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#Alberta

Calgary Courts Centre, home of the Court of Appeal of Alberta’s Calgary registry — Photo: Ultimateshot, CC BY-SA 3.0

Policy Watch|Canada

Alberta’s top court rules 4–1 that Ottawa’s amended Impact Assessment Act still oversteps on provincial projects

In Reference re Impact Assessment Act, as amended, 2026 ABCA 320, released 9 October 2026, a majority of the Court of Appeal of Alberta found that the ‘designated projects’ part of the federal Impact Assessment Act and its Physical Activities Regulations remains unconstitutional except where it applies to federal undertakings. Parliament rewrote the scheme in 2024 after the Supreme Court struck down the original in 2023. One judge dissented. The opinion is advisory and the Act stays on the books unless Parliament changes it or the Supreme Court agrees.

Daily Teabag Desk·Centre
Downtown Yonge Street, Toronto — Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0

Economy & Jobs|Canada

Canada loses 68,000 jobs in September, its second monthly drop, and unemployment rises to 6.5%

Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey, released 9 October 2026, shows employment fell 68,000 (−0.3%) in September after a 42,000 drop in August. The unemployment rate rose 0.1 point to 6.5%. Youth took most of the hit (−48,000), public-sector employees fell 70,000, and Quebec lost 49,000 jobs while Alberta gained 23,000. Participation fell to 64.8%, the lowest since December 1997 outside the pandemic.

Daily Teabag Desk·Centre
Calgary Courts Centre exterior — the judgment was filed at the Calgary registry — Photo: Ultimateshot, CC BY-SA 3.0

Accountability|Canada

Alberta’s top court upholds Coutts weapons convictions while finding more RCMP Charter breaches

In R v Carbert, 2026 ABCA 314 (1 October 2026), the Court of Appeal of Alberta dismissed Chris Carbert’s and Anthony Olienick’s conviction appeals. It ruled the RCMP’s warrantless emergency wiretap of Carbert was never justified, agreed the Coutts property warrant was invalid, and called the combined breaches “not minor.” It still admitted the firearms, citing the public interest in the prosecutions.

Daily Teabag Desk·Centre
Calgary Courts Centre exterior — Photo: Ultimateshot, CC BY-SA 3.0

Accountability|Canada

Judge won’t let Elections Alberta run out the clock on Forever Canadian disclosure fight

A Calgary chambers hearing pushed Rebel News’s mandamus application toward an expedited schedule before the 19 October referendum — a process fight over third-party money reports, not a ruling on the ballot questions. Update (3 Oct): Elections Alberta’s 29 September compliance agreement with Forever Canadian is a reporting split, not a fine.

Priya Nair·Lean right