Local, Regional News

Seven-year-old Afra had her first Christmas tree this year. She and mother Mina Esteghamat learned together about stockings and decorations and the way a freshly cut fir tree smells indoors. Read More

WISH Drop-In Centre on Alexander Street in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside will close its doors on Feb. 7 for two months, citing funding constraints, ahead of restructuring and service reductions. Read More

Somewhere in Winnipeg, there is a 41-year-old commemorative piece of Saskatchewan history that shouldn't much matter anymore. Read More

When Amber Walker met Ron Dutt, her collection of Fluevog Shoes numbered exactly four pairs. Read More

The colour of the semi-hollow electric guitar is called Blueberry Blast, the inlaid "Prestige" logo made of mother of pearl carefully cut into tiny pieces and glued into place — no stick-on decals for this North Vancouver guitar factory. Read More

A B.C. program that provides interest-free loans and grants to low- and moderate-income households to cover rent and bills has saved thousands of British Columbians from going homeless, according to a recent report. Read More

In Canada’s narrative of reconciliation, one chapter remains painfully incomplete: the story of the Métis Scrip System. Scrip was a sordid tool of dispossession that fractured Métis communities, took our lands, and left generations of Métis people marginalized in our own homeland. Until Canada fully acknowledges and addresses the deep injustices of the Métis scrip system, reconciliation will remain out of reach. Read More

As our thoughts turn to what lies ahead for 2025, it’s time to take a beat and reflect on the year that was and, in my world at least, what we ate. 2024 got off to a relatively slow start concerning new restaurant openings – I’ll admit there were times mid-year when I wondered if I’d have enough entries to fill a year-end column – but things certainly picked up in the fourth quarter. With everything from fancy Italian joints to crave-worthy tacos and pizza, the city delivered a strong selection of new restaurants to appeal to every taste and price point. These are my picks for the best restaurants opening within Calgary this year: Read More

After eight consecutive years, the head of NAIOP Edmonton, a leading local commercial real estate development advocacy group, will step down from his post in 2025. Read More

Q: This fall, I brought a plant into the house and as a result, now have tiny flies (look like fruit flies) in the Jade planter which was beside it. I'm wondering if a soap and water spray would get rid of them or perhaps you might have a more effective solution. Read More

These are my last few words for 2024 and normally they would be all flowery and positive thoughts. You’ll understand that coming up with that is a bit challenging at the moment, with the U.S. heading off in all directions and Canada surging into the New Year virtually leaderless. So here is how I want to put a positive spin on this last column of the year. Read More

Toque is much more than a cover band. Read More

It was on a vacation in Greece that Dale McFee first gave the question serious thought: was he ready to call it quits as chief of the Edmonton Police Service? Read More

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi says the Trudeau Liberals have so botched the consumer carbon tax that there's no public support for one in Alberta. Nenshi was one of the last major provincial leaders in Canada to support a carbon tax. Read More

When Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says she is not perfect she can almost hear her critics fire back. Read More

The federal government’s recent decision to extend GST relief to beer, wine, and refreshment beverages — but not spirits — is another example of how Canada’s antiquated tax policy disadvantages our spirits industry. The recently tabled GST tax relief bill overlooks distillers' significant role in producing world-class spirits and perpetuates outdated biases against the spirits industry. Read More

This in from NHL insiders Chris Johnston and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, Johnston's speculation that the Oilers should target for trade Anaheim goalie John Gibson and LeBrun's notion that Montreal Canadiens d-man David Savard should be high on Edmonton's radar. Read More

According to the recent Eby government’s fiscal update, the government will run an eye-popping $9.4 billion budget deficit in 2024-25. That's $2.8 billion larger than the deficit during the height of COVID-19 in 2020, even after adjusting for inflation. Read More

Travellers heading to catch a flight at YVR on Boxing Day, one of the busiest travel days of the year, encountered brutal Boxing Day traffic as shoppers headed to Richmond's McArthurGlen Designer Outlet. Read More

A pet food company in Oregon sent out a voluntary recall after a house cat died from eating its products, which tested positive for bird flu, and the company says the same contaminated batch was sold in B.C. Read More