- The City of Edmonton encourages residential property owners to join its Monthly Payment Plan for property taxes before Dec. 15. This plan allows owners to pay taxes monthly via automatic withdrawal on the first of each month, avoiding a single annual payment in June. Payments for the upcoming tax year will begin on Jan. 1. Property owners can download pre-filled application forms from their MyProperty online account.
- More than a dozen Edmonton-area schools were coping with respiratory illness outbreaks as of Dec. 10. Elk Island Public Schools reported 10 affected schools in Sherwood Park, Lamont, and Fort Saskatchewan. Ronald Harvey Elementary in St. Albert, along with one school each from Edmonton Public Schools and the Edmonton Catholic School Division, also experienced outbreaks. These are triggered when 10% of a school's population is sick, mostly with influenza and cold enteroviruses. Elk Island Public Schools cancelled Christmas events to prevent further spread. Alberta Health Services collects data, noting some outbreaks may be underreported, and advises keeping sick children home.
- Edmonton resident Ken Casey donated 39 hectares of land near Genesee Lake, west of Devon in Leduc County, to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). The plot, along the North Saskatchewan River, is now named Casey Forest and protects a diverse wetland habitat and clean water sources for local communities. The NCC said the land has a biodiversity index between 90-95%.
- Edmonton-based Capital Power signed a binding memorandum of understanding on Dec. 10 to supply 250 megawatts of electricity to an unnamed "investment grade data centre developer" in Alberta. CEO Avik Dey noted this agreement supports Alberta's growing artificial intelligence data centre industry, which Premier Danielle Smith aims to expand by $100 billion.
- Edmonton-based Grengine was selected for NATO's Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) 2026 Challenge Programme. Starting January 2026, the clean-energy company, which manufactures modular battery energy storage systems in Alberta, will receive funding and access to DIANA's network. Grengine said it will advance its cyber-secure, resilient energy solutions for both defence and civilian applications.
- A 32-year-old teacher has been charged with child luring, making sexually explicit materials available to a child, and child sexual abuse material offences following an investigation by the ALERT Internet Child Exploitation unit. Dylan Rosychuk, a teacher at Hilwie Hamdon School in northwest Edmonton, was arrested on Dec. 5, and is scheduled to appear in court on Dec. 19. Authorities are investigated whether other students were affected.
- Edmonton city councillors are looking to the future of the Argyll Velodrome, which is slated for demolition. The discussion focused on potential plans and redevelopment opportunities for the site once the current structure is removed.
- The Alberta government amended Bill 14, following concerns from Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure about "partisan influence" and a potential "erosion of the separation of powers." Justice Minister Mickey Amery introduced changes removing a five-year restriction on similar referendum questions and a clause allowing the justice minister to refer citizen petitions to court. McClure's primary concern was the bill's proposal for the justice minister to direct the chief electoral officer's actions.
- Alberta Premier Danielle Smith became the first premier in almost 90 years to face a citizen-led recall petition when Elections Alberta approved a petition against her. Heather VanSnick initiated the petition against Smith in Brooks-Medicine Hat, citing neglect of constituents and weakening public services. Recall drives were also launched for Technology Minister Nate Glubish and Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz, part of 20 UCP MLAs and one NDP MLA targeted with recall petitions. Smith denies ignoring constituents.
- Alberta's United Conservatives passed a bill in the early hours of Dec. 10 that again uses the Charter's notwithstanding clause, this time to shield three laws affecting transgender youth from legal challenge. Premier Danielle Smith's government argues these measures protect youth and parental rights, while the Opposition NDP and advocates like Egale Canada criticized the legislation and the clause's "extraordinary use."
Headlines: Dec. 11, 2025
By Mariam Ibrahim