News

zmason@medicinehatnews.com Health-care spending is set to reach record highs in 2026-27, including more than $2 billion in costs related to the new corporate services corporation. Alberta’s Budget 2026 includes $34.4 billion in total health-care spending, $2 billion more than in 2025. Health care represents 41 per cent of the total budget. “Budget 2026 is our [...] Read More »

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com Last month Medicine Hat Fire and Emergency Services responded to 162 calls for service, including five structure fires and four ice and aquatics related incidents. Additionally, fire crews responded to 14 outdoor fires, 15 motor vehicle collisions and 20 calls for medical assistance. Fire chief Chad Eakins presented the Fire and Emergency Services 2025 [...] Read More »

asmith@medicinehatnews.com This flu season has proven the deadliest on record for Alberta, with more than 250 lives already lost. The respiratory dashboard reports as of Tuesday that there have been a total of 16,239 cases, which combines numbers for influenza A and B. From this, the province has reported 3,753 hospitalizations, 276 ICU admissions and [...] Read More »

Cypress County has committed to supporting the 20 Mile Irvine Rodeo for its 40th Anniversary. Council received a request Tuesday from the 20 Mile Rodeo Committee for a one-time $2,000 sponsorship. Recreation & community association co-ordinator Jody Phillips explained that as the rodeo is often a break-even event for the society, it lacks additional funds [...] Read More »

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com Medicine Hat College will receive $2 million to plan and design a proposed Centre of Community Wellness for the province in the 2026 Budget. According to the college the proposed Centre for Community Wellness will provide wellness services on campus, which are currently delivered from trailers, isolated rooms and off-site locations, and aligns with [...] Read More »

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed … Carney continues middle power pitch in Australia Canada and Australia have a “rare” ability to help convene a coalition of middle powers because their allies know they can be trusted, Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a [...] Read More »

The metal-clad portable classrooms are arranged in a semicircle on a snowy sports field at Tumbler Ridge Elementary. It’s a 15-minute walk from the community’s secondary school, where five students and a teacher’s aide were shot dead about three weeks ago and B.C.’s infrastructure minister calls the new buildings “an important step toward restoring routine [...] Read More »

OTTAWA — As Ottawa refuses to say exactly how many Canadian troops are in the Middle East, experts are questioning the government’s claim it has had no role in the American attack on Iran. Here’s what we know about Canada’s involvement in the war launched this past weekend by U.S. President Donald Trump. 1) ‘Some’ [...] Read More »

MONTREAL — A group representing Quebec’s dairy industry says it’s eyeing a special designation — similar to the one applied to Bordeaux wine or champagne — for the squeaky cheese curds best known as a key ingredient in poutine. The Conseil des Industriels laitiers du Québec is seeking a protected geographical indication — a status [...] Read More »

Federal Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon says the CEO of OpenAI has agreed to take several actions to bolster safety, including providing a report outlining the new systems the firm is developing to identify high-risk offenders and policy violators. A statement from Solomon following his meeting Wednesday with Sam Altman says the minister will also [...] 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 »