National

Smith, Alberta Next panel begin town hall series to hear grievances about Ottawa

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 15 Jul, 2025 11:05 AM

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and a hand-picked panel are set to hold the first in a series of town halls to address public concerns with the federal government.

Some 650 people are expected at today's event in Red Deer as Smith and the 15 other members of the Alberta Next panel hear about grievances inspiring separatist sentiment in the province.

The government is dedicating time at the event to several strategies it's pitching to wrest more control from the federal government, including pulling out of the Canada Pension Plan and withholding social services from some immigrants.

There will also be an open question-and-answer period.

Smith and panel members are set to hear feedback in Edmonton on Wednesday.

The premier has said the panel will recommend ideas and policy proposals for a referendum after the town halls wrap up in October.

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Todd Korol

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C. union leader says 'high probability' of dispute in public sector contract talks

Contract talks between the British Columbia government's unionized public sector workers start today with a union leader forecasting a difficult round of bargaining. B.C. General Employees' Union President Paul Finch says the contract for 34,000 provincial government workers expires March 31, but talks are starting earlier.

B.C. union leader says 'high probability' of dispute in public sector contract talks

'Targeted' shooting first homicide of the year in Delta, B.C.: police

A man has died after being shot in what Delta police call a targeted attack. A statement from the Delta Police Department says officers are now treating the shooting of 29-year-old Delta resident Gurvinder Uppal as a homicide.

'Targeted' shooting first homicide of the year in Delta, B.C.: police

Sleeping driver leads to drugs, guns being seized: Mounties say

Police in Kamloops say they seized guns and a "significant" amounts of drugs after finding a man sleeping inside a running vehicle at a restaurant parking lot. A statement from the RCMP says officers saw "numerous weapons" in plain view as they approached the truck Monday to check on the driver.

Sleeping driver leads to drugs, guns being seized: Mounties say

Surrey Police investigating arson at local business

Surrey Police Service (SPS) is investigating a targeted arson that caused extensive damage to three large trucks at Elegant Glass & Shower Mirrors in Surrey early Monday morning.

Surrey Police investigating arson at local business

Mark Carney secures four key cabinet endorsements in race to become prime minister

Liberal leadership hopeful Mark Carney has secured the endorsements of four more current and former cabinet ministers. On Tuesday, Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Minister Gary Anandasangaree and former housing minister Sean Fraser all threw their support behind Carney on social media.

Mark Carney secures four key cabinet endorsements in race to become prime minister

B.C.'s finance minister says retaliatory tariffs could target Republican 'red states'

British Columbia's finance minister says the province could focus on Republican-held states as it responds to the threat of U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods that President Donald Trump suggests could start on Feb. 1. Minister Brenda Bailey told reporters Monday that targeting "red states" for possible retaliatory tariffs could be one of the "strategic ways" to influence people in Trump's own party.