CALGARY Instead of imposing restrictions on small businesses in Alberta for a third time, an advocacy group is calling on the province to consider other options to combat the rising wave of COVID-19 infections. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business, in a recent survey, found that two-thirds of small businesses would use COVID-19 rapid tests on customers if it otherwise meant they would have to close their doors. The CFIB says provincial governments have millions of rapid tests sitting in warehouses and now is the time to implement policies to use them. It is unconscionable that over a year into the pandemic governments continue to rely almost exclusively on blanket lockdowns, said CFIB president Dan Kelly said in a release last week.
CALGARY The city is getting ready to open its 25th mass vaccination site – and the latest facility is by far the largest. The TELUS Convention Centre will start accepting Calgarians on Monday. When it s fully operational, and if vaccine supply increases, the site could eventually be administering 6,000 shots through 120 vaccination stations every day. It s enough to give the mayor optimism. The idea is to make it easy, safe and pleasant as we process an enormous amount of people through this facility, Naheed Nenshi said. By and large, what we are seeing is enormous amounts of doses coming to Canada very quickly through the months of April, May and June. As supply comes in, (the centre) will ramp up so we can get more and more people vaccinated.”
KNEEHILL COUNTY, ALTA. Kneehill County council decided it will stop using certain gravel at some of its stockpile locations and clear it out, as the gravel in question doesn t meet municipal specifications. The decision was made at the regular meeting of council March 23. A report on the gravel problem was prepared by Kylie Van der Kuil, transportation assistant, who described the problem the department is having with gravel purchased in a 2013 agreement. “At the Oct. 20, 2020, Committee of the Whole meeting, administration provided council a report on the Delia gravel stockpile,” stated the council memo. The report stated that in 2008 Kneehill County entered into a five-year agreement to purchase and stockpile gravel in the Delia area.
CALGARY Calgary police are investigating but have already made a number of arrests in connection with a stabbing incident near the Marlborough LRT station. Police say officers were called to the area just before midnight for reports of a fight. After investigating the call, officers soon located the victim at a residential area near the LRT station. EMS also responded to the location, finding a man in his 30s suffering from traumatic injuries. He was taken to Foothills Medical Centre in serious condition. A number of people have been arrested, but no charges have been laid. The investigation into the incident, which may have occurred on the LRT platform or somewhere onboard the train, is still underway.
CALGARY A deal has been struck to settle a strike at a Coca-Cola bottling plant in northeast Calgary that began in mid-March. The Teamsters Local Union 987 says more than 250 workers at Coca-Cola Refreshments Calgary will be back at work on Sunday after members voted 73 per cent in favour of the new deal. The union says the agreement will help employees with improved trust and job security with the company. It also allowed for a nine per cent wage increase over six years and an increase in maximum severance from 48 to 72 weeks. Drivers who are not being allotted hours for their routes can shift into a warehouse role or, if they are not scheduled 20 hours a week, they can opt for a layoff until the schedule returns to normal.