Regulators outline Alberta’s cannabis plan

Medical marijuana is legal in Canada with a doctor’s prescription, but once the recreational form is allowed later this year, the game changes. It is a new industry drawing a lot of attention, said Jenna Hall of Health Canada’s cannabis legislation and regulation branch. “We have been living in a prohibition based regime for 100 […] Read more

Reviewing the available options for addiction treatment

Q: I do not think that there is any doubt that our son-in-law is into addictions. Whether it is alcohol, drugs or both, I am not sure. What I admire is the extent to which our daughter has been working patiently with him to help him understand that all of this is out of control. […] Read more

The Alberta government is hoping new regulatory changes will help municipalities better respond to fires, flooding or other natural disasters in their communities. | File photo

Alta. introduces proposals to help municipalities better handle disasters

The Alberta government is hoping new regulatory changes will help municipalities better respond to fires, flooding or other natural disasters in their communities. The proposed changes were tabled in the legislature today. The province plans to consult municipalities, First Nation and Métis communities and citizens on the changes before going forward with them. While more […] Read more


Cold weather has delayed the spring thaw in Saskatchewan, meaning provincial highways are less prone to damage caused by heavy trucks. | File photo

Cold delays provincial highway weight restrictions

Saskatchewan’s highways ministry announced April 2 that it has suspended road bans on provincial highways. The move means spring weight restrictions will not be applied to provincial highways, at least not for the time being. However, bans on some rural municipality roadways remain in effect. Cold weather has delayed the spring thaw in Saskatchewan, meaning […] Read more

In partnership with ADRA Canada, the Canadian Foodgrains Bank is responding to the drought in Burundi’s Bubanza province.  |  ADRA Canada photo

Feds to hike international aid spending

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank is happy with the $600 million increase included in the latest federal budget

The Canadian Foodgrains Bank is pleased with the Canadian government’s recent budget announcement to increase international assistance by $600 million after five years. “We are welcoming this step that’s been taken in this budget as good news,” said Jim Cornelius, executive director of the non-profit agency based in Winnipeg. “The current international assistance budget is […] Read more



This slow roasted leg of lamb is served with balsamic glazed cipollini onions.  |  Sarah Galvin photo

Traditional Easter meal serves up lamb

Serving lamb at Easter became a custom long before the birth of Christianity. According to the Exodus story in the Bible, Jews painted their doorposts with lamb’s blood so God would pass over their homes. Egypt was suffering from many plagues including the death of all first-born sons. Later, the Jews who converted to Christianity […] Read more

Beets are not used extensively in the daily menus of the Middle East, but the author’s mother did use them occasionally to make this beet and tahini salad.  |  Habeeb Salloum photo

Easter in southern Sask. — 1930s style

Preparing for the Easter holiday was a particular challenge for many prairie families during the Dirty Thirties

It was the mid-1930s and the week before Easter. For a month, my mother had been gathering and saving onion skins to make Easter eggs. She had also put aside about five dozen eggs over the past month that she had collected from our few egg-laying hens. As a young boy, I looked fondly on […] Read more


Ian and Carman Murray and their children, Ty and Amber, own Shoestring Ranch at Acme, Alta. The family recently received Alberta Beef Producers’ environmental stewardship award.  |  Barbara Duckworth photo

Ranch strives for environmental balance

Alberta’s Shoestring Ranch was founded on the philosophy of year-round grazing where the cows do the work


ACME, Alta. — Continuous improvement is the philosophy at Shoestring Land and Cattle Company Ltd. Owned by Ian and Carman Murray and their children Ty, 12, and Amber, six, the family was named Alberta’s environmental stewardship award winners as early adopters of techniques that protect the land and the water. Over time, the ranch near […] Read more

Coping with teen depression

Q: I am very disappointed. We have just returned from a follow-up psychiatric appointment for our 14-year-old son. We were told by the psychiatrist that our son is clinically depressed. We knew that our son had a behaviour problem, which is why we made the appointment in the first place, but we were hoping that […] Read more