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Slave Lake council modernizes LEAP subsidy
The Town of Slave Lake passed a new bylaw to update its Leisure Economic Assistance Program, ensuring local recreation facilities remain accessible to low-income individuals and families. During the July 14 committee meeting, council unanimously gave all three readings to Bylaw #10-2026. This legislative update officially repeals and replaces the town’s outdated 2015 policy, establishing…
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Russia accuses Telegram CEO Pavel Durov of aiding terrorism in its latest digital crackdown
Russian authorities said Wednesday they had charged Pavel Durov, the founder and CEO of the popular messaging app Telegram, with aiding terrorism, the latest step by the Kremlin to bring the internet and digital communications under its control. The charges against the Russian-born Durov, who lives abroad, came as authorities have sought to restrict the…
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Telegram’s billionaire founder Pavel Durov has faced legal woes before — in Russia and France
Pavel Durov, the billionaire founder and CEO of the Telegram messaging app, has repeatedly run into trouble with both the Kremlin and Western officials as he cast himself as a champion of free speech. On Wednesday, Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, accused him of aiding what it called terrorist activities. It also said it…
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Did Elections Alberta call you? Water Not Coal wants to know
Water Not Coal is asking people contacted by Elections Alberta during petition signature verification to share their experiences, as the campaign weighs a legal challenge with a filing deadline of Aug. 2. “We’re still gathering our information. We’ve put out a public call,” campaign proponent Corb Lund says. “We want to understand their experience and…
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Separation petition clears signature threshold, but court fight continues
A citizen initiative petition proposing a referendum on Alberta becoming an independent country has been declared successful after Elections Alberta verified enough signatures to satisfy the requirements of the Citizen Initiative Act. The agency announced Friday that statistical verification estimated 222,597 valid signatures from an initial submission of 286,593 signatures, surpassing the required minimum of…
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New York school pauses plan to deploy humanlike AI robot teacher after backlash
NEW YORK (AP) — A school district in a rural corner of upstate New York is hitting pause on plans to deploy an AI-powered, humanoid robot in the classroom after state education officials, teachers and local residents raised concerns, including the maker’s ties to a company that produces hyper realistic sex bots. The Salamanca City…
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UNICEF Gaza chief says Israeli destruction, restrictions squandering Canadian aid
The United Nations official left to oversee not just children’s welfare but also water and sanitation in the Gaza Strip is praising Canada’s support for Palestinians — but warns that some of its aid money is being squandered by Israel’s attacks on water facilities and restrictions on aid groups. Jonathan Veitch, the head of UNICEF…
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Quebec bill helps Indigenous families track disappeared loved ones, but some remain wary
Norman Wapachee was born around a decade after his sister Hattie, but he never got to meet her. Instead, he grew up hearing their mom tell stories about her brief time on Earth. In 1955, Wapachee’s parents took their seven-month old daughter to a hospital in Roberval, QC to treat her pneumonia. Soon after, the…
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CBC won’t disclose Eurovision costs as memo says Ottawa can’t order it to take part
CBC/Radio-Canada won’t disclose how much participating in the Eurovision song contest could cost. A government document, obtained through access to information law, says information about other countries is limited but total costs ranged from about $400,000 for Portugal to $1.5 million for Israel in 2025. The Canadian Heritage document also says that because the Broadcasting…
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Cochrane Food Bank usage trending below 2025 record levels
COCHRANE — After two consecutive years of record-breaking demand, the Cochrane Food Bank is cautiously optimistic that 2026 could mark the first signs of stabilization. From January through June, the food bank served 1,961 individuals across 1,029 households, according to manager Ardis Proulx-Chedore. While there are still six months left in the year, she said…
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Caledon awards $4.6M transit contract to Argo; Brampton Transit cutting service after Patrick Brown signed a secret deal with the same company
A second Peel municipality has awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to the same Ontario-based on-demand transit provider with a limited operating history, just days before The Pointer entered an adjudication process with Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner to obtain the City of Brampton’s agreement with the company. On June 25, Argo Transit announced a 15-month micro-transit…