Beyond Local

Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews said the current surge in COVID-19 cases will have a “bumpy” effect on the bottom line, but noted the economy has been resilient through the pandemic.

The province will, however, be updating the MyHealthRecords website to include a printable, conveniently-sized proof of a COVID-19 vaccination paper card to be used both domestically and for international travel.

After a period of quiet, three Albertan universities have adopted new face-mask and self-isolation requirements.

The partisan shots are starting to frame the third week of the federal campaign that wraps up with election day on Sept. 20.

Trudeau's campaign has been faltering thus far, with polls suggesting the significant lead the Liberals held earlier this year has evaporated. His campaign has been dogged by protesters at multiple stops, but the mob mentality and size of the crowds appear to have increased in recent days.

Questions have arisen over who is organizing and potentially funding the protesters. One man who showed up to heckle Trudeau at an event in Hamilton earlier in the week, turned up the next day at a Trudeau event in Surrey, B.C. He declined to give his name but when asked by reporters if someone was paying him to follow the leader around the country, he said, "Maybe."

“Unless the government and the employer starts taking things seriously, I think it's absolutely inevitable that there's going to be a strike," said United Alberta Nurses Union director of labour relations David Harrigan.

The federal deficit for the April to June period of the 2021-22 fiscal year totalled $36.5 billion compared with a deficit of $120.4 billion for the same period a year earlier.

The NHL and hockey teams, including the Humboldt Broncos, offered their condolences to the families of the three junior players.

Unruly protesters forced the shutdown of Liberal leader Justin Trudeau's campaign rally stop in Bolton, Ont., on Friday.