Alberta
Edmonton man arrested with $7 million worth of cocaine and heroin

News release from Integrated Border Enforcement Team
Integrated Border Enforcement Team charges man in multi-million drug importation investigation
Calgary – The Integrated Border Enforcement Team (IBET), a joint force operation between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada Border Services Agency and Calgary Police Service, has charged a man for importing cocaine and heroin into Canada.
IBET engaged in an investigation into cross-border drug importation via commercial transport vehicles. As a result of the investigation, IBET seized 38 kg of cocaine and 30 kg of heroin – which has a combined street value of approximately $7 million.
On Oct. 13, 2022, David Phanthikane, 42, a resident of Edmonton, was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking contrary to section 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Phanthikane is scheduled to appear in Edmonton Provincial Court on Nov. 24, 2022.
“This complex investigation, which spanned several months, is a great demonstration on the importance of collaboration between agencies. Investigators were able to prevent 68 kg of cocaine and heroin from impacting Alberta’s communities and potentially saving lives.”
– Supt. Sean Boser, OIC of Federal Policing – Calgary
“These charges are a great example of IBET’s effectiveness to stop illegal drugs at the border and keep our communities safe. The CBSA is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners.”
– Brad Wozny, Regional Director General, Prairie Region, Canada Border Services Agency
“The success of this operation is testament to the strength of law enforcement working in partnership to better our communities. Through excellent teamwork, we have been able to remove a substantial supply of drugs that were likely destined to target vulnerable addicted individuals. These are people that feed their supply through crime that impacts our broader communities.”
– Acting Supt. Melanie Oncescu, CPS Criminal Operations and Intelligence Division
IBET’s mandate is to enhance border integrity and security along the shared border, between designated ports of entry, by identifying, investigating and interdicting persons, organizations and goods that are involved in criminal activities.
Alberta
Meet Marjorie Mallare, a young woman with a leading role at one of Canada’s largest refineries

Marjorie Mallare at Imperial Oil’s Strathcona refinery.
Fr0m the Canadian Energy Centre
By Cody Ciona
Mallare manages an all-female team of engineers helping keep operations smooth and safe
As the utilities and hydroprocessing technical lead for Imperial Oil’s Strathcona Refinery near Edmonton, 32-year-old Marjorie Mallare and her team help ensure operations run smoothly and safely at one of Canada’s largest industrial facilities.
The exciting part, she says, is that all four engineers she leads are female.
It’s part of the reason Mallare was named one of ten Young Women in Energy award winners for 2025.
“I hope they realize how important the work that they do is, inspiring and empowering women, connecting women and recognizing women in our industry,” she says.
“That can be very pivotal for young women, or really any young professional that is starting off their career.”
Born and raised in the Philippines, Mallare and her family moved to Edmonton near the end of junior high school.
Living in the industrial heartland of Alberta, it was hard not to see the opportunity present in the oil and gas industry.
When she started post-secondary studies at the University of Alberta in the early 2010s, the industry was booming.
“The amount of opportunities, at least when I started university, which was around 2011, was one of the high periods in our industry at the time. So, it was definitely very attractive,” Mallare says.
When choosing a discipline, engineering stood out.
“At the time, chemical engineering had the most number of females, so that was a contributing factor,” she says.
“Just looking at what’s available within the province, within the city, chemical engineering just seemed to offer a lot more opportunities, a lot more companies that I could potentially work for.”
Through work co-ops in oil and gas, her interest in a career in the industry continued to grow.
“It just kind of naturally happened. That drew my interest more and more, and it made it easier to find future opportunities,” Mallare says.
Following a work practicum with Imperial Oil and graduation, she started working with the company full time.
On the side, Mallare has also driven STEM outreach programs, encouraging young women to pursue careers in engineering.
In addition to supporting the Strathcona Refinery’s operations department, Mallare and her team work on sustainability-focused projects and reducing the refinery’s carbon footprint.
The 200,000 barrel per day facility represents about 30 per cent of Western Canada’s refining capacity.
“Eventually, our group will also be responsible for running the new renewable diesel unit that we’re planning to commission later this year,” says Mallare.
Once completed, the $720 million project will be the largest renewable diesel facility in Canada, producing more than one billion litres of biofuel annually.
Projects like these are why Mallare believes Canada will continue to be a global energy leader.
“We’re leading others already with regards to pursuing more sustainable alternatives and reducing our carbon footprints overall. That’s not something we should lose sight of.”
Alberta
Alberta Precipitation Update

Below are my updated charts through April 2025 along with the cumulative data starting in October 2024. As you can see, central and southern Alberta are trending quite dry, while the north appears to be faring much better. However, even there, the devil is in the details. For instance, in Grande Prairie the overall precipitation level appears to be “normal”, yet in April it was bone dry and talking with someone who was recently there, they described it as a dust bowl. In short, some rainfall would be helpful. These next 3 months are fairly critical.
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