Alberta to distribute free rapid tests at pharmacies, AHS sites: Blue Cross
Alberta will distribute rapid tests through pharmacies and Alberta Health Services facilities starting in mid-December, a Blue Cross email sent to pharmacies and obtained by CTV News reads.
The free testing kits will be available at participating pharmacies in Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer, and at AHS facilities in other Alberta communities, according to the Blue Cross.
Albertans will be able to find out where they can pick up testing kits at alberta.ca/CovidRapidTests, Blue Cross said in the email, but the website is not online as of the time of publishing.
Blue Cross asked pharmacies to sign up to become a distributor starting on Dec. 10, and said shipments would start the week of Dec. 13.
Pharmacies are not allowed to give out testing kits until the Alberta government announces the program, Blue Cross added.
A COVID-19 update that was expected to include details on relaxed restrictions and rapid tests Tuesday afternoon was postponed.
Rapid tests will only be available to asymptomatic Albertans.
These tests won't be accepted at businesses and venues participating in the Restrictions Exemption Program, and unvaccinated Albertans will have to pay to get a COVID-19 test, Blue Cross said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Woman detained in Syria says Ottawa is forcing her to make agonizing choice in order to get her kids to Canada
A woman held in a detention camp in Syria, along with her three Canadian children, says the federal government is forcing her to make an agonizing choice: relinquish custody of her kids so they can be repatriated to Canada, or keep them in the camp where the conditions are dire. Her children are eligible for repatriation but she is not a Canadian citizen.
Loblaw ends No Name price freeze, vows 'flat' pricing 'wherever possible'
Loblaw will not be extending its price freeze on No Name brand products, but vows to keep the yellow label product-pricing flat 'wherever possible.'
opinion
opinion | Don Martin: Trudeau meets the moment – and ducks for cover
Based on Justin Trudeau's first-day fail in the House of Commons, 'meeting the moment' is destined to become the most laughable slogan since the elder Pierre Trudeau’s disastrous campaign rallying cry in 1972, which insisted 'the land is strong' just as the economy tanked.
Family in remote northern Ont. reeling after daughter killed in fire, home destroyed
A family in the remote First Nation community in Peawanuck, Ont., is dealing not only with the death of their young daughter, but the loss of everything they owned in a Jan. 28 house fire.
Monkeys taken from Dallas Zoo in latest suspicious incident
Two monkeys were taken from the Dallas Zoo on Monday, police said, the latest in a string of odd incidents at the attraction being investigated -- including fences being cut and the suspicious death of an endangered vulture in the past few weeks.
As B.C. decriminalizes hard drugs, users still face months-long waits for treatment
As the B.C. government decriminalizes small amounts of hard drugs, critics note there are still not enough treatment resources for the users seeking them.
Russian business offers cash bounties to destroy Western tanks in Ukraine
A Russian company said it will offer five million roubles (US$72,000) in cash to the first soldiers who destroy or capture western-made tanks in Ukraine, after the Kremlin vowed Russian forces would wipe out any Western tanks shipped to Ukraine.
Canada Post honours Chloe Cooley with stamp in time for Black History Month
A young Black woman who resisted her own enslavement in Queenston, Upper Canada, in the late 18th century is being honoured by Canada Post.
Driver in California cliff crash that injured 4 is charged
The driver of a car that plunged off a treacherous cliff in northern California, seriously injuring himself, his wife and their two young children, was charged Monday with attempted murder.
Calgary
-
Highway 560 closed between Calgary and Chestermere, 'multiple vehicles in ditch'
A section of highway between the cities of Calgary and Chestermere was closed to traffic during Tuesday morning's commute after multiple vehicles left the road.
-
UCP holds narrow lead with upcoming election set to be political horserace: ThinkHQ
A new political poll crafted by ThinkHQ Public Affairs says if an election were held in Alberta today, voters would be split on who should form the next government.
-
Search underway for Calgary senior last seen in Marlborough Park
The Calgary Police Service is asking Calgarians to keep an eye out for a 76-year-old man who went missing Monday afternoon.
Saskatoon
-
Saskatoon police charge man with second-degree murder in suspicious death
Saskatoon police are investigating a suspicious death in the city's Mayfair neighbourhood.
-
Greg Fertuck wants new chance at bail while he awaits outcome of trial
A man accused of murder said he has been behind bars at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre for the last 1,310 days and is only allowed out three hours each day.
-
Sask. hockey team so desperate for players it turns to Twitter callout
The Rosthern Wheatkings senior men’s team was so desperate for players for its game on Saturday it put out a tweet calling for them.
Regina
-
Class action lawsuit launched against Home Depot following investigation
Regina lawyer Tony Merchant has launched a class action lawsuit on behalf of some Home Depot customers who agreed to receive receipts electronically.
-
Evraz to lay off more than 100 workers at Regina's steel mill
More than 100 Evraz employees will be laid off from Regina's steel mill in February, according to the company.
-
Greg Fertuck wants new chance at bail while he awaits outcome of trial
A man accused of murder said he has been behind bars at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre for the last 1,310 days and is only allowed out three hours each day.
Atlantic
-
911 issues fixed in the Maritimes following Tuesday morning outage
911 emergency calling in all three Maritime provinces has been fixed following service issues Tuesday morning.
-
Halifax RCMP responding to single vehicle collision on Highway 103
Officers with the Halifax District RCMP are currently responding to a single vehicle collision on Highway 103.
-
Moncton fire battles fourth structure fire in a week
The Moncton Fire Department responded to a house fire Tuesday morning, marking the fourth structure fire the city has seen over the past week.
Toronto
-
Ontario woman shocked she has to pay for car repairs after hit-and-run collision
An Ontario woman said she was shocked when she had to pay for repairs after her car was struck from behind by a pick-up truck and the driver fled the scene of the collision.
-
Union Station subways and buses diverted during rush hour after reports of a person with a knife
Subways and buses were diverted away from Union Station during rush hour on Tuesday morning due to a security incident that has since been lifted.
-
Tractor trailer collision on Highway 401 in Mississauga creating major blockage
Traffic is a mess on the eastbound Highway 401 in Mississauga following a collision involving the drivers of a tractor trailer and three other vehicles.
Montreal
-
Quebec's efforts to hire nurses from abroad falling short
After failing to recruit hundreds of orderlies internationally, Francois Legault's government is now dangling the same solution to the nursing shortage. If the past is any indication of the future, the chances are slim that Quebec will see thousands of professional nurses coming to the rescue of the health-care system.
-
WEATHER
WEATHER | Polar vortex to bring coldest air in years to parts of Quebec
So far, the winter season across Southwestern Quebec has been marked by above-average snowfall and above-average temperatures, but that is about to change. Cold, arctic air has been gradually pushing into the province. Many residents across Northern Quebec woke up to extreme cold warnings Tuesday morning.
-
Family of man killed while unlawfully detained in Montreal jail wants surveillance video released
The family of a Montreal man who died after he was seriously injured by jail guards while he was illegally detained is calling for surveillance video of the incident to be released publicly. 'It is our understanding that the footage has been reviewed – and is extremely disturbing. But that is more reason to release the video footage immediately,' said the CCLA's Akwasi Owusu-Bempah.
Ottawa
-
Man stabbed to death in south Ottawa apartment
The Ottawa police homicide unit is investigating after a man was stabbed to death at an apartment in the city's south end overnight.
-
Patients left in lurch after Orleans doctors plan to close practices
Patients of an east Ottawa clinic say they've been left in the lurch after learning they would need to find new family doctors because their doctors were closing their medical practices.
-
Two serious crashes on Ottawa roads Tuesday morning
Emergency crews had to extricate people from vehicles in two separate crashes in Ottawa on Tuesday morning.
Kitchener
-
Mike Schreiner responds to Liberal plea for a greener leader
Ontario Greens leader and MPP for Guelph, Mike Schreiner, said he is going to take time to "think about the arguments" following an open letter requesting him to run for the Ontario Liberal Party leadership.
-
'A really difficult case to win': Southwestern Ont. judge rules encampment can stay in Kitchener
The Region of Waterloo has lost a court bid for an injunction to evict residents of an encampment on municipally owned land at Victoria Street North and Weber Street West in Kitchener.
-
Driver charged in crash that killed Galt Country Club GM
A driver has been charged in a fatal crash that killed a long-standing member of Cambridge's golf community.
Northern Ontario
-
Ontario woman shocked she has to pay for car repairs after hit-and-run collision
An Ontario woman said she was shocked when she had to pay for repairs after her car was struck from behind by a pick-up truck and the driver fled the scene of the collision.
-
Girl, 6, dies after T-bar lift incident at Quebec ski resort
A six-year-old girl died in hospital Sunday night after being involved in an incident at the Val-Saint-Côme ski resort in Lanaudiere. Quebec police are investigating, though details into the event are not yet known. Officers indicated that it involved a T-bar lift, but they were not able to say more.
-
'Laverne & Shirley' actor Cindy Williams dies at 75
Cindy Williams, who was among the most recognizable stars in America in the 1970s and 80s for her role as Shirley opposite Penny Marshall's Laverne on the beloved sitcom 'Laverne & Shirley,' has died, her family said Monday.
Winnipeg
-
'We don't turn anyone away': How organizations are helping Winnipeg's most vulnerable during cold snap
An extreme cold warning is in effect for Winnipeg, and as temperatures dip to dangerous levels, some shelters are at – or even over – capacity.
-
Manitoba First Nation to sign child welfare agreement with Ottawa, province
Peguis First Nation is set to become the first Indigenous group in Manitoba to take control of child welfare under federal legislation that came into effect three years ago.
-
Extreme cold to continue for rest of the week in Manitoba
For anyone looking for a break from the frigid Manitoba cold, you may have to wait another few days.
Vancouver
-
As B.C. decriminalizes hard drugs, users still face months-long waits for treatment
As the B.C. government decriminalizes small amounts of hard drugs, critics note there are still not enough treatment resources for the users seeking them.
-
Woman detained in Syria says Ottawa is forcing her to make agonizing choice in order to get her kids to Canada
A woman held in a detention camp in Syria, along with her three Canadian children, says the federal government is forcing her to make an agonizing choice: relinquish custody of her kids so they can be repatriated to Canada, or keep them in the camp where the conditions are dire. Her children are eligible for repatriation but she is not a Canadian citizen.
-
ICBC finds cyclist 50% at fault after car allegedly drove over her bike
A cyclist in Chilliwack is frustrated with ICBC’s decision to find her 50 per cent at fault after a car allegedly drove over her bike in a road rage incident.
Vancouver Island
-
Victoria police and Island Health launch dedicated mental health response team
Police in B.C.'s capital are pairing up with mental health workers to better respond to service calls involving people struggling with mental health and substance-use issues.
-
Victoria police seek man wanted on province-wide warrant
Victoria police are on the lookout for a man who is wanted on a B.C.-wide warrant for breaching his release orders.
-
Vancouver Island hotel promotes sexual positivity with Valentine's Day 'nooner' package
A Vancouver Island hotel is bringing back its afternoon stay packages to encourage romantic rendezvous this Valentine's Day.