Taproot Edmonton Logo

Headlines: Oct. 6, 2026

· The Pulse
By
Comments
Share
  • The City of Edmonton opened applications for its 2027 Civic Youth Fellowship, which offers people aged 19 to 30 a paid 10-week placement in municipal government. A new partnership will coordinate placements on Indigenous priorities for selected First Nations, Métis and Inuit fellows. Applications close Oct. 18.
  • The Edmonton Police Service said it charged Narayan Bergstrom, 29, with two counts of arson after two fires were deliberately set at El Cortez on Whyte Avenue. The second fire caused extensive damage, but no injuries were reported, and police said they do not expect further charges.
  • Edmonton city council will hold a public hearing Dec. 9 on a proposed bylaw that would change how the city delegates authority to forgive municipal taxes. Charter Bylaw 21584 would amend an existing bylaw to allow the City assessor to further delegate tax-forgiveness powers within the Assessment and Taxation Branch. Residents can submit a petition calling for a vote on the proposed bylaw, with petitions due by Dec. 7. If no sufficient petition is filed by that date, council could pass the bylaw without further notice. Residents can also register to speak at the public hearing or submit written comments to the city clerk.
  • Public Interest Alberta has called for an inquiry into foreign interference after reports that Alberta separatists met with U.S. Republican strategists. Premier Danielle Smith's spokesperson said Smith had no knowledge of the alleged meetings and opposed separation or Alberta becoming a U.S. state.
  • Alberta lawyers are urging the province to release an independent review of how Crown prosecutors and the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team handle police misconduct cases. The review, led by former Alberta Court of Appeal justice Peter Martin, was launched in November 2024 and was reportedly completed in mid-2025. The government says it is reviewing the report but has not said when it received it or whether it will be made public.
  • Alberta's population surpassed 5.1 million as of July 1, growing by about 76,500 people, or 1.5%, from the previous year, according to Statistics Canada. The province added more people than any other jurisdiction in Canada, while only Nunavut and Yukon, which have much smaller populations, recorded faster growth rates. Population growth has slowed from recent years, with fewer immigrants arriving and a net decline in non-permanent residents, particularly international students. Alberta also continued to gain residents from other provinces.
  • A Court of King's Bench judge ordered Alberta Health Services and the province to produce records and fill gaps in their disclosure for former CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos's wrongful-dismissal lawsuit. The court ordered them to file the documents by Nov. 2. The ruling follows months of disputes over document disclosure and a previous decision ordering Mentzelopoulos to return or destroy records she retained after her termination.