Medicine Hat News
Province mum on unfilled triage positions
One of the stop-gap measures announced by the Alberta government to tackle crisis conditions in the province’s emergency rooms has quietly failed to launch. At a press conference Jan. 15, Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services Matt Jones...
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A slide back through time: Former Olympic athletes reflect on life and luge
This week, Team Canada competed in luge in the Winter Olympics, like they do every four years. The Canadian sliders didn’t medal – the honours went to the usual suspects, alpine European countries where luge is a much more established sport, like...
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Police identify shooter as 18-year-old, say five students, teacher dead
The person behind one of British Columbia’s worst mass killings has been identified as an 18-year-old dropout who killed family members at home, then gunned down random students at a school before firing on police and killing herself as officers closed...
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College to host Alberta Independence Tour stop
An upcoming event presenting the case for Alberta separatism will be held on the local college campus. Medicine Hat College is hosting the Alberta Independence Tour put on by the alternative media outlet Rebel News on Feb. 27. “For years, Alberta has...
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More than 50 Hatters take the plunge for Special Olympics
The community came together Sunday to raise more than $15,000 for Special Olympics Alberta athletes during the annual Polar Plunge hosted by the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Fifty individuals, including local first responders, police officers, members...
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Canada marches into unique opening ceremony at Milan Cortina Olympics
Canada marched into the Milan Cortina Winter Games — at four different locations — on a colourful and unique Friday night. The country’s delegation took part in a never-beforeseen Parade of Athletes that stretched across northern Italy in the first...
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Saamis Solar vetted heavily, energy official says
While there’s always some risk involved in an investment as large as Saamis Solar, the city’s top energy official says the project has been meticulously planned to shelter against risk. On Monday, city council voted unanimously to approve $131.5...
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As expected, record-high temperatures arrive
From cycling, walking the dog or getting outside to study for upcoming exams, Hatters are taking advantage of the warm February so far and have been spotted outside enjoying the record high temperatures. On Wednesday, Environment Canada reported...
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Dual practice means two-tier health: critics
Experts say Bill 11, the Health Statutes Amendments Act, represents the foundations for the first two-tier health-care system in Canada. Although the province says it is drawing on other jurisdictions, including other Canadian provinces, for...
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Council unanimously backs Saamis Solar
City councillors on Monday unanimously approved moving forward with a $131.5-million, 75-megawatt phase of the Saamis Solar Project, subject to a sale contract and to the disapproval of approximately 60 members of the public sitting in the...
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Alberta separatist says members of Smith’s caucus have signed referendum petition
A leader of Alberta’s separatist movement says some members of Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party caucus have signed the petition looking to force a vote on the province quitting Canada. “I know of (UCP members of the legislature)...
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Mayor Clark says new council committed to teamwork
Mayor Linnsie Clark says that although herself and the eight newly elected councillors are “indeed a motley crew,” the chemistry is positive and each member is ready to work together in the best interests of the community. “We’re not the same people,”...
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Grade 9 girls explore STEM career paths in hands-on experience
More than 40 local girls had the opportunity Wednesday to glimpse a future in science with the 34th annual Operation Minerva. Grade 9 students spent the morning shadowing various female professionals in a variety of fields, from engineers and...
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Clark delivers message of shared stewardship
“Let’s use our voices, not to talk past each other, but to tell a clear story about who we are,” said Mayor Linnsie Clark. “A resilient, welcoming, quietly ambitious city at the corner of opportunity and action.” In front of a full house on Tuesday at...
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MHCBE’s new academy providing hands-on, real-world experience
Folding an ordinary post-it note like origami into a forensic paint-swabbing tool, retired police sergeant Ernie Fischhofer on Monday showed Monsignor McCoy High School students both real-life and forensic techniques used by professionals in the...
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Stalled compensation talks between AMA, gov’t might leave new triage physician roles unfilled
The president of the Alberta Medical Association says physicians may not sign on to pick up new shifts as part of a relief measure introduced by the province because of the outdated model proposed for compensation. The triage liaison physician role...
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PEACE team tasked with breaking up homeless encampments
Members of the Medicine Hat PEACE team, founded in 2025, performed 754 visits on homeless encampments last year, up from 327 in 2024. Members of the Medicine Hat Police Commission heard Wednesday night that due to repeated interactions with the same...
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Four dozen employers on hand for MHC’s popular job fair
The Medicine Hat College Community Job Fair on Wednesday connected students and residents alike to summer positions, internships and permanent career opportunities. The fair hosted 48 different employers for the day, both locally and from further...
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Doctors call out province as ER deaths, close calls spike
Doctors have shared a list of anonymized cases with hospital leadership that illustrate a system at its limits as crisis conditions continue in Alberta’s ERs. The News obtained the document from an anonymous source. The document contains details...
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STILL MISSING: Winter
The sun shines its way through heavy cloud cover in Police Point Park on Monday in the afternoon. A dream winter continues for those who tend to hibernate during the cold months, though more typical weather is on the way before the weekend, with a...
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Operational confusion plagues care: doctors
One of the recurring questions raised by health-care professionals and critics since the province initiated its systemwide refocusing is who is responsible for operational control. Prior to the refocusing, Alberta Health Services was the singular...
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Hatters greeted with record highs this week
A high-pressure system covering most of the province has ushered in a week of unseasonably warm weather in Alberta. Wednesday marked the third day of record high temperatures for parts of the province. In Medicine Hat, both Tuesday and Wednesday...
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Students hear message of self belief from Humboldt Broncos survivor
Ryan Straschnitzki told Webster Niblock students he chose to believe in himself while recovering in the hospital following the devastating 2018 bus crash that shook the country. The Humboldt Broncos survivor spoke to students during a school-wide...
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MacKenzie Drugs cites Crown corp. turmoil as it removes Canada Post services
Thursday marked the final day for Canada Post services out of MacKenzie Drugs, as the local pharmacy looks to the future. While there have been Canada Post services at the pharmacy for more than 50 years, recent years have caused a strain on the...
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MHMT says humour makes up for realism in upcoming production POTUS
The stage is almost set for Medicine Hat Musical Theatre’s next production, a humorous and all too real look at behind the scenes of keeping some men in power. POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, is a 2022...
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It’s official, two schools to close
Medicine Hat Public School Division school trustees voted unanimously Tuesday to close both Webster Niblock and Southview Community schools at the end of the current teaching year. “It was a hard decision, but the board has made the one that I think...
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Alberta on pace to shatter recent influenza records, adding more than 2,500 cases in the last week of 2025
The province of Alberta is straining under the pressure of a particularly difficult flu season heading into the new year, with more than 11,000 cases of influenza confirmed according to the most recent provincial numbers. The last week of the year saw...
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Welcome home
Medicine Hat Tigers defenceman Kyle Heger slaps a pass cross ice in the Moose Jaw zone in the first period of WHL action Friday at Co-op Place against the Warriors. The team got a bit sloppy in the latter half of the third period after building a 6-1...
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STORY OF THE YEAR
It took some time before Willie Desjardins knew what he had with the 2024-25 Medicine Hat Tigers. The players knew before training camp. The city and its fans seemed to follow suit at the turn of the calendar in January. The franchise’s winningest...
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2025 NEWS MAKER OF THE YEAR
The year 2025 ends as it began in Medicine Hat, with Linnsie Clark as mayor. It wasn’t always an obvious outcome. In 2021, Clark won decisively over incumbent Ted Clugston. But her victory in 2025 was harder fought, winning by a margin of only about...
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Arts and culture continue to thrive, grow in the Hat
Medicine Hat’s art scene remained as strong as ever in 2025, starting and staying strong. The Rotary Music Festival was, as it has been for 70 years, fostering ambition and accomplishment among young performers. The 2025 Rose Bowl winner, 19-year-old...
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Volunteers say Kiwanis Christmas Day dinner as important to them as it is for those who attend
As has been tradition for more than 40 years, the three Kiwanis clubs in Medicine Hat came together to offer a Christmas Day dinner for those who would otherwise be spending the holiday alone. Approximately 140 community members were invited out to...
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Justin Wright latest MLA facing recall
Three new recall petitions have been issued, including Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Justin Wright. Petitions were received by Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure and found to meet all requirements section 3(1) of the Recall Act. The members of...
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Stampede raring to go on major improvements in 2026
With an aging wooden grandstand still “barely standing” and the motivation to attract more tourism dollars and hold larger conferences and events in the city, the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede is looking forward to working with elected officials...
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Smith talks 2025, says policies good for her riding
As a landmark year for Alberta politics comes to a close, MLA for BrooksMedicine Hat and Premier Danielle Smith spoke with the News to reflect on the year in policy for Medicine Hat. Major shakeups to health care, a chaotic municipal election and...
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Motz reflects on issues before the federal government in 2025 including cost of living, Alberta pipeline dreams
Glen Motz, MP for Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner, is not satisfied with the way things went in 2025. Motz doesn’t believe Alberta has much to show from this year’s federal policy. He says that even the memorandum of understanding, which Premier...
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Alberta recall petitions grow to 23 with latest against justice minister
Alberta’s justice minister is the latest member of Premier Danielle Smith’s caucus to face a citizen recall petition. Elections Alberta announced Wednesday petitions against Mickey Amery and fellow United Conservative Party legislator Jackie...
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Health groups across Canada sign open letter to Carney, Health Minister demanding action on Alberta’s Bill 11
An open letter signed by ten Canadian health coalitions is calling on the federal government to respond to Alberta’s law enabling dual practice in the province. The coalitions, together representing more than three million Canadians, argue that...
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MLA Wright proud of government’s fall session, understands concerns over notwithstanding use
The fall sitting of the Alberta legislature wrapped Thursday, marking the end of an historic session. The fall session saw the UCP government invoke the notwithstanding clause four times, the most the constitutional loophole has been used in one...
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Auditor general blasts provincial health reporting
A new report by the province’s Auditor General found healthcare performance reporting has failed to meet legal standards. Auditor General Doug Wylie says AHS reporting was “inconsistent” and “not high-quality.” The report attributes some of this...
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Recall petition for Smith made official
The recall petition for Premier Danielle Smith in her riding of Brooks-Medicine Hat was officially issued Wednesday. Alongside new recall campaigns for Rebecca Schulz, Calgary-Shaw MLA and minister of Environment and Protected Areas, and Nate Glubish,...
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Workforce shortages made worse by poor workforce planning, health professionals say
Throughout the province’s health-care refocusing, stakeholders have continued to raise alarms about a lack of coordinated workforce planning. Amid all the changes currently affecting the province’s health-care delivery, it is difficult to discern...
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Alberta’s Bill 14 grants Justice Minister wide-ranging new powers
Justice Minister Mickey Amery introduced Bill 14 on Thursday. The Justice Statutes Amendment Act includes a wide ranging set of changes to legislation that the province says will protect elections integrity. Amendments included in the bill outline the...
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Olde Tyme traditions
Left: Ten-year-old Violet Hartman is seen taking a photo with Santa Claus during the Olde Tyme Christmas event held by the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede in Pioneer Village on Thursday night. Right: Cypress County firefighters Gareth Grant and...
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Southview parents get chance to speak on closure
Parents and guardians expressed concerns and shared insights during public consultation Wednesday evening, as the Medicine Hat Public School Division considers closing the doors to Southview Community and Webster Niblock schools in an effort to reduce...
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Public elementary school closure town halls run tonight, tomorrow
Parents and guardians of students who attend Southview Community School will have their opportunity to address the school division and share feedback and concerns during a public consultation meeting tonight, and Webster Niblock parents tomorrow night,...
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Regulatory bodies stifled by bill: critics
On Nov. 20, six provincial Ministries introduced Bill 13. If passed, the Regulated Professions Neutrality Act will alter the ability of regulatory bodies and colleges to sanction members, assign mandatory trainings, or use affirmative action to pursue...
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CHHS presents Beetlejuice Jr., a shorter, slightly cleaner version of the classic film
Next week, Crescent Heights High School’s junior high students will take the stage for an energetic and exciting show about death. Beetlejuice Jr. is an hourlong, slightly cleaned up adaptation of the iconic broadway musical comedy, which in turn is...
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Carney, Smith sign pipeline deal, open door to changing B.C. tanker ban
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith have signed an agreement that commits them to working toward building an oil pipeline to the West Coast — and opens the door to changes to the coastal tanker ban. At a signing ceremony in...
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16 days of activism against gender-based violence follows International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women
Tuesday marked International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women and the start of the upcoming 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women Tanya Fir stated that “Alberta’s government...
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Bill 11 allows doctors to toggle between public, private pay models for surgeries
The Alberta government tabled Bill 11, or the Health Statutes Amendment Act, on Monday. The legislation includes a sweeping set of changes to the province’s health-care system, including the implementation of a dual practice model outlined in draft...
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And Madness it was!
Thousands of Hatters gathered downtown Friday evening to take part in the annual Midnight Madness event and Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony. The annual event held by the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Voice encourages Hatters to...
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Hatters honour the lost, the fallen, the heroes
A bugle horn played the gallant sounds of “The Last Post” as hundreds of Hatters gathered Monday at Riverside Veterans Memorial Park in silence to honour those who have fought and died in battle during the city’s annual Remembrance Day...
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Budget will need smart planning to sustain service levels, manage debt
Addressing a gap in the budget and recognizing a need to manage city reserves were two topics emphasized by staff toward newly elected members and Mayor Linnsie Clark in council’s first public meeting since taking their oaths of office. Jaret Dickie,...
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MLA Wright wrong about damning RCMP story
An anecdote about RCMP in the region used by CypressMedicine Hat MLA Justin Wright in the legislature to discuss a bill this week has been proven to be false. Wright rose in the legislature Wednesday to speak to Bill 4, the Public Safety and Emergency...
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ATA files for injunction on Bill 2
The dispute between Alberta teachers and the provincial government has escalated and Medicine Hat teachers could legally enter strike action again pending a decision from the province’s highest court. Jason Schilling, head of the Alberta Teachers’...
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Construction of new hotel begins next summer, company’s GM says local need for rooms on the rise
Construction on a new 100unit long-stay hotel on the city’s south side is slated to begin next August and will include a waterslide and pool, wellness amenities, large meeting spaces for conventions and will be designed with the environment in...
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St. Mary’s choir students to perform with Foreigner
Grade 9 students in the Fine Arts Academy at St. Mary’s School will take the stage at Co-op Place alongside legendary rock and roll band Foreigner on Wednesday night. Twenty-five students taking part in the St. Mary’s choir will perform the hit song...
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Clark calls attention to trust, transparency as term begins
Eight new councillors joined returning Mayor Linnsie Clark as they were officially sworn into their roles during a ceremony at city hall Monday evening in front of a full viewing gallery. Members of the Medicine Hat Fire and Emergency Services Honour...
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Alberta dispensing promised money for parents affected by teacher strike
The Alberta government is starting to roll out compensation for the families of children who were kept out of classrooms during a three-week teachers strike. Premier Danielle Smith’s government promised $30 a day for parents and guardians of each...
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Many students in Alberta cut class, rally at legislature for teachers in strike-bill dispute
Hundreds of students cut class Thursday to march and chant against Alberta’s shutdown of a teachers strike in protests that saw Premier Danielle Smith compared to a cold-hearted, green-furred Grinch. “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Danielle Smith has got to go!”...
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City will produce election report
Counting process balloons budget, polling stations cut in half to save money One of the first items new councillors and Mayor Linnsie Clark will receive for consideration will be a report detailing issues officials and workers experienced during the...
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Medicine Hat News celebrates 140 and counting
On Oct. 29, the Medicine Hat News marks its 140th anniversary. The News is the longeststanding media outlet in Medicine Hat, continuing to grow and change with the city it serves. In honour of the anniversary, longtime subscribers, current employees...
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Downtown crosswalk honours veterans, serves as reminder to community of their sacrifices
Veterans from the Royal Canadian Legion, United Services Institute, various veteran motorcycle groups, members of the Army and Sea cadets, as well as local politicians, private veterans and citizens gathered Saturday morning for a ceremonial event to...
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No talks scheduled as time ticks down to Monday deadline in Alberta teachers strike
With time running out before Alberta’s striking teachers get legislated back to work, the province and the union say they’re ready to negotiate but want the other side to make the first move. Premier Danielle Smith said with the strike deep into its...
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Teachers face back-to-work legislation with no gains in talks
Drawing a clear line in the sand, Premier Danielle Smith says her UCP government will introduce a back-to-work legislation on Monday to order educators back to work if the Alberta Teachers’ Association and the province can’t reach a deal in the next...
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Clark promises humility, transparency
After the dust settled and votes tallied, Hatters decided to re-elect Linnsie Clark as their mayor for another fouryear term, and the only incumbent returning to council chambers in November. Although official election results won’t be posted until...
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Clark won’t be caught in mayoral race
While no official updates to the mayoral vote count were provided Tuesday, a report from the city in the evening offered some clarity into where municipal election races sit. With an estimated total of 90 per cent of polls reported in the mayoral...
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Election results trickle in after long lines
What began as a chaotic day for voters — long lines, big stakes and more candidates than ever before — ended quietly as hand-counting rules led to little known by way of results Some Hatters reported waiting over an hour to cast their vote on Monday...
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Report into AHS contracts finds conflicts widely known
A report into allegations of corruption in Alberta Health Services contracts says it was widely known two employees were in conflicts of interest, but no steps were taken by senior officials. Former Manitoba judge Raymond Wyant writes in his report,...
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Smith wants education commission after teachers strike
Premier Danielle Smith said Thursday, as thousands of striking teachers and their supporters chanted and shouted nearby, that she wants to form a commission on education when the provincewide strike is over. Smith said she wants to see a negotiated...
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Charges laid on pair from drug lab bust
Charges have been laid against two people after officers joined members of ALERT’s organized crime unit and the RCMP’s Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Response Team raided a home on 12th Street NW on Thursday, discovering evidence of a fentanyl lab...
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Terrify yourself for a great cause at Glass House Haunting
The Redcliff Youth Centre’s Glass House Haunting has returned after a year away to bring a Halloween thrill to anyone brave enough to enter. In partnership with the Medicine Hat Kinsmen Club, the beloved haunted house attraction has returned to the...
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Alberta transgender children, families brace for legal changes
Football decals plaster the walls of his bedroom. A San Francisco 49ers bedspread and a binder full of trading cards make it clear the seven-yearold loves sports. His mother says teachers know him to be kind, and kids in his class gravitate toward...
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