Alberta News

WESTLOCK, Alta. — Shaylin Lussier went home and screamed after the student's town voted for a bylaw banning Pride flags and rainbow crosswalks from municipal property. Lussier, a member of the gay-straight alliance in Westlock, Alta.

CALGARY — Twenty years after unceremoniously arriving in Calgary only to backstop the Flames to an unexpected playoff berth and improbable run to the 2004 Stanley Cup final, Miikka Kiprusoff will have his number retired on Saturday night.

EDMONTON — A journalist arrested during the police clearing of a homeless encampment said Friday she's relieved an obstruction charge against her has been dropped.

CALGARY — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says spending needs to remain in check as her government looks to sock away savings into its rainy-day fund. She says the government's long-term revenues increase at about three per cent a year.

CALGARY — The Calgary Real Estate Board (CREB) says February home sales were up nearly 23 per cent from last year as new listings rose. The board says sales totalled 2,135 units, while the volume of sales in dollars rose 41.3 per cent to $1.

CALGARY — A man accused of sexually assaulting seven women from Calgary may be getting a new lawyer after his trial came to a halt a month ago.

CALGARY — MEG Energy Corp. is promoting Darlene Gates to the role of chief executive. The oilsands company says Gates, who is the company's chief operating officer, will take over the top job on May 1 when Derek Evans steps down from the role.

EDMONTON — CWB Financial Group reported its first-quarter profit fell compared with a year ago as its provision for credit losses rose. The Edmonton-based bank says it earned common shareholders' net income of $87.

A curling team bearing a name other than Bottcher, Koe, Martin or Ferbey will represent Alberta at the Canadian men's championship for the first time in 26 years. Aaron Sluchinski upset Kevin Koe in Alberta's men's final.

EDMONTON — Health care and education came out ahead Thursday in a generally restrained Alberta provincial budget forecasting a paper-thin surplus that could easily go up in smoke.