EDMONTON — In a hearing that heard explicit language uttered from a fellow councillor’s mouth, Ward 11 Coun. Mike Nickel once again avoided sanction from his colleagues at city hall on Thursday.

The decision came after Edmonton’s integrity commissioner told council Nickel violated its Code of Conduct.

EDMONTON — Alberta reported fewer than 100 new COVID-19 cases for a fourth straight day Thursday as the province moves to within a week of its Stage 3 reopening. 

Alberta recorded 73 new infections Thursday as active cases fell to 1,580. 

Stage 3 reopening, which removes almost all public health restrictions, is scheduled to begin one week from now on Canada Day.

Alberta’s COVID-19 death toll also rose by one on Thursday, up to 2,293, with the death of Calgary Zone man in his 70s. 

The province recorded a 1.38 per cent positivity rate, based on about 5,700 tests. 

Around 4,300 first doses of vaccine were administered Wednesday, bringing the per cent of eligible Albertans with a first dose up to 71.1 per cent.

About a third of the eligible population has had a second dose after nearly 48,000 were administered yesterday. 

EDMONTON — Mounties in St. Albert, Alta., say they are investigating a hate-motivated attack on two hijab-wearing sisters who were knocked to the ground and threatened with a knife while out for a walk.

Around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, police say the two women were walking along an unpaved pathway near Alderwood Park and close to Anthony Henday Drive.

A man wearing a mask approached the pair and yelled racial slurs towards them before grabbing one of the women by her hijab and knocking her to the ground, leaving her unconscious, police say.

The man pulled out a knife before knocking the second woman to the ground, holding her down with the blade against her throat while continuing to utter religious slurs before running away, according to RCMP. 

Both sustained non-life threatening injuries and one was taken to hospital.

Police aren’t revealing their ages, saying only that the two are “young adults” and both residents of St. Albert.  

Mounties began a search for the man, which included the use of a police dog, but he could not be found. 

“Normally in St. Albert we don’t see this type of crime,” said RCMP Const. MJ Burroughs. “We are taken aback by it.”

RCMP Const. MJ Burroughs provides an update to media about the assault Mounties believe to be “hate-motivated” (CTV News Edmonton/Sean McClune).

Police issued a description of the suspect: 

•  Caucasian male about 50 years old
•  About six feet tall with average build and broad shoulders
•  Short, light-coloured hair
•  Light-coloured eyes
•  Wearing dark jeans, navy shirt, and red and white bandana with graffiti lettering

Anyone with information is asked to contact St. Albert RCMP. 

St. Albert mayor Cathy Heron said she was heartbroken and infuriated. 

“St. Albert needs to be a safe place for all,” she tweeted. “The roar of outrage needs to be loud.”

Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson said it was “unacceptable” that the city’s Muslim community was being targeted. 

“Our Muslim neighbours, friends, and family deserve to feel safe and welcome in their communities. I’m heartbroken that many of them are not feeling safe right now.” 

HATE-MOTIVATED ATTACKS

Similar attacks targeting women wearing hijabs have happened in the Edmonton area in recent months.

Earlier this month, a woman in her 50s was out for a walk when she was approached from behind and thrown to the pavement.

In April, police said an Edmonton Muslim family was targeted in a road rage incident where a driver allegedly “made a profane gesture” at a woman wearing a hijab.

In March, an Edmonton man was charged in connection with three apparent hate-motivated incidents including verbally abusing a teenager who was wearing a hijab while waiting at a transit centre and hurling insults a woman wearing a burqa. 

In February, police said a woman in a hijab was threatened by a man at the Century Park LRT station.

And in December, an Edmonton man was charged after what police called a “hate-motivated” attack on two Somali women in the Southgate Centre parking lot.

EDMONTON — Firefighters battled a large blaze at Stony Plain’s Westridge Curling Club Wednesday night.

According to town officials the fire started at around 6 p.m. inside the building and quickly spread across the roof.

Dozens of people came out to watch the fire as crews attempted to douse it from the ground and above with ladder trucks.

Six fire trucks and 24 firefighters from the Stony Plain Fire Department and Spruce Grove Fire Services were on scene.

It appeared that most of the roof was destroyed by flames. The smoke was visible from as far away as Devon.

Crews were still working at 7:30 p.m.

RCMP and Peace Officers closed the area to traffic and pedestrians.

“The building was unoccupied and we have no injuries to report,” says Stony Plain Fire Chief Trevor Mistal in a press release.

The 63-year-old building was home to 220 curling club members.

The fire investigation will begin when the fire is contained, according to town officials.

CALGARY — More than 1.1 million eligible Albertans are unvaccinated against COVID-19 and appointments to receive the first dose have slowed. Just 4,200 people received their first shot on Tuesday.

The province reached its 70 per cent benchmark last week, meaning the province will move to Stage 3 of its reopening on July 1, but the first dose percentage has barely moved since then. It still sits just under 71 per cent.

“I think it’s somewhat predictable,” said Dr. Stephanie Smith, an infectious disease physician with the University of Alberta.

“We knew there’d be a certain portion of people who either didn’t want to get the vaccination because of concerns about safety or those kinds of things or they didn’t feel that it’s necessary.”

While predictable, Dr. Smith said the slowed rate isn’t ideal. Alberta’s first current first dose rate of 70.9 per cent only represents people eligible to get the shot — it doesn’t include the population under 12 years old.

Just 60 per cent of Alberta’s total population has at least one shot to protect them from the virus.

“Generally when we look at a virus where the transmissibility is where it’s at right now in terms of the Delta variant, definitely over 70 per cent would be necessary to really stop the spread. And that’s over 70 per cent of the whole population,” Dr. Smith said.

About 427,000 Albertans need first doses to reach 70 per cent of the province’s total population.

DIVIDE BETWEEN RURAL AND URBAN RATES

One of the major hurdles for public health officials is providing vaccine access for those who want the shot, especially in rural communities.

While Calgary and Edmonton both have vaccine rates over 73 per cent, many rural communities are much lower than that.

High Level, in the northwest part of the province, only has 19 per cent of its eligible population with at least one dose.

“It is a massive, massive geographical area with a fairly small population,” said Tony Nickonchuk, a pharmacist in Peace River who closely monitors vaccine rates among rural populations.

“So these are sparsely populated areas, often with not a lot of access to vaccine sites.”

Vaccine sites can be several hours away for some rural residents, Nickonchuk said, and some may not feel getting the shot is a priority.

The premier says his government is constantly working on ways to make vaccine access more convenient for those who want it. Jason Kenney says Alberta was once moving forward in its vaccine rate miles at a time, but we’re now just inching along.

Still, he’d like to gradually see a higher percentage of the eligible population get their shot.

“I’m hoping 75 per cent,” said Kenney.

“At the end of the day, we’re not going to force people to get vaccinated. It’s their choice.”