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added December 31

Edmonton's 2009 murder meter officially rests at 27, the lowest annual total since 2003. One veteran police officer suggested the year's low murder rate was primarily a reflection of the skills of emergency medical workers. Homicide section leaders said the year's high case clearance rate of 67% was the result of innovation in how the city's murders are investigated » full details »

added December 14

Edmonton police have laid a second-degree murder charge in connection with the death of 29-year-old Jonathan Blaine Nepoose, the city's 26th homicide of 2009. Nepoose was stabbed in a downtown rooming house during an all-night drinking spree.

added December 12

Mystery surrounded the matter of 21-year-old Melvin Edward Hansen whose body was found in a north-end Edmonton yard after windchill temperatures reached -42C overnight. Police later determined Hansen's death was a homicide.

added November 29

Reports of shots fired brought Edmonton police to a downtown laundromat where they found the body of 23-year-old Robleh Ali Mohamed slumped behind the wheel of his car with a gunshot wound to his head – the city's 25th murder of 2009. Witnesses likened the broad-daylight shooting of the Somali man to a gang-style execution.

added November 25

Police have completed their investigation of what initially looked like Edmonton's latest murder after the bloodied body of a man was found in a north-central alley. The death was later ruled non-criminal.

added November 13

Police continue to investigate Edmonton's 24th homicide of 2009 after 21-year-old Abdulaziz Osman Isse's body was found behind the Beth Israel Synagogue in the city's west end. Church staff found the man lying face down beside a dumpster. He had suffered apparent gunshot injuries.

added November 4

At the time, it was one of Edmonton's most shocking homicides. 83-year-old Lillian Berube was viciously beaten during a robbery inside her Norwood home on August 27th, 1987. She died six days later. Rewards were offered and FBI profilers were brought in ... but the case went cold. Twenty-two years later a DNA match produced a suspect – who was already in jail.

added October 23

It was the wrong place at the wrong time for 22-year-old Edward (Eddy) Ronald Wilson, Edmonton's twenty-third homicide victim of the year, after he was shot in the back of the head while in the basement of a west-end townhouse.

added October 17

Second-degree murder charges have been laid in connection with Edmonton's twenty-second homicide of the year after 22-year-old Jeremie Auger was found bleeding to death from stab wounds on the steps of a home, the result of a lover's triangle.

added October 15

The suspicious death of a woman found in a downtown highrise has been deemed a homicide. 28-year-old Sara Ann Sanders is Edmonton's twenty-first murder victim of the year.

added October 9

While dealing with the death of a man who fell from a sixth-floor balcony earlier in the day, Edmonton homicide detectives were called out to assist at a second scene after a woman was discovered lying injured near a north-end alley. After the woman died two days later in hospital, police declared the death of 37-year-old Michelle Lee Hadwen to be a homicide, the city's 20th of the year.

added September 27

The medical examiner has confirmed the deaths of two family members found in a home in Edmonton's north end were the result of a murder-suicide, the city's nineteenth homicide case of 2009.

added September 25

Edmonton's eighteenth murder of 2009, the first homicide in 11 weeks, took place in a park where a suspicious death occurred nearly one year earlier. 40-year-old Alfred Hudson is dead after a supposed dispute over a can of beer.

added September 5

Filmmaker Mark Twitchell, already charged with first-degree murder in connection with the snuff film death of 38-year-old Johnny Brian Altinger, gets slapped with an attempted murder charge involving a second man and has a rare direct indictment awarded against him.

added August 20

Colin Thatcher, the ex-Saskatchewan cabinet minister convicted of the murder of his former wife, granted Edmonton crime reporter Byron Christopher his first interview in advance of the release of the book Final Appeal: Anatomy of a Frame.

While Macleans Magazine published the interview, the Last Link on the Left has the story behind the story – a telling tale concerning the present state of journalism in Canada.

added August 20

Police confirmed they were dealing with Edmonton's seventeenth homicide of 2009 after a man was charged in connection with the death of 40-year-old Preshendra Pillay. Family earlier said that after making his way home from a strip club on July 7th, Pillay was beaten, robbed and suffered fatal head injuries.

added July 31

In July 2007, 20-year-old Edward Bone was found unconscious on the sidewalk in front of the Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel on 105th Street north of Jasper Avenue. He died in hospital of a stab wound. Two years later, a memorial picnic was planned to draw attention to the unsolved case.

added July 26

Four years after Liana White was reported missing and later found dead, crime reporter Byron Christopher reveals never-before-known details about the case. In a report exclusive to the Last Link on the Left, Christopher writes about his relationship with Michael White who was later found guilty of the second-degree murder of his wife.

In a story that casts doubt on the police investigation, Christopher explores how the media, politicians, and the justice system played a role in Michael White's conviction » full details »

added July 26

Strathcona County RCMP have charged a man with first-degree murder after 18-year-old Blaine Arthur McNally died from injuries sustained during a stabbing incident.

added July 22

Filmmaker Mark Twitchell, charged with first-degree murder in connection with the snuff film death of 38-year-old Johnny Brian Altinger, applies for bail.

added July 10

For Edmonton homicide detectives it was a familiar locale: The Avenue of Nations. The 107th Avenue strip north of downtown has seen more than its fair share murders - eighteen since 2004, including the crime-spree related stabbing death of 38-year-old Floyd James Horvath. His was the city's third confirmed murder in ten days and the sixteenth homicide of 2009.

added July 9

Police continue to investigate what may be Edmonton's seventeenth homicide of 2009 after 40-year-old Preshendra Pillay died after suffering injuries on his way home from a strip club. Family say Pillay was beaten and robbed and died of head injuries.

added July 6

Domestic violence is thought to play large in a case where a man walked into police headquarters and confessed to murdering his wife. Police found 46-year-old Selamawit Negasi dead in her home and charged her husband, 52-year-old Tesfai Negasi, with second-degree murder and offering an indignity to a body.

added July 2

Minutes after Canada Day fireworks lit the sky, blood covered the sidewalk in front of a downtown bus stop after 42-year-old Shane Edward Howarth was stabbed to death in front of dozens of horrified onlookers. Howarth is Edmonton's fourteenth murder victim of 2009.

added June 27

Police have issued second-degree murder arrest warrants for two men and a teenager in connection with Edmonton's thirteenth homicide of the year after 23-year-old Keith Goddard died of apparent stab wounds suffered during a house party.

updated June 18

Police have charged a 16-year-old male with second-degree murder in connection with the death of 39-year-old Curtis Todd Osterlund.

added June 13

Police are investigating Edmonton's twelfth homicide of 2009 after 39-year-old Curtis Todd Osterlund died of an apparent stab wound suffered in a north-end school parking lot attack.

added June 1

A careless driving investigation initiated by Edmonton police has led to the discovery by Strathcona RCMP of the dead bodies of Baldur "Barry" Boenke and Susan Trudel on a property east of Ardrossan. Two 14-year-old teens, already under provincial care, were charged in connection with the double homicide.

added May 29

The latest Edmonton radio ratings are in and they show local audiences in a state of mood swing – that's good news for some and worrying for others.

updated May 15

A final chapter has closed in the story of convicted St. Albert child-rapist Anton Paul Rapati with charges being stayed by the Crown prosecutor's office. Ironically, the charges stem from accusations made by the man whose family helped RCMP snare Rapati after he spent fifteen years in hiding.

added May 10

A provincial watchdog team is investigating after 36-year-old Shawn Michael Price was shot dead by Edmonton police after he allegedly tried to grab an officer's gun.

added April 26

A man whose body was discovered in an east end park is Edmonton's tenth murder victim of 2009, the fourth in five days. 20-year-old Mahamed Farah Khalif had just moved to the city from Hamilton, Ontario.

added April 25

A brawl over a girl between teens armed with baseball bats and knives resulted in 17-year-old male becoming Edmonton's ninth murder victim of 2009. A 16-year-old male was charged with second-degree murder.

added April 23

A businessman protecting his family against a man with a gun became Edmonton's eighth murder victim of the year after an apparent armed robber entered a health spa in Mill Woods. After the fatal wounding of 44-year-old Duane Albert McArthur, 18-year-old Pierre Kabema Ilunga went into a nearby liquor store, took a swig from a bottle of vodka, saw police and shot himself.

added April 22

An autopsy has determined the suspicious death of 64-year-old Treana Theresa Carlson to be Edmonton's seventh homicide of 2009 – the first in two months. Police charged a 50-year-old man with first-degree murder.

added April 3

The latest Edmonton radio ratings are in and the big news is not who came in first but who came in second: CBC Radio. Mystery surrounds the disappearance of the rock audience, and the countdown is on for the arrival of Portable People Meters and the debut of four new stations on the already-crowded local dial.

added March 28

After five months of waiting, Michael White learned that an appeal to have his conviction overturned and be granted a new trial was denied. After getting the call from his lawyer telling him the bad news, White called an Edmonton crime reporter and gave an exclusive interview.

added March 23

Richard Lee McNair, a convicted killer who escaped U.S. prisons three times (once by mailing himself out), has written to Edmonton crime reporter Byron Christopher a third time. McNair's 22-page letter is almost a manual on how to live a life on the run, detailing the various techniques he used to stay one step ahead of the law.

updated February 22

New allegations have surfaced that convicted St. Albert child-rapist Anton Paul Rapati was involved in the burial of human remains.

updated February 22

Edmonton police have made arrests in connection with Edmonton's sixth homicide of 2009 – the stabbing death of 21-year-old Brendan Malcolm McNaughton outside a west end pub.

added February 19

Police continue to investigate the fatal stabbing of 24-year-old Landis Tyson Stick along the Avenue of Nations – the seventeenth murder on the 107th Avenue strip in the past five years.

added February 12

Edmonton records its fourth homicide of 2009 after 31-year-old Melvin Fred Beaulieu dies from a knife wound suffered during a house party.

updated February 12

The trial of accused St. Albert child-rapist Anton Paul Rapati concluded with the 85-year-old getting what probably amounts to a life sentence: 25 months.

added February 7

In March 2008 as Edmonton Fire Rescue dealt with a car fire they discovered charred human remains lying slumped in the driver's seat. Nearly a year later, police reveal that an arrest is imminent in the murder of 26-year-old nurse Shernell Sharon Pierre - Edmonton's sixth homicide of 2008.

added February 4

Richard Lee McNair has gone from mailing himself out of prison to mailing letters instead. A convicted killer who escaped prison three times, McNair first wrote to crime reporter Byron Christopher in December – his first media interview. McNair just wrote to Christopher again and made some interesting revelations about his time in Canada » full details »

added February 1

The latest edition of the Last Link approved list of quips and quotes is now online. Read all about it on the I Wish I Had Said That page.

added January 29

Police waited over two weeks for word from the medical examiner to learn the January 13th death of a four-year-old girl was criminal in nature. They then laid a charge of second-degree murder against the child's aunt.

updated January 22

Edmonton police quickly determined the city's first two homicide victims of 2009 were known to them and to each other and that their murders were connected. 29-year-old Cody Lee Johnson and 24-year-old Fernando Alberto Vasquez were gunned down within 45 minutes of each other and investigators figure their deaths were drug-related.

added January 12

A convicted killer who escaped prison three times, made the U.S. Marshals' Top 15 fugitive list and was featured on America's Most Wanted 12 times, Richard Lee McNair was captured as the result of the keen observations of a New Brunswick Mountie in October 2007. And while he may have answered a lot of questions posed by law enforcement, McNair never answered any questions posed by media until he wrote to crime reporter Byron Christopher » full details »

added January 3

In a year when Edmonton's boomtown economy peaked and slid, the city's homicide rate maintained its ominous pace. Drug and gang connections figured in over a dozen of the 35 cases police dealt with, while most of the year's other murders seemed to be random acts of violence » full details »

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added December 31

Police are investigating Edmonton's 35th and last homicide of 2008 – the stabbing death of 18-year-old Steven Lee Mills who was found lying face down in a pool of blood in the middle of 51st Avenue, between 106th and 107th Street.

added December 23

A dispute over toys resulted in the stabbing death of a seven-year-old boy. Police have ruled Edmonton's 34th homicide of the year as non-culpable.

added December 21

Jared Baker was found guilty of the first-degree murder of 19-year-old Olivia Marie Talbot. The pregnant teen was shot dead inside her Mill Woods townhouse in November 2005. Baker admitted to the murder but said he was not guilty because he was using crystal meth at the time. The jury didn't buy it and he was sentenced to life in prison. In December 2008 Baker wrote a letter to crime reporter Byron Christopher detailing how a "measly" drug ruined his life.

added December 12

Skeletal remains found June 5th, 2008 in Strathcona County have been identified as a missing Edmonton woman. 29-year-old Shannon Maureen Collins was last seen alive in December 2007. Police said she led a high risk lifestyle.

added December 7

A man found shot dead behind the wheel of an idling pickup truck has been identified as Mitchell Chambers, Edmonton's thirty-third murder victim of 2008.

added December 5

Police have identified two men with common heritage who were killed in two separate shootings, Edmonton's 31st and 32nd murders of 2008. 23-year-old Abdul Kadir Mohamoud was found dead in a public park; 13 hours later 21-year-old Ahmed Mohammed Abdirahman was shot dead in a condo parking lot.

added November 27

The latest Edmonton radio ratings are in and despite a series of unprecedented shake-ups in morning radio, the latest ratings showed that things are much the same: better for some and worse for others.

added November 25

Police charged filmmaker Mark Twitchell with first-degree murder in connection with the snuff film death of 38-year-old Johnny Brian Altinger. A man who took part in Twitchell's film came forward to talk to media. "I was the guy that got killed," he said.

added November 21

Convicted criminal Leo Teskey soon faces his second dangerous offender status hearing in connection with the near-death beating of Dougald Miller. On November 21st the Edmonton Sun published a photograph that, according to one lawyer, may hurt his chances. The Last Link on the Left has exclusive details of the story behind the picture.

added November 14

Twenty-year-old Rostislav Soukonnik has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of 60-year-old Maia Soukonnik in a west-end apartment. The homicide marks Edmonton's twenty-ninth of the year.

added November 9

Edmonton police are investigating the city's twenty-eighth homicide of 2008 – the stabbing death of 25-year-old Andrew Stephen Frang. His girlfriend said it began as an altercation over a cigarette.

added November 8

An all-night drinking spree later turned into a stabbing melee, leaving homicide detectives to investigate the murder of 22-year-old Quentin Edward L'Hirondelle, the city's twenty-seventh homicide of 2008.

added November 8

The scene was a crowded dance club. A drink was spilled and a fight broke out. Customers panicked and dashed for the exit. Five shots rang out and six people were hit by flying bullets. When it was over three men were dead ... and Edmonton's only triple murder entered the record books on October 29th, 2006.

Nearly two years later the trial of 24-year-old Dwayne Anthony Nelson concluded with the man being found guilty of the second-degree murder of Jacey Sydney Pinnock, Thomas Tipo Orak and Dave Persaud.

added November 7

On August 25th, 2008 Strathcona County RCMP received a call from a local resident who came across what he believed were human bones on his property. On September 16th Edmonton police had asked for the public's assistance in locating a missing 14-year-old boy. On November 7th RCMP announced the remains found were that of Alexander Xavier Smith.

added October 31

On October 10th, 2008 38-year-old Johnny Brian Altinger went missing. On October 31st, Edmonton police arrested 29-year-old filmmaker Mark Andrew Twitchell and charged him with first-degree murder in a case investigators said involved internet luring.

added October 31

A man found lying dead in a north-end park near three schools has been identified as 21-year-old Abas Abukar of Toronto. Police were called by a man out walking his dog who noticed the body near a picnic table.

added October 29

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team is investigating the death of a man Tasered by Edmonton police officers. Police had been called to an altercation involving a man attacking people and smashing windows. In their efforts to sudbue him, a Taser gun was deployed. Trevor Grimolfson collapsed and was pronounced dead in hospital.

added October 27

A caretaker checking on reports of a transient inside an apartment building discovered the dead body of 77-year-old Larry Bosiak lying in a stairwell. Bosiak had just returned from buying a carton of milk when he was shot in an apparent botched robbery.

added October 19

Edmonton police have asked for the public's help in locating a missing 21-year-old man last seen on October 11th, 2008 leaving a home near 104th Street and 33rd Avenue. Dylan Koshman was wearing only shoes, jeans and a dark-coloured t-shirt at the time; calls to his cellphone have gone unanswered and there has been no activity on his bank account.

added October 15

Edmonton courtrooms have been busy as justice makes its way through several cases from 2007 and 2006.

A second-degree murder trial involving a foster mother and 3-year-old Toddler Doe is underway; a verdict is expected soon in Brendan Lee Jeffery's trial in the stabbing death of Robert Bruce Caldwell (Jeffrey accused Caldwell of giving him a cold on a bus); two men pleaded guilty to lesser charges in connection with the shooting death of Barbara Ann Matthews; a trial is underway in the matter of Edmonton's 36th and last homicide of 2006, the Christmas Eve death of Marilyn Elaine Badger – her nephew stands accused of second-degree murder; and a not guilty verdict was entered in a second-degree murder trial involving Robert Wayne Joy and his roommate.

added October 7

The latest Edmonton radio ratings are in and against the backdrop of news of some of the biggest shake ups in local morning radio in years, the Summer 2008 book weighed in with its own surprises. For two stations that flipped formats in the spring of 2008 the latest ratings were the first indication of where their fortunes may lie ... and Corus Entertainment posted some of their worst numbers in over a decade.

added October 3

Accused St. Albert child-rapist Anton Paul Rapati grants his first media interview – exclusive to the Last Link on the Left.

added September 28

The murder of 14-year-old Emily Joy Stauffer took place on a warm autumn day on the edge of the small town of Edson, Alberta. She was a pastor's daughter, an active member of the church who was well-liked by all who knew her. A massive police manhunt soon got underway. So far, RCMP have released the descriptions of a suspect ... and a person of interest.

added September 26

Police say a domestic dispute was behind the murder of 57-year-old David Owen O'Donnell, Edmonton's 22nd homicide of 2008. O'Donnell's 38-year-old common-law life was taken into custody.

added September 21

Police continue to investigate two separate but unrelated murders that took place just minutes apart: Arfan Ul Haq died near Whitemud Drive from multiple gunshot wounds, while moments later Sean Auger died as the result of a stabbing incident in Old Strathcona. Edmonton's 2008 murder count now sits at 21.

added September 17

For the numerous victims of sexual assaults at the hands of a St. Albert man, a decades-old quest for justice took a major step forward when RCMP arrested 85-year-old Anton Paul Rapati after he was spotted in church by an older sister of one of the children he allegedly abused.

added September 16

A bright sunny early fall school day was tarnished for students when Edmonton's 19th murder victim of the year was found lying next to a playground. Nasir Mohamad Said, a 22-year-old from Toronto, was shot during what police figure was a drug deal gone bad.

added September 12

Sex-trade work Ellie-May Meyer was found dead May 6th, 2005 in a field east of Edmonton. After a 40-month investigation, Project KARE charged Joseph Laboucan with her second-degree murder. Laboucan had been previously convicted of the first-degree murder of Nina Courtepatte.

added September 11

A string of sexual assaults along the Yellowhead Highway west of Edmonton prompted RCMP to release surveillance images of a man thought responsible for groping women in two separate Wal-Marts and the attempted luring of several girls, including a seven-year-old.

added September 10

On July 6th, 2007 Edmonton police responded to a landlord-tenant dispute. A woman, who came out of a suite and approached a female officer in a "threatening manner" with a knife, was shot in the abdomen by a male constable. An RCMP investigation of the shooting, reviewed by Alberta Justice's Special Prosecutions branch, recommended that no criminal charges be sworn against Edmonton police.

added September 8

The case of Nyibol Chuol started with a missing person report. The 27-year-old woman, a three-month pregnant mother of two, was last seen alive September 6th, 2006. Ten days later her body was found along an Edmonton-area highway. John Dum Both, the woman's husband, appeared in court and pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, second-degree murder and offering an indignity to a body.

added September 8

Police are investigating what may become Edmonton's 19th murder of 2008. Homicide detectives have taken over the case of Fabian DeLorme who was beaten with golf clubs and later died in hospital.

added September 8

Thomas George Svekla got a break from serving his life sentence at the Edmonton Institution. The occasion was a court appearance in Peace River to answer to charges of sexual assault and uttering death threats in connection with an August 4th, 2005 incident in High Level. Svekla was found guilty and now faces a dangerous offender application.

added August 30

24-year-old Mohamed Ali Ibrahim was shot dead and a 20-year-old woman was injured after bullets flew through the morning air outside the River Cree Resort and Casino on the Enoch reserve just west of Edmonton.

added August 26

Edmonton area RCMP are investigating the discovery of another body found in Strathcona County.

added August 22

On the second anniversary of her disappearance from a fire lookout tower near Hinton, RCMP asked the media to bring the case of 70-year-old Stephanie Stewart back into public focus. Initially a missing person case, investigators are now treating Stewart's disappearance as a homicide.

added August 17

Edmonton police continue to investigate the city's eighteenth homicide of 2008 – the shooting death of 26-year-old Terence Dashielle Miller. Well known to police, Miller had been charged with second-degree murder in two separate cases and beat the charges both times.

added August 13

Leduc RCMP are looking into a suspicious death after a body was found in a water-filled ditch just off the Queen Elizabeth II highway.

added August 8

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team and Edmonton police are investigating the officer-involved shooting of Percy Davis on a northeast city shopping mall parking lot. The shooting took place after the man refused to lay down a foot-long butcher knife.

added August 5

Police continue to investigate Edmonton's seventeenth homicide of 2008 – the shooting death of 42-year-old Andrew Livingstone O'Brien, a convicted pimp.

added August 1

Police confirmed the suspicious death of a woman found in a downtown apartment to be a homicide. 40-year-old Deang Huon is Edmonton's sixteenth murder victim of 2008.

updated July 31

A sexual assault is caught on videotape, a man breaks into Premier Ed Stelmach's residence, and a robbery at a movie house had nothing to do with the price of tickets or popcorn – all this and more in the The July Crime Report.

added July 28

A man who died after being dropped off at a hospital became the city's fifteenth victim of homicide of 2008. 33-year-old Christopher Byron Lord died of gunshot wounds in an incident thought to be drug and gang related.

added July 17

Leduc RCMP are dealing with the metro area's sixth murder of the year. 30-year-old Kristopher Ryan Kratchmer was found dead along a rural highway. Two teens have been arrested and charged with first-degree murder.

added July 14

The latest Edmonton radio ratings are in and the big news is that local radio listeners are back in the country saddle again, with CISN claiming king of the hill and CFCW ponying up with its best book since the summer of 2006. Also, two stations were caught in transition and five stations posted historic lows.

added July 8

Edmonton police are investigating what may end up becoming Edmonton's fifteen homicide of 2008. 50-year-old Andrew Rademacher was found June 30th with serious injuries and he died July 4th.

added July 2

Edmonton recorded its fourteenth homicide of 2008 after three people arrived at a community health centre: Scott Ladouceur was dead from multiple gunshot wounds, one was in serious condition and the third person was questioned by police.

added June 30

The homicide investigation of 20-year-old Chantel Brittnay Robertson began as a missing person report. The police search ended when she was found buried in the back yard of a south central Edmonton home. A 24-year-old man was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder. Robertson was the city's 13th homicide of the year.

added June 24

On November 3rd, 2007 Vegreville RCMP responded to a complaint of partial skeletal remains discovered in a wooded area approximately 25 kilometers west of Vegreville. On June 24th RCMP announced that the remains were that of Robin Douglas Goodwin, missing since September 2006.

added June 20

Edmonton police homicide detectives have taken over a missing person case. 29-year-old Jason Freedom Adam was last seen outside the Shaw Conference Centre on October 21st, 2007. Foul play is now suspected.

added June 17

A former K-Rock program director makes a surprise appearance at recent CRTC hearings; there are familiar voices back on the air and in the air but at different stations; Chuck Chandler says response to his "audition" was "incredible" and late reports from the iNews 880 camp suggest "staffing issues" are being sorted out – all this and more on the edmonton radio news page.

updated June 16

After an eleven week trial, Thomas George Svekla was convicted of the murder of Theresa Merrie Innes but was found not guilty of the death of Rachel Quinney. In a crowded Edmonton courtroom, Justice Sterling Sanderman handed Svekla his sentence.

updated June 10

Strathcona RCMP release a description in the case of a skull and other human skeletal remains found in a rural subdivision east of Edmonton. Families reveal the identities of two men, victims of the Lamont double homicide. A Chinatown shooting give local crime-watchers a sense of deja vu.

added June 6

On March 14th, 2008, when Corus Entertainment announced that as of May 20th CHQT Cool 880 would switch from oldies to iNews 880 (all news), many wondered how Rogers Broadcasting Limited would broach the subject when they applied to the CRTC for their own all news licence at hearings held May 27th. However, what local media watchers weren't expecting was news that Rogers was taking action of some sort against Corus Entertainment regarding similarities between certain iNews 880 elements and Rogers all-news stations already in operation – see Rogers answers back.

added June 5

Strathcona RCMP are investigating the discovery of a skull and other human skeletal remains in the yard of a home in a rural subdivision east of Edmonton.

updated June 3

After eleven weeks of testimony from over 100 witnesses, Justice Sterling Sanderman ruled that Thomas George Svekla was guilty of the murder of Theresa Merrie Innes but not guilty of the death of Rachel Quinney. Called "Mr. Hockey Bag" by his fellow inmates, Svekla faced second-degree murder charges in connection with the deaths of two the Edmonton-area prostitutes. Svekla continues to be a suspect in six other murders.

also updated June 3

A farmer seeding his fields near Lamont discovers two dead bodies in a wooded area. RCMP confirmed the deaths as a double homicide, the third and fourth murders in the area immediately surrounding Edmonton.

added May 31

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is holding public hearings to entertain applications for one – possibly two – new Edmonton FM radio licences to add to the already crowded local dial.

added May 25

Three recently unemployed Edmonton radio morning folk have found new digs and gigs, the former voice of the Trappers and Cracker-Cats takes on an Edmonton Chill and Newcap Radio is under new local management – all this and more on the edmonton radio news page.

updated May 23

After a month-long investigation, RCMP announced they had charged two 17-year-old females in connection with a dead body of a newborn infant found on an acreage near Stony Plain. The discovery was made April 16th by a man walking his dog on a quad trail.

added May 20

Edmonton radio news junkies got a new place to score their fix when Corus Entertainment flipped CHQT Cool 880 to iNews 880, a cutting edge internet-driven news service. Check out the details as it's out with the oldies and in with the news.

added May 15

A man gunned down in the parking lot of a strip mall has been identified as Ashley Quintin Charest – Edmonton's twelfth murder victim of 2008. Police figure the shooting was part of a drug deal gone bad.

added May 12

"Our police officers are not punching bags," said Edmonton police chief Mike Boyd in the wake of two incidents that saw his officers openly attacked by swarms of assailants. While Boyd's anger and indignation was meant to send a signal to like-minded perpetrators and the populace at large, it also indicated the chief's fear that respect for law and order had all but evaporated in the provincial capital.

added May 3

The latest Edmonton television ratings are in and unlike the Fall 2007 book that somehow allowed both Global and CTV Edmonton to claim the top spot, there was no mistaking the Spring 2008 numbers – Global's got it!

updated April 30

Stony Plain RCMP laid charges of first-degree murder, interfering with human remains and accessory after the fact in the wake of the discovery of a man's body inside an incinerator. Those charged in the murder of 77-year-old Alex Fred Semenovich were the elderly man's wife, daughter and grandson. That three generations of a single family were charged in connection with a murder was unprecedented in Alberta history.

also updated April 30

On April 26th police found themselves dealing with two crime scenes seven blocks apart in the University area – one involving a dead man with no shoes and the other involving a pair of shoes without their owner. It was later deemed the death of Alex Pinzauti was non-criminal.

added April 20

A man found lying face down on the snowy back deck of a Mill Woods home is Edmonton's eleventh murder victim of 2008. 25-year-old Cory Cockle died of a stab wound and police figure he knew his killer.

added April 16

77-year-old Hans Alberts was stabbed in broad daylight, in front of his wife, in a busy shopping centre parking lot and became Edmonton's tenth murder victim of 2008. A man walking his dog discovers the dead body of a newborn infant on an acreage near Stony Plain.

added April 12

Edmonton's ninth murder victim of 2008 was identified as Alan Craig Cumming, a 38-year-old school bus driver likely attacked for his tip money after working a pub crawl tour.

added April 10

On January 8th, 2007 police found the body of Debbie Elly-Smith in an apartment suite in Edmonton's inner city. After fifteen months of investigation police announced that second-degree murder charges had been laid against two persons.

added April 8

The latest Edmonton radio ratings are in and it's good news for Corus, bad news for K-Rock and the same old news for just about everybody else.

added April 7

Nearly two years after 41-year-old Sangeeta Khanna mysteriously disappeared from a Mill Woods shopping centre police revealed they think she had been murdered and her body dumped along a rural highway that stretches from Edmonton to western Saskatchewan.

added March 29

A 23-year-old man who suffered fatal stab wounds was identified as Sean Allan Kier, Edmonton's eighth murder victim of 2008.

updated March 28

When Corus announced March 14th, 2008 that they were flipping CHQT 880 from oldies to all news, an opportunity was presented to a frequency that has had more format changes than Joan Rivers has had facelifts. On March 28th the station once known as K-Lite, Mix 96, 96X and the one that "played anything country" became The New 96.3 Capital-FM Edmonton as Big Earl belly flops.

updated March 25

He was one of the best-looking guys you'll ever hear. He was also one of the most respected. Gord Robson died March 21st, 2008 at the age of 56. And with his passing, a small chapter in Canada's history of rock and roll radio turned over its last page (entry updated with Robson airchecks).

updated March 25

In the matter of the baby found in a bag, police charged a 20-year-old woman with committing an indignity to a dead human body, neglecting to obtain assistance in childbirth and concealing the body of a child in connection with the death of Baby Doe. An autopsy indicated the infant girl was born alive.

updated March 22

Edmonton's seventh murder victim of 2008 is 23-year-old Daniel McKenzie. He suffered fatal stab wounds early on Good Friday in the city's north end.

added March 19

Homicide detectives and the medical examiner were called out to a northside Edmonton home after the body of a baby was found in a bag.

updated March 17

Edmonton police announce a description of a "person of interest" and release pictures of a white van in connection with the murder investigation of 26-year-old Shernell Sharon Pierre – Edmonton's sixth homicide of 2008.

added March 14

On December 27th, 2007 24-year-old Lorilee Mae Francis was reported missing by her family. She was last seen by her family on October 20th, 2007 in Grande Prairie, Alberta. RCMP have released details of her disappearance and confirmed that Project KARE, the task force looking into missing and murdered Edmonton-area sex trade workers, was notified.

also added March 14

Ending months of speculation Corus Entertainment announced it will flip Cool 880 to all an news format, effectively staving off competition in the Edmonton radio market.

updated March 14

As Edmonton Fire Rescue were dealing with a car fire they discovered charred human remains lying slumped in the driver's seat. After an autopsy was completed police announced they were dealing with the murder of 26-year-old Shernell Sharon Pierre – Edmonton's sixth homicide of 2008.

added March 1

It took 24 hours for police to decide whether the discovery of a dead woman found face down in the snow outside her home was a suspicious death or a murder victim. Investigators later confirmed the case of Beverly Parker as a homicide, the city's fifth of the year. Police later charged Parker's son and his girlfriend with first-degree murder.

added February 22

Project KARE, the task force looking into the murders and disappearances of Edmonton-area prostitutes, is investigating the homicide of Brianna Danielle Torvalson whose body was found dumped on an acreage east of the city.

added February 17

Two women, missing from northeastern British Columbia since February 2005, are the latest additions to the list of missing persons falling under the Project KARE mandate. On the third anniversary of the women's disappearance, RCMP announced that Rene Lynn Gunning of Fort St. John and Krystle Ann Julia Knott of Dawson Creek were last seen at West Edmonton Mall.

added February 13

For fans of ex-CHED radio reporter Byron Christopher's unique take on courthouse developments, it's been a long time since his hard-boiled style has been heard. Some of those memories can be brought back to life through a collection of clips rescued from the station's logger tapes – just head to the bottom of the who is that man? page.

added February 12

A website has been launched that allows public access to missing persons files that date back to the 1970s. The Alberta RCMP, Edmonton Police Service, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and a number of provincial urban police agencies have partnered in assembling a public database of missing persons and unidentified human remains.

added February 10

The latest Edmonton television ratings are in and CTV and Global Edmonton both made claims declaring themselves the viewer's favourite choice. What gives?

updated February 4

A 20-year-old man, found stabbed and lying in the middle of a residential street, was identified as Troy Ryan Poulin – Edmonton's fourth murder victim of 2008.

updated February 2

At a time when most local citizens were dealing with one of the coldest winters in a decade, city police were dealing with one of the most violent spells in recent memory as Guns And Gangs Grip Mid-winter Edmonton.

added January 29

His was Edmonton's third murder of 2007. And despite a year that saw charges laid in only 12 of the city's 33 homicides, the unsolved case of Stephane Landry stood out. On the first anniversary of the New Brunswick man's death, a newspaper and a rookie homicide detective retraced the steps of an investigation into a case that was about to go cold.

added January 28

The story of the shooting of Omar Househ got complicated when it was revealed he was one of two men charged in connection with the murder of Ola Moses, Edmonton's twelfth homicide victim of 2007. The gunplay caused a local youth social worker to predict it would take the death of an innocent bystander before Edmontonians woke up to what was happening on city streets.

added january 22

Police are investigating Edmonton's third homicide of 2008 – that of 25-year-old Westleigh Michael LaFleur. Lafleur was gunned down in what neighbours called a crack shack at 11205 90 Street just north of Commonwealth Stadium. Police said Lafleur was an innocent victim of a targeted attack and they're looking for 3 or 4 masked assailants.

added January 20

A man beaten January 8th, 2008 near the Greyhound bus depot downtown dies eleven days later in hospital. James Mills of Quebec succumbed to injuries sustained in the attack becoming Edmonton's second homicide victim of the year.

added January 14

A Good Samaritan breaking up a fight in a bar parking lot dies of head trauma: Randy George Lintner is Edmonton's first homicide victim of 2008.

added January 11

After her frozen body was found on a townhouse walkway, Sandra Nipshank's death was ruled non-criminal. Nipshank's family still wanted answers.

added January 4

The discovery of human remains at an Edmonton Light Rail Transit construction site brought the issue of native land claims back into local media focus.

added January 2

CHED's program director Sid Smyth got his New Year's wish – and on just the second day of 2008. Not only could he sleep in for the first time in months, he could do so knowing the CHED Morning News program was back in the capable hands of Gord Whitehead.

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december | november | october | september | august | july
june | may | april | march | february | january

added December 31

With Edmonton's 2007 homicide case clearance rate hovering at just 38% (charges laid in only 12 murders, leaving 20 cases open), the question why in most of the year's murders must still wait for the answer only arrests and trials can provide. The Last Link looks back at Homicide 2007: Life And Death On Edmonton's Streets.

added December 29

Just a few days were left in another bloody year when word came of a shooting outside a downtown karaoke bar.

added December 28

Police alerted the public that a senior with a history of depression was considered missing. 72-year-old Wyona Hobart was last seen at University of Alberta Hospital after completing a doctor's appointment.

added December 21

They say a wound gets worse when treated with neglect. The same might have been said of Corus Entertainment station CHQT - Cool 880. But since late summer of 2007 some creative changes have been prescribed for the ratings-challenged frequency and a new contest launched early in December was another sign Corus has not given up all hope for a station that has a near-heritage legacy - so you want to be a BOSS radio station?

added December 17

Noting the recent popularity of voter-driven entertainment shows, the Mighty 630 threw their microphone into the reality ring with something the creative-types at Corus Entertainment have dubbed CHED Talk Idol.

added December 13

Police identified the frozen and charred body found December 2nd. Nawar Jawad was beaten and left in a ditch on the city's northeastern outskirts. It was later revealed Jawad was also the prime suspect in an unsolved murder.

added December 9

An overnight stabbing in a Chinatown bakery leads to Wing Fung becoming Edmonton's 33rd murder victim of 2007. The city has seen four homicides in the past ten days, six in the past four weeks.

added December 8

As a convenience to site visitors, the Last Link has installed an RSS feed service.

added December 7

Shots fired between moving cars after a nightclub dispute resulted in Erin Anne Tilley dying on a hospital doorstep – Edmonton's 32nd murder victim of 2007.

added December 4

The latest Edmonton radio ratings are in and as always its good news for some and bad news for others.

added December 2

Police are investigating the discovery of a body found on the northeastern outskirts of Edmonton, the city's 31st murder victim of 2007.

added December 1

Word is surfacing that legendary and colourful Edmonton radio crime reporter Byron Christopher has been terminated by 630 CHED and parent company Corus Entertainment.

added December 1

A shooting in a downtown condo results in the death of Wesal Arabi, Edmonton's 30th homicide of 2007.

added November 29

In May 2007 Martin William Kent was beaten and run over by a car. He died after spending two weeks in hospital. Six months later police have upgraded the case to murder – Edmonton's 29th of the year.

added November 22

A sixty-five year old mentally disabled man, William James Kapach, was beaten November 17th, 2007 and dies five days later becoming Edmonton's 28th murder victim of the year. Homicide investigators also get involved after fire crews discover a charred body in a burning dumpster.

added November 19

A 32-year-old foster mother accused of the 2007 murder of 3-year-old Toddler Doe faces a preliminary hearing. A young Lethbridge couple accused of the second-degree murder of 22-year-old Cole Lupaschuk goes to trial. Friends and family described Cole as an all-Canadian kid with a passion for hockey; a Crown prosecutor describes the man as a low-level drug dealer murdered for money.

added November 11

Homicide detectives are puzzling over the connection between a nightclub disturbance and a dead man being dropped off at hospital emergency doors: 19-year-old Thanh Van Phan is Edmonton's 27th murder victim of 2007.

added November 7

News of high school-aged dial-a-dopers, human trafficking and a looming gang turf war highlighted a presentation made by the head of the Edmonton Police Service's Co-ordinated Crime Unit - Bad Times Headed For Boomtown

added November 2

A landlord checking on his tenant finds him lying in a pool of blood. Robert Michael Brodyk is Edmonton's 26th murder victim of 2007.

added October 30

Homicide detectives were called out to a scrap metal yard after a 44-year-old man reported his 16-year-old buddy was dead. Kwandell Allan Ferguson is Edmonton's 25th murder victim of 2007.

added October 2

The latest Edmonton radio ratings are in: the CBC fell from grace, The Bear ate up the market, country numbers remain well below expectation and numbers from K-Rock suggest something suddenly not broken just got fixed.

added October 1

The latest edition of the Last Link approved list of quips and quotes is now online. Read all about it on the I Wish I Had Said That page.

added September 28

In the autumn of 2007, the Edmonton radio market was in a state of turmoil. The Last Link has compiled snapshots of the TV campaigns that aired at the outset of the Fall 2007 BBM survey period. Featured are stations on solid ground, stations wanting to gain market share ... and the bizarre case study that is K-Rock.

added September 26

Police are investigating an unusual case of a man's burning body found near the riverbank south of the downtown Oliver neighbourhood. While an autopsy concluded the death as "non-criminal in nature" it still remained to be determined how the man came to be on fire.

added September 17

Police report the suspicious death of Judy Lynn Jones has been upgraded to a homicide, bringing Edmonton's 2007 murder count up to twenty-four.

added September 4

While kids were back to books, homicide detectives were back at work investigating the murder of James Douglas Foley – Edmonton's third homicide in three days.

added September 2

The Fulton Place Double Murder claimed the lives of Farhan Hassan and Kasim Mohamed, Edmonton's 21st and 22nd homicides of 2007.

added August 24

On the first anniversary of the disappearance of feisty 70-year-old fire-spotter Stephanie Stewart her family, through the RCMP, released a video in hopes that it may jog someone's memory and generate much-needed tips to help solve a case police consider a homicide.

added August 22

Local media junkies now have to deal with the departure of third-generation news director Steve Hogle from the CTV Edmonton newsroom, just days after word came his father was to be inducted into Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Hall of Fame – all part of the Last Link's Hogles in and out of the news page.

added August 21

Edmontonians woke up to grey skies and an even gloomier personal forecast from veteran 630 CHED morning man Gord Whitehead. Is Gord gone? was the question on the lips of longtime local radio fans.

added August 13

In an interview with 630 CHED's Byron Christopher, Michael White reacts to the Public Trustee of Alberta's $727,000 lawsuit against him. White was convicted of murdering his wife Liana, and the suit was filed on behalf of her estate and the couple's daughter Ashley. For full details of the lawsuit, visit the Michael White page, and for full details of the case that gripped Edmontonians visit the Liana White page.

added August 9

Two men facing four charges of first-degree murder in connection with 2005's Alberta RCMP Deaths have their preliminary hearing date set.

added August 6

Police have closed their investigation into the death of Robin Timothy Gillman. Even though classed as a homicide, no charges were laid in Edmonton's twentieth murder of 2007.

added July 31

The third homicide in a week was that of twenty-year-old Edward Bone, found stabbed near a downtown park. Bone was Edmonton's nineteenth murder victim of 2007.

added July 30

Police are investigating the murder of Dwayne Roger Roy, Edmonton's eighteenth of the year. Roy's homicide happened to take place in the psychiatric ward of a hospital.

added July 27

The life, times and 1984 first-degree murder trial of Colin Thatcher became the subject of a TV-movie and three bestselling books. Now Thatcher is adding another chapter to his story – by asking Regina City Police and the Saskatchewan Minister of Justice for evidence he feels was withheld from his lawyer and the courts.

The Last Link on the Left has copies of the letters Thatcher wrote which detail his battle over documents and information he feels would have led to his acquittal » full details »

added July 24

Police continue to investigate Edmonton's seventeenth murder of 2007. Brandon Dierich was shot dead in the front seat of his car by a man on a bicycle. Within 48 hours police charged a seventeen-year-old male with first-degree murder.

added July 16

The latest Edmonton radio ratings are in. Three stations posted their best results ever while four stations went into the record books marking their all-time nadirs.

added July 11

The body of a woman found west of Wetaskiwin on June 21st was identified as missing Edmonton woman Leanne Lori Benwell. Her high-risk lifestyle has led to Project KARE, the task force looking into the disappearances and murders of more than 25 women, being called in – more on the Leanne Lori Benwell page.

added July 6

A woman remains in hospital after being shot by police in Edmonton's Inglewood neighbourhood.

updated July 4

William Edward Wharry Jr. announced he is appealing his fourteen-year sentence for the manslaughter of Sara Easton.

added June 24

TSN Sportcaster Bryan Mudryk's 5th annual golf tournament to raise funds for cancer treatment was a huge success ... and Neil Pedersen got shaved.

added June 19

It had to happen sometime ... and it finally did: the launch of Global 1 Chopper Traffic reports. Early morning viewers were startled when an animated version of the helicopter seemed to fly out of their TV screens like a kamikaze mosquito, heralding the first regular coverage from the craft as Global Edmonton takes to the air ... finally

added June 13

Police are investigating Edmonton's sixteenth homicide of 2007. The body of 22-year-old Richard Alexander Harris was found stuffed in the trunk of a car abandoned on a church parking lot.

added June 12

If you're an avid Edmonton TV news watcher, with an interest in murder trials, you've likely noticed a man in a hat ducking out of sight whenever cameras are turned on near the courthouse. He's obviously trying to keep a low profile – so why wear such a distinctive hat? Find out who is that man?

added June 8

The ongoing saga of Global Edmonton's news helicopter gets a boost from the network's national news anchor Kevin Newman – in town to help launch the station's fall schedule. The launch of the craft was announced as being "in just days," "sometime next week" and "in just a few weeks." Read the latest here: Global Edmonton takes to the air ... in a chopper, part five.

added May 31

The beating death of Stony Plain teen Eric Olsen has that Edmonton-area community on edge as rumours of retaliation at an upcoming agricultural fair swirl.

added May 27

For months we've been seeing it on TV. For weeks some may have even spotted it the air. It's the latest addition to the crowded skies ... and the local airwaves – it's Global Edmonton's traffic helicopter. But when will it make its small-screen debut? The on-going saga of Global's chopper can be followed starting here.

added May 24

Police are investigating the downtown stabbing death of 21-year-old Leonard Fred Halkett, Edmonton's fifteenth confirmed murder victim of 2007.

added May 20

Human remains found in a tranquil subdivision northwest of Stony Plain have been identified as 19-year-old Mahamud Yassin Yusuf, the Edmonton metro area's seventeenth murder victim of 2007.

added May 15

A double shooting in Edmonton's Delwood neighbourhood leaves two men dead. Deng Atem Bulgak and Juk (Jock) Deng Ring are Edmonton's thirteenth and fourteenth murder victims of 2007.

also added May 15

As the 2007 holiday season begins, the RCMP made another appeal to the public for any information in the disappearance of feisty 70-year-old fire-spotter Stephanie Stewart. The woman was last heard from on August 25th, 2006 at the Athabasca Lookout Tower, 25 kilometres northwest of Hinton, Alberta.

added May 11

In a move that surprised everyone, an Edmonton Crown prosecutor asked a judge to dismiss manslaughter charges against the four teens charged in the beating death of Stefan William Conley. Also in the courts, new evidence in the Sara Easton - William Edward Wharry Jr. trial prompts a delay in sentencing; Richard Merrick Gordon is found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Justin Elliot Taylor; and Ryan Lorne Enright was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of David Longhurst.

added May 9

Normally she's seen covering stories of young moms battling ovarian cancer and teenage amputees. But once in a while she's in front of a green screen down in the Global basement studios on Charles Allard Way. Read all about her as Su-Ling Goh does weather.

added May 6

Ola Tinineh Moses was shot dead in a downtown area clothing store, Edmonton's twelfth murder victim of 2007. Three other men were found bound with duct tape at the back of the shop.

added April 25

63-year-old William George Ruptash was found dead in a downtown highrise, becoming Edmonton's eleventh murder victim of 2007.

After celebrating her 18th birthday Sara Easton and ten of her friends were walking home when she was struck in the face with a bullet. The second-degree murder trial of William Edward Wharry Jr. heard a verdict in an Edmonton courtroom.

added April 19

53-year-old Joseph Parisien was found dead in a central-Edmonton crack house, becoming Edmonton's tenth murder victim of 2007.

added April 11

The latest Edmonton radio ratings are in and while the big winners are the CBC and two new music stations, two country and western music outlets are the big losers.

added April 7

A 24-year-old man faces murder charges in the death of his 25-year-old sister-in-law Stephanie Rae Butler, Edmonton's ninth homicide victim of 2007. The same man is charged with the serious beating of a Co-op cab taxi driver.

added March 30

Sentences were handed down for two of the three people convicted of murdering Hassan Mohammed Yussuf, a Somalia refugee who spoke five languages and was stabbed and stuffed into the trunk of the cab he was driving. A third person was to be sentenced June 1st.

added March 26

The last weekend of March 2007 had some Albertans seeing red as Guardian Angels appeared in the province's two largest cities. The American-based citizen volunteer street patrol group had been eyeing chapters in Calgary and Edmonton for some time and many residents were asking what the Angels are all about and what their impact on local crime might be: why Edmonton? a gathering of Angels.

added March 23

A judge has decided the fate of Michael Briscoe and Joseph Laboucan who faced first-degree murder charges in connection with the death of Nina Courtepatte, whose bludgeoned body was found on a golf course in the spring of 2005.

A trial against a second young offender charged got underway March 12th.

added March 10

Hundreds of Albertans whose lives have been touched by violence gathered in Edmonton's Sir Winston Churchill Square calling for changes to Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act. For rally organiser Gary Hunt, the event was the culmination of six months of work collecting signatures and keeping the issue in the public eye – Why Edmonton? A Silent March For Justice.

Alberta RCMP Deaths

March 3rd, 2007 marked the second anniversary of the deaths of four RCMP officers slain at Rochfort Bridge, Alberta, Canada. As events related to the incident were first unfolding, the Last Link was providing daily coverage that can be viewed again here.

added March 2

Are you the type that feels tongue-tied at those water cooler chin-wags? Are you terrified when you have to top up that TPS report with some words of wisdom? Then let this Last Link approved list of quips and quotes be your salvation – read all about it on the web watch page.

added February 26

Edmonton's murder meter may soon need a tune-up as it rolls over another digit for the fourth time in ten days. A shooting in an Oliver apartment results in the death of Stephen Ferguson, the city's eighth homicide of 2007.

added February 23

An early morning fight on a downtown bus leads to Robert Bruce Caldwell being stabbed to death on a sidewalk in front of dozens of witnesses – Edmonton's seventh murder of the year.

added February 22

Edmontonians are shocked as details emerge surrounding the death of the city's latest homicide victim. 23-year-old David Wong was found partially dismembered in a downtown highrise. Four men in their early twenties have been charged.

added February 16

Police are investigating the death of Chancely Devlin Simpson, Edmonton's fifth murder victim of 2007.

added February 11

Do you feel contented ... but have that nagging fear that you're missing something? You might be suffering from Dysphoric Social Attention Consumption Deficit Anxiety Disorder – the #1 cause of concern in contemporary life – read all about it on the web watch page.

added February 8

Howie Mandel is the hottest TV personality since Canadian-born Game-show Hosts for $200: who is Alex Trebek? But what's the deal with him not shaking anybody's hands – read all about it on the web watch page.

added January 27

Edmonton's latest homicide victim will likely be the year's youngest – a three-year-old toddler dies of severe head trauma and his 32-year-old foster mother is charged with the city's fourth murder of 2007.

added january 21

Police investigate Edmonton's third murder of 2007, that of Stephane Landry whose stabbed body was found in an alley near the Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre.

added January 19

Strathcona RCMP investigate the strange case of David Kelm whose body was dumped on a road in a trailer park, the Edmonton region's second murder of 2007 – the metro area's fourth of the year.

added January 15

The Last Link has uncovered that the change to the Doomsday Clock was related to new standards for implementing Daylight Saving Time – read all about it.

added January 13

RCMP just west of Edmonton are investigating the fatal shooting of Barbara Ann Matthews on the Enoch Cree Reserve, the first metro region murder of 2007.

added January 9

Police are investigating the murders of Debbie Smith and Robert Wayne Joy – the first and second homicides of the new year. TV station managers are investigating where all the viewers went after the Fall 2006 rating results came out.

added January 8

A preliminary hearing looking into two second-degree murder charges against Thomas George Svekla gets underway. Svekla was charged in connection with the death of 19-year-old Rachel Liz Quinney and another Edmonton area prostitute – 36-year-old Theresa Merrie Innes.

The charges were the first to be laid by the Project KARE task force looking into the murders and disappearances of more than seventy women over the past several decades. Daily coverage of the hearing can be found here.

added January 5

Edmonton records its first BASE jumper as a man lands in hot water on a cold and clear night.

added January 2

RCMP announce second-degree murder charges against Thomas George Svekla in connection with the death of 19-year-old Rachel Liz Quinney. Svekla was previously charged with the death of another Edmonton area prostitute – Theresa Merrie Innes.

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december | november | october | september | august | july
june | may | april | march | february | january

added December 24

There were a fewer empty chairs around the Christmas supper table as police investigate the murder of Marilyn Badger, the city's 36th homicide of the year.

updated December 19

Edmonton police are investigating circumstances around the death of a 51-year-old Kim Peter Arseneault, the city's 35th murder of the year.

updated December 18

A guilty plea reveals details of the brutal death of Nina Courtepatte whose bludgeoned body was found on an Edmonton-area golf course in April 2005. A preliminary trial for four teens charged with manslaughter in the death of Stefan William Conley gets underway. Family and friends of murdered father-to-be Dylan Cole McGillis hold a vigil and call for minimum sentences for violent offenders.

updated December 15

The most sensational Edmonton murder trial in recent memory came to a close with a sentencing decision rendered in the trial of Michael White.

updated December 13

The media, Edmonton citizens and the accused waited to hear sentencing arguments and victim impact statements in the trial of Michael White. A local area landmark vanished as The Queen of Kensington Sets Sail for warmer climes.

added December 5

Final arguments were heard in the trial of Michael White – the wife-killing case that has riveted the attention of Edmontonians for nearly five weeks. Suppose radio stations played country music and nobody listened. That seemed to be the case according to the latest Edmonton radio ratings.

added December 4

There's one on every block. You know the type. He's the guy with the really big Christmas lights display. But not all of them have a display you can control remotely via the interweb – read all about it.

added December 1

He met his Waterloo and has since moved on. Has it been almost four years since a local boy left CFRN for the bright TV lights of Iowa and beyond? Find out at the Where is he now? – Ian Leonard entry.

added November 29

With the price of airfare getting lower all the time, where do they cut the corners? Cabin cleaning, perhaps? If you fear that flying the friendly skies means bunking down on some sort of fungul mess, fear not – read all about it.

added November 25

A recent violent weekend has focused the attention of Edmontonians on Whyte Avenue – the city's problem plagued party place. A simmering debate between the Old Strathcona community and the area's bar owners has been added to voices of citizens looking for an end to violence across the town. For an examination of the issues, visit the Last Link's The Whyte Avenue Problem page.

added November 19

The metro Edmonton murder meter has jumped ahead of 2005's record-setting rate with news of Evan Grykuliak being stabbed to death at his 17th birthday party and 20-year-old Dylan Cole McGillis being swarmed and fatally stabbed on Whyte Avenue -- the city's 33rd and 34th homicides of the year.

added November 14

All professions have their own slang – verbal shortcuts internal to their discipline that are meant to be obscure to outsiders. But doctors? You don't want to know – read all about it.

added November 12

There are a lot of extreme sports out there ... but extreme blending? No, we don't mean some sort of unorthodox mixing of cultures, but the insertion of unusual objects into a kitchen blender – read all about it.

added November 5

Extreme weather calls for extreme machines. But a V8-powered snowblower? Even here at the Last Link we think that's a bit ... extreme – read all about it.

added November 2

Of all the homicides that took place in Edmonton in 2005, the case of Liana White gripped the attention of area citizens and Canadians the most. On November 2nd the scheduled one-month trial of Michael White, charged with second-degree murder in connection with his wife's death, got underway.

added November 1

If you're the designated toner changer in your circle of cube mates, you've no doubt heard about the browser battle between Firefox and Microsoft's Internet Explorer. But have you heard that Microsoft has released its own version of Firefox? – read all about it.

added October 29

Edmontonians woke up to a huge dump of snow, a change to their clocks and the metro murder meter rolling over another three digits with news of a triple nightclub murder – homicides 30, 31 and 32 of the year.

Thomas Tipo Orak, 18, Jacey Sydney Pinnock, 27, of Edmonton and Dave Persaud, 21, of Toronto were gunned down on a crowded dance floor in front of 150 people at the Red Light Lounge.

added October 26

52-year-old homeless person Russell Ross is the city's 29th homicide victim of the year in a case that echoes a recent episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

added October 14

Edmonton's murder meter is getting no rest. 16-year-old Joshua Hunt is the city's 28th homicide victim of the year.

added October 6

The city's 27th homicide victim of the year, popular reggae dancer Varnado Stobbs, was shot outside a west-end nightclub.

added October 3

For years here at the Last Link, the mystery of the identity behind CBC's The Voice has been driving us nuts. Kind reader Karen tells us The Voice is ... Staying with radio, the Edmonton radio ratings are in. Is it pink slips or pink champagne at your favourite station?

added October 2

Citytv re-enters the supper-hour TV news scene with Your City, which newsman Paul Mennier says will be thematic, deeper rather than broader. And, there's also a new face on Global mornings: Briar McGinnis. Shane William Chalifoux, whose body was was left hanging out a third-floor window for over twelve hours, is Edmonton's 26th homicide of the year.

added September 28

The metro-area murder meter rolled over another two digits recording Edmonton's 24th and 25th murder victims of the year. Cleophus Delorme McGilvery, beaten and left unconscious near downtown on August 12th, succumbed to his injuries in hospital on September 26th. Popular local political worker, Sherry Lavery, was found dead September 27th in her Mill Woods home -- her husband was charged with her death. The two homicides make it seven for September.

added September 23

Homicide detectives are investigating the discovery of a dead body pinned underneath a truck. A police spokesman doubted the man was the driver saying “It would be pretty difficult to wind up in that position.”

added September 21

A suspect in Edmonton's 23rd murder of 2006 was already in custody when he was charged with the death of his wife, Nyibol Chuol.

added September 20

For over two decades, Bill Matheson was a popular fixture on local radio and TV. He was once honoured as the world's best weather presenter, and his radio shows with Bill Jackson were top-rated. Matheson left a void when he died September 19th, but he left behind a legacy and a unique Edmonton weather vocabulary. "Keep your eye on the Idaho high," he was often heard to say. "Matty" died at age 80.

added September 18

Police say 85-year-old Evangelina Almeida was killed as the result of a domestic dispute involving her 86-year-old husband. While it remains a question as to why no charges have been laid, it is certain the grandmother was Edmonton's 22nd homcide of the year.

added September 9 -- updated September 13

It was the deadliest day in Edmonton's criminal history. Cody Bull and John Albert Buckniak were dead after two separate stabbings just hours apart. Then came the drive-by shooting of Lily Tran, an aspiring model with an international following, who friends say was in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong friends.

added September 8

Whoever coined the phrase "change is a constant" must have had Edmonton's media scene in mind. Catch up on all the latest going-ons at the TV ch-ch-changes and radio ch-ch-changes - and updates entries.

added September 1

Local cable fans need to re-program their remotes as golf goes digital to make way for classic movies (and CHUM replaces Bill W. on Breakfast Television).

added August 29

Big news from the local small screen: the CFRN/CTV Edmonton extended family is expecting a baby Doll and Global Edmonton weatherpersonality Nicola Crosbie gets certified.

added August 28

A hit and run that turned fatal has become Edmonton's 18th murder of the year. A 15-year-old has been charged in connection with the death of David Dotto, a 22-year-old apprentice electrician from Sherwood Park.

added August 27

Stephanie Stewart, a feisty 70-year-old fire lookout volunteer, goes missing in the Hinton, Alberta area. The local radio sports scene undergoes some ch-ch-CHED-changes with the unexplained departure of evening talk show host Al Stafford.

updated August 22

A nine-day search by friends, neighbours and even former teachers of Robert Barrington Leigh came to the worst end possible when his body was found in the North Saskatchewan River. The 20-year-old math scholar went missing after heading on his bike to the Edmonton Folk Music Festival in Gallagher Park.

added August 17

Major going-ons at the two Edmonton Newcap FM stations: one loses their familiar morning voices -- the other loses their familiar voices period! Find out more at the Edmonton radio news page.

added August 14

With the departure of Citytv's bright-eyed and bushy-tailed breakfast TV host Bill Welychka, the sounds of last one leaving ... turn out the lights must surely be sounding in the hallways of the local CHUM outlet.

updated August 3

RCMP in Saskatchewan surrounded an abandoned farmhouse where Peter Robert Joseph Whitmore, a convicted pedophile with ties to the Edmonton area, was holed up. Whitemore appeared in a Regina court to hear charges, a publication ban was imposed, and a war of words later erupted over a letter the RCMP provided Whitmore.

added July 27

A man is shot by police after stabbing a service dog.

added July 24

The Edmonton medical examiner's office had barely cleared the last body off the slab when in rolled Dung Tri Tran -- homicide number 17 of the year -- shot in broad daylight in the downtown area.

added July 22

The metro-city murder meter is getting no rest. 36 hours after the latest homicide comes the death of Matthew Alexis -- stabbed in a downtown apartment and Edmonton's sixteenth murder of the year.

added July 21

The metro-city murder meter has clicked over another digit: Nadine Robinson-Creary is Edmonton's 15th homicide of the year. Confirming what local residents have known for years, Statistics Canada reports when it comes to murder we're number one!

added July 17

The latest radio ratings have come in for the Edmonton market. The big surprise is ... no surprises -- details on the edmonton radio ratings page.

added July 16

On July 7th two Saskatchewan RCMP officers were gunned down during a police chase following a simple disturbance call. On July 15th, Constable Robin Cameron died after being taken off life support. Two hours later her partner Marc Bourdages also died.

added July 13

It's pink slips for 47 Citytv Edmonton staff as Bell gets friendly with CHUM -- a media merger likely to spark nation-wide debate about concentrated media ownership.

added July 11

On screen, she was the perfect wife. While World War II American GIs pined after the likes of Rita Hayworth and Betty Grable, it was June Allyson they hoped would be waiting for them back home.

added July 9

After 26 years in the business, veteran Edmonton radio host Terry Evans quits citing family reasons.

added July 6

Edmonton police are investigating the city's 14th murder of the year -- the third in seven days. John Paul Jones was fatally stabbed during a domestic disturbance.

added July 3

New on the radio industry news page: the CBC has given Tod Maffin arms-length editorial independence for a blog called Inside The CBC (meant for CBC employees but open to all); and covering AM, FM, TV and digital broadcasters of Northwest Washington and Southwest British Columbia is Northwest Broadcasters.

added July 1

Among thousands of people heading toward Edmonton's Canada Day fireworks celebration Jaret Lee Severight was shot dead in a highrise parking lot. Area residents said they weren’t sure if they heard fireworks or gunshots marking the city's 13th homicide of the year.

added June 30

A gunman is dead and a police officer is severely wounded after an early morning shooting in northeast Edmonton. Darren James Cardinal died from police bullets; EPS Const. Daniel Furman went to hospital in serious but stable condition.

added June 29

The United States Marine recruiting officer seen approaching prospective grunts in a mall parking lot in Michael Moore's 2004 documentary film "Fahrenheit 9/11," Raymond J. Plouhar, is the latest life celebrated.

added June 27

The final credits page pays tribute to Jeffrey M. Harbers - who developed Microsoft's Office, and E. Pierce Marshall - Anna Nicole Smith's stepson.

added June 22

Edmonton police release additional information about the strange disappearance and reappearance of Melissa Ann Jondreau.

added June 20

Edmonton police are investigating the gang-related murder of Shawn Michael Yalowica -- the city's eleventh of the year. Yalowica was gunned down outside a karaoke club within seven blocks and two days of the year's tenth murder.

added June 18

Edmonton police are investigating a biker-gang connection in the murder of Michael Robert Rieger -- the city's tenth of the year.

added June 15

Edmonton police are investigating the strange disappearance and reappearance of Melissa Ann Jondreau.

added June 13

Edmonton police are investigating the death of Bryan Murray Lee, the city's ninth murder of the year. Morinville RCMP have completed their investigation of a dead body found near a recreational vehicle park.

added June 10

He had a career that can only be described as star-studded, and "sideman" -- even "Fifth Beatle" -- seems too slight a credit to apply to Billy Preston, the latest entry on the final credits page.

added June 7

RCMP led media through a tour of sites in High Level where they believe Theresa Merrie Innes may have been last seen with Thomas Svekla. Also released were a number of photographs in hopes of jogging the memory of anyone who may have seen the pair in early May 2006.

added June 5

When it comes to careers in broadcasting, it's not if but when ... as can be seen at the big round-up in country radio entry on the Edmonton radio news page.

added June 4

The final credits page pays tributes to pioneering CKLW boss jock Dave Shafer; Robert Sterling -- the actor who couldn't top "Topper" and Florida First Family friend Marvin.

added June 1

Edmonton police seek public assistance in identifying Whyte Avenue vandals.

added May 31

Edmonton police have identified Jerry Nguyen as the eighth homicide victim of the year.

added May 30

CanWest MediaWorks fast-forwards their Prime TV channel from shows of the seventies to more recent fare under a new banner: TVtropolis.

added May 20

Stony Plain RCMP investigate the death of Kenneth Calhoun, found dead in a trailer park in Spruce Grove, a bedroom community twenty minutes west of Edmonton.

added May 19

Police release the identity of the woman found dead in a field near Fort Saskatchewan as Bonnie Lynn Jack.

added May 9

Local police are hoping they've found a break in the case of dozens of prostitutes found dead in the Edmonton area. Police announced they've laid charges in the death of Edmonton-area sex-trade worker Theresa Merrie Innes.

added May 8

The Spring 2006 TV news ratings are in! The big boys hold their leads but there's trouble in River Citytv -- read all about it on the Edmonton television ratings page.

added April 25

It's OK, Rogers comes to town. After years of having applications turned down, Rogers Communications finally gains a toe-hold in Edmonton with the acquisition of the Alberta holdings of the OK Radio Group.

added April 19

Edmonton Police are asking for the public’s help in finding Sangeeta Khanna, a 41-year-old single mother who went missing from her home.

added April 18

The recent biker-gang slaying near Shedden, Ontario has a connection with the still-unsolved January 2004 murder of Joey Morin.

added April 12

Edmonton now has airborne traffic reports for the first time in over a decade.

added April 10

Good news -- bad news! The latest Edmonton Radio Ratings book has arrived. Find out if it's beers or tears at your favourite station.

added April 6

Early 1960s teen angst crooner Gene Pitney is the latest life celebrated. Fans of local mass transit will want to check out Edmonton's Rail and Transit History.

added April 4

Two new sites grace the edmonton page -- Connect 2 Edmonton is an online forum to discuss Edmonton-themed topics and Next Gen connects you to City Council's task force dedicated to making Edmonton a more fun, attractive and pleasant place to live.

added April 3

Do you like those TV chopper police videos? Then visit the CBS 2 Los Angeles - Police Chase Video Library -- the newest link on the crime seen page.

added April 2

April 2nd, 2006 marks the first anniversary of the death of the only pope an entire generation knew, John Paul II.

added April 1

We all know that fun is not a four letter word -- so why not spend time on the newest web watch page called Games, Activities, Generators, Translators, Tests and ... a great place to use up some internet anytime minutes.

added March 31

Bra Scenes in Mainstream Movies, Grand List of Overused Science Fiction Clichés and Volkswagens in Film and Video are three of the newest movie list sites added to the things found in the movies page.

added March 28

The racing world mourns the death of promising newcomer Paul Dana. Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon aide Lyn Nofziger dies at age 81.

added March 27

He created the Gothic-flavoured day-time soap "Dark Shadows," the TV movies that inspired "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" and he produced, directed and co-wrote "The Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance." Dan Curtis is the latest life celebrated.

added March 17

Edmonton's FM radio dial will soon get some AM company as CBC AM goes FM to penetrate the urban core.

added March 7

A fight between two brothers results in the Edmonton metro area's eighth murder of the year.

updated March 5

With this year's Academy Awards now behind us, it's time to reflect on all the winners (and the usual fashion statements).

Alberta RCMP Deaths

March 3rd, 2006 marked the first anniversary of the deaths of four RCMP officers slain at Rochfort Bridge, Alberta, Canada. As events related to the incident were first unfolding, the Last Link was providing daily coverage that can be viewed again here.

added March 3

A man beaten on an Edmonton Transit bus is the city's sixth homicide of the year.

added March 1

A familiar voice on the Edmonton area radio news scene has been silenced. 630 CHED/CHQT Cool 880/92.5 Joe FM and 104 CISN Country newsman Warren Henderson passed away on February 28th, 2006.

added February 27

Prolific actor and star of the TV cult classic "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," Darren McGavin, and TV lawman Dennis Weaver are the latest lives celebrated.

added February 26

The actor best known as TV's Barney Fife and Mr. Furley has passed away. Don Knotts died at the age of 81. Edmonton records murder number five of the year and an unusual Amber Alert was issued.

added February 13

It's one thing to read about famous lives but it's quite another to hear about them. Matthew Bannister presents interviews with people who knew the lives celebrated on BBC Radio 4's Last Word [final credits - sources].

added February 12

Could a map of London's underground tube stations be used as the basis for charting 100 years of music? [web watch]. Edmonton records its fourth murder of the year [deadmonton].

added February 11

The mysterious death of a wealthy St. Albert realtor had homicide detectives and the major-crimes unit investigators from the RCMP's provincial headquarters in Edmonton assisting local police in what was first thought of as a case of assisted suicide [deadmonton]. An Edmonton man escapes certain-death after being pushed in front of the path of an LRT train [edmonton - a living history].

added February 10

Official Olympic sites ... ... for non-winning finishes. History will take care of recording all the winners, but what about fourth place? Or last place? [web watch].

added February 9

Gambling on ratings: local station 97.3 K-Rock and the current NHL scandal make for strange bedfellows [edmonton radio news].

added February 7

The director of the U.S. National Security Agency gets caught showing President Bush a super-secret tool that's actually available to web-pilots the world over [web watch]. Popular Edmonton TV personality Lesley MacDonald signs off [edmonton television news].

added February 5

While the publication of the Danish cartoons depicting Muhammad is part of open debate elsewhere, North American readers have not yet had the opportunity to see them and judge for themselves. Here at the Last Link we ask why? [web watch].

added February 4

We all know where Canadian-born CBS newsman John Roberts is going (CNN) but how many of us know where he came from (Much Music). Plus, the latest on Erica Ehm [web watch].

added February 2

Edmonton's summer fair gets a new name and direction [edmonton - a living history]. A surprise verdict comes at the end of a controversial Edmonton murder trial [deadmonton].

added January 31

Edmonton radio stations and performance venues figured prominently in nominations in the Industry Awards section of Canadian Music Week, and a local station offers the cheapest radio promotion prize ever [edmonton radio news]. Tired of scouring the internet in search of up-to-the-second news? Dissatisfied with bland RSS feeds? Well, look no further and clock in with MappedUp [web watch].

added January 30

An Edmonton riverbank icon is sold to the world's fifth-richest man [edmonton - a living history]. Edmonton's radio scene gets more Radio Active [edmonton radio news]. Feel guilty about ordering a double Big Mac? What about a quad burger? Or a 20-by-20? A 100x100? [web watch].

added January 24

Alberta's recently announced 'prosperity cheques' present residents with many options [edmonton - a living history].

added January 23

Edmonton records its third murder of the year [deadmonton]. Edmonton's radio dial gets a little technical uncrowding; Lac La Biche gets its first commercial license and the latest in radio personnel changes [edmonton radio news].

added January 22

On screen he played moody, troubled characters. Off screen his behaviour was combative. Actor Tony Franciosa is the latest life celebrated [final credits].

added January 21

Another search engine comparison site has sprung up; a search engine for law-abiding terrorists has sprung up; and a man takes issue with his late-delivered issues of Sports Illustrated.

added January 19

One guy wants to appear as a dead body in a movie or TV show; another guy wants to build you a V8-powered 400 horsepower snowblower.

added January 18

On January 17th, 2006 three trials stemming from murders that took place in 2004 got underway. Brett McLean is accused of the beating death of Bryce Nealon. Murray Archibald McClenaghan is accused of gunning down his business partner Donald Charles Hanscom, and despite entering a guilty plea to lesser charges, Thieu Kham Tran is standing trial for second-degree murder in the stabbing death of An Quoc Tran.

added January 17

Edmonton city police issue their popular Homicide Digest [deadmonton - 2005].

added January 15

Loud and loud-mouthed, bombshell and broad -- Shelley Winters was all of that and more.

added January 14

Who criticises the movie critics? Erik Childress writes that 2005 proved to be another year of regress as much as progress in the Criticwatch department [movies - everybody's a critic]. Is there room for another TV station in Edmonton's media-saturated market? Someone thinks so [edmonton television news]. Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel wakes up one day and finds his city is no longer on the map [edmonton - a living history].

added January 12

Edmonton's 2005 homicide tally rises to 39 with the discovery of a body dumped west of Edmonton [deadmonton].

added January 11

The latest Edmonton television news ratings have come in ... and CFRN continues to maintain its stranglehold on local airwaves [edmonton television ratings].

added January 9

For over 40 years it has been the most studied 26.6 seconds of film in history. Now the Zapruder film of John F. Kennedy's assassination is available in a 'stabilised' version [web watch].

added January 8

Another day ... another homicide in Edmonton, the second in two days [deadmonton].

added January 7

It only took 7 days for Edmonton to record its first homicide of 2006 [deadmonton]. The scene at an Edmonton motel looks like "a really bad episode of CSI" as forensic specialists search its basement with tenants looking on through holes in the floors [deadmonton].

added January 5

It's safe to say that in today's techno-savvy world we're constantly keeping an eye out for the next big thing. Visit a site that proves that the future never looked as good as it did in the past [web watch]. Edmonton police have laid charges in the city's 38th murder of 2005 [deadmonton 2005]. There are big changes coming to the Edmonton TV supper-hour news scene [edmonton television news].

added January 3

We've all heard about type-casting in the movies, but what about type-setting? [web watch].

added January 2

The beginning of another year brings the annual obituary roll calls [final credits]. Two web sites invite passersby to contribute to collective design [web watch]. Edmonton's LRT finally surfaces on the south side [edmonton - a living history].

back to menu

december | november | october | september | august | july | june | may | april | march

added December 28

It's not clean unless it's factory clean -- Volkswagen's transparent car factory is now one of Germany's leading tourist attractions [web watch]. Edmonton radio station 91.7 The Bounce bounces its morning crew [edmonton radio news].

added December 27

A local radio fixture for nearly four decades, Tony Dillon Davis has spun his last disc [edmonton radio news]. What do President Bush and a Southeast Asia nut have in common? Forget the obvious -- they're both on the web watch page.

added December 21

James Berardinelli and the New York Times weigh in with their takes on the movie-going experience [movies - cinematic complaints]. Recently spotted on the fashion runway was Pope Benedict XVI sporting a brand new hat [web watch]. Images from a nearly decade-old roll of film may provide leads in the solving of Edmonton's 18th murder of 1996 [deadmonton - old case files].

added December 19

Google quietly unveils several new products, a John Lennon action figure will soon hit the market and Lindsay Lohan has the look and the attention of one web site owner [web watch]

added December 18

Edmonton will soon have airborne traffic reports for the first time in over a decade with the launch of "CHED Chopper Traffic" [edmonton radio news]

added December 15

Covering the radio industry in Western Canada is Puget Sound Radio [radio - industry news]

added December 12

In a move no doubt precipitated by their poor showing in the last few rating periods, CKRA 96X has switched format and has rebranded itself "Big Earl 96 dot 3 -- he plays anything country" [edmonton radio news]

added December 8

Edmonton's newest radio station sports some familiar voices. At 2 p.m. CHMC - Magic 99 - hit the airwaves on the 99.3 mhz frequency with Rob Christie, Mike Sobel, Seanna Collins, Duncan Patterson and Dave Shannon on board [edmonton radio news]

added December 7

The 2005 bible of Edmonton radio ratings has arrived. Of note is CFCW's best urban rating in recent memory, newcomer Sonic FM's solid sophomore performance and the erosion of audience share among Edmonton's more senior pop/rock stations. [edmonton radio ratings]

added December 4

Radio from space is finally available in Canada. What does this mean to terrestrial broadcasting and what sets this new service apart? [satellite radio]

added November 6

Fans of Edmonton's broadcasting history will take great delight in the pages of the Edmonton Broadcasters Club [radio in edmonton] and [television in edmonton]

added November 3

A zero tolerance for crap. That was Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel's suggestion to citizens of the province's capital when it comes to ubran architecture. Fall 2005 turned into Architectural Achievement season with announcements and awards [edmonton - a living history]

added November 2

Alberta prides itself on growing and exporting the best beef on the planet. So imagine what the local reaction has been like to the news of a U.S.-beef-only steak house muscling its way into Edmonton's competitive culinary marketplace [edmonton - a living history]

added October 31

A recent study suggests Albertans are an unhappy, lazy people who use sex, alcohol, drugs, tobacco and fatty, salty food to provide instant gratification. [edmonton - a living history]

added October 26

On December 1, 1955, it was after another long day on the job as a department store seamstress when Rosa Parks at last found comfort and solace on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, finally bound for home. As other passengers boarded the bus, Parks barely looked up when a man stood by her seat. Because Rosa was black, she was expected to stand up and give up her seat. Parks remained in her place. It soon became a place etched in history ... and on the final credits page.

added october 23

For the second time in a month "Our Gang" has gotten a little smaller. Gordon Lee was the chubby child actor who played Spanky McFarland's little brother "Porky" in the "Little Rascals" comedies. It is one of the most memorable tag lines in advertising history: "Ho Ho Ho -- Green Giant!" The "Ho Ho Ho" belonged to voice Len Dresslar. Lee and Dresslar both died on October 16th, and their lives are celebrated on the final credits page.

added october 20

Alberta premier Ralph Klein gets caught going through a red light just as his province announces new fines for speeding motorists (and a bigger Alberta requires its own intelligence agency) -- read all about it on the edmonton - a living history page.

added october 15

The Edmonton Art Gallery has announced the winning entry in their international design competition held for the expansion of their facility and the historic Arlington Apartment block is facing a bleak future. For more about these stories of local significance, visit edmonton - a living history, the newest page in the edmonton section.

added october 13

Local movie house history is the focus of the newest section on the edmonton and the movies page.

added october 10

An Alberta Justice investigation into the criminal past of Mountie-killer James Roszko showed that he never met the criteria to be declared a "dangerous offender" -- details available on the alberta RCMP deaths page. And what's with all those Jack, Joe, Jack, Bob, Hank, Ben and/or Big Earl radio formats? Get the scoop from the inside the radio business page.

added october 3

CBC/Radio-Canada and the Canadian Media Guild (CMG) have reached a memorandum of settlement after 16 months of negotiations -- read the latest at the cbc lockout 2005 page.

added october 2

How did the 500 channel universe get its start locally? Read all about television in edmonton, the latest page in the television section.

added september 26

Two icons of modern culture a generation apart have passed away. Tommy Bond, "Butch" of the "Our Gang/Little Rascals" serials died September 24th. Maxwell Smart aka Agent 86 aka Don Adams passed away on September 25th at the age of 82 from lymphoma and lung infection.

added september 24

Keep up with latest in the radio business on the industry news page -- and the Edmonton summer ratings book is in (good news for some, bad news for others) -- part of the latest additions to the radio section.

added september 19

Google + Blog = Bloggle? - check out the latest development at this web watch entry.

added september 15

One of Hollywood's most celebrated film directors, Robert Wise, has died at the age of 91. His pictures received 67 Academy Award nominations and 19 Oscars, with Wise himself winning four. His career is the focus of a special Last Link tribute page.

added september 12

While not as critically accepted or praised as the Disney Studios, the Warner Bros. animation unit was nevertheless home to some wild and creative genius -- another new page in the movie genres - animated film section. Lastly, friends and relatives bid an explosive goodbye to the foremost exponent of gonzo journalism, details of which can be found on the Hunter S. Thompson page.

walt disney & disney studios

Much has been said both for and against Disney as an animator. Perhaps he was a better showman, hiring the right people to work behind him and acting instead as the friendly corporate spokesman. The sites on this new page in the movie genres - animated film section explore all sides of the Disney empire -- and they all agree that he was one of the most pivotal forces in mass entertainment of the twentieth century. [movies]

final credits - bob denver

Denver was known to generations of TV viewers as the bumbling slacker castaway Gilligan on the original Survivor-type show "Gilligan's Island." However, Denver first became a familiar face to audiences with his portrayal of the beatnik Maynard G. Krebs on "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis." The two roles brought a sense of counterculture to the small screen. For more about the actor forever known as Gilligan, visit the Last Link Bob Denver tribute page.

animated film

In the hundred or so years since Edwin S. Porter filmed Fun in a Bakery Shop in 1902, the movies and animation have come a long way. Some might argue that today's blockbusters are simply animated films with some live action thrown in. The sites and articles on this page document the art of animation and how it has evolved over a century of filmmaking. Also included are pages devoted to anime -- the Japanese animation style -- and voice actors. Another set of new pages in the movies section.

final credits - hurricane katrina

It is too soon to summarise the human experience endured in the American states of Louisiana and Mississippi. It is a story that is unfolding by the minute and it may be years before it can be completely told. When the history of the United States in the twenty-first century is written, Hurricane Katrina may surpass 911 in terms of impact on its citizens. As was seen with the tsunami of south-east Asia in December 2004, the forces of nature remind us that we are merely passengers on Planet Earth. Listed are a sampling of web sites reporting the ongoing events surrounding the strong category four hurricane that made a second landfall on August 29, 2005.

deadmonton - the murdered and the missing in the metro area

Edmonton's murder rate is a major concern to area residents and experts in the field are baffled to explain why the city is home to such a high number of homicides. For news about the latest cases and all the year's murders, visit the newest page of the edmonton section.

cbc lockout 2005

On August 15, 2005, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation locked out 5,500 employees during labour relation negotiations with the Canadian Media Guild. As would be expected when a group of broadcasting personalities, writers and producers are separated from their vocation, their voices have found alternate forms of expression -- on the internet. Listed on this page are just some of their sites. [radio]

blogs and news sources we like

There are literally millions of blogs on the net, with a new one coming online every three seconds. What's worse, there are now even dozens of blog indexes to sort through. If blogs are new to you and you don't know where start, listed on this web watch page are several dozen Last Link favourites to sample from.

radio in edmonton

Lost in the local dial? Tune in with the Last Link's guide to Edmonton airwaves. Also listed are the folks who own the stations ... and the mystery of CBC's "Promo Girl" is solved! [radio]

edmonton - it's our heritage

Since March, 2002, Lawrence Herzog has been documenting Edmonton's colourful past in his columns for Edmonton's Real Estate Weekly magazine. While Real Estate Weekly is to be commended for hosting Herzog's articles, their site is neither indexed or searchable. The Last Link has taken it upon itself to provide Edmonton armchair history buffs with a guide to the vast resources of Herzog's columns.

edmonton

Home to more than a million, Edmonton is North America's most northern urban centre -- we're as far north as Moscow (Russia, not Idaho). Listed on these pages are sites that show that Edmonton is more than just home to the world's biggest shopping centre, and the place where Wayne Gretzky set (and still holds) 53 individual entries in the National Hockey League record book.

action & adventure movies

It was back in 1903 when director Edwin S. Porter first yelled "Action" to start cinema's first narrative film, "The Great Train Robbery." The template first set by the Thomas Edison Manufacturing Company title can still be seen a century later at a movie octoplex in your neighbourhood, and remains the medium's most enduring genre. Another new page in the movies section.

ripped from the headlines

If reality is too weird for you, then what you need is some weird reality. Chosen from sources around the world are stories that prove that truth is stranger than fiction. [web watch]

coming attractions

If you find the coming attractions segment of your cinema outing as interesting as the main feature, then the sites on this page are for you. Another new page in the movies section.

film noir

If you hear a voiceover like "She was so gorgeous that you got bloodshot eyes just by looking at her" you're probably watching a noir film. Another new page in the movies section.

final credits - sources

So ... where do we get the information for our tributes to lives that have contributed to modern culture? Well, we don't have a Deep Throat in the afterlife, but we do have a whack of online sources we check everyday. We've just added some new sites that may be of interest such as Find A Death - run by Scott Michaels (who also runs Hollywood's Dearly Departed History Tours); GoodBye! The Journal of Contemporary Obituaries - although the site is as dead as the people he lists (last upated in 2002), Steve Miller's site still offers up nostalgia and trivia in spades; and Noted Nonagenarians And Centenarians and Validated Living Supercentenarians who list folks alive in their nineties, hundreds and over 110! [final credits]

classic cinema

They've become part of our culture and have survived the test of both time and trend. We can watch them over and over again ... and that's why they're called classics! Another new page in the movies section.

It's a Star Wars world after all

We've updated our Star Wars entry with MSNBC's Star Map Guide To The Star Wars Galaxy and a neat little movie called Grocery Store Wars. That's in addition to graphic proof George Lucas is at the centre of the universe and how a lightsaber works. [web watch]

Alberta RCMP Deaths Update

In memory of the four RCMP officers who died in the line of duty on March 3, 2005, the Always Remembered Memorial Fund has been set up to aid the families of the slain officers. Doug Winkleman, a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police stationed in Edmonton, and the Mounted Police Foundation have developed and designed a limited edition memorial pin. Proceeds from the sale of the pin will be committed to setting up bursaries and scholarships. For more about the events that gripped a nation, visit the Last Link's Alberta RCMP Deaths page.

Engines of change

In just a few short years, Google has risen to the top of the search engine food chain and have eaten the competition alive. But how well do they stand up to new competition? [web watch]

Los Angeles Times

The Times has discontinued their experiment with a subscription-based service for their Entertainment coverage, which is great news for fans of noted movie reviewer Kenneth Turan. The return of the Times to common sense allows us to post their site on our movie news and movie reviews pages.

Cinematic Complaints

When it comes to going to the movies, it seems like there is a lot not to like. From loud movies, pre-movie advertising, blatant product placement, boorish movie manners and bad projection practices, there's enough to gripe about to fill a web page, and that's just what we've done. Another new page in the movies section.

Letterbox Versus Pan & Scan

The debate over how film is transferred to video has artistic, practical and emotional considerations. Assembled here is a near-comprehensive round-up of sites devoted to the subject. Another new page in the movies section.

The good old days

Back when we were kids, we used to believe in all sorts of things. It seems we're not alone -- and Mat Connolley has collected over 35,000 of our stories on his I Used To Believe site. Looking for ultra-cool ways to accessorize your computer? Then visit the TikiMac site! [web watch]

It's a mall world after all

We drive by them everyday without a second glance, but how did they get here? Plus, new uses for abandoned big box stores. [web watch]

Widescreen, IMAX and Other Format Films

It was Norma Desmond who said that it was the pictures that got small, but a trip to your local stadium-seated movie octo-plex will tell you differently. Find out about the history and technology behind Cinerama, IMAX and other large screen processes. Another new page in the movies section.

Film Critic Organisations

Most major film critics belong to associations within geographic regions or broadcasting/publishing circles. Their sites offer member's year-end best of lists, and some offer current movie reviews. Another new page in the movies section.

Richard Roeper: he's not a film critic, he just plays one on television

It's been five years since Richard Roeper slid into the seat as the second most visible film critic on television. Here at the Last Link, we're getting tired of throwing our shoe at the set whenever he appears, so we've decided to post this eFilmcritic.com article on the site about why Roeper is still the wrong man for the job. [movies - everybody's a critic]

Canada.com's Dose Magazine Movie Listings

Canada.com/CanWest Global Communications Corp. has unleashed Dose Magazine, a new and free culture/news daily (at least Monday through Friday) available on the streets in Edmonton, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Ottawa (and they also have an online edition). See how they're doing -- but why did they have to call it Dose? [edmonton and the movies]

Ah, yes, very good very clever

A hidden viral marketing secret is revealed! [web watch]

Entertainment Insiders' Hollywood Obituaries

Rusty White's excellent site records passings in the entertainment industry. [general movie information]

Everybody's A Critic

Why do we pay more attention to some opinions and not others? Here's the Last Link lowdown on ego, gratification and the quest for edification in the world of film criticism. A new page in the movies section.

Animations

Here at the Last Link, we've got a soft spot for quirky animation. Assembled for your consideration is a collection of the best unreality that has crossed our browser window or e-mail inbox. WARNING: if you like this stuff, you'll be here for hours! [web watch - animations]

Chew The Right Thing

Food glorious food! A page of sites that are low-carb and fat free. Sampling is encouraged and there's no charge for seconds! [web watch - chew the right thing]

If 'IT' spells 'Ouch'

Modern convenience can be a real pain in the neck, wrist, elbow, back, backside ... you know what we mean. Whether you're a service provider or an end user, you'll be sure to take a tingly feeling or slight ache away from these sites. For service providers on both sides of the info fence. [web watch]

Comedy is serious business

Okay - so the Onion is so popular that nobody visits their site anymore. Now what? We here at the Last Link take our hyberbole, sarcasm, dramatic irony, metaphor, bathos, puns, parody, litotes and satire pretty seriously -- so we've compiled a list of the best humour on the web. [web watch - the funny papers]

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