawa on Nov. 11, 1937 to Sophie (née Carson) and David Lewis, who was national [...] Read More »

Over 200 Blood Tribe members took part in The Blood Tribe Resource Fair Thursday in Standoff. The event was the first of its kind, says Levi Little Moustache, Director of Blood Tribe Employment and Skills Training (BTEST). “The event today was a collaboration of all the HR departments (including) all the departments under Blood Tribe, [...] Read More »

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com Misconduct allegations from more than five years ago finally culminated in a disciplinary hearing for Lethbridge Police Service Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh this week. The Lethbridge Police Commission held the hearing Thursday at City Hall to address misconduct allegations against Mehdizadeh regarding an incident that took place in March 2021. The allegations were made [...] Read More »

LETHBRIDGE HERALDjmanio@lethbridgeherald.com A perpetual challenge for not-for-profit organizations is funding for their charitable work. In support of its continuing mission, Lethbridge Family Services (LFS) is hosting an inaugural gala called “Spring to Light” on April 25 at the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Center, featuring Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and author Rick Mercer. “This [...] Read More »

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com The Alberta NDP and Friends of Medicare advocacy organization have raised alarms about the provincial government’s proposed legislation that will allow people suffering from addictions and mental illness who are deemed a threat to themselves or others to be treated against their will. On Tuesday, the government introduced Bill 53, the Compassionate Intervention [...] Read More »

Some Lethbridge homeowners might be surprised to see an almost 14 per cent increase in their education taxes when they get their property tax bill this spring. According to the Government of Alberta website, education property taxes are increasing for 2025-2026 after being frozen in 2024-2025. For Lethbridge residents, this will amount to a 13.8 [...] Read More »