Calgary medical clinic faces deadline on plan to charge fees for faster doctor access
CBC
The Alberta government says it wants an answer today from a Calgary medical clinic about its plan to charge membership fees for faster access to a family doctor.
Alberta Health, in a letter sent Friday to the Marda Loop Medical Clinic, says if the clinic moves ahead as promised with the fees, an audit and investigation will begin.
The letter states such fees violate the universality provisions of the Canada Health Act along with related rules set by the province.
Premier Danielle Smith has said if the clinic proceeds with the plan, it will be shut down, fined or have medicare payments withheld.
The clinic informed patients by email that it would begin charging annual fees on Tuesday, including $2,200 a year for a single adult.
The Opposition NDP says other clinics are engaging in similar practices and called on Smith to end what it calls "members-only" medicine.
As teachers continue to raise concerns about challenges in their classrooms, the Saskatchewan government has pledged to do better when it comes to education — including a plan to expand specialized support classrooms.
Three family members are suing the Alberta government and a company that operates an Edmonton group home, alleging both failed to take steps to prevent the death of 15-year-old Noah Gitsel.
This First Person column is the experience of Shannon Flaman, who lives in Red Deer, Alta. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
City staff are working on long-term plans to prevent toxic and smelly algae blooms at the Hamilton harbour – and short-term plans to mitigate blooms when they happen – but are cautioning residents that it's not the type of problem with a quick fix.
Another blockade of the Ambassador Bridge wouldn't play out like what happened in February 2022 — thanks to police being empowered to act faster and harder, according to a report that's going to Windsor city council next week.
On the first day of 2025, Alberta's default electricity rate is set to be replaced by the new "rate of last resort," in what the province says is a bid to protect consumers from a volatile electricity pricing landscape.
Canadians and Americans sit next to each other in the stands of a small Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., hockey arena to watch the Soo Thunderbirds face off against their cross-border rivals, Michigan's Soo Eagles.
A number of school bus routes in northwestern Ontario have been cancelled Wednesday after a dump of snow overnight in the region. A number of weather advisories also remain in effect in the region, including snow squall warnings in the Greenstone area.
Waterloo regional councillors have voted down a motion that would have asked the Waterloo Regional Police Service to cut $4 million from its proposed 2025 budget.
Residents of a neighbourhood in the heart of downtown Charlottetown hope to have a community garden in place on some vacant land by the time spring arrives.
Planting trees is a popular way to mitigate climate change, but in northern and Arctic regions, it may not be an effective solution.