Michelle Bellefontaine

Provincial affairs reporter

Michelle Bellefontaine covers the Alberta legislature for CBC News in Edmonton. She has also worked as a reporter in the Maritimes and in northern Canada.

Latest from Michelle Bellefontaine

Alberta locating new youth recovery facility next to young offenders centre

The Alberta government is planning to set up an addiction recovery centre for youth by renovating half of the Edmonton Young Offender Centre in north Edmonton. 

Alberta must resume financial help past age 22 for former kids in care, advocate says

Alberta's child and youth advocate is calling on the province to bring back support for young people over the age of 22 who have aged out of government care but still require financial support to make a successful transition to adulthood. 

Alberta lacks information, maintenance plan for affordable housing stock, auditor general says

The Alberta government lacks information on the true state of its affordable housing stock and lacks standards and a plan for maintaining it which could hurt the health and safety of the people who live there, according to a new report from the province’s auditor general. 

Alberta to get 2 new provincial electoral ridings for next election

The Alberta government wants to add two provincial electoral divisions to the map for the fall 2027 election to accommodate the surge in the province's population over the last several years. 

Alberta premier wins leadership review with 91.5% approval

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made her pitch to continue as leader of the governing United Conservative Party, suggesting to thousands of its members that the party must stay united to accomplish its goals.

Danielle Smith gets boisterous support as UCP members embark on leadership vote

One day before a vote on her leadership, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith received large and boisterous applause from United Conservative Party members at the party’s annual general meeting in Red Deer Friday. 

Alberta tables bills on transgender youth health care, students' pronouns, opt-in sex education

The Alberta government introduced bills Thursday to prohibit minors from receiving certain types of gender-affirming care, require parents be notified when a child wants to use a different name or pronoun in the classroom, and also require parents to opt-in before their children are taught about sex in class.

Alberta MLA who compared transgender children to feces in food welcomed into UCP caucus

United Conservative Party MLAs have voted in favour of allowing Lacombe-Ponoka MLA Jennifer Johnson into the caucus. 

Too early to tout drop in Alberta opioid deaths, critics say

Alberta’s minister of mental health and addictions says he is “cautiously optimistic” about the lower number of opioid poisoning deaths in the first six months of 2024 compared to last year but critics say it may be too soon to take a victory lap. 

Alberta municipalities cool toward provincial ministers amid cuts, election changes

Premier Danielle Smith faced more than 1,000 mayors, councillors and municipal officials — many frustrated with her government’s recent legislation, at the Alberta Municipalities fall conference in Red Deer on Thursday.