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

Eight-year-old killed after crash with snowplow near Castlegar

Police in British Columbia's southern Interior say a crash between an SUV and a snowplow dump truck has killed an eight-year-old boy. A statement from the RCMP's highway patrol division says the collision happened on Highway 3 near Castlegar, B.C., on Saturday around 8 a.m., when road conditions were "cold and icy with freezing rain."

Eight-year-old killed after crash with snowplow near Castlegar

Inmate dies in at Mission Institute

Correctional Service Canada says an inmate at Mission Institute has died while in custody. It says 33-year-old Tyler Damien Van Basten had been serving a nearly four-year sentence that began in January.

Inmate dies in at Mission Institute

Fifteen fisheries charges laid a decade after Mount Polley dam breached in B.C.

A statement from the B.C. Conservation Officer Service says it worked with the Department of Fisheries and Environment and Climate Change Canada to investigate possible contraventions of the act.

Fifteen fisheries charges laid a decade after Mount Polley dam breached in B.C.

Sturko refuses to meet former police board vice-chair, defying B.C. Opposition leader

Sturko says in an interview she's not "challenging" Rustad, but it's "disappointing" he didn't tell her he was going to publicly post on social media that he met Comfort Sakoma-Fadugba, and Sturko should too.

Sturko refuses to meet former police board vice-chair, defying B.C. Opposition leader

Canada continues to review Syrian refugee claims as European nations pause intake

Canada will continue evaluating the asylum claims of people who have fled Syria, Immigration Minister Marc Miller said Tuesday, even as some European countries are pausing those claims after the fall of the Assad regime. Miller said Canada's asylum system isn't seeing the same pressure as European counterparts such as Germany and Austria.

Canada continues to review Syrian refugee claims as European nations pause intake

Parliament set to hold an 11th hour vote on $21B in government spending

Members of Parliament are set to vote on a government request for billions of dollars in funding as the clock ticks down on a deadline. Last month, the Liberals asked Parliament to approve $21.6 billion in spending through the supplementary estimates.