News

bmiller@medicinehatnews.com Eight new councillors joined returning Mayor Linnsie Clark as they were officially sworn into their roles during a ceremony at city hall Monday evening in front of a full viewing gallery. Members of the Medicine Hat Fire and Emergency Services Honour Guard, as well as a bagpiper, led the ceremony into council chambers. Clark [...] Read More »

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com The Government of Alberta announced a new shared services organization, Health Shared Services, on Monday afternoon. The new organization was established to centralize key functions like IT, finance and human resources amid the ongoing restructuring of the provincial health-care system. As of Nov. 1, HSS will support the four health agencies – Acute Care, [...] Read More »

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com A limited number of tickets are on sale for the Unison at Veiner Centres Golden Jubilee Member Celebration, celebrating its 50th anniversary serving aging adults in Medicine Hat. The celebration will include cocktails, dinner and a dance with live country music from The Phoenix Band and will be held in early December. “Dress to [...] Read More »

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com Local school authorities are making small pivots to scheduling after the province announced Grade 9 and 12 students will not have to take upcoming provincial and diploma exams after losing close to a month of instructional time due to the teacher strike. On Monday, the Medicine Hat Public School Division issued an update, stating [...] Read More »

zmason@medicinehatnews.com The director of labour relations for the union representing paramedics is accusing Emergency Health Services of poor communication with the union following an undisclosed health and safety incident in September that grounded HALO air ambulance services for several weeks. In an internal letter obtained by the News, director of labour relations for the Health [...] Read More »

WHITEHORSE — The Yukon’s premier-designate says he’s ready to start implementing key promises from his election campaign but stopped short of pledging electoral reform even after residents voted in favour of changing to a ranked ballot. Currie Dixon made history Monday when his Yukon Party picked up 14 of the 21 available ridings, lining him [...] Read More »

VANCOUVER — Travel agents in British Columbia are celebrating Beijing’s decision to resume group tourism to Canada, hoping for the return of big-spending Chinese visitors who were a dominant presence for the local travel industry before the pandemic. Travel agent Glynnis Chan, president at Vancouver-based Happy Times Travel and Tour Ltd., has been leading group [...] Read More »

VANCOUVER — A new study says sea otters in British Columbia have been found to be contaminated with so-called forever chemicals found in food packaging, non-stick cookware, cosmetics, electronics and other products. The study published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry says samples from dead otters collected off the B.C. coast between 2016 and [...] Read More »

OTTAWA — Tamara Lich is appealing a mischief conviction arising from her role as an organizer of the “Freedom Convoy” that paralyzed downtown Ottawa in early 2022. Lich and fellow organizer Chris Barber were found guilty of mischief in April for their roles in the mass demonstration. In early February 2022, downtown Ottawa was packed [...] Read More »

QUÉBEC — The Quebec government is extending an olive branch to the province’s doctors amid a fight over a new law that changes how physicians are paid. Treasury Board president France-Élaine Duranceau says Premier François Legault wants to restart talks with doctors. Health Minister Christian Dubé says two elements of the new law that change [...] 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 »