Winter has arrived while a record number of Albertans are living unhoused or without stable housing. The combination of cold weather and a lack of housing are already adding totally preventable pressures on to our hospitals, emergency services and health care system.

EDMONTON — Every year, November 20 is the Transgender Day of Remembrance. It is a day to mourn, remember and honour those who have lost their lives due to transphobia and anti-transgender violence.

EDMONTON — Yesterday, Premier Danielle Smith’s government tabled new legislation that includes major new restrictions on access to gender-affirming health care. If passed, this legislation will infringe on the rights of transgender, non-binary, Two-Spirit and gender diverse Albertans to access the health care services they need, when they need them.

EDMONTON — Before announcing her plan for education infrastructure, Premier Smith’s 10-minute televised address opened last night with an extended anti-immigration rant, blaming folks moving here from other countries for Alberta’s lack of capacity in health, housing and education. 

This afternoon, the federal government tabled their 2024-2025 budget. Included is funding for the continued expansion of national dental care coverage, and crucial funding for the roll out of universal, single-payer Pharmacare — both key commitments in the Confidence and Supply Agreement between the NDP and the Liberals.

A Reflection on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation:

We cannot claim to have universal Medicare without ensuring it includes everyone. This means getting serious about finally addressing the deep health inequities that Indigenous people continue to face in our province and country; it means taking the necessary action to close the structural gaps to accessing care; it means meaningfully addressing the social determinants of health; and it means dismantling the systemic racism built into our health care system.

On Sunday, September 17, Migrants Rights Network and allies in cities across the country will be holding a nation-wide Day of Action for Status for All. Friends of Medicare will be joining Migrante Alberta, and other advocates at the Alberta Legislature, to call on the federal government to keep their promise to ensure regularization for undocumented migrants and permanent resident status for all without further delay.

Friends of Medicare helped to coordinate the day of action event outside of the office of federal cabinet minister Randy Boissonnault.

Alberta still has a long way to go to achieve gender equality

Gender remains an important social determinant of health—We know that gender-based discrimination and ongoing gender inequality in our society results in increased health risks and poorer outcomes. Far too many Albertans still do not have proper access to reproductive and sexual health care, or gender-affirming health care.

Following the recent report released by the supervised consumption services review committee, the fate of Alberta's SCS and other harm reduction services is more uncertain than ever. The next day, Albertans learned that funding for injectable opioid agonist therapy (iOAT) would not be continued, and that the 63 patients in the program would be given one year to transfer to alternate treatment. Given that clients are only referred to the iOAT program when other treatments fail, the impacts of this funding cut will likely be devastating for the people who depend on it, and their families.

The following was reposted with permission from an Alberta nurse: