On February 27, 2026, a northern Alberta teacher, Brock Mackenzie Whalen, was convicted of sex crimes against a minor. He was initially charged on October 1, 2024 with six counts. The offences occurred from September 1, 2018 to August 30, 2022, dates inclusive. The case began in June 2023 when McLennan RCMP, assisted by Alberta’s […]

Drivers have reported seeing deer trapped on Highway 3 between tall fences installed as part of the Rock Creek wildlife underpass, a resident told Municipal District of Pincher Creek council. In correspondence received at the Feb. 24 regular meeting, David McIntyre raised concerns about the new wildlife fencing. He suggested that several older fences in […]

Halton Hills is taking its first formal step toward creating a whistleblower policy, following unanimous support from council. Coun. Jason Brass brought forward a resolution March 9 that directs town staff to investigate how whistleblower programs operate in other municipalities and report back on what would be required to implement a similar framework in Halton […]

Staff from the Town of Saint Andrews claim they were pressured by the Regional Development Corporation (RDC) to progress with the Market Wharf and Market Square refurbishment project despite the department approving a deadline extension application from the town well into 2027. New documents obtained by The Courier through a Right to Information and Protection […]

The Council of the Town of Greater Napanee has approved an updated policy governing the municipality’s Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance system following the expansion of its public-space security camera network. The revised policy was presented to Council on Tuesday, Mar. 11, 2026, by Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Matthew Grant, who said the changes reflect the […]

It’s official. A statement from the Town of Drayton Valley March 4 says that Jocelyn Whaley’s employment as CAO was ended by mutual agreement. Last week, Whaley was put on paid leave after a special meeting held by Council at 7 p.m. on March 2. During a closed session at the March 4 meeting, Whaley […]

More than 15,000 students — including six in 10 children and youth in one Manitoba school division — were chronically absent from class in 2023-24. Leaked government documents expose the troubling state of truancy in elementary and high schools across the province. “Unbelievable” and “mind-blowing” were among the descriptors that came to mind for Kent […]

The lawyers are standing around, casually talking to one another. A dozen or so people in the four rows of public seating quietly chatter to  each other. Then, a hefty, clean-shaven middle-aged man with short dark  brown hair and a suit enters the courtroom. The room goes quiet. The man, whose tie is fastened to […]

The Tyee has spent over half a year trying to figure out how many people are overdosing while they are patients at British Columbia’s hospitals. In February, we published a summary of what we’d managed to learn after filing seven freedom of information requests, or FOIs, and elevating two of those requests to complaints with […]

Manitoba is reporting additional cases of hepatitis A linked to an ongoing provincial outbreak, as health officials expand vaccine eligibility and urge residents to remain vigilant. As of Feb. 2, 2026, there have been 350 locally acquired cases of hepatitis A associated with the outbreak, according to provincial public health. Earlier figures showed 308 cases […]

At a special meeting held on the evening of Monday March 2, Drayton Valley town council placed CAO Jocelyn Whaley on a paid leave of absence. “Council called a special meeting of council at 7 p.m. last night to discuss legal matters and employment issues,” said acting CAO Jennifer Stone. “Because of the Access to […]

After claims by a senior federal government official last week that the Indian government is no longer involved in criminal activities on Canadian soil, the RCMP has informed The Pointer of ongoing investigations involving New Delhi’s links to criminal networks here. “The RCMP has a number of ongoing investigations pertaining to this type of activity,” […]