News/Canada/Calgary

The Alberta government appointed Dr. Sunil Sookram as interim chief medical officer of health Thursday amid growing measles outbreaks and after the previous top doctor left the role earlier this week.Sookram takes over for Dr. Mark Joffe, whose contract ended on Monday, after it had been extended for two weeks. Premier Danielle Smith confirmed this week that Joffe left of his own accord. He had been the province's top doctor since 2022.In a statement, the province said Sookram's temporary appointment ensures continuity while arrangements are finalized for a longer-term replacement. More information will be shared in the coming weeks as the process progresses, the province said.Sookram is currently the facility medical director and chief of medical staff at Strathcona Community Hospital in ...

You can bet politicians and party strategists know what they want the 2025 Canadian election to be about.But what about Canadian voters?You're heading to work, maybe raising kids and paying the bills. If you could set the agenda, what would you ask the candidates to talk about as they try to win your vote?This year, CBC journalists are hitting the road with a special election project we're calling What Matters.We're in communities across the country asking a simple question: What matters to you? We hope to hear more about the personal challenges, fears and hopes that are shaping your vote. We're also inviting anyone to participate through a simple email. What issue matters the most to you this federal election, and why? Share your personal stories with us at ask@cbc.ca. Drop us a line...

Dr. Mark Joffe is no longer Alberta's chief medical officer of health, leaving the province without a top doctor as it battles growing measles outbreaks.The Alberta government confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that Joffe's contract ended on April 14 — after being extended for an additional two weeks — and that the search for a permanent replacement has begun."Since November 2022, Dr. Mark Joffe has served Albertans as the interim chief medical officer of health with dedication and professionalism, providing public health expertise during a time of significant challenges and transitions," a statement from the health minister's office said.The government said it expects to announce a new interim CMOH "imminently," and in the meantime it will rely on the advice of public health experts and local...

Alberta is reporting a surge of new measles cases this week, sparking fresh calls for the provincial government to provide more detailed data and for the province's top doctor to appear publicly.But even as the pressure mounts, health minister Adriana LaGrange is not offering any clear sense about when the chief medical officer of health might speak directly to Albertans about the situation.The province confirmed nine new cases on Monday, seven additional cases on Tuesday, and another three on Wednesday, bringing the total confirmed during this year's outbreaks to 46.While outbreaks span all five health zones, the central zone is now the hot spot for transmission, with 22 cases confirmed so far.As of Tuesday, six Albertans had been hospitalized since the surge began, according to Alberta H...

Two more measles cases were confirmed Monday in Alberta — one in the Calgary health zone and one in the south zone — and infectious disease experts are watching the situation closely.Both of the latest cases are in people under the age of 18.That brings the total in Alberta's current surge of measles to 23 cases, 22 of which are among people under the age of 18.The total doesn't include one person from Ontario who travelled through Calgary to Taber, Alta., in March."The good news is, it's not exponential at the moment," Craig Jenne, a professor in the department of microbiology, immunology and infectious diseases at the University of Calgary, said of the Alberta measles situation."The bad news is, it's not fully contained. And there remains the risk of losing control of this, just as we've...

In an 11-page court document filed Thursday, the former CEO of Alberta Health Services alleges the province's health minister and AHS have crafted a narrative about her that is "completely unfounded, entirely fictitious, malicious" and replete with "bad faith allegations."Athana Mentzelopoulos was responding to statements of defence from the provincial health agency and Health Minister Adriana LaGrange last week, which both alleged Mentzelopoulos was terminated due to her job performance. Mentzelopoulos had previously filed a $1.7-million wrongful dismissal lawsuit against AHS and the province in February, in which she claimed she had been fired after launching an investigation into various contracts with links to government officials.A former chief judge from Manitoba has been appointed b...

The Alberta government has issued a letter of apology to a former assistant chief medical examiner, with the province saying no miscarriages of justice resulted from his work and he was "treated unfairly." The apology comes more than a decade after Dr. Evan Matshes launched a $30-million lawsuit against the province, arguing he'd been the subject of a smear campaign intended to cause him reputational harm and ruin his career.Matshes worked as Alberta's assistant chief medical examiner in Calgary in 2010 and 2011."Dr. Matshes was treated unfairly in the events of these matters and the government of Alberta regrets the harm done to the reputation of Dr. Matshes," said the letter from the provincial justice ministry dated Feb 14.  "The government of Alberta unequivocally states that the alleg...

The provincial government has for years kept a hand in the contracting-out of private surgeries through Alberta Health Services, despite repeated comments by the premier and health minister that any potential issues with procurement are AHS's own responsibility.Multiple documents obtained by CBC News show direct interventions by Alberta's health minister into AHS contracting matters, as well as entities specifically set up to give the health ministry more oversight and influence in recruiting and dealing with private contractors.The RCMP, auditor general and the government itself have launched investigations into AHS contracting in the wake of allegations made by former AHS CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos, including those in a wrongful dismissal lawsuit.Statements of defence from both Health Min...

As concerns about measles grow, and case counts tick up, health-care workers are preparing for a surge and pleading with Albertans to ensure they're fully vaccinated.Alberta Health said there were 11 confirmed cases in the province as of Monday afternoon, including one in the Calgary zone, two in the Edmonton zone and eight in the north zone.One person is currently hospitalized with the highly contagious virus.The youngest Albertan confirmed with measles at this time is a baby under one year of age, and the oldest is an adult between the ages of 35 and 54. According to Alberta Health, the age breakdown is as follows: Under one: 1 case Ages 1-4: 3 cases Ages 5 -9: 4 cases Ages 10-14: 2 cases Ages 35-54: 1 case "I think we're just at the tip of the iceberg," said Dr. Sidd Thakore,...

Alberta Health Services issued advisories on Friday to warn the public about possible exposure to confirmed measles cases in the Calgary area as well as in Fort Vermilion.Around Calgary, the health agency said someone had been in public while infectious with measles, warning people who visited the Airdrie Superstore on 300 Veterans Boulevard N.E. on March 8 between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. that they may have been exposed.Anyone who was at the Sky Castle Family Entertainment Centre and cafeteria in the New Horizon Mall in Balzac on March 9 between noon and 3 p.m. may also have been exposed.Other locations and times for potential exposures include Airdrie Urgent Care on March 11 from 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and One Health Associate Medical Clinic on March 12 between 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.Measles is one ...