Edmonton courthouse resumes normal operations after temporary solution re-energizes building
Weeks after a power outage paralyzed the Edmonton Law Courts, normal operations have resumed, the province says, despite a lingering mystery about what caused the problem in the first place.
A spokesperson for the Infrastructure Ministry confirmed to CTV News Edmonton Tuesday that a "temporary electrical solution" has been successfully implemented while work continues to design and manufacture a permanent fix.
"At this time, the exact cause for the power disruption has not been identified and is still being investigated," said Benji Smith, press secretary to Alberta's infrastructure minister.
On Jan. 4, a major power outage in the south tower caused disruptions and cases to be adjourned at the Court of King's Bench and Court of Appeal, with all non-emergency lighting lost.
Danielle Boisvert, Criminal Trial Lawyers Association president, told CTV News Edmonton that the situation caused "a lot of chaos and confusion" and is another reason a new building is needed.
"A courthouse is absolutely one of the foundational buildings in a civil society. It is located right next to city hall for a reason. It is the grounding touchstone, the physical embodiment, of the rule of the law and of the openness of the justice system and the access the public should have to that system," Boisvert said on Jan. 10.
- Partial power returned to law courts' south tower, no timeline for full restoration: infrastructure minister
- Power outage at Edmonton Law Courts sees cases adjourned, moved
"So when ours is as shabby as it is, and as concrete, as it is, it doesn't invite people in," she added.
The province has indicated it has developed a business case with options for either renovating the courthouse or building a new facility.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Alex Antonesyhn
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
It could take years to catch up on child vaccinations in Ontario post-pandemic
Ontario is still playing catch up on routine vaccinations that many children missed during the pandemic and public health officials are warning that it could take years to solve the problem.