logo
Water advisory issued for Camper's Beach at Lac la Biche

Water advisory issued for Camper's Beach at Lac la Biche

CTV News19-07-2025
An Alberta Health Services sign is pictured outside the Rockyview General Hospital in Calgary, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)
Alberta Health Services issued an advisory Friday after elevated levels of fecal bacteria were identified at Camper's Beach on Lac la Biche.
The health authority is advising people to not swim or wade at this beach area at Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park.
At current levels, gastrointestinal illness may be caused by ingesting the water at Camper's Beach. It is also possible to get skin, ear and eye infections with water contact.
The advisory will remain in effect until further notice.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Island Health's new fatigue policy is fuelling staff shortages and burnout, union leaders say
Island Health's new fatigue policy is fuelling staff shortages and burnout, union leaders say

CBC

time30 minutes ago

  • CBC

Island Health's new fatigue policy is fuelling staff shortages and burnout, union leaders say

Social Sharing Staffing shortages in health care have been a chronic issue since the pandemic, but new restrictions on overtime Vancouver Island's health district is making the problem worse, according to union leaders representing health-care workers. This spring, Island Health implemented a fatigue policy. Broadly speaking, it stipulates that employees shouldn't work more than 16 hours in a 24-hour period The health authority states that its goal is to ensure front-line staff get the rest they need to reduce injuries and sick time, and to ensure patients get quality care. But union leaders say the restrictions on overtime are having the opposite effect. They report that health units are going understaffed even when there are people willing to work, and the result is added strain on staff at the expense of patients. "We don't want to be relying on overtime as a long term solution," said Sarah Kooner, president of the Health Sciences Association of B.C. which represents health professionals such as lab technologists and physiotherapists. "But our members also know that in the face of chronic staffing shortages, overtime is often the only way to make sure that patients are getting the care that they need," Kooner said. Limiting overtime may also be costing the health-care system money in the long run, she warned. For instance, when occupational therapists are short-staffed, patients have to wait a longer time to be assessed for discharge from hospital. The ripple effects include delays to new patient admissions and overcrowded emergency rooms. Teams short-staffed The Hospital Employees' Union, which represents support staff such as care aides, housekeepers, activity workers and more, is also reporting that its members are routinely being denied overtime shifts, leaving care teams short-staffed. The B.C. Nurses' Union is also seeing difficulties, and president Adriane Gear said there are both direct and indirect impacts on nurses. Nurses are being denied overtime hours, which is resulting in too few nurses on the floor. Furthermore, their support staff — such as care aides — are also being denied overtime, leaving the nurses on shift to pick up the extra work. "The burnout factor for nurses alone, I would think, would be enough to reconsider the strategy," Gear said. Island Health did not grant an interview about the fatigue policy. In a statement it said that overtime has not been eliminated, and that its policy is about wellbeing. However, it also made reference to cost-cutting, saying it's reviewing its scheduling practices to reduce how frequently staff are working an "inordinate" number of shifts in a row or working shifts "at premium rates of pay beyond the expected norm." Leaked memo An internal memo obtained by CBC News sheds light on how the fatigue policy is being implemented. In a July 11 letter from an Island Health manager to staff members, it says no overtime is to be approved for health care assistants, nursing unit assistants, or for general workload coverage. However, in some circumstances, a health unit can make an appeal to senior leadership for overtime approval "if the impact is significant enough."

Saturday's letters: Is UCP against Albertans with disabilities?
Saturday's letters: Is UCP against Albertans with disabilities?

Edmonton Journal

time2 hours ago

  • Edmonton Journal

Saturday's letters: Is UCP against Albertans with disabilities?

Article content As a parent of an adult with Down syndrome, we are very familiar with AISH. My daughter works part-time, volunteers and participates actively in art and sports programs. She is also an AISH recipient. AISH is essential for her financial needs, dental needs and diabetic needs. What AISH doesn't cover, family does. Article content The $200 Canada Disability Benefit is a very nice supplement to the existing AISH income. It will help with expenses which AISH doesn't cover. This federal government gesture is meant to supplement, not take away from any existing provincial programs for persons with disabilities. Article content Article content Article content Article content Kudos to Keith Gerein and his description of crowdfunding, especially his note '… it's nice to see an innovative attempt to have the public directly contribute to the revitalization without relying on corporate or government millions. And if it works, perhaps that can be a model to re-energize other meaningful properties in the city.' Article content Article content I heartily agree, especially now that the province has reopened the possibility of salvaging the old provincial museum and is accepting proposals into September. If a crowdfunding opportunity arose to help save the old RAM, I, for one, would gladly contribute. I am sure many others would too. Perhaps it's not too late to save that beautiful, old building. Article content Pat Holt, Edmonton Article content Our previous premier, Jason Kenney, valued Albertans' health and lives sufficiently that, in the fall of 2021, his UCP government actually provided vaccine-hesitant Albertans with a $100 debit card to undertake one or even two COVID-19 vaccinations, typically (and conveniently) at their neighborhood pharmacy. Article content In striking contrast and just four years later, it appears that our current premier, Danielle Smith, places much less value on Albertans' health and lives. Her UCP government plans, in the fall of 2025, both to charge us a significant price (likely more than $100 each) for our COVID-19 vaccinations and to require that those of us who find this affordable to book our COVID-19 vaccination appointments, in advance, at a small number of often-inconveniently-located public health clinics.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store