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The owner of Ace Liquor and Spiritleaf raises its bet on U.S. cannabis, as its manufacturing arm faces a strategic review
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-10-28 11:00:16.0
Tags: [Alberta, British Columbia, Economy, Industry, Labour, Trade]Edmonton-based retailer SNDL Inc., owner of Ace Liquor, Value Buds, and Spiritleaf, is conducting a strategic review and weighing the potential sale of its unprofitable Canadian cannabis production assets while exiting the dried flower business. The company reported a $52-million write-down and a 28 per cent year-over-year sales drop in its weed production segment, alongside cutting its workforce at its Kelowna, British Columbia manufacturing facility by more than 30 per cent. Simultaneously, SNDL invested $60.8 million into the United States market, acquiring approximately a 92 per cent stake in a partnership controlling Parallel, an American cannabis grower and retailer operating over 50 locations across Florida, Texas, and Massachusetts.
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Alberta government to end DEI public sector hiring
Source: Global News Politics
Date: 2026-10-27 21:37:20.0
Tags: [Alberta, Governance, Labour, Education]The Alberta government tabled a new legislative bill under Premier Danielle Smith to prohibit public bodies—including public agencies, Crown corporations, post-secondary schools, school boards, and municipalities—from utilizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies in hiring decisions. The proposed legislation mandates that hiring must be based strictly on merit and qualifications. Furthermore, the bill prohibits public bodies from implementing mandatory DEI training for staff unless deemed strictly necessary for the job, and government officials indicated that the policy may eventually extend to non-profit agencies receiving government grants through future regulations.
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'Undermining the very profession': Alberta Teachers' Association gives province straight Ds one year after historic strike
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-10-27 19:34:36.0
Tags: [Alberta, Education, Labour, Governance]One year after the 23-day strike by 51,000 teachers that ended with the provincial passage of Bill 2 (the Back to School Act), Alberta Teachers' Association President Jason Schilling gave the Government of Alberta straight Ds regarding class sizes, complexity, and teacher salaries. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides countered that the 2026 provincial budget allocated a record $10.8 billion to education—a $722 million increase from 2025—and noted the hiring of over 2,100 new teachers, including 566 staff for complexity teams. Schilling maintained that classrooms remain overcrowded, citing instances of 37 students in a single high school class, and argued the province has fallen short of the 5,000 new teachers needed.
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Advocates flag contributions, not costs, of newcomers in Alberta referendum aftermath
Source: Alberta - Provincial Politics
Date: 2026-10-23 12:21:33.0
Tags: [Alberta, Immigration, Labour, Healthcare, Economy, Agriculture]Following an Alberta referendum where a slim majority of voters supported limiting access to or charging fees for provincially funded services based on immigration status, advocates and industry groups have warned of negative economic and operational impacts. Premier Danielle Smith’s government had estimated that healthcare and education costs for temporary residents total $1 billion annually. However, union representatives from the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401 at the Cargill abattoir in High River, alongside the Christian Health Association of Alberta and the Business Council of Alberta, emphasized the critical economic contributions of newcomers, noting that immigrants paid an estimated $4.1 billion in Alberta personal income taxes in 2026.
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Canada Post starting weekend parcel delivery in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa this fall
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-10-22 19:44:37.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Alberta, Labour, Transportation, Finance]Canada Post has launched weekend parcel delivery in Ottawa and Montreal, with plans to expand to Toronto in late November 2026 and to Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary the following year, aiming to reach seven million households by the end of 2027. The Crown corporation reported a pre-tax loss of $482 million in the first half of 2026 and continues to rely on federal loans, though parcel revenue grew by 20.7 percent year-over-year in the second quarter. This operational restructuring follows a month-long national strike in December 2024 and the signing of a new collective agreement with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) that remains in effect until 2030.
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Minimum wage hikes set to begin across 5 provinces
Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
Date: 2026-10-01 12:34:05.0
Tags: [National, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Labour, Economy, Affordability]Minimum wage increases ranging from 25 to 40 cents take effect in Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, bringing their respective rates to $17.95, $17.30, $17.00, $16.40, and $15.70 per hour. Ontario has tied its adjustment directly to the rising cost of living. With these changes, Alberta maintains the lowest minimum wage in the country at $15.00 an hour, having not increased it since 2019, while Nunavut leads the country at just over $20.00 an hour following an increase at the beginning of September.
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Alberta referendum questions don't target permanent residents, new Canadians: Schow
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-28 11:05:03.0
Tags: [Alberta, Immigration, Labour, Healthcare, Education, Governance]Alberta Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration Joseph Schow defended the upcoming October 19, 2026 referendum ballot, which features five questions asking Albertans if they wish to take more control over immigration policies, reduce temporary foreign worker and student numbers, and require temporary residents to contribute to education and healthcare costs. Schow stated the measures target an influx of temporary foreign workers and students that have strained public systems and contributed to a youth unemployment rate of 15 per cent. According to federal statistics cited, a total of 385,000 foreign workers and students are expected in Canada this year, with caps dropping to 370,000 in both 2027 and 2028.
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Infill safety woes: Digging, asbestos and fall protection top issues at Edmonton residential sites
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-24 22:26:44.0
Tags: [Alberta, Municipal, Housing, Labour, PublicSafety]A Postmedia report analyzing residential infill construction in Edmonton highlights ongoing non-compliance with the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) code regarding excavation safety, fall protection, and hazardous materials such as asbestos. Over a two-year period, Alberta Occupational Health and Safety conducted 433 proactive inspections at residential sites in Edmonton, revealing persistent violations near deep excavations lacking required back-cutting, shoring, or professional engineering controls under provincial regulations. The report references a historical fatal trench collapse involving Brian Frederick Tomyn, which resulted in a $100,000 corporate fine and a $425,000 fine with a four-month jail sentence for a subcontractor, underscoring the ongoing risks and regulatory enforcement challenges in the accelerated residential infill sector.
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Alberta commits $148.4 million over three years to create 8,000 new seats in high-demand post-secondary programs
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-11 19:53:56.0
Tags: [Alberta, Education, Labour, Economy, Healthcare]The Government of Alberta is committing $148.4 million over three years to create 8,000 new post-secondary seats across 21 institutions, targeting high-demand fields such as engineering, health, sciences, nursing, education, technology, and trades. Specific allocations include over 1,100 seats at the University of Alberta (including Augustana Campus and Campus Saint Jean), 1,600 seats at the University of Calgary, and over 170 seats at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). Additionally, $15 million is dedicated to creating about 1,000 seats in education programs, which includes $3 million set aside over three years for up to 86 new seats in expedited teaching certificate pathways.
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NDP Rx for fractured health care: One health ministry to end the chaos
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-10 22:56:04.0
Tags: [Alberta, Healthcare, Governance, Labour]The Alberta NDP unveiled their 'Future of Health Care' plan, proposing to dismantle the United Conservative Party government's four-pillar health ministry structure and consolidate operations back into a single integrated Ministry of Health. Led by NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi and MLA Dr. Luanne Metz, the policy platform pledges to protect the Canada Health Act, launch a public inquiry into privatized care, introduce whistleblower protections for health-care workers, and publicly report on wait times. In response, the Ministry of Hospital and Surgical Health Services defended the current administration's record, citing a 10 percent increase in licensed physicians, the addition of over 1,000 acute-care beds, and targeted investments including $63 million for existing facilities and $185 million for emergency health services.
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Free course covering basics of AI to be available to all Canadians by end of the year
Source: CBC Politics
Date: 2026-09-09 18:46:13.0
Tags: [National, Alberta, Technology, Education, Labour]The federal government, through Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Evan Solomon, announced a $13 million investment to launch the National AI Literacy Initiative in partnership with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (AMII). The initiative provides three free, self-paced online courses covering the basics of artificial intelligence, responsible use, and workplace readiness skills. Training for K-12 educators and post-secondary students launches on September 21, while a third course titled 'Essentials for Canadians' will become available via Employment and Social Development Canada's Job Bank and community partners by the end of the year.
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NAIT breaks ground on Advanced Skill Centre planned for 2030
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-08 22:44:42.0
Tags: [Alberta, Infrastructure, Education, Labour, Economy]The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology has broken ground on its new 625,000-square-foot Advanced Skills Centre on its main Edmonton campus, slated for completion by 2030. The $779 million capital project is funded 75 per cent ($384 million) by the Government of Alberta, with the remaining 25 per cent provided by Northern Alberta Institute of Technology through internal resources, donors, and industry partners. The facility will consolidate 29 programs spanning construction, transportation, manufacturing, and energy, enabling the institution to train an additional 5,500 students and bring total annual capacity to over 15,000 students.
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New school year brings more teachers and tighter rules on politics in Alberta classrooms
Source: Alberta - Edmonton Journal (Legislature & Capital)
Date: 2026-09-02 21:12:43.0
Tags: [Alberta, Education, Labour, Governance]Alberta Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides announced new rules under Bill 25 (An Act to Remove Politics and Ideology from Classrooms and Amend the Education Act, 2026) restricting school boards, staff, and students from discussing politically charged topics and taking positions on social issues. Beginning December 1, amendments to teacher professional conduct regulations will require objectivity and balanced presentation of issues. Additionally, the provincial government hired 2,127 new teachers for the school year, which includes 566 teachers allocated as part of 699 funded complexity teams intended to support students across kindergarten to grade 12.
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