News

bmiller@medicinehatnews.com The city says in order to balance the budget and avoid falling further into debt, councillors must decide on either reducing costs by scaling back services, or increasing property taxes. During a corporate services committee meeting last week, staffers recommended council approve a 6.1 per cent municipal tax rate increase for all property classes [...] Read More »

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com The province is providing Medicine Hat College a $60,000 funding grant to co-ordinate the first provincial Indigenous Learner Summit next spring. MHC announced Monday it was chosen to receive an Indigenous Learning Grant to be used to host the summit intended to bring together the post-secondary education system in support of Indigenous adult learners [...] Read More »

newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com RCMP released a public service announcement Tuesday encouraging homeowners, rural property owners and business owners to register security cameras with the RCMP’s national database. The Community Assisted Policing Through Use of Recorded Evidence, or CAPTURE, program is a voluntary registry that lets officers know where security cameras are located throughout the community. This knowledge [...] Read More »

zmason@medicinehatnews.com The Alberta government tabled a far-reaching new education bill Tuesday. The legislation, titled Bill 25: An Act to Remove Politics and Ideology from Classrooms and Amend the Education Act, proposes a slew of changes to the policy guiding education. Amendments in the bill would affect classroom neutrality, student and staff conduct, and rules around [...] Read More »

zmason@medicinehatnews.com New legislation is seeking to create a separate designation for Alberta whisky, distinguishing it from classic Canadian rye. The Alberta Whisky Act would create new standards for a product to be marketed as Alberta Whisky. Alberta Whisky would remain a variation of Canadian Whisky. Existing Canadian whiskies would not qualify as Alberta whiskies unless [...] Read More »

OTTAWA — Two First Nations chiefs are calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to apologize for saying he could “outlast” a First Nations woman who was protesting over mercury poisoning in her community. Chrissy Isaacs, a Grassy Narrows woman suffering from mercury poisoning, was in Toronto on Monday to demand compensation from the provincial government [...] Read More »

OTTAWA — The Liberal government’s firearm buyback program is entering a new phase with passage of the deadline for individual gun owners to declare interest. Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said last week that owners had reported more than 52,000 firearms to the government as the March 31 deadline loomed. That number was well short [...] Read More »

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday he’s still committed to delivering incentives to help Canadians go green, something he promised during his bid for the Liberal leadership a year ago. Carney promised during the leadership campaign to re-fund the government’s Greener Homes Grant program and to explore offering discounts to low- and medium-income [...] Read More »

OTTAWA — Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand will join multi-nation talks hosted by the U.K. on Thursday on finding diplomatic options to reopen the Strait of Hormuz trade corridor. Anand says all countries involved should know Canada will not hesitate to help secure the strait once there is a ceasefire, but the Liberal government has [...] Read More »

QUÉBEC — Former Quebec minister Lionel Carmant is rejoining the Coalition Avenir Québec caucus, five months after he resigned from the governing party to sit as an Independent over concerns with a bill reforming doctor pay. A smiling Carmant made the announcement alongside outgoing Premier François Legault. Carmant resigned in October amid widespread protest over [...] 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 »

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 »

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com Efforts to raise $30 million to improve cardiac care in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat are paying off. Three new donation commitments totalling $350,000 mean a fundraiser to establish the Southern Alberta Cardiac Centre of Excellence has reached about a third of its goal. Campaign manager Jordan Cleland said Wednesday about $10 million has [...] Read More »