Category: Alberta

September 15, 2026           Calgary, Alberta             Canada Border Services Agency 

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers at the Coutts port of entry in southern Alberta intercepted two commercial trucks arriving from the United States and seized a combined 215.5 kg of suspected cocaine in July 2026.

A commercial truck was referred for a secondary examination on July 26, during which border services officers detected 80 bricks of suspected cocaine concealed within four boxes located among the declared load. The driver and a passenger were arrested by the CBSA. A total of 90.94 kg of cocaine was seized and transferred to the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region.

On July 31, a second commercial truck was referred for a secondary examination, where border services officers detected 107 bricks of cocaine within the shipment, and a total of 124.6 kg of suspected cocaine was seized. The driver was arrested by the CBSA and the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region took custody of the individual and the suspected narcotics.

The combined seizures resulted in the interception of 215.5 kg of suspected cocaine before it could enter Canada.

Both investigations are ongoing. 

The Government of Canada is taking action to make life more affordable for seniors and to help them stay active and connected to their communities.

To this end, it is providing an investment of $147,854 to seven organizations in southern Alberta for community-based projects through the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) that will help seniors stay active, informed and socially connected.

Funding includes:

• $25,000 to the Heartbeat Society for their project titled Sing, Smile, Connect: Music and Fun for Seniors. Seniors involved in the project will participate in activities that help improve peer mentorship and reduce social isolation for seniors.
• $19,138 to the Brooks and District Museum and Historical Society for their project titled Cultivating Heritage: Bridging Generations and Communities. Seniors involved in the project will participate in memory-stimulating activities, youth mentorship, collaborative crafts and recipe exchanges among women from different cultures to support the social participation and inclusion of seniors, promote intergenerational mentoring, and engage and collaborate with diverse communities.
• $23,500 to the Neighbourhood Associations of Medicine Hat for their project titled Oasis Medicine Hat – Meadowlark & Encore. Seniors involved in the project will participate in monthly programming focused on nutrition, physical activity, healthy aging, volunteering, outreach, and wellness checks to promote social inclusion and community engagement.
• $25,000 to the Metis Nation of Alberta Association Local Council #8 for their project titled Walking With Our Ancestors. Seniors involved in the project will plan and participate in activities such as learning the Michif language, storytelling, beading, finger weaving, bannock-making, medicine teachings, fiddle music or jigging, to create meaningful connections and foster social inclusion.
• $24,808 to Goodstoney Nation for their project titled Honouring Big Horn Elders. Seniors involved in the project will participate in workshops on elder-abuse digital literacy, and mentoring youth to promote intergenerational engagement all while supporting the social participation and inclusion of seniors.
• $5,405 to the Medicine Hat & District Health Foundation for their project titled In Hospital Senior Therapy – Java Circle Program. Seniors involved in the project will help to facilitate weekly gatherings to conduct artistic activities involving music to support social inclusion.
• $25,000 to the Community Futures Treaty Seven for their project titled Treaty 7 Elders Initiative. Seniors involved in the project will participate in cultural story telling sessions focused on cultural protocols and transfer of knowledge between youth and seniors of the treaty 7 territory, to enhance social participation and inclusion.

The funding announced was awarded through the 2025–2026 Call for Proposals for Community-based projects under the NHSP. This program funds a variety of projects that support seniors as they build stronger, more connected communities for all Canadians.

September 9, 2026       Foothills County, Alberta        Employment and Social Development Canada

As the cost of living continues to rise, the Government of Canada is taking action to make life more affordable for seniors, and to help them stay active and connected to their communities.

Today, the Honourable Stephanie McLean, Secretary of State (Seniors) announced an investment of $147,854 under the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) for seven community-based projects in southern Alberta. The Secretary of State made the announcement at the Heartbeat Society, which received $25,000 in funding for their project Sing, Smile, Connect: Music and Fun for Seniors. Seniors involved in the project will participate in activities that help improve peer mentorship and reduce social isolation for seniors.

The funding announced today was awarded through the 2025–26 call for proposals for community-based projects under the NHSP, which provides funding for projects that keep thousands of seniors engaged and giving back to their communities. These projects help seniors stay active, informed and socially connected as they participate in and help lead a range of activities, including memory-stimulating exercises, youth mentorship, cultural storytelling, medicine teaching, monthly nutrition programming, and digital literacy workshops.

The NHSP works with other Government initiatives, like the new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit, to support low- and modest-income households, including those of seniors, as the cost of living continues to rise. Together, these measures are designed to help seniors better meet their everyday needs and as they help build stronger, more connected communities for all Canadians.

Federal investment helping more students access nutritious food while making life more affordable for Alberta families

September 9, 2026               Calgary, Alberta                             Employment and Social Development                                                                                                 

As students return to the classroom, the Honourable Anna Gainey, Secretary of State (Children and Youth) visited RancheView School in Cochrane to mark the start of the new school year and highlight how federal and provincial investments are helping more children access nutritious food at school.

Through the National School Food Program, the federal government aims to provide meals to up to 400,000 children each year. For the 2026-27 school year, federal funding for provincial and territorial school food programs has doubled from 2024-25 levels to $140 million annually, helping enhance and expand school food programs across Canada.

Under the Canada-Alberta National School Food Program Agreement, the Government of Canada’s $17.6 million investment for 2026-27 builds on Alberta’s annual funding of $20 million for the School Nutrition Program Grant, creating more opportunities for students to access healthy food at school. Together, these investments will help schools provide more meals, improve nutritional quality, expand programming to additional students, and establish new school nutrition programs in schools that do not currently offer them.

The combined investment strengthens support for the more than 58,000 students already benefiting from Alberta’s School Nutrition Program while extending access to even more children and families across the province.

On average, participating families across Canada with two children in school can save an estimated $800 in grocery bills per year. Nutritious food at school promotes children’s health and learning, eases grocery costs for families, and fosters a more resilient Canadian food system that supports local economies, Canadian farmers and food producers. 

September 4, 2026 – Ottawa, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

The Honourable Heath MacDonald, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, will travel to southern Alberta from September 8 to 10 to visit local producers, tour farming and food processing facilities, and meet with industry leaders. Media are encouraged to reach out if interested in engaging with Minister MacDonald during his visit.

While in Alberta, Minister MacDonald, alongside industry partners, will announce support to advance Canada’s controlled environment agriculture sector and drive sustainable agricultural technology.  Minister MacDonald and other participants will be available for questions following the announcement. 

Announcement details

Date

Tuesday, September 8, 2026

Time

9:00 am to 9:45 am MDT

Location

Hydragreens Produce Ltd.
242093, Range Rd 32, Calgary, AB T3Z 3L4

Media are asked to register in advance by contacting:

Kandice Kew, Communications Advisor
Kandice.kew@agr.gc.ca

Jasper, Alberta, September 1, 2026 — For generations, Jasper has been both a home and a destination, where people have built lives and businesses while welcoming visitors from across Canada and around the world.

The 2024 wildfire changed the community profoundly. Homes and businesses were lost, residents were displaced and critical infrastructure was placed under immense pressure. In the time since, Jasper residents, local leaders and businesses have worked with extraordinary determination to rebuild.

That recovery is about more than replacing what was lost. It is about restoring the essential services that residents depend on, enabling new homes to be built, and strengthening the community against future emergencies.

To that end, Minister Olszewski, and Mayor Ireland announced a joint investment of more than $7.9 million in a wastewater lagoon recommissioning project in Jasper. The federal portion, over $3.9 million, is being allocated through the Direct Delivery stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund.

The Build Communities Strong Fund is investing $51 billion in a wide range of infrastructure projects across the country that support economic prosperity, housing, sport, education, health, transit, and climate adaptation. It reflects the Government of Canada’s acknowledgment that building a strong Canada starts with investing in the modern and reliable infrastructure that makes it possible to increase housing supply and create resilient communities.

Funding for this project will go towards the restoration of an existing, decommissioned lagoon to increase the resilience of Jasper’s wastewater system. This will provide critical storage capacity during peak flow periods and reduce its environmental impact when used as an emergency wastewater storage facility. The lagoon currently receives wastewater during extended power outages at the plant, such as during wildfires or when the plant is taken offline for maintenance.

Once complete, the project will help prevent overflows and maintain continued wastewater service as the community rebuilds and grows, supporting Jasper’s long-term housing strategy. It will also protect the local watershed during peak flow periods, infrastructure failures or maintenance events.

This investment is one part of the Government of Canada’s broader commitment to Jasper’s recovery. By strengthening the infrastructure needed to support housing, essential services and future growth, governments are working together to help build Jasper back as a safer, stronger and more resilient community.