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Alberta

Free hotel room and food for up to 14 days for Albertans who can not isolate or quarantine at home

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From the Province of Alberta

All Albertans are now eligible to receive self-isolation supports to help limit the spread of COVID-19.

Prior to this expansion, only Albertans in Edmonton and Calgary were eligible for the $625 payment when they completed self-isolating in their assigned hotel.

Now, Albertans across the province – including First Nations individuals living both on and off reserve and people living on Metis Settlements who cannot isolate safely in their own home – are eligible.

Upon referral by Alberta Health Services, Albertans who must isolate or quarantine and cannot do so safely at home are eligible for a free-of-charge hotel room stay of up to 14 days, complete with culturally appropriate food and other supports.

COVID Care Teams will continue to provide on-the-ground supports and interventions to limit the spread of the virus. Supports include care packages with masks, sanitizers and information translated in multiple languages. Safe transportation to COVID-19 assessment and testing facilities is also available.

“Today’s expansion builds on the effective outreach efforts of COVID Care Teams. No matter what they earn, what community they live in or what language they speak, all Albertans should be able to isolate safely to protect themselves, their families and their neighbours from COVID-19. Reducing the spread means we can get Alberta’s economy back on track while we protect both lives and livelihoods.”

Ric McIver, Minister of Municipal Affairs

“Expanding the isolation supports to include people on First Nations and Metis Settlements is the right thing to do. Everyone should have the chance to isolate safely while having the financial support to cover expenses while they recover.”

Rick Wilson, Minister of Indigenous Relations

“Our community needs this kind of support to stop the spread of COVID. Having come from an area that has been particularly hard hit, we are grateful to the province for providing a means for our residents to access a place to isolate safely. Knowing they will be able to cover their bills when sick will make a world of difference for the Samson Cree Nation and all other Indigenous communities.”

Chief Vernon Saddleback, Samson Cree Nation

Alberta’s government is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting lives and livelihoods with precise measures to bend the curve, sustain small businesses and protect Alberta’s health-care system.

Quick facts

  • The COVID Care Team program launched in December 2020 as an integrated way to reach communities with particularly high levels of COVID-19 spread.
  • The Government of Alberta also developed an outreach campaign to communicate important public health information directly to Albertans who may have English language barriers through expanded access to translated materials and other supports.
    • Messages are being delivered in 10 languages through radio, television and print advertising, as well as through various social media channels and web platforms.
  • Since the launch of the COVID Care Teams and outreach campaign on Dec. 15, more than 850 Albertans have accessed hotel accommodations for self-isolation purposes.

After 15 years as a TV reporter with Global and CBC and as news director of RDTV in Red Deer, Duane set out on his own 2008 as a visual storyteller. During this period, he became fascinated with a burgeoning online world and how it could better serve local communities. This fascination led to Todayville, launched in 2016.

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Alberta

Made in Alberta! Province makes it easier to support local products with Buy Local program

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Show your Alberta side. Buy Local.

When the going gets tough, Albertans stick together. That’s why Alberta’s government is launching a new campaign to benefit hard-working Albertans.

Global uncertainty is threatening the livelihoods of hard-working Alberta farmers, ranchers, processors and their families. The ‘Buy Local’ campaign, recently launched by Alberta’s government, encourages consumers to eat, drink and buy local to show our unified support for the province’s agriculture and food industry.

The government’s ‘Buy Local’ campaign encourages consumers to buy products from Alberta’s hard-working farmers, ranchers and food processors that produce safe, nutritious food for Albertans, Canadians and the world.

“It’s time to let these hard-working Albertans know we have their back. Now, more than ever, we need to shop local and buy made-in-Alberta products. The next time you are grocery shopping or go out for dinner or a drink with your friends or family, support local to demonstrate your Alberta pride. We are pleased tariffs don’t impact the ag industry right now and will keep advocating for our ag industry.”

RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation

Alberta’s government supports consumer choice. We are providing tools to help folks easily identify Alberta- and Canadian-made foods and products. Choosing local products keeps Albertans’ hard-earned dollars in our province. Whether it is farm-fresh vegetables, potatoes, honey, craft beer, frozen food or our world-renowned beef, Alberta has an abundance of fresh foods produced right on our doorstep.

Quick facts

  • This summer, Albertans can support local at more than 150 farmers’ markets across the province and meet the folks who make, bake and grow our food.
  • In March 2023, the Alberta government launched the ‘Made in Alberta’ voluntary food and beverage labelling program to support local agriculture and food sectors.
  • Through direct connections with processors, the program has created the momentum to continue expanding consumer awareness about the ‘Made in Alberta’ label to help shoppers quickly identify foods and beverages produced in our province.
  • Made in Alberta product catalogue website

 

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Alberta

Province to expand services provided by Alberta Sheriffs: New policing option for municipalities

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Expanding municipal police service options

Proposed amendments would help ensure Alberta’s evolving public safety needs are met while also giving municipalities more options for local policing.

As first announced with the introduction of the Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, Alberta’s government is considering creating a new independent agency police service to assume the police-like duties currently performed by Alberta Sheriffs. If passed, Bill 49 would lay additional groundwork for the new police service.

Proposed amendments to the Police Act recognize the unique challenges faced by different communities and seek to empower local governments to adopt strategies that effectively respond to their specific safety concerns, enhancing overall public safety across the province.

If passed, Bill 49 would specify that the new agency would be a Crown corporation with an independent board of directors to oversee its day-to-day operations. The new agency would be operationally independent from the government, consistent with all police services in Alberta. Unlike the Alberta Sheriffs, officers in the new police service would be directly employed by the police service rather than by the government.

“With this bill, we are taking the necessary steps to address the unique public safety concerns in communities across Alberta. As we work towards creating an independent agency police service, we are providing an essential component of Alberta’s police framework for years to come. Our aim is for the new agency is to ensure that Albertans are safe in their communities and receive the best possible service when they need it most.”

Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services

Additional amendments would allow municipalities to select the new agency as their local police service once it becomes fully operational and the necessary standards, capacity and frameworks are in place. Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring the new agency works collaboratively with all police services to meet the province’s evolving public safety needs and improve law enforcement response times, particularly in rural communities. While the RCMP would remain the official provincial police service, municipalities would have a new option for their local policing needs.

Once established, the agency would strengthen Alberta’s existing policing model and complement the province’s current police services, which include the RCMP, Indigenous police services and municipal police. It would help fill gaps and ensure law enforcement resources are deployed efficiently across the province.

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