Around 200 Calgarians turned out for in an anti-racism protest at Stampede Park Thursday evening. The rally, organized by the Jewish Community Council, was to stand against hate and intolerance after a number of recent hate crimes in the city. "Calgary Says No To Hate" organizer, Adam Singer, told QR77 it came about after a lot of feedback and outcry from members of the Jewish community as well ...

Calgary fire investigators say the flame from a welding torch and gasoline fumes caused an explosion and fire in the city's northeast last Friday. It killed two men working in the garage of a home in Marlborough. Family members say one man was a refugee from Africa, while the other man was believed to be a mechanic from Sudan. Damage to the garage and its contents was estimated at about $25,000.

Mayor Dave Bronconnier is denying what some say is a move to stifle competition for his job. The Mayor wants to limit campaign contributions to a maximum of $5,000 for both individuals and organizations. The Province has approved the changes to the Elections Act... but has yet to proclaim them into law. The Mayor says he simply wants to align City rules with what the Province is proposing and ...

The provincial deficit is shrinking, and revenue is starting to bounce back. But Scott Hennig, with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, says even with spending cuts, the Province's expenses are still going up. He says they've only made $400 Million in cuts but they've spent $600 Million. He says had corporate taxes not improved and gas prices rebounded somewhat, the deficit wouldn't have changed ...

A Calgary Liberal MLA says the government will have to make cuts to make up $2 Billion dollars in savings. And, Kent Hehr says he doesn't see how the Province can find the money in savings without affecting front line services in the province, be it education or health care. The Calgary Buffalo Member says it was interesting to hear the admission from Treasury Board Ppresident Lloyd Snelgrove ...

Close to 850 Thousand Albertans have now been vaccinated for H1N1, and health officials are encouraging those who haven't received a shot, to get one. Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Andre Corriveau, acknowledges that the second wave of the virus has subsided in the province, but he says another wave is almost certain. He says the best chance to avoid the third wave is vaccinating as many ...

Alberta Environment has laid charges against Dunvegan Gardens and its owner, Bradley Friesen, for allegedly diverting water without a license. The charges, laid under the Water Act, relate to ongoing unlicensed water withdrawals on the Clearwater River near Fort McMurray between June and September 2007, and again between June and August 2008.  Dunvegan Gardens operates three garden centres in ...

Alberta's Environment Minister is describing Wednesday night's closed door meeting with his provincial counterparts and the Federal Minister "productive". The group met in Ottawa to discuss the Global Climate Change summit in Copenhagen next month. Rob Renner says Federal Minister Jim Prentice assured the provinces they won't be left in the dark on issues discussed. He says each province will be ...

New 'Proceeds of Crime' legislation has allowed the seizure of more than $11 Million dollars in homes, cars and cash in Alberta in the past year. The Province's Justice Minister released the figure Thursday. Alison Redford says it shows the law is doing what it's supposed to - penalizing criminals by taking away the things they've earned through their crimes. Most of those who've had items ...

Alberta's projected deficit now sits at $4.3 billion, down from the record $6.9 billion predicted in the first quarter. The lower than expected deficit is thanks to higher oil prices, investment and corporate tax revenues. In addition, the province achieved $430 million in savings by implementing a hiring freeze. Despite the rosier numbers, the Stelmach government is still going ahead with ...

Alberta journalist Amanda Lindhout, freed after 15 months of captivity in Somalia, has been re-united with her family in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. A family spokesperson says Lindhout's parents are overjoyed and request continued privacy while they focus on her transition back to normal life. The spokesperson says they will return to Canada as soon as Lindhout is fit to fly home. Meanwh...

A 32-year-old man is fighting for his life in hospital after a serious hit-and-run in the parking lot of the Big Easy nightclub on 32nd Street northeast Wednesday around 7 p.m. Police later made an arrest, picking up a 24-year-old man at a home in the southwest community of Palliser at around 3:30 a.m. Thursday. Police say the victim was thrown nearly five metres after being run down by a mini ...

Calgary police are scouring the city for the three men who are believed to be responsible for a near-fatal hit and run Wednesday night. Duty Inspector Rob Williams says a man in his 30's was leaving the Big Easy lounge on 32nd Street northeast around 7:00pm when a silver minivan suddenly careened through the parking lot. Williams says the impact threw the victim about 20 feet into the air. The ...

A man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for an attempted murder in Calgary has been spotted in Saskatewan. Police say around 2 p.m. Wednesday, 24-year-old Kyle Robert McKee and a teen passenger were stopped by Regina RCMP on a gravel road just south of Regina. But as soon as the officer turned back to run the driver's name through his computer, the pair fled in a red 1996 Dodge Dakota pick-up ...

Alberta has passed controversial legislation that critics say will limit public input on plans to build billions of dollars worth of new power lines. Joe Anglin, one of the founders of a grassroots protest movement against the power lines, also fears Albertans will face hefty new costs on their utility bills to pay for them. But Energy Minister Mel Knight says the legislation is neede...

The province is providing a second quarter fiscal update Thursday and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business will be watching closely. Alberta spokesman Richard Truscott says he is expecting the government to show that the expected $6.9 billion deficit will be cut by about $2 billion. But he says, in order to stop the bleeding, the government needs to come up with a plan for more ...

Amanda Lindhout's parents are speaking out about the release of their daughter from captivity in Somalia. The Alberta journalist was held against her will for fifteen months after being kidnapped in August 2008, while trying to cover a story in that country. A spokesperson for the family says the parents are over-joyed with the news of lindhout's release, however they say they are not out of ...

The Grey Cup Festival has officially kicked off in Calgary. A splashy ceremony was held in front of City Hall over the noon hour Wednesday. Champion chuckwagon driver Kelly Sutherland drove by wtih the Grey Cup itself on board. Events will be held primarily at Olympic Plaza and other downtown locations leading up to Sunday's big game between the Montreal Alouettes and Saskatchewan Roughriders ...

Freelance journalist Amanda Lindhout, from Sylvan Lake, Alberta, has been freed in Somalia. Lindhout was kidnapped in August 2008, along with photographer Nigel Brennan, of Australia. Lindhout says she believes a ransom was paid for her release. She also says she never felt any sympathy for her captors and is relieved her ordeal is finally over.

EnCana shareholders have voted to split the energy giant into two separate companies. The vote was 99 per cent in favour. The company first announced the plan in the Spring of last year, but then pulled back when the recession took hold last fall. The scheme was re-introduced in September. The split creates two firms, EnCana, which will be focused on the natural gas industry and Cenovus Energy ...