Oct 17 2021 — Dean Bennett — The Canadian Press — EDMONTON — Albertans will cast ballots Monday in a referendum that is technically about rejecting equalization but has morphed into more of a Prairie festivus airing of grievances. "(This) is not about partisan politics," Premier Jason Kenney has said at various times in recent days, when asked about the referendum question. "This is about whether […]
Oct 12 2021 — Dean Bennett — The Canadian Press — EDMONTON — Premier Jason Kenney says the Alberta version of a vaccine passport is helping increase vaccinations and drive down COVID-19 cases, but notes it will be in place until at least the early months of next year. "I fully expect that we will have it in place through at least the first quarter of […]
Oct 1 2021 — Dean Bennett — The Canadian Press — EDMONTON — Alberta’s Opposition is urging Premier Jason Kenney to make sure every member of his United Conservative caucus is vaccinated against COVID-19. Thomas Dang, the NDP's deputy house leader, says anyone who is not vaccinated should be removed from caucus. He says with Alberta hospitals overcrowded with infected patients, it’s imperative that political leaders […]
Sep 28 2021 — Dean Bennett — The Canadian Press — EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, facing consistently high COVID-19 cases that are pushing the health system to the brink of collapse, is rejecting new measures and a so-called “firebreak” lockdown of the economy. Kenney said Tuesday his government needs more time to see if recently announced rules are working. There’s no point to a […]
Sep 27 2021 — Dean Bennett — EDMONTON — The Alberta Medical Association says the province's high COVID-19 numbers are behind a desperate shortage of specialized staff to care for critical care patients. “The demand for (intensive care unit) nurses is currently so high that we need to increase the number of patients assigned to each nurse,” the medical association said in […]
Sep 24 2021 — Dean Bennett — EDMONTON — The head of emergency medicine for the Alberta Medical Association, Dr. Paul Parks, says major components of triage have already begun in Alberta — an assertion disputed by the province. The dispute arose Friday as the Canadian Armed Forces prepared to bring in air transport and staff to deal with a COVID-19 crisis […]
Sep 23 2021 — Dean Bennett — EDMONTON — The head of Alberta's health system says the COVID-19 hospital crisis has become so dire, a key reason the system hasn't collapsed is because patients are dying. "Each day we see a new high (total of critically ill patients)," Dr. Verna Yiu, president and CEO of Alberta Health Services, said Thursday. Yiu said […]
Sep 16 2021 — Dean Bennett — EDMONTON — Alberta is getting offers of medical help from Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador as it continues to grapple with a COVID-19 surge that could buckle its health system in a little more than a week. Dr. Verna Yiu, the head of Alberta Health Services (AHS), said the province is in talks with the […]
Sep 15 2021 — Dean Bennett — Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, facing a COVID-19 crisis that is threatening to collapse its health system in just over a week, has reintroduced limits on gatherings along with elements of a vaccine passport system. Alberta is also asking for help from other provinces to use their intensive care beds and staff while prepping its triage […]
Sep 10 2021 — Dean Bennett — EDMONTON — Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro, accused of not doing enough to stop a COVID-19 surge swamping hospitals, says the government wants to see the effect of recent health restrictions before adding any new ones. Shandro said he and Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the chief medical officer of health, are assessing the impact of health […]
Sep 9 2021 — Dean Bennett — EDMONTON — Alberta will move more patients to other care settings to free up space in hospitals so overrun with COVID-19 cases that some children's surgeries, cancer surgeries and transplant operations are being cancelled. Dr. Verna Yiu, the president and CEO of Alberta Health Services, says there may be 200 potential patients that could be […]
Sep 8 2021 — Dean Bennett — EDMONTON — The Alberta government has backed down from demanding salary cuts from nurses. But the nurses' union said the province still wants concessions, including an end to lump-sum payments, which amount to a two per cent reduction in their take-home pay. Finance Minister Travis Toews said they have changed their bargaining position with the […]
Sep 7 2021 — Dean Bennett — EDMONTON — Twelve Alberta mayors are calling for Premier Jason Kenney to bring in provincewide COVID-19 vaccine passport rules, while a member of his United Conservative caucus is telling him to back away from them entirely. The mayors in Edmonton and surrounding communities, in a public letter sent Tuesday, urged the government to bring in […]
Sep 3 2021 — Dean Bennett — EDMONTON — Premier Jason Kenney, two months after declaring victory over COVID-19, is offering $100 to Albertans who aren't vaccinated to try to curb nation-leading cases of the illness that have again pushed the province's hospitals to the brink. Kenney said 70 per cent of eligible Albertans are fully vaccinated, and 78 per cent have […]
Sep 2 2021 — Dean Bennett — EDMONTON — Alberta’s Opposition New Democrats are urging Premier Jason Kenney to bring in new rules to make COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for anyone attending non-essential businesses and mass gatherings. NDP Leader Rachel Notley says the province should also return to mandatory masking for anyone unvaccinated entering essential places, including grocery stores. Notley says it’s critical […]