Alberta
Multiple guns taken off the street as patrol officer spots stolen vehicle
From St. Albert RCMP
St. Albert RCMP seize firearms and arrest one male
On September 23, 2020, at approximately 11:00 p.m., a St. Albert General Duty member was conducting patrols in the Century Casino parking lot and observed a Ford Explorer parked in an unlit area of the property with a male occupant in the driver’s seat. The RCMP member went to investigate and determined the vehicle was stolen.
The male driver was arrested and identified as Wesley Aubichon (36) of Edmonton. Inside the vehicle, the police noticed in plain view a lot of new household items still in boxes along with ammunition for a shot gun. The registered owner of the vehicle indicated that none of the property inside the vehicle was theirs and asked police to remove & secure all the items before they took the vehicle home that night.
Police emptied the contents from the vehicle, while doing so, located the following:
- Remington 12 Gauge 870 Shotgun (loaded)
- 3 Huntgroup Arms Shotguns
- Ranger Shotgun
- Ammunition
- Metal Baton
- Drugs (believed to be Heroin)
- Jewelry
- Canadian Currency
- Security Safe
- Numerous Electronic/Household Goods
- Audio Equipment
- Numerous Cell/Mobile Phones
- Police Equipment/Tactical Vest
- Numerous sets of keys
- Drug Paraphernalia
- Buck Knife
- Tools
Wesley Aubichon was charged with the following Criminal Code offenses:
- Possession of Weapon For Dangerous Purpose X 1
- Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm With Ammunition X 1
- Unauthorized Possession In Motor Vehicle X 2
- Possession Contrary To Mandatory Prohibition Order X 2
- Unauthorized Possession of Firearm X 1
- Possession of Property Obtained by Crime X 1
- Possession of Break-In Instrument X 1
Wesley Aubichon was also charged with:
- Possession of Body Armour Without a Valid Permit X 1 (Body Armour Control Act)
- Possession of Controlled Substance X 1 (Controlled Drugs and Substances Act)
Following a Judicial Hearing, Wesley Aubichon was remanded into custody and appeared in St. Albert Provincial Court on Sept 28, 2020, where bail was denied. His next court appearance is on October 19, 2020 (St. Albert Provincial Court).
Grande Prairie. Getty Images photo
From the Canadian Energy Centre
Federal cash grab driving costs for local governments, driving up property taxes
New data shows the painful economic impact of the federal carbon tax on municipalities.
Municipalities in Alberta paid out more than $37 million in federal carbon taxes in 2023, based on a recent survey commissioned by Alberta Municipal Affairs, with data provided to the Canadian Energy Centre.
About $760,000 of that came from the City of Grande Prairie. In a statement, Mayor Jackie Clayton said “if the carbon tax were removed, City property taxes could be reduced by 0.6 per cent, providing direct financial relief to residents and businesses in Grande Prairie.”
Conducted in October, the survey asked municipal districts, towns and cities in Alberta to disclose the amount of carbon tax paid out for the heating and electrifying of municipal assets and fuel for fleet vehicles.
With these funds, Alberta municipalities could have hired 7,789 high school students at $15 per hour last year with the amount paid to Ottawa.
The cost on municipalities includes:
Lloydminster: $422,248
Calgary: $1,230,300 (estimate)
Medicine Hat: $876,237
Lethbridge: $1,398,000 (estimate)
Grande Prairie: $757,562
Crowsnest Pass: $71,100
Red Deer: $1,495,945
Bonnyville: $19,484
Hinton: $66,829
Several municipalities also noted substantial indirect costs from the carbon tax, including higher rates from vendors that serve the municipality – like gravel truck drivers and road repair providers – passing increased fuel prices onto local governments.
The rising price for materials and goods like traffic lights, steel, lumber and cement, due to higher transportation costs are also hitting the bottom line for local governments.
The City of Grande Prairie paid out $89 million in goods and services in 2023, and the indirect costs of the carbon tax “have had an inflationary impact on those expenses” in addition to the direct costs of the tax.
In her press conference announcing Alberta’s challenge to the federal carbon tax on Oct. 29, 2024, Premier Danielle Smith addressed the pressures the carbon tax places on municipal bottom lines.
“In 2023 alone, the City of Calgary could have hired an additional 112 police officers or firefighters for the amount they sent to Ottawa for the carbon tax,” she said.
In a statement issued on Oct. 7, 2024, Ontario Conservative MP Ryan Williams, shadow minister for international trade, said this issue is nationwide.
“In Belleville, Ontario, the impact of the carbon tax is particularly notable. The city faces an extra $410,000 annually in costs – a burden that directly translates to an increase of 0.37 per cent on residents’ property tax bills.”
There is no rebate yet provided on retail carbon pricing for towns, cities and counties.
In October, the council in Belleville passed a motion asking the federal government to return in full all carbon taxes paid by municipalities in Canada.
The unaltered reproduction of this content is free of charge with attribution to the Canadian Energy Centre.
Alberta’s government is launching a public engagement to gather input about legislation and policies around assisted suicide, also referred to as medical assistance in dying (MAID).
Medical assistance in dying is a process that allows an eligible person to receive assistance from a medical practitioner in ending their life. To be found eligible, a person must be suffering from a serious and permanent medical condition.
Alberta’s government is reviewing how MAID is regulated to ensure there is a consistent process as well as oversight that protects vulnerable Albertans, specifically those living with disabilities or suffering from mental health challenges. An online survey is now open for Albertans to share their views and experiences with MAID until Dec. 20.
“We recognize that medical assistance in dying is a very complex and often personal issue and is an important, sensitive and emotional matter for patients and their families. It is important to ensure this process has the necessary supports to protect the most vulnerable. I encourage Albertans who have experience with and opinions on MAID to take this survey.”
In addition to the online survey, Alberta’s government will also be engaging directly with academics, medical associations, public bodies, religious organizations, regulatory bodies, advocacy groups and others that have an interest in and/or working relationship to the MAID process, health care, disabilities and mental health care.
Feedback gathered through this process will help inform the Alberta government’s planning and policy decision making, including potential legislative changes regarding MAID in Alberta.
“Our government has been clear that we do not support the provision of medically assisted suicide for vulnerable Albertans facing mental illness as their primary purpose for seeking their own death. Instead, our goal is to build a continuum of care where vulnerable Albertans can live in long-term health and fulfilment. We look forward to the feedback of Albertans as we proceed with this important issue.”
“As MAID is a federally legislated and regulated program that touches the lives of many Albertans, our priority is to ensure we have robust safeguards to protect vulnerable individuals. Albertans’ insights will be essential in developing thoughtful policies on this complex issue.”
The federal Criminal Code sets out the MAID eligibility criteria, procedural safeguards and reporting obligations. The federal government has paused MAID eligibility for individuals with a mental illness as their sole underlying medical condition until March 2027 to ensure the provincial health care systems have processes and supports in place. Alberta’s government does not support expanding MAID eligibility to include those facing depression or mental illness and continues to call on the federal government to end this policy altogether.
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