Alberta | The Canadian Encyclopedia
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Alberta

Alberta, the westernmost of Canada's three Prairie provinces, shares many physical features with its neighbours to the east, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The Rocky Mountains form the southern portion of Alberta's western boundary with British Columbia.

Rocky Mountains, Alberta
  1. July 24, 1754

    Red Deer

    Government and Politics 

    Henday in the West

    Anthony Henday reached Fort Paskoyac; he later reached a Blackfoot camp southwest of present-day Red Deer, being likely the first European to set foot in territory that became Alberta.

  2. October 18, 1840

    Fort Edmonton

    Government and Politics 

    First Cleric in Alberta

    Robert Rundle arrived at Fort Edmonton, the first permanent cleric in what became Alberta.

  3. July 15, 1870

    Prince Rupert

    Government and Politics 

    Transfer of Rupert's Land

    The British Crown officially transferred Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory to Canada. These lands comprise present-day Manitoba, most of Saskatchewan, southern Alberta, southern Nunavut, and northern parts of Ontario and Québec.

  4. October 01, 1874

    Fort Macleod

    Government and Politics 

    Establishment of Fort Macleod

    One hundred and fifty North-West Mounted Police established the first police post in what is now Alberta on an island in the Oldman River, and named it after Assistant Commissioner James F. Macleod.

  5. August 23, 1876

    Cree Encampment

    Government and Politics  Indigenous Peoples 

    Treaty 6

    Treaty 6 was signed at Carlton and at Fort Pitt with the Plains Cree, Woodland Cree and Assiniboine. It ceded an area of 120,000 sq. miles of the plains of Saskatchewan and Alberta.

  6. September 22, 1877

    Mékaisto (Red Crow)

    Government and Politics  Indigenous Peoples 

    Treaty 7

    Treaty 7 was signed at Blackfoot Crossing in southern Alberta by the Siksika, Kainai, Piikani, Tsuut'ina and Stoney. Canadian officials understood that by the treaty First Nations surrendered some 35,000 sq miles of land to the Crown in return for reserves, payments and annuities.

  7. May 08, 1882

    Old Map of Western Canada.

    Government and Politics 

    Western Provisional Districts

    Land acquired from the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1870 was divided into four administrative districts by the federal government: Alberta, Assiniboia, Athabasca and Saskatchewan. The districts, designed "for the convenience of settlers and for postal purposes," were roughly equal in size and natural resource distribution.

  8. March 27, 1883

    Regina, Aerial View

    Government and Politics 

    Capital of the North-West Territories Shifts

    The capital of the North-West Territories (the future Alberta and Saskatchewan) shifted from Battleford to Pile O' Bones (Regina). Cree hunters harvested buffalo in the region and stacked the bones of their quarry in piles roughly 2 m tall by 12 m in diameter. The Cree believed that buffalo herds would return to visit these bones, and so named the area Oskana-Ka-asateki, "the place where bones are piled."

  9. June 01, 1883

    Canadian Pacific Railway, Map

    Communication and Transportation 

    CPR Arrives in Alberta

    The Canadian Pacific Railway arrived in Alberta, at Medicine Hat.

  10. January 01, 1895

    Scenic View of Waterton Lake National Park, Alberta Canada

    Resources and Environment 

    Waterton Lakes National Park Established

    Waterton Lakes National Park was established. The park is situated in the southwestern corner of Alberta on the CanadaUS border. In 1932, the park was united with Montana's Glacier National Park to create the world's first international peace park.

  11. June 21, 1899

    Pitikwahanapiwiyin (Poundmaker), Plains Cree Chief, 1885

    Government and Politics  Indigenous Peoples 

    Treaty 8

    Cree, Beaver, Chipewyan and Slavey First Nations ceded territory south and west of Great Slave Lake in northern Alberta to the federal government in Treaty 8.

  12. September 01, 1900

    Minto, 4th Earl of

    Resources and Environment 

    Minto Opens Canal

    Governor General Lord Minto opened an irrigation canal, which ran 184 km between Kimball and Lethbridge, Alberta.

  13. April 29, 1903

    Frank Slide

    Resources and Environment 

    Frank Slide

    A rockslide (commonly called the Frank Slide) from Turtle Mountain, NWT (Alta), onto the town of Frank killed at least 70 people, the most disastrous rockfall in Canadian history.

  14. October 08, 1904

    Edmonton, History

    Government and Politics 

    Edmonton Incorporated

    First established in 1795 as a Hudson’s Bay Company post, Edmonton was on this day incorporated as a city. The following year, it was chosen as capital for the freshly minted Province of Alberta. Today, it is the northernmost North American city with a population over one million.

  15. February 27, 1905

    Sir Clifford Sifton, politician

    Government and Politics 

    Sifton Resigns

    Interior minister Clifford Sifton resigned from the federal Cabinet in a dispute over guarantees for separate schools in the Act making Alberta and Saskatchewan provinces of Canada.

  16. July 18, 1905

    Western Settlement

    Government and Politics 

    Dominion Act

    The Dominion Act created the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, effective September 1. Regina and Edmonton, respectively, became the capitals on July 20.

  17. September 01, 1905

    Laurier, 1905

    Government and Politics 

    Alberta and Saskatchewan Become Provinces

    Alberta and Saskatchewan entered Canada as the 8th and 9th provinces by two federal Acts which received royal assent on 20 July. Alberta's boundary with Saskatchewan was set at 110°, though Albertans wanted 107°. The Acts (Autonomy Bills) declared that the West was to have non-denominational schools.

  18. September 23, 1908

    Communication and Transportation 

    University of Alberta Opens

    The University of Alberta at Edmonton opened, with 37 students.

  19. May 26, 1910

    Arthur Lewis Sifton, politician

    Government and Politics 

    A. Sifton Becomes Premier of Alberta

    Arthur Sifton became premier of Alberta. He held together a divided party and was an effective premier, a strong leader and a skilled administrator.

  20. December 09, 1910

    Resources and Environment 

    Bellevue Mine Explosion Kills 31

    An explosion in a coal mine at Bellevue, Alta, killed 31 men. It was caused in part by the negligence of the coal company.

  21. January 01, 1911

    Frank Oliver

    Government and Politics 

    Oliver's Immigration Policy

    Alberta's Frank Oliver wanted tighter controls on immigration. He became the Liberal government's Minister of the Interior in 1905. Oliver was staunchly British, and his policies favoured nationality over occupation. By 1911, he was able to assert that his immigration policy was more "restrictive, exclusive and selective" than his predecessor's.

  22. January 11, 1911

    Winter Storm

    Resources and Environment 

    Alberta's Record Low

    Alberta's record low temperature of -60.6° C was recorded at Fort Vermilion.

  23. May 14, 1914

    Dingman Discovery Well No 1

    Oil Sands 

    Oil Discovery at Turner Valley

    A major oil discovery at Turner Valley, southwest of Calgary, ushered in the oil age in Alberta.

  24. June 19, 1914

    Hillcrest Mine Explosion

    Resources and Environment 

    Hillcrest Mine Explosion

    An explosion of methane gas at Hillcrest, Alta, killed 189 men in Canada's worst mining disaster.

  25. February 26, 1915

    Nellie McClung

    Government and Politics 

    McClung's Petition

    Suffragist Nellie McClung presented the Alberta legislature with a petition demanding that women be given the right to vote. The right was granted in municipal elections 2 months later.

  26. April 19, 1916

    Government and Politics 

    Alberta Women Get Vote

    Alberta women won the rights to vote and to hold provincial office.

  27. July 01, 1916

    Blind Pig Raided

    Government and Politics 

    Prohibition in Alberta

    The Prohibition of the sale of alcohol came into effect in Alberta. The law proved unenforceable.

  28. June 07, 1917

    Louise McKinney, women's rights activist, legislator

    Government and Politics 

    First Elected Women

    Louise McKinney and Roberta MacAdams were the first women in Canada elected to a provincial legislature, in Alberta.

  29. May 01, 1919

    Winnipeg General Strike

    Government and Politics 

    Sympathy Strike In Alberta

    Two thousand workers in Edmonton and Calgary went on strike in support of the strikers in the Winnipeg General Strike.

  30. March 01, 1920

    Government and Politics 

    Alberta Penitentiary Closes

    The federal government ordered the Alberta Penitentiary in Edmonton closed down and the 147 prisoners moved to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan or Stony Mountain, Manitoba.

  31. July 18, 1921

    Government and Politics 

    Parlby Elected

    Irene Parlby was elected to the Alberta Legislature, representing Lacombe in the United Farmers of Alberta government. She was subsequently named to Cabinet, as minister without portfolio. Parlby was only the second woman in the British Empire to hold ministerial office. She was particularly active on issues related to public health care, improved wages for working women and married women's property rights.

  32. July 18, 1921

    United Farmers of Alberta

    Government and Politics 

    United Farmers of Alberta Win

    The United Farmers of Alberta won the provincial election, forming the government until 1935. They chose Herbert Greenfield as premier.

  33. January 01, 1922

    Wood Buffalo National Park

    Resources and Environment 

    Wood Buffalo National Park Established

    Wood Buffalo National Park was established to protect the last herd of wood bison. Canada's largest national park straddles the Alberta-Northwest Territories border. It was declared a world heritage site in 1983.

  34. May 01, 1922

    Sports and Culture 

    First Alberta Radio Broadcast

    Radio station CJCA made its first broadcast in Edmonton, Alberta.

  35. May 24, 1924

    Blind Pig Raided

    Government and Politics 

    End of Prohibition in Alberta

    Prohibition ended in Alberta when the Alberta Liquor Act was amended. Albertans had chosen to have the liquor trade controlled by the government.

  36. June 26, 1925

    Drumheller

    Government and Politics  Resources and Environment 

    Drumheller Strike

    A violent confrontation between police and strikers effectively ended the strike of the miners in Drumheller, Alta.

  37. November 23, 1925

    Government and Politics 

    Premier Greenfield Resigns

    Premier Herbert Greenfield, ill and often absent, resigned as premier of Alberta. He was succeeded by John Brownlee.

  38. September 14, 1926

    William Lyon Mackenzie King

    Government and Politics 

    King Forms Minority

    In a federal election the Liberals and Conservatives reversed fortunes with the Liberals winning 116 seats and the Conservatives 91. The Progressives won 13 seats and the UFA 11; there were 14 others. King became prime minister again, forming a minority.

  39. July 28, 1930

    Richard Bedford Bennett, politician

    Government and Politics 

    Conservatives Win Election

    In a federal election, the Conservatives won a majority with 137 seats to the Liberals' 91. The UFA held 10 and the Progressives dropped to 2. R.B. Bennett became prime minister.

  40. June 24, 1932

    Mel Hurtig

    People 

    Birth of Mel Hurtig

    Publisher and nationalist Mel Hurtig, who first published The Canadian Encyclopedia (1985 and 1988), was born in Edmonton, Alberta. Hurtig also co-founded the Council of Canadians and wrote a number of books on Canadian society and politics.

  41. August 30, 1933

    People 

    Birth of Don Getty

    Former Alberta premier and professional football player Don Getty was born in Westmount, Québec. Getty played quarterback for the Edmonton Eskimos for 10 seasons, leading the team to Grey Cup championships in his first two seasons, 1955 and 1956. A successful career in the oil industry followed before he made the transition to politics, winning a seat in the Alberta Legislature as a member of the Conservative Party in 1967. Getty became premier of Alberta in 1985 and led the province until 1992.

  42. August 22, 1935

    Aberhart, William

    Government and Politics 

    Social Credit Victory in Alberta

    Charismatic Bible-thumping William Aberhart led the Social Credit Party to victory in the Alberta provincial elections. He was sworn in on September 3. The party dominated Alberta politics until 1971.

  43. March 21, 1940

    Aberhart, William

    Government and Politics 

    Social Credit Retain Power

    Premier William Aberhart's Social Credit Party won 36 of 57 seats in Alberta's provincial election.

  44. May 31, 1943

    Manning, Ernest

    Government and Politics 

    Manning Becomes Premier

    Ernest Charles Manning succeeded William Aberhart as Social Credit premier of Alberta.

  45. February 13, 1947

    Leduc oil discovery

    Oil Sands 

    Hunter Strikes Oil at Leduc

    Vern "Dry Hole" Hunter struck oil near Leduc, Alberta. The discovery ended a long decline in the Alberta oil industry, began an era of prosperity for the province and spared Canada dependence on foreign oil.

  46. January 01, 1949

    Indigenous Peoples 

    First Nations Win Right to Vote Provincially

    Except in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, Status Indians had been barred from voting provincially. Beginning with British Columbia in 1949 and ending with Quebec in 1969, First Nations peoples gradually win the right to vote in provincial elections without losing status or treaty rights.  

  47. September 24, 1950

    Resources and Environment 

    “Great Smoke Pall”

    Drifting sulphur particles from British Columbia and Alberta forest fires caused the sun and moon to look blue or violet throughout areas of North America and Western Europe. The “great smoke pall” of September 1950 was unique in its scope and intensity.

  48. October 31, 1950

    Gas pipeline construction

    Oil Sands 

    Pipeline Completed

    The 1770 km oil pipeline from Edmonton to the Great Lakes was completed, linking Canada's gas fields with the markets of central Canada. In 1958 Alberta gas finally reached Toronto and imports of Texas gas ended.

  49. April 24, 1952

    Dingman Discovery Well No 1

    Oil Sands 

    First Alberta Oil in Ontario

    The first shipment of oil from Alberta arrived in Ontario via pipeline and freighter.

  50. September 15, 1956

    Image of an experimental external cardiac pacemaker-defibrillator

    People 

    Reports of Canada’s First Successful Open-Heart Surgery

    Dr. John Carter Callaghan performed Canada’s first successful open-heart surgery on 10-year-old Susan Beattie, who had a hole in her heart. On 15 November 1956, the Edmonton Journal described the event as “the greatest single advance in heart surgery in recent years.” Callaghan was also known for co-developing the portable artificial pacemaker.

  51. December 15, 1956

    Portrait of Dr. John Carter Callaghan

    People 

    Reports of Canada’s First Blue-Baby Operation

    On 15 December 1956, the Edmonton Journal reported on a rare heart operation. An 18-month-old baby, Sherry Anderson, suffered from blue-baby syndrome, a condition that causes skin to look bluish due to a shortage of oxygen in the blood. Dr. John Carter Callaghan and his team performed an operation to fix this condition for the first time in Canada.

  52. September 19, 1960

    Sports and Culture 

    University of Calgary Founded

    The University of Alberta opened a new 130 ha campus on the outskirts of Calgary - later to become the University of Calgary.

  53. May 27, 1963

    Sports and Culture 

    NAIT Opens

    The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology opened in Edmonton.

  54. March 20, 1965

    Peter Lougheed

    Government and Politics 

    Peter Lougheed Elected Leader

    Calgary lawyer Peter Lougheed, 36, was elected leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party. He was first elected to the legislature in 1967.

  55. April 06, 1967

    Government and Politics 

    Canada's First Ombudsman

    George McClellan was named ombudsman of Alberta, Canada's first.

  56. May 28, 1969

    Communication and Transportation 

    Alberta Resources Railway

    Alberta premier Harry Strom opened the Alberta Resources Railway, a 378 km line from Grande Prairie north to Solomon.

  57. August 30, 1971

    Government and Politics 

    Conservatives Win Alberta

    Peter Lougheed's Conservatives ended 36 years of Socred government in Alberta by winning a majority government in a general election.

  58. July 02, 1974

    Government and Politics 

    Ralph Steinhauer Appointed Lieutenant-Governor

    Ralph Steinhauer was appointed lieutenant-governor of Alberta, the first Indigenous person to hold vice-regal office in Canada.

  59. February 04, 1975

    Ariel view of oil sands, Alberta

    Oil Sands 

    Oil Sands Development

    The Alberta, Ontario and federal governments agreed to invest $600 million in the Syncrude Canada project to develop the Athabasca oil sands near Fort McMurray, Alberta.

  60. September 01, 1981

    Peter Lougheed

    Oil Sands 

    Energy Pricing Deal

    Alberta premier Peter Lougheed and PM Pierre Trudeau signed an energy-pricing agreement.

  61. September 25, 1985

    Sports and Culture 

    Tyrrell Museum Opens

    Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed officially opened the $30-million Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology at Drumheller.

  62. November 01, 1985

    Peter Lougheed

    Government and Politics 

    Peter Lougheed Steps Down

    Peter Lougheed stepped down as premier of Alberta. Don Getty became premier.

  63. February 23, 1986

    Communication and Transportation 

    Train Disaster at Hinton

    Twenty-three people died in a head-on collision between a CN freight train and a Via Rail passenger train at Hinton, Alta.

  64. May 08, 1986

    Getty, Donald R.

    Government and Politics 

    Getty's Majority Reduced

    In a worsening economic climate, Premier Don Getty of Alberta saw the Conservative majority reduced from 75 of 79 seats to 61.

  65. June 09, 1995

    Sawridge on Lesser Slave Lake

    Resources and Environment 

    Floods in Medicine Hat

    Floods in Medicine Hat, Alta, forced some 5000 people from their homes.

  66. December 19, 1995

    Chickens

    Resources and Environment 

    Happy Chickens

    Alberta chicken producer Rod Chernos was honoured by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. He believed "a happy chicken is a tasty one."

  67. April 28, 1999

    Government and Politics 

    Taber Killings

    A 14-year-old boy armed with a .22 calibre rifle shot two students at W.R. Myers High School in Taber, Alberta. One died and the other was critically injured. The shooting occurred just eight days after the Colorado massacre.

  68. May 23, 1999

    Sports and Culture 

    Owen Hart Killed

    Alberta-born professional wrestler Owen Hart fell 15 m to his death during a performance in Kansas City. His wife brought a suit against the wrestling federation for endangering Hart's life in pursuit of TV ratings.

  69. November 02, 1999

    Government and Politics 

    Compensation for Sterilization

    The Alberta government announced that it would compensate 242 people who had been sterilized against their will as part of a policy of sterilizing mentally handicapped children from 1929 to 1972.

  70. April 19, 2000

    Natural Gas Well

    Government and Politics  Resources and Environment 

    Ludwig Found Guilty

    An Alberta judge found activist Wiebo Ludwig guilty of a 1998 gas-well bombing. Ludwig claimed that the wells were responsible for deadly pollution in the area.

  71. May 11, 2000

    Government and Politics 

    Alberta Bill 11 Passes

    Alberta's Health Care Protection Act (Bill 11) passed. Seen by the government as an act to preserve the health care system, Bill 11 was intended to expand the role of private surgery facilities.

  72. July 14, 2000

    Day, Stockwell

    Government and Politics 

    Stockwell Day Chosen Leader

    The Canadian Alliance elected former Alberta Treasurer Stockwell Day as leader, replacing party founder Preston Manning.

  73. May 20, 2003

    Ranching

    Resources and Environment 

    Mad-cow Disease Hits Canada

    Mad-cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) was discovered in a northern Alberta farm, threatening the $7.6 billion beef industry.

  74. January 20, 2005

    Norman L. Kwong

    Government and Politics 

    Norman Kwong Becomes Lieutenant Governor

    Norman Kwong succeeded Lois Hole as Alberta's 16th lieutenant governor, the first Chinese Canadian to hold the position in Alberta.

  75. April 12, 2005

    Dragline

    Oil Sands 

    Chinese Begin Investing in Alberta’s Oil Sands

    China National Offshore Oil Corp (or CNOOC) is the first Chinese company to invest in Alberta’s oil sands with the purchase of a 16.7 per cent share of MEG Energy Corp. China's two other state-controlled oil companies, PetroChina and Sinopec, would also purchase shares in other oil sand companies by 2009.

  76. December 14, 2006

    Edward Stelmach, politician

    Government and Politics 

    Stelmach Sworn In

    Ed Stelmach was officially sworn in as the new premier of Alberta, replacing out-going premier Ralph Klein.

  77. October 21, 2009

    Government and Politics 

    Alberta WCB Workers Held Hostage

    A disgruntled claimant held 8 Workers Compensation Board employees hostage at gunpoint for nearly 10 hours. The event ended peacefully when the hostage-taker surrendered to police.

  78. April 12, 2010

    Ariel view of oil sands, Alberta

    Oil Sands 

    Chinese Oil Producer Buys Shares in Syncrude

    Sinopec Corp, China's second-largest oil producer, paid $4.65 billion for a 9.03 per cent share of Syncrude. The purchase more than doubled that country’s presence in Alberta's oil sands since its companies began investing there in 2005.

  79. May 11, 2010

    Government and Politics 

    Ethell Appointed Lieutenant-Governor

    The Honourable Donald S. Ethell was installed as the 17th Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.

  80. June 16, 2010

    Indigenous Peoples 

    First National Truth and Reconciliation Event

    The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada hosts its first national event, in Winnipeg, MB. It explores the history of the residential school system, the experience of former students and their families and the impact such institutions had on Indigenous peoples in Canada. Over the next five years, six more events follow in cities around the country, with a national closing ceremony in Ottawa.

  81. September 28, 2010

     James Cameron

    Oil Sands 

    Cameron Tours Alberta Oilsands

    Canadian-born film director James Cameron toured the industrial development near Fort McMurray, speaking with First Nations representatives and oil industry officials and ultimately concluding that the issue of environmental stewardship in the area is complex and far-reaching.

  82. June 08, 2013

    Sawridge on Lesser Slave Lake

    Resources and Environment 

    Alberta Flood Begins

    Torrential rains in both northern and southern Alberta flood the landscape and mire cities and townships. As many as 75,000 people are evacuated from Calgary as the Bow and Elbow rivers swell. Waters begin to recede a full two weeks after rains began.

  83. May 05, 2015

    Government and Politics 

    NDP Wins Majority in Alberta Election

    In a remarkable electoral upset, the Alberta New Democratic Party won a majority government, ousting the long-reigning Progressive Conservative Party. NDP leader Rachel Notley replaced Jim Prentice as premier. The Tories lost support with voters on economic issues in the lead-up to the election and finished in third place on election night. The Wildrose Party became the Official Opposition.

  84. February 26, 2016

    Getty, Donald R.

    People 

    Death of Don Getty

    Former Alberta premier and professional football player Don Getty died in Edmonton, Alberta, at age 82. Getty played quarterback for the Edmonton Eskimos for 10 seasons, leading the team to Grey Cup championships in his first two seasons, 1955 and 1956. A successful career in the oil industry followed before he made the transition to politics, winning a seat in the Alberta Legislature as a member of the Conservative Party in 1967. Getty became premier of Alberta in 1985 and led the province until 1992.

  85. May 03, 2016

    Fort McMurray Wildfire 2016

    Disasters  Oil Sands 

    Fort McMurray Wildfire

    A raging forest fire, which had begun southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta, crossed the Athabasca River toward the city, prompting the evacuation of more than 80,000 residents. The fire eventually covered 500,000 hectares, destroyed 2,400 structures (about 10 per cent of Fort McMurray), and forced oil sands producers to temporarily shut down their operations. It was called the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history.

  86. August 03, 2016

    Mel Hurtig

    People 

    Death of Mel Hurtig

    Publisher and nationalist Mel Hurtig, who first published The Canadian Encyclopedia (1985 and 1988), died in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Edmonton native also co-founded the Council of Canadians and wrote a number of books on Canadian society and politics.

  87. September 03, 2016

    Norman L. Kwong

    People 

    Death of Norman Kwong

    Norman “Normie” Kwong made history as the first Chinese Canadian to play in the Canadian Football League, the youngest player to win the Grey Cup, and the first Chinese Canadian lieutenant-governor of Alberta. He died in Calgary at the age of 86.

  88. June 08, 2017

    People 

    Death of LeRoy Fjordbotten

    LeRoy Fjordbotten, Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and cabinet minister for the Progressive Conservative governments of Peter Lougheed, Don Getty and Ralph Klein (1979–93), died at the age of 78.

  89. September 30, 2017

    People 

    Edmonton Terror Attack

    A man drove a car into a routine police roadblock in downtown Edmonton, Alberta, striking Constable Mike Chernyk at high speed. The driver then got out of the car and attacked the officer with a knife before fleeing the scene. He was later stopped in a U-Haul van at a police checkpoint but sped away, hitting four pedestrians before he was arrested by pursuing police officers. (In the days after the attack, the victims were all expected to survive.) A Daesh flag was found in the car of the suspect, who was identified as 30-year-old Abdulahi Hasan Sharif, a Somali refugee who had been interviewed by the RCMP in 2015 for supporting extremist views. (See also Terrorism and Canada.)

  90. October 01, 2017

    People 

    Four Canadians Killed in Las Vegas Mass Shooting

    Among at least 59 people killed in the mass shooting perpetrated by Stephen Paddock at a music festival in Las Vegas, Nevada, were four Canadians: Jordan McIldoon of Maple Ridge, British Columbia; Jessica Klymchuck of Valleyview, Alberta; Calla Medig of Jasper, Alberta; and Tara Roe of Okotoks, Alberta. Several Canadians were among the more than 500 people injured in the attack, which was described as the largest mass shooting in modern United States history.

  91. October 05, 2017

    Gas pipeline construction

    Oil Sands 

    Energy East Pipeline Project Cancelled

    TransCanada announced that it had cancelled plans to build the Energy East pipeline, which would have carried crude oil from Alberta and Saskatchewan to refineries in Québec and New Brunswick. From there, oil would have been exported to other countries. The company cited changing market conditions and delays in assessments carried out by the National Energy Board as reasons for its decision. The project’s supporters, including premiers Rachel Notley and Brad Wall, expressed disappointment and criticized the federal government’s approach to the review process. Energy East’s opponents, including municipalities in Québec and Indigenous communities along the proposed path of the pipeline, hailed it as a victory.

  92. February 19, 2019

    Duvernay pipeline

    Resources and Environment 

    “United We Roll” Convoy Advocates for Energy Sector Support

    A convoy of almost 200 vehicles that left Red Deer, Alberta, on 14 February arrived in Ottawa, where it held pro-oil and pro-pipeline protests against the Trudeau government.  A GoFundMe page helped raise more than $130,000 to support the convoy.

  93. May 01, 2021

    People 

    Alberta has Highest Per-capita COVID-19 Cases in Canada

    For the third day in a row, Alberta set a record for new daily COVID-19 cases, with 2,433. With a seven-day rolling average of 440.5 daily cases per million people, Alberta had the highest per capita infection rate in Canada. It was also higher than any state in the US.

  94. July 28, 2021

    Government and Politics 

    Alberta Announces New COVID-19 Policies

    Though there had been a sharp rise in COVID-19 cases in Alberta since the province lifted most public health restrictions on 1 July, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, announced a further loosening of restrictions. With 65 per cent of eligible Albertans fully vaccinated against COVID-19, health minister Tyler Shandro said that lifting many remaining restrictions was “the inevitable next step.” However, many were critical of the move. Noel Gibney, a professor emeritus at the University of Alberta, said that it went “against all basic principles of public health” and made “absolutely no medical sense.”

  95. September 15, 2021

    Government and Politics 

    Alberta Declares State of Emergency Due to COVID Spread

    With more than 18,000 active COVID-19 cases — the most of any province — Alberta premier Jason Kenney declared a state of public health emergency. The number of ICU admissions (212) set a pandemic record in Canada. About 90 per cent of ICU patients were unvaccinated. By 30 September, the province had 247 COVID cases in ICU. It then began to receive emergency medical staff from the Red Cross, the Canadian Armed Forces, and Newfoundland and Labrador.

  96. September 20, 2021

    Flag representing 2 Spirits people of the 1st Nations

    Government and Politics  Indigenous Peoples 

    First Openly Two-Spirit MP Elected

    Blake Desjarlais, of Cree and Métis descent and originally from the Fishing Lake Métis Settlement in northwestern Alberta, became Canada’s first openly two-spirit Member of Parliament when he was elected to represent Edmonton Griesbach.

  97. October 18, 2021

    Government and Politics  People 

    Calgary and Edmonton Elect First Female Mayor and First Racialized Mayor, Respectively

    Embed from Getty Images

    After campaigning on a platform to increase Calgary’s public transportation and property tax revenue, former city councillor Jyoti Gondek won a landslide victory with 45 per cent of the vote to become Calgary’s first female mayor. Meanwhile, former Edmonton city councillor and federal cabinet minister Amarjeet Sohi also took 45 per cent of the vote in Edmonton’s municipal elections to become the first racialized person to be elected mayor in the city’s history.

  98. October 25, 2021

    Government and Politics 

    Jyoti Gondek becomes Calgary’s First Female Mayor

    Jyoti Gondek, a former community consultant and academic, was sworn in as the first female mayor in Calgary’s history. Gondek had won election with 45 per cent of the vote on 18 October. She said that with her victory — coupled with that of Amarjeet Sohi, a Sikh immigrant from India, in the Edmonton mayoral election on the same day — Albertans were making an important statement: “We have normalized now the idea of women and people of colour being in senior leadership positions. I am happy that the population sees itself reflected in its local government.”

  99. October 11, 2022

    Danielle Smith

    Government and Politics 

    Danielle Smith Succeeds Jason Kenney as UCP Leader and Alberta Premier

    Danielle Smith — a broadcaster and former leader of the Wildrose Party, who made headlines in 2014 after defecting to the Progressive Conservatives — was elected leader of the United Conservative Party following Jason Kenney’s resignation. Smith won with 53.8 per cent of the vote on the sixth ballot. She was sworn in as premier on 11 October but lacked a seat in the legislature until she won a by-election in November 2022.

  100. June 22, 2024

    Government and Politics 

    Naheed Nenshi Elected Leader of Alberta NDP in Landslide Win

    Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi won the leadership of the Alberta NDP with 86 per cent of the vote on the first ballot. The party’s membership increased by a factor of five to more than 85,000, and the turnout for the leadership vote was a remarkable 85.6 per cent. Nenshi did not have a seat in the legislature, so he appointed house speaker Christina Gray as the leader of the Opposition and named Rakhi Pancholi as deputy leader. Nenshi then turned his attention to winning a seat in the legislature.

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