- Edmonton city council has launched public consultation for its 2027-2030 four-year budget, running from March 23 to May 1. Mayor Andrew Knack and Stacey Padbury, chief financial officer for the City, said residents can provide feedback via ward town halls, pop-up sessions, or online. Council's priorities include economic development, growth management, quality services, and safety. The City aims to address a $42.2 million structural budget variance and a $2.8 billion infrastructure deficit, while the financial stabilization reserve sits at $87.4 million, below its $150 million target.
- Edmonton architectural firm Reimagine Architects is in talks with the provincial government to potentially redevelop the former Royal Alberta Museum building in Glenora, CBC News reported. Founding principal Vivian Manasc and principal Vedran Škopac envision the vacant building, closed since December 2015, as a community hub with pickleball courts, arts spaces, markets, a theatre, and a café. The province previously announced plans for its demolition in August 2024, but called for proposals in July 2025 after community advocacy efforts.
- The Edmonton Police Service has charged a 56-year-old man with sexual assault, administering a stupefying substance, and other offences. The charges come after several women were allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted after meeting the man on dating apps such as Facebook Dating, Bumble, and Tinder. The investigation began in April 2025 after a woman reported an assault, and police believe there may be additional complainants. Lena Betker of the Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton highlighted an uptick in dating app-related cases.
- Edmonton Police Service hate crimes investigators are looking into an incident outside Edmonton's Talmud Torah School on March 23. A man appearing to be in mental distress made derogatory and racist comments about Jewish and other cultural groups, police said. Police apprehended the man under the Mental Health Act after responding to a mental health complaint. The incident comes amid a surge in antisemitic hate crimes between 2020 and 2024, according to Statistics Canada data.
- Alberta Health Services (AHS) is taking legal steps to recoup $49 million paid to a Turkish drug company and importer for children's medication it never received. Premier Danielle Smith acknowledged "sloppiness" in the 2022 contract, which is under RCMP and auditor general investigations. Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi criticized the government's handling of public funds, while former AHS CEO Athana Mentzelopoulos is suing for wrongful dismissal, alleging that she was fired for probing contract concerns.
- An Alberta legislature committee recommended Phillip Peters as the province's next auditor general, replacing Doug Wylie, whose term ends April 28. Peters, currently general counsel and ethics officer, would begin an eight-year term on April 29. He will inherit an ongoing investigation into alleged corruption in Alberta Health Services procurement, which Wylie was denied an extension to complete. The UCP-majority committee approved the recommendation, while Opposition NDP MLAs raised concerns about Peters' comparatively limited experience.
- Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney will debate separatist advocate Keith Wilson in two upcoming events concerning Alberta's independence from Canada, Wilson told Postmedia. The first debate is set for May 2 in Edmonton at the annual Civitas Canada conference, with a second event in Calgary on May 25. Wilson, a St. Albert-based lawyer, said the debates are crucial for Albertans to consider a lawful path to independence. They come as Mitch Sylvestre of the Alberta Prosperity Project campaigns for signatures to trigger a referendum on Alberta separating from Canada.
Headlines: March 26, 2026
By Mariam Ibrahim