EDMONTON — A police dog is dead and areas near High Prairie, Alta., have been evacuated as Mounties search for an armed and dangerous suspect with outstanding warrants.

Mounties say the search for Lionel Ernest Grey, from High Prairie, is ongoing after he fled from officers during an attempted traffic stop Thursday morning. 

Police say Grey’s vehicle became stuck in some mud and he fled to a wooded area in Winagami Provincial Park where officers began a foot pursuit. 

Grey remains at large and police say a service dog was killed in the chase. Facebook posts from the Town of High Prairie and the National Police Federation identified the service dog as Jago.

No officers were hurt in the pursuit.

“That area is not a safe place at the moment,” said RCMP Cpl. Deanna Fontaine.

Grey is described as 190 pounds, six feet, two inches tall with black hair and a dark complexion and is believed to be wearing a black coat and grey sweater.

EDMONTON — Having immunized 70 per cent of its eligible population with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, Alberta will lift public health restrictions in two weeks, Premier Jason Kenney announced Friday.

“Yesterday, Alberta officially surpassed the 70 per cent vaccination threshold to trigger Stage 3 of Alberta’s ‘Open for Summer’ plan with 70.2 per cent of Albertans receiving their first vaccine dose,” he said.

“We did it. You did it.”

The premier thanked health care workers and congratulated Albertans on the achievement, saying he never doubted Albertans would “get ‘er done in a true Alberta spirit.” 

“Thanks to vaccines and the millions of Albertans who have been protected by them, we finally have the upper hand on this virus and can safely open up our province,” he said, speaking from a river valley viewpoint overlooking downtown Edmonton. 

“So mark it on the calendar, folks, on July 1, Alberta isn’t just open for summer, but I believe it’ll be open for good.” 

Some COVID-19 rules will remain in place after July 1, such as isolation requirements for confirmed COVID-19 cases and preventative measures in care settings. 

“As we approach July 1, I think that Dr. Hinshaw may be making some recommendations for example, limited mask use in certain contexts like…long-term care, continuing care settings, hospitals. She may have some other workplaces where that is called for. She and the department of health are working on a package in that respect,” Kenney said.

ACCELERATING SECOND DOSE APPOINTMENTS

As well, Health Minister Tyler Shandro announced the next stage of second-dose eligibility to those who got their first dose in May, which he said was 11 days earlier than planned. 

That makes another 1.1 million Albertans eligible for a second dose. 

Those who received a first dose in June can book their second four weeks after they got their first shot. 

“We are leading the country on second doses,” Kenney said. “We’re going to be hitting 25 per cent second-dose coverage by the end of this week. I think we’ll be pushing 40 per cent second-dose inoculation by around Canada Day.”

Following Thursday’s advice from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization that anyone who received a first AstraZeneca dose should get an mRNA vaccine for their second shot, like himself, Shandro reminded Albertans the choice in brand is theirs. 

However, he said evidence suggests it is best to book the second dose eight weeks after recieving the first AstraZeneca shot: “I want to emphasize that’s not because of any concern about the AstraZeneca vaccine or because of supply or anything else, it’s because it actually works better if you give it a little longer between those doses.” 

Both he and Kenney reminded Albertans two out of three $1-million prizes in Alberta’s vaccine lottery require proof of full immunization to be claimed. 

“First doses have been our ticket out of this pandemic, but second doses will make sure there’s no return journey into it,” Kenney said.  

EDMONTON — Mounties in Yellowknife have charged an Alberta man with charges of sexual assault and exploitation in an historical investigation. 

Neil Barry was arrested and charged in High Prairie, Alta., on Tuesday and is scheduled to appear in Territorial Court on Aug. 10. 

The charges follow a joint investigation between RCMP in Alberta and N.W.T. 

The alleged assaults happened in the summer of 2009 at tryouts for the 2010 Arctic Winter Games.

Police say Barry worked in N.W.T. between 2007 and 2017 in Tulita and Fort Simpson but also travelled to Yellowknife. 

He moved to High Prairie in 2017 and Mounties say he “has history with the High Prairie School District No. 48.”

The High Prairie School Division issued a brief Facebook statement declining further comment with the matter before the courts. 

“We have been made aware of the charges laid against a teacher in our Division. The teacher is no longer on active duty with the Division.”

Mounties are also appealing to anyone with information on these or other offences to contact them.

EDMONTON — The City of Edmonton has released a joint plan to address racism and hate crimes in the community.

The plan identifies nearly 70 actions aimed at building a safer city for all Edmontonians.

Some of those include increasing training on bias, anti-racism and trauma, as well as the addition of in-car video cameras to police vehicles.

The city’s work plan was sparked by conversations with Edmonton’s Community Safety and Well-Being Task Force, a task force created in the summer of 2020 following public hearings where Edmontnians shared their experience with racism and policing in the city.

“What we have heard from last summer’s public hearings and the community’s safety and wellbeing task force, is that some Edmontonians are in pain,” said Andre Corbould, Edmonton’s city manager.

Along with Edmonton’s Police Service and Edmonton Police Commission, the city is partnering with the Anti-racism Advisory Committee, and EndPovertyEdmonton to strengthen community safety.

Edmonton has already launched a new anti racism grant program with $300,000 in funding to support youth and non-profit organizations in building anti-racism projects and events.

The city has also launched an Indigenous framework that Corbould says will guide city staff “on their journey of reconciliation and relationship building with Indigenous peoples.”

Edmonton Police Service Chief Dale McFee says the action items listed within the city’s joint plan aim to change the way forces respond to calls by using a collaboration of mental health experts and community partners.

While the city’s work plan to combat racism and hate crimes has been well underway ,several instances of assaults targeting Edmonton’s Muslim community have had an influence on action from the city and police.

“We only need to look to recent events at malls, at mosques, on flagpoles and on the streets to know that actions and words are hurting out neighbors,” said Corbould.

The city says that ultimately Edmontonians will be the judges of the report. A public dashboard will be developed so the public can see how the report’s actions are implemented.

The plan will be presented to the community and city council on June 30.

EDMONTON — The death of a 24-year-old man in central Edmonton has been deemed a homicide after an autopsy was completed on Thursday, according to police.

Last week, Edmonton police responded to a call for an injured man at a home in the area of 98 Street and 108 Avenue.

The man was taken to hospital where he died from his injuries.

The Edmonton medical examiner’s office determined on Thursday that Travis Waskahat died of a stab wound.

Edmonton homicide detectives continue to investigate the incident.

This marks the eighteenth homicide in Edmonton in 2021.