Alberta
Province provides over $68 Million for extra staff in continuing care, addiction and mental health treatment facilities

From the Province of Alberta
Increasing protection for vulnerable Albertans
Alberta’s government is providing $68.5 million to protect vulnerable Albertans and staff in continuing care and residential addiction and mental health treatment facilities, as well as home care clients, from COVID-19.
This one-time funding will support operators of non-contracted licensed supportive living and both contracted and non-contracted home care, hospices and residential addiction and mental health treatment centres.
It will help operators pay for increased staffing, additional cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment.
“We must do everything possible to protect vulnerable Albertans and the workers supporting them from COVID-19. Today’s $68.5 million in support for continuing care homes is on top of $260 million that Alberta’s government has already provided to help caregivers support vulnerable seniors throughout the pandemic.”
“I am pleased to announce steps to help protect this sector. We know how important these services are to Albertans who live in these facilities and their families, as well as for those who are cared for at home. Alberta’s government will continue to support services that are essential to the health and well-being of Albertans throughout this pandemic.”
“I have heard loud and clear from the continuing care sector that remaining in compliance with public health orders can be costly. This funding will help operators further protect those most at risk of severe outcomes.”
“I am pleased that the Government of Alberta has taken this positive step to recognize the actions taken by operators who have stepped up and taken responsibility for the care of older Albertans throughout the pandemic. This funding recognizes the importance of this ongoing work.”
Funding to support operators providing essential services varies by sector and will be calculated based on the number of spaces in each facility or on an hourly basis for home care:
- $48 million for non-contracted licensed supportive living
- $9.9 million for residential addiction and mental health treatment facilities
- $9.6 million for home care
- $1 million for residential community hospice
Organizations operating during the period of March 15, 2020 to March 31, 2021 will be eligible.
Alberta’s government is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by protecting lives and livelihoods with precise measures to bend the curve, sustain small businesses and protect Alberta’s health-care system.
Quick facts
- Information on how to apply for funding will be posted on alberta.ca in the coming weeks.
- Alberta has provided more than $260 million in funding to protect staff and residents in long-term care, designated supportive living facilities and seniors lodges from COVID-19.
- This includes more than $87.6 million that has been provided to operators to top-up the wages of health-care aides and health care aide staffing levels and provide paid practicums for students to fast-track them through certification.
Addictions
B.C. parent launches class-action lawsuit against makers of Fortnite video game

A child plays the video game “Fortnite” in Chicago, Saturday, Oct.6, 2018. A Vancouver parent has launched a proposed class-action lawsuit against the makers of Fortnite, saying the popular video game is designed to be “as addictive as possible” for children. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Martha Irvine
By Chuck Chiang in Vancouver
A Vancouver parent has launched a proposed class-action lawsuit against the makers of Fortnite, saying the popular video game is designed to be “as addictive as possible” for children.
In the lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court on Friday, the plaintiff identified only as A.B. says her son downloaded Fortnite in 2018 and “developed an adverse dependence on the game.”
The statement of claim says the game incorporates a number of intentional design choices such as offering rewards for completing challenges and making frequent updates, which encourages players to return repeatedly.
Fortnite creator Epic Games says in a written response released Monday that it will fight the “inflammatory allegations.”
The plaintiff statement says Epic Games enriches itself by making content and customization options purchasable via an in-game currency, which are purchased with real cash.
The class-action lawsuit would still need approval from a judge and none of the allegations have been proven in court.
The plaintiff is seeking damages alleging the game breaches the B.C. Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, as well as for “unjust enrichment” and medical expenses for psychological or physical injuries, among other claims.
“Video games have been around for decades, but Fortnite is unique in that the science and psychology of addiction and cognitive development are at the core of the game’s design,” the court statement says.
It describes the game as “predatory and exploitative,” given its popularity among minors.
Epic Games says the company has had “cabined accounts” in place since 2022, which allow for parents to track their children’s playtime and limit purchases.
Other measures such as a daily spending limit for players under 13 and instant purchase cancellations are also in place, the company says.
“These claims do not reflect how Fortnite operates and ignore all the ways parents can control their child’s experience through Epic’s parental controls,” the statement says.
In the lawsuit, A.B. says her son began playing Fortnite: Battle Royale on a Sony PlayStation 4 game console when he was nine years old. The boy, she said, soon began buying various Fortnite products while adding the game to different platforms at home, including on a mobile phone and a computer.
Since that time, A.B. says Epic Games “received payment for numerous charges” made to her credit card without her authorization. The statement says A.B.’s son spent “thousands of dollars” on in-game purchases.
“If Epic Games had warned A.B. that playing Fortnite could lead to psychological harm and financial expense, A.B. would not have allowed (her son) to download Fortnite,” the statement says.
The lawsuit, if approved by the court, would cover three classes of plaintiffs: an “Addiction Class” of people who suffered after developing a dependence on Fortnite, a “Minor Purchaser Class” that includes gamers who made purchases in the game while under the age of majority, and an “Accidental Purchaser Class” of users who mistakenly bought items due to the game’s design.
The lawsuit would cover all persons affected by Fortnite in Canada except Quebec, where Epic lost its attempt last month to appeal a court decision there to authorize a similar class-action suit.
In the Quebec class-action appeal attempt, Epic lawyers argued the claims that children were becoming addicted to Fortnite were “based purely on speculation,” and no scientific consensus exists on cyberaddiction.
Epic Games also said in the Quebec case that it was not given a chance to argue against the claim that minors who bought Fortnite’s in-game currency were taken advantage of.
Quebec Appeal Court Justice Guy Cournoyer said in his decision that Epic did not demonstrate any significant error on the lower court judge’s decision to authorize the class-action lawsuit in that case.
Epic said in documents made public in a separate legal battle with Apple in the United States that Fortnite made more than US$9 billion combined in 2018 and 2019.
The legal claim in Quebec against the video game maker still needs to be argued in court.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 20, 2023.
Alberta
Alberta program trains rural health-care workers in supporting sex assault victims

Edmonton (CP) – The Alberta government says $1 million in funding is to be used to train rural health-care providers to better support victims of sexual assault.
The money, announced in October, helped Grande Prairie’s Northwestern Polytechnic develop an online course for specialized training.
The course, called Rural Sexual Assault Care-Expanded, teaches how to provide comprehensive, trauma-informed care to survivors of recent sex assaults.
It focuses on assessment, forensic evidence collection and court testimony.
The government says too often sex assault survivors in rural Alberta must drive long distances to access essential care and services.
The funding is to cover the cost of the online course for registered nurses, nurse practitioners, registered midwives and doctors in rural Alberta.
“We want to ensure that as many health-care providers as possible have access to training to best support survivors of sexual assault when they are most vulnerable, and no matter where they live in the province,” Tanya Fir, Alberta’s parliamentary secretary for the status of women, said in a news release Monday.
“Alberta’s government is committed to supporting all survivors and ensuring the resources and support they deserve are available to them.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 20, 2023.
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