A massive, mixed-use development is planned at the former site of a Calgary movie theatre, but this production is something the burgeoning southwest community has never seen before and it's a blockbuster.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith visited Mar-a-Lago, the Florida home of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, on Saturday.

The average cost of renting an apartment in rural Alberta increased again last year, according to the results of a provincial survey.

Sunday marks the 100th anniversary of Peter Anthony Prince's death, a business magnate who a local historian calls the "Citizen Kane of Calgary."

Provincial data shows more than 3,000 recorded cases of the flu across the province during the 2024-2025 flu season.

Like the laundry that never goes away, research on the gender gap has shown us the same pattern over and over: women still take on more of the domestic tasks than men. Now, new research out of the University of Alberta helps shed light on why closing the gap is such a challenge.

According to Maureen Palmer, an author and journalist, a person's relationship with alcohol is far more nuanced than a simple question of whether they're an alcoholic or not.

Wanting to be a Karen is a loaded concept. As an anxious brown woman who avoids confrontation, being a Karen for Zahra Khozema means standing up for herself.

The councillor posted to social media on Friday evening saying he won't run for a second term in office, after he was first elected to represent Ward 12 in 2021.

TikTok, the immensely popular short-form video app, is on the verge of getting banned in the U.S., calling its future viability into question.

In April 2024, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law, passed with bipartisan support in Congress, forcing the the Chinese company that owns the app, ByteDance, to sell it by Jan. 19.

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The Calgary Flames have been overachieving in the standings, but as they hit the halfway mark of the 2024-25 season, doubts persist over how long they can keep the momentum going. 

Mark Datoc was 13 when his mom left to work in Canada. He was upset and jealous of his peers who still had mothers around them every day, but her sacrifice was worth it in the end, he writes. Today, his family is together in Calgary and he has a chance for a bright future.

Staffing smaller ERs in Canada is a struggle for many provinces. That's why some health authorities are relying on a doctor working virtually and the nurses on the ground to keep the doors open.

Whoever emerges from the upcoming Liberal leadership race will face a formidable Conservative challenger with a populist message and deep connections to Alberta. And this battle for the nation’s top political post has a distinctly Western Canadian flavour, with three major figures tied to the region.

Calgary’s property values increased significantly last year, with residential properties seeing the biggest gains, according to the city’s property assessment department.

Notice from the MD of Pincher Creek:

Due to increasingly dangerous wind conditions, the Crowsnest / Pincher Creek Landfill is closed for the remainder of the day, Friday, Jan. 10, 2025.

The Eco Centre will remain open.

At 2 p.m., Environment Canada advised of west wind at 55 km/h with gusts to 65 at the Pincher Creek Airport. There is also a 60 per cent chance of flurries this evening.

The post Crowsnest / Pincher Creek Landfill Closed appeared first on Shootin' the Breeze.

A Calgary man accused of killing a nine-year-old girl in a Boxing Day crash does not need a mental health assessment, a judge heard Friday. 

Alberta's Opposition NDP is calling on the provincial government to act as thousands of school support workers prepare to walk off the job in Edmonton and some nearby communities.

Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane was expected to need four to eight weeks of recovery time after undergoing successful knee surgery, the NHL team said Friday.

Alberta’s unemployment rate dipped to 6.7 per cent in December, dropping by 1.2 percentage points from a month prior, according to a Statistics Canada jobs report that was released on Friday.

Two men who became the faces of a COVID-19 protest blockade at a key border crossing between Alberta and the United States nearly three years ago will learn their fates Friday.

Asking rates for apartment rentals in Calgary went down in January, marking the biggest decline across major markets in Canada, according to the latest report from rentals.ca.

Edmonton police and city crews removed nearly 9,500 homeless encampments in 2024 — up more than 40 per cent from the 6,700 they took down the year before, city data shows. 

In 2024, Taproot reported on several stories that evolved after we published them. In this, our final retrospective of 2024, we caught up with two specific stories that will continue to offer new details in 2025.

Riverboat's business partners to part in 2025

The original story: In 2024, Taproot was the first to report that two serial entrepreneurs, Rob Davy and Eric Warnke, had purchased the Edmonton Riverboat. The two met as teenagers when they were among the first employees at Nexopia, Canada's first social network. The new owners said they thought the riverboat had only scratched the surface of its potential and that they wanted to offer an elevated experience.

Then what? "It blew our expectations out of the water — no pun intended," Warnke told Taproot in an online interview from the boat in late December. Warnke said customers enjoyed duelling piano performances the most. For about 10% of sailings, the river's water levels were too low for the boat to complete its full course, so those customers were given credits to return in 2025 for a full experience. Davy left the business at the end of the 2024 season. "He owns, like three other businesses, so it wasn't as simple as tacking on a fourth one as we thought it would be, and then ultimately, we're just better friends than partners," Warnke said. "It's an amicable thing. We're still friends."

What's next? The boat was moored at the end of September, but it's still being used for parties through the winter, including a New Year's Eve bash. Warnke said he hopes to start the 2025 sailing season on Mother's Day. He's planning for a special event to celebrate the boat's 30th anniversary in May, and to run sailings daily in 2025 instead of from Thursday to Sunday. -Stephanie Swensrude

Edmonton Edge Fund continues to reverberate in 2025

The original story: In May, the City of Edmonton granted $4.7 million to 17 organizations through Phase 1 of the Edmonton Edge Fund. The fund is intended to drive economic and social benefits. There were two categories of funding: Scale & Grow, which offered from $250,000 to $1 million to companies that could prove a matching 50% investment, and the Start Stream for earlier-stage companies, which offered up to $100,000. Scale & Grow recipients included DiveThru, Future Fields, and Kind Ice Cream Select Start Stream recipients included OligomicsTx (which won a Startup TNT summit earlier in the year), Swift Charge, UpRow, and ZerOne.

Then what? In October, ZerOne held a grand opening for its Hockeyology and Atheleticare facility after telling Taproot that it uses tech and multidisciplinary medicine to support athletes. Kind Ice Cream also spoke to Taproot to detail its plans for modular ice cream shops, acquiring a larger production facility, and offering business-to-business sales. Elsewhere, UpRow won a pitch competition at Inventures by Alberta Innovates in May. In November, Future Fields opened its Instar 1.0 biomanufacturing facility.

What's next? The city's reference to the Edge Fund in May as Phase 1 suggested that a Phase 2 was at least possible. Nik George from the City of Edmonton told Taproot in an email that the city is "actively exploring options for the future of the Edge Fund," but the fund does not "have additional funding to support new projects" yet. Companies that received Edge funding have shared further updates with Taproot. Kind Ice Cream said in an email that its first modular location, dubbed "Bestie," will open this summer at a location "that is currently underserved when it comes to ice cream and dessert options." Swift Charge said in an email that its fast electric vehicle charger is done with testing and should be operational in south Edmonton and Lloydminster by the end of January. DiveThru, meanwhile, said in an email that it will open its newest location in "early 2025." -Colin Gallant

Amid a charged political debate around immigration in both Canada and the United States, one Calgary organization supporting newcomers is seeing a rise in anti-immigrant hate — both online and in person.

Although people haven’t been able to visit the Glenbow Museum for over three years, it doesn’t mean it hasn’t been busy inside. The space has been undergoing a significant transformation during renovations.

Alberta Health Services says five people were taken to hospital after an incident at the Prairie Bus Lines Terminal in Red Deer Thursday afternoon.

Alberta Health Services — which the province is dismantling as it forges ahead with its full-scale and controversial overhaul of the health system — is facing even more uncertainty as yet another leader departs.

Michael Koochin, 38, of Slave Lake, Alta., is in custody and faces more than a dozen criminal charges in connection to a vehicle collision in August that killed two men and injured several others on a motorcycle ride for charity.

Members of Alberta's governing party have voted to boost MLA salaries for the first time since 2013.

Over 100,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate their homes as of Thursday as wildfires continue to ravage Los Angeles communities. Some former and current Calgarians describe how the rapidly evolving situation has impacted the area.

Johnny Gaudreau's jersey number will be retired by his junior team at a ceremony this weekend honoring him and his late brother, Matthew.

On this day in 1916, one of Edmonton's most storied hotels was hosting an orchestra performance.

The Hotel Selkirk was once one of the city's most popular places for visitors and locals alike. However, when it first opened as the Windsor Hotel in 1903, most thought it was doomed. The 40-room hotel was built on Jasper Avenue and 100 Street, which is now the centre of the city. But back in 1903, this was considered the edge of town, as it was several blocks west of what was then Edmonton's core.

The hotel's detractors were soon proven wrong, though. Edmonton was growing, explosively, and it wasn't long before the intersection where the Selkirk was located became the city's busiest.

In 1911, Robert MacDonald purchased the hotel and immediately started extensive renovations. When it reopened in 1913, MacDonald had expanded it to 100 rooms and changed its name to the Hotel Selkirk. Jasper Avenue was home to several grand hotels at the time, but the Selkirk was one of the most popular. It contained a massive dining room that, according to MacDonald, served up to 600 patrons each day. Johnson's Café opened in the hotel in 1920 and quickly became a regular haunt for many Edmontonians.

The Mahogany Bar was also a big part of the hotel's draw. The pub got its name from the mahogany wood used to craft a bar that was claimed to be the longest in the country. With its luxurious interior and selection of spirits, it catered to those looking for an upscale evening. It also boasted likely the toughest bartenders and bouncers in the city. MacDonald had a side gig as a boxing promoter, and often employed his fighters at the bar between fights or after retirement.

For half a century, the Selkirk continued to be one of Edmonton's favourite spots. But in 1962, a fire tore through the building. Hundreds of people came out to watch the prestigious hotel burn. Despite the efforts of a reported 450 firefighters, the hotel was heavily damaged. It was torn down several months later. The Royal Bank Building now occupies the former site where the Selkirk once stood.

Hotel Selkirk lives on, though. A re-creation now stands in Fort Edmonton Park, giving people a chance to see the hotel that helped shape Jasper Avenue. Edmonton's downtown continues to change, too. The city is planning to start construction on the second phase of its Imagine Jasper plan, with major renovation pegged for west of 114 Street.

This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist @revRecluse of @VintageEdmonton.

Alberta is preparing to send water bombers, night-vision helicopters and incident command team support to help battle wildfires ravaging parts of Los Angeles.

Classrooms in Alberta have been hit by a data breach that has affected schools across Canada.

The fate of Canada's largest proposed carbon capture and storage project is even more uncertain after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation announcement this week amplified existing unknowns around the future of energy and climate policy in Canada, experts say.

Operating hours for the Red Deer, Alta., supervised consumption site are now cut in half, as the facility moves to shut down by March.

Here are opportunities to inform municipal decision-making about waste, public engagement, development, and more. Please only answer surveys from the municipality where you live.

• Commercial Waste Engagement — Strathcona County is seeking feedback from business owners and operators as it develops a waste diversion program. Participants can help influence future strategies, incentives, and regulatory requirements by attending engagement sessions on Jan. 15, Jan. 16, Jan. 22, or Jan. 23.
• Building Relationships to Shape Our City — The City of Edmonton is looking to improve its public engagement process for under-heard or culturally diverse communities. Results will inform future engagement processes and communications. A survey closes Jan. 15.
• Land Use Bylaw Update — Parkland County is updating its Land Use Bylaw, last updated in 2017 before the Village of Wabamun dissolved and joined Parkland County. Residents can review the draft bylaw and provide online feedback until Jan. 15.

More input opportunities

• Until Jan. 12: Budget 2025 Consultation (Government of Alberta)
• Until Jan. 12: People's 2025 Budget Survey (Public Interest Alberta)
• Until Jan. 16: Wîhkwêntôwin ᐄᐧᐦᑫᐧᐣᑑᐃᐧᐣ Neighbourhood Renewal (City of Edmonton)
• Until Feb. 28: Engage and Play: Shaping Public Recreation (City of Edmonton)

The recent WELLSTAR acquisition of software company Healthquest follows in the footsteps of other local tech exits, including WinTax and Granify, as it is not a simple financial transaction but instead a move aimed to extend the company's reach.

"Now we've got a national presence with a publicly backed company," Healthquest's president, Brandon Blanck, told Taproot. "Hopefully (we can leverage that) moving forward to grow even further, to get ourselves into other provinces, and truly start making a difference in healthcare — not just in Alberta, but across the whole country."

Healthquest is the name for both a software suite and what the company, originally incorporated as Microquest, is now best known as. The software-as-a-service company was founded by Mike Barth in Edmonton in 1993. The company began by offering billing software but today has a suite of tools that allow health clinics and practitioners to digitize records and perform tasks like appointment scheduling. These tools are used by more than 800 clinics and 3,500 practitioners in Alberta.

Despite the sale, Blanck said he intends to stay with Healthquest and continue the company's mission, which is to allow healthcare workers to focus on care.

Blanck said he could not disclose the financial details of the acquisition due to regulations related to WELLSTAR's publicly traded parent company, Vancouver-based WELL Health Technologies Corp. However, he confirmed that Healthquest is one of the two acquired companies mentioned in a WELL press release. That release details a cumulative "$17.9 million in cash and $3.9 million in WELLSTAR subordinate voting shares" as components of the deals.

"Any of the other competitors likely would have bought us simply to absorb us — buy our clients, essentially," Blanck said. "That was not the case with WELL, and that was one of the things that was absolutely the most appealing (about the acquisition)."

The acquisition comes after some levelling up from Blanck, who succeeded Barth as the company's leader in 2023. Three years ago, Blanck began participating in ThresholdImpact Venture Mentoring Service at his alma mater, the University of Alberta. In 2023, he then enrolled in the GrowthX accelerator with Alberta Innovates. Blanck was mentored by Kristina Milke, a general partner at Sprout Fund, which invests in seed-stage tech companies in Western Canada. Blanck credits Milke's "no BS" style with being "invaluable" to the company.

Milke, who later joined Healthquest's advisory group, said she loved how coachable and willing Blanck was in the GrowthX program. "He was there because he really wanted to get as much as he could out of the program," she told Taproot. "He was very open to difficult questions … I love working with founders like that. To me, that is gold."

Milke said she wants to see more positive stories about tech successes in Edmonton, and that exits like Healthquest's are difficult but possible. She's seen it firsthand, too: EZ Ops, a company that Sprout has invested in, was acquired last year by Detechtion Technologies, and Milke was an investor in Granify before its acquisition by Bazaarvoice in 2023.

"You can do this here," she said. "This is a place where you can build a company, you can find the talent, you have access to customers, and you have an opportunity for an exit when it makes sense."

The winter months are a good time to spot some of these feathered creatures in the Calgary area.

One Calgary newcomer says life in Canada is much harder than people made it out to be, so she’s considering moving back home — and she isn’t alone. A new CBC survey indicates two in five newcomers would consider leaving Canada.

Three people facing a defamation lawsuit from Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi are denying that they repeated false statements about him to damage his reputation.

Early on, the Liberal leader made a surprising breakthrough in the heart of conservative oil country. But he also triggered fresh bitterness with his climate policies.

Parks Canada is reworking its 2025 wildfire prevention plans in Jasper after a wildfire destroyed one-third of the town in July. The CBC’s Acton Clarkin is on the ground in Jasper National Park with the details.

Teachers delivering new mandatory screening tests to young students said the exercise took a lot of time and effort with questionable benefits, says a new University of Lethbridge study completed for the Alberta Teachers’ Association.

The CBC's Travis McEwan reports from the central Alberta community of Sylvan Lake, where dozens of vehicles are out on the ice, even after RCMP warned the ice is too thin in some areas to withstand the weight.

City councillors were briefed about a preferred passenger rail option to Calgary's airport using a single track, with the ability to connect to the Blue and Green Lines as well as future intercity passenger rail projects.

There’s a new limit on the interest rates Canadians are charged when they take out high-interest loans — a move aimed at preventing what the federal government calls “predatory lending practices.”

Local stories, news, obituaries, jobs, notices and events in Pincher Creek and Crowsnest Pass in the Jan. 8 issue of Shootin’ the Breeze.

The post News and events: Pincher Creek & Crowsnest Pass | Jan. 8, 2025 appeared first on Shootin' the Breeze.