- In a first-person column published by CBC News, hometown favourite Rollie Pemberton — also known as Cadence Weapon — spoke about how the Prairies shaped his career. He called the cold weather "my secret weapon as a musician," saying that because it prevented him from going outside sometimes he had "ample time to hunker down and be creative."
- Correctional officers at the Edmonton Institution have broken up two fights between inmates in just two weeks using live-round warning shots. "These are extreme measures that usually don't happen," said Calgary lawyer Jill Shiskin. Staffing challenges have led to a scaling back of out-of-cell time and access to programs and services.
- Tyler Gamblin, who is sleeping in a self-made igloo to raise money for multiple sclerosis research, has passed his $10,000 goal. He had pledged to sleep three nights in the icy structure but has added a fourth to see if he can raise $15,000.
- Alberta Enterprise Corporation is investing $12.5 million in Builders VC Fund II to support the growth of tech businesses focused on "modernizing industries including real estate and construction, agriculture, healthcare and industrials." Builders VC led a $2.5 million funding round for Edmonton's QuoteToMe last July. AEC is also investing $13.7 million with Yaletown Partners and $5 million with Amplitude Venture Capital.
- As of Jan. 25, there were 123 acute, long-term, and supportive living facilities in the Edmonton zone in outbreak status. There were just seven outbreaks in those facilities on Dec. 21, Global News reports.
- The Omicron variant may be slowing down in Alberta, according to Health Minister Jason Copping. "But make no mistake, the coming weeks are going to be the toughest yet for many Albertans and for the people working in core inpatient units in our hospitals," he said at a press conference on Jan. 25.
Headlines
By Mack Male and Doug Johnson