MLA Shane Getson, who represents Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland in the Alberta Legislative Assembly told the house, "You have to defend parents’ rights to the end, unless they’re bad parents." PHOTO SUPPLIED: UNITED CONSERVATIVE PARTY CAUCUS. An Alberta legislature member was called on by the Opposition to apologize Thursday after saying the province has a duty to step in to deal with “bad parents” while also comparing transgender surgery to the castration of livestock.

As temperatures drop and finals approach, students can lose motivation to study. But physical activity can help improve cognitive performance and focus, experts say.  For many students, the colder months can make it more difficult to find motivation and time. Kate Vandeweghe, a kinesiology major at the University of Calgary (UofC), says that for her, physical activity isn't just about fitness, but a way to manage stress and reset your mind and body.

Inside Fenyk Coffee. PHOTO BY : SADAF KARAMI Fenyk Till - Fenyk Coffee creates and sells a unique experience, cafe by day, and social house by night. PHOTO BY SADAF KARAMI Customers - Calgarians from all over the city come up to Fenyk for the community. PHOTO BY SADAF KARAMI

Calgary's new mayor says the conversion of vacant downtown office buildings has reached its mid-term goal. City council introduced a downtown incentive plan nearly five years ago, when the office vacancy rate had peaked at roughly 34 per cent due to a downturn in the oil and gas sector and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Mayor Jeromy Farkas, at an event announcing nine new projects Thursday, said the original goal was to turn six million square feet (just over 557,000 square metres) of downtown vacant space into homes, hotels, classrooms and community spaces.

Canada will contribute just over $1 billion over three years to the Global Fund to fight infectious diseases in the world's poorest countries. Cindy Termorshuizen, Prime Minister Mark Carney's personal representative at the G20 summit in South Africa, made the announcement Friday in Johannesburg ahead of Carney's arrival at the summit. The Global Fund helps fight diseases such as AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

Fast fashion dominates the clothing industry, producing cheap, disposable garments with enormous environmental costs. At Humane Thrift, however, owner Minal Shah is working to slow this cycle.  The newly opened shop redistributes donated clothing, proving, says Shah, that sustainability can be built from what already exists.  After six years of managing other thrift stores, Shah was struck by the sheer volume of clothing coming through their doors. 

A popular selfie spot for visitors to Banff National Park has been relocated to what town officials say is now in a safer place.  The two-metre-high, $350,000 sign that simply reads “Banff” was installed in 2017 on Mount Norquay Avenue, one of two entrances into the Alberta mountain park’s idyllic townsite. But the narrow two-lane road, which runs from the Mount Norquay Ski Resort seven kilometres away, was fraught with traffic jams, even between the peak tourist seasons of winter and summer.

A Calgary Journal pop-up event about public safety showcased solutions journalism in action on Thursday afternoon. Archie McLean, a professor with Mount Royal University's journalism program, focused his advanced reporting course this semester on homelessness and public safety in Calgary. Students worked with journalist-in-residence Doug Horner to produce solutions-oriented and community-focused stories. Horner contributed a feature-length story on homelessness in Calgary, which served as the springboard for Thursday's event's focus.

Alberta universities may face further cuts to international student visas with Ottawa’s impending plan to cut the targeted number in half. It’s expected Ottawa’s new immigration targets will include a reduction in student visas to 155,000 next year, down from more than 305,000 in last year’s plan. The Canadian government introduced an annual cap in 2024 and announced a further 10 per cent reduction through 2025.

Both women’s and men’s Mount Royal Cougars basketball teams won both of their games against Grant MacEwan Griffins hosted at Mount Royal University (MRU) on Nov. 14 and 15.  The first women’s game was a close 78-70 win, with Cougars guard Jenika Martens finishing with 21 points and seven rebounds. Game two was even closer as the Cougars took the game 61-56 with forward Nora Luca finishing the game with 15 points and six rebounds.

While many parents are happy about their children returning to school after a three-week strike in October, others remain concerned about how it ended. Ezinne Nnabugwu , a mother of two young children, says a strike should not have ended with back-to-work legislation. “Being forced back to work doesn't resolve issues,” she said. “Maybe in another, I don't know, six months, one year, you know - there'll be another strike.” …

A month after Alberta teachers were forced back to work, frustrations and concerns still linger in and out of the classroom. On Nov. 7, the governing UCP promised $300 million to hire 1,500 educational assistants and 3,000 teachers. But some teachers wonder if that's enough. Adam Ayer, a teacher at George McDougall High School in Airdrie, fears the government's commitment 

A workplace injury last spring left Amber Rees with severe back pain and unable to move her left leg. What began as a familiar workday turned into more than a month inside Red Deer Regional Hospital, and a long fight to be taken seriously.  VIDEO: Calgary Journal reporter Julianna Adair reports on one woman's concerns about the care she received from Alberta health-care…

Statistics Canada says the number of return trips from the U.S. by Canadian residents in September was down 30.9 per cent compared with a year ago, while trips to Canada by U.S. residents fell 2.6 per cent. The agency said September broke a three-month summer streak that saw more Americans travel to Canada than Canadians headed to the U.S. Overall, Canadian residents returned from 3.3 million trips abroad in September, down 22.7 per cent compared with a year earlier, while return trips from the U.S.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is offering details of her government's plan to introduce legislation that would allow doctors to work in both the public and private health systems simultaneously. Smith says it's about flexibility for doctors and also about cutting wait times for surgeries in the public health system. She says the system can't afford extra operating time, so patients are waiting too long, and some frustrated surgeons are leaving the country to make a better living.

The garden beds in front of Mount Royal University's (MRU) east residence sit in quiet contrast to the busy campus around them.  Their wooden boards are sun-bleached and splintering, the edges soft from years of casual use without consistent care. Earlier this spring, children from the Early Learning Centre filled them with herbs, flowers and various produce, their small handprints visible throughout the garden.

The 2025-26 Mount Royal Cougars men’s soccer team is fresh off its second Canada West National Championship last weekend in a heartbreaking loss against the York Lions in a snowy Toronto game at Varsity Stadium. This was the second national championship outing in three years for the men’s Cougars Soccer team. Although they lost in the finale, that does not detract from the fact that men’s soccer at Mount Royal University has been nothing short of dominant over the past few seasons.

Located along the Bow River, the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary remains an active urban sanctuary, a protected natural space within the city where wildlife and people coexist. Within the 36-hectare wildlife reserve, visitors can witness hundreds of bird species and find peace along two kilometres of walking trails.

Juka Garibaldi, creator and owner of Jukaland Psychedelic Accessories. PHOTO SUPPLIED: JUKA GARIBALDI  They say one person’s trash is another's treasure, but who decides what counts as treasure? For some, upcycling is an opportunity to make a small contribution toward a larger environmental change. For others, it’s about creating something beautiful out of the ordinary.  For Juka Garibaldi, upcycling is more than just creating.

Trick-or-treating is often a simple childhood tradition, but at Creatures of cSPACE, it becomes part of a larger artistic adventure that connects people of all ages through creativity. The cSPACE building in Calgary's Marda Loop was back at it this year with its annual Creatures of cSPACE: October Showcase, where Halloween treats were only a small part of the fall fun. 

Albertans will hear the shrill siren of the national emergency alert system this week as the province participates in a nationwide test. The Alert Ready system will sound across Alberta at 1:55 p.m. MT on Wednesday, Nov. 19, interrupting radio, television and compatible mobile devices. The message will clearly identify that it is just a test. The system is tested twice annually, with the last test conducted on May 7, 2025.

Calgary Transit remains a common way for people to get around the city -- especially students. Video: Calgary Journal reporter Abiola Famakinwa reports on student transit opinions Some university students are frustrated with Calgary Transit. VIDEO: ABIOLA FAMAKINWA Rida Younis, a third-year biology student at Mount Royal University, regularly takes transit to get to and from school. “ I've noticed that since this year I started, they've definitely decreased the amount of buses that show up, and I've noticed a lot more cancellations of buses,” said Younis.

Need to use the washroom or find information fast? The Calgary Journal created a map to help Calgarians meet essential needs, from sending important emails to grabbing a quick touch-up.  Click here for the map Access to public wifi and washrooms has become a basic necessity. Few situations are more frustrating than urgently needing something and being unable to find it. Spot a missing place or error on the map? Let us know, so we can keep it helpful for everyone. Calgary

The Alberta government has invoked the Charter's notwithstanding clause for the second time in less than a month, in this case, to protect from legal challenge a trio of laws affecting transgender youth and adults. Premier Danielle Smith says the move is necessary to protect children's health and well-being, which she added could be jeopardized if challenges to the laws are tied up in court for a long time.

Some place to go How day spaces are connecting Calgary’s homeless population with services and each other by Doug Horner, MRU journalist in residence Our team Doug Horner is Mount Royal Unive…