News/Canada/Calgary

Alberta Health Services (AHS) has issued a public alert after being notified of additional confirmed measles cases in Alberta's south health zone with potential exposure in Calgary, Rocky View County, Coaldale, Lethbridge and Taber.AHS said individuals who were in the following locations during the specified dates and times may have been exposed to measles: The Days Inn by Wyndham (Calgary Airport) from approximately 5 p.m. on April 11 to noon on April 12. The pool at the Days Inn by Wyndham (Calgary Airport) from approximately 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 11. CrossIron Mills mall from approximately 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 11. Ikea Calgary from approximately 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on April 11. Taber Health Centre (main waiting room) from approximately 2 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. on April 14. ...

A potential new law introducing involuntary drug treatment in Alberta would become the first of its kind in the country.Premier Danielle Smith says the point of the proposed Compassionate Intervention Act is to help severely addicted people who are at risk of hurting themselves or someone else. Some parents who have watched their child struggle with addiction want involuntary treatment legalized, while critics of the bill question whether it will be effective and what exactly should be done if a person cannot give informed consent to get treated.LISTEN | Alberta at Noon: Forced drug treatment in AlbertaAlberta at Noon52:40Forced drug treatment in AlbertaAlberta is one step closer to a new law allowing forced treatments for addiction, even if the patient says "no". We ask if you think it wi...

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...