May 24 2021 — Lauren Krugel — CALGARY — Alberta's two big cities will get new mayors this fall and voters will choose whether to build on the progressive legacies of Calgary's Naheed Nenshi and Edmonton's Don Iveson or swing toward a more conservative vision. Both outgoing leaders have championed major transit investment, pushed for greater social inclusion and tackled other complex […]
May 11 2021 — Lauren Krugel — CALGARY — Neighbouring provinces are eyeing Saskatchewan's plan to ease COVID-19 restrictions in tandem with vaccination rates, but experts are warning the approach could lead some to a false sense of security. Saskatchewan's "reopening road map" outlined last week says public health measures are to start to relax three weeks after 70 per cent of […]
May 7 2021 — Lauren Krugel — Manitoba introduced tougher COVID-19 public health measures and Nova Scotia announced it would restrict entry amid a surge in infections, as Ottawa introduced new ways for small and medium businesses to access rapid tests to thwart workplace outbreaks. Dr. Jazz Atwal, Manitoba's deputy chief public health officer, called the recent rise in cases in Manitoba […]
May 5 2021 — Lauren Krugel — CALGARY — Leslie Echino had planned on serving more than two dozen patrons at a time on an expanded patio at her Annabelle's Kitchen restaurant in Calgary's Marda Loop neighbourhood. She hauled extra furniture from the patio at her shuttered downtown location and invested thousands in a cover to keep the outdoor space open for […]
Apr 28 2021 — Lauren Krugel — CALGARY — Doctors and other front-line professionals, backed by Canadian celebrities, have banded together to get accurate vaccine information to those most at risk of contracting COVID-19. The This Is Our Shot campaign launched Wednesday was driven largely by groups that have been reaching out to and advocating for racialized communities bearing the brunt of […]
Apr 26 2021 — Lauren Krugel — CALGARY — Alberta is to begin offering COVID-19 vaccines to thousands of meat-packing employees across the province starting this week, but a union leader says some workers are reluctant to receive a shot from the government or an employer they don't trust. The provincial government said that, starting Tuesday, vaccines will be offered to more […]
Apr 15 2021 — Lauren Krugel — The point man for Canada's vaccine rollout is aiming to ensure provinces aren't left scrambling when doses don't arrive as planned, as Ontario reported a record number of new daily COVID-19 infections. Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin said 855,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine that were to have arrived last week are now in the country and […]
Apr 3 2021 — Lauren Krugel — CALGARY — Advocates in the fight against human trafficking say the financial hardship and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic have helped perpetrators find new targets. "Traffickers are taking advantage of this time where vulnerable people are at home and online and that really makes our work feel much more urgent," said country music star Paul […]
Mar 18 2021 — Lauren Krugel — Canada's procurement minister says a deal is close to receive Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine doses from the U.S., while the military commander in charge of the rollout here says all adults who wish could be able to get their first shot by July 1. "After numerous discussions with the Biden administration, Canada is in the process of […]
Mar 12 2021 — Lauren Krugel — CALGARY — An infectious disease specialist says allowing people to choose which vaccine they receive could hurt public health efforts to contain COVID-19. "In the interest of the greater good, if we all want to do our piece to end the pandemic as soon as possible, then it is in everyone's interest to get the […]
Mar 8 2021 — Lauren Krugel — New U.S. guidelines say people fully inoculated against COVID-19 can drop some precautions when gathering with others, but at least two provincial health ministers say existing public health advice holds for now. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that Americans who have waited two weeks since their second required shot can spend […]
Mar 4 2021 — Lauren Krugel — Premiers say federal COVID-19 vaccine procurement delays have left them no choice but to stretch out the time between doses, as pharmacies in some parts of Ontario were preparing to start giving shots next week. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said Thursday that he had asked chief medical officer Dr. Deena Hinshaw some time ago […]
Feb 24 2021 — Lauren Krugel — CALGARY — Many Albertans hoping to book COVID-19 vaccination appointments for older loved ones Wednesday instead spent hours being kicked off the government's booking website or getting busy signals on the phone. Some 230,000 people born in 1946 or earlier are now eligible to be immunized at 58 sites across the province. Appointments are being […]
Feb 17 2021 — Lauren Krugel — Officials expressed growing concern Wednesday over highly transmissible new COVID-19 variants taking hold in Canada's biggest cities and in First Nation reserves across the country. Toronto's mayor, top doctor and emergency management boss announced they want the metropolis to remain under Ontario's toughest restrictions until at least March 9, two weeks longer than planned. "I […]
Feb 12 2021 — Lauren Krugel — CALGARY — A court has been told that a man leading an inquiry into alleged foreign-funded anti-Alberta energy campaigns should be allowed to continue his work because accusations of bias are unfounded and his investigation is in the public interest. Court of Queen's Bench Justice Karen Horner heard submissions from lawyers representing inquiry commissioner Steve […]