Project out of Rehab Robotics Lab allows patients to heal at home by bringing specialized care to remote clinics. By AMANDA ANDERSON, University of Alberta A new University of Alberta project is breaking down health-care barriers in rural communities by using technology to connect patients with the clinicians and urban specialists who treat them. “Right…

Minister of Health Tyler Shandro issued the following statement on Rare Disease Day: “Each year, on the last day in February, we recognize Rare Disease Day – an important day for many families. About one in 12 Canadians are affected by a rare disease and two-thirds of those affected are children. “It can take months…

The Alberta government is changing its elective, non-urgent out-of-country health coverage policy. Effective April 1, Albertans travelling in another country will no longer be covered for elective, non-urgent health services and routine lab tests. Making this change brings Alberta in line with most other Canadian provinces. Only Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador provide out-of-country coverage…

By John Bergeron, Emeritus Robert Reford Professor and Professor of Medicine, McGill University March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day. In 2011, the United Nations adopted a resolution to celebrate the lives of those with this once socially debilitating condition and the efforts of families and communities to increase the quality of life of those affected. With…

Minister of Justice and Solicitor General Doug Schweitzer issued the following statement on National Human Trafficking Awareness Day: (February 21, 2020) “Human trafficking is a dehumanizing and predatory crime that violates a person’s most basic human rights and dignity. “Human traffickers prey upon people of all ages, ethnicities and genders. Traffickers coerce their victims into…

By Della Dumbaugh, Professor of Mathematics, University of Richmond Katherine Johnson, an African-American mathematician who made critical contributions to the space program at NASA, died Feb. 24 at the age of 101. Johnson became a household name thanks to the celebrated book “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians who Helped Win…

Energy Minister Sonya Savage has appointed three members to the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) board. The newly appointed members offer strong and diverse skill sets honed largely within the energy sector that will complement and expand the board’s knowledge and experience. “As the agency responsible for the day-to-day operation of the province’s electricity grid,…

University of Calgary-led international study shows promising results for neuroprotection by combining endovascular therapy with nerinetide Kelly Johnston, Cumming School of Medicine After 50 years of research and the testing of more than 1,000 drugs, there is new hope for preserving brain cells for a time after stroke. Treating acute ischemic stroke patients with an…

The Government of Alberta has introduced legislation to protect critical infrastructure from blockades, protests and illegal activities. If passed, Bill 1, the Critical Infrastructure Defence Act, would designate infrastructure such as railways, highways and pipelines as critical and create offences for trespassing, interfering with operations and construction, and causing damage. “The right to protest does not…

Getting Albertans back to work remains the central focus of the government’s agenda, highlighted in the speech from the throne. The speech outlined the government’s plan to renew and defend the province’s economy – including legislation to protect critical infrastructure, such as roads and railways, from illegal blockades. “Ours is a government obsessed with job…

Peter Mallett A firefighter from Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Esquimalt, British Columbia (BC), has received official recognition for saving the life of a snorkeler while on a recent vacation in Hawaii, crediting his training for a quick reaction. The 48-year-old father of two chalked his successful actions all up to the training he has learned…

Canada’s Safest Driver is a new skills-based contest running from April 6 until May 31 and open to Canadian residents with a valid driver’s licence who have reached age of majority. To participate, you first need to download the Canada’s Safest Driver app, which will be available as of March 23 at parachute.ca/CanadasSafestDriver. The telematics app, once…