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

New bill would launch Alberta's overhaul of auto insurance

Bill 47, the Automobile Insurance and Care-First Benefits Act, will move Alberta to what the finance minister describes as a “care first” system, where the majority of injury claims are settled without going to court.

Alberta health minister denies former AHS CEO's claims in statement of defence

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange is alleging the former CEO of Alberta Health Services was unwilling to implement the government’s plan to break up the health authority, and made “incendiary and inaccurate allegations about political intrigue and impropriety” before she was fired in January. 

Alberta's $5.2B budget deficit could jump to $8.7B under worst-case tariff scenario

Alberta is forecasting it will end the next fiscal year with a $5.2 billion deficit but that could soar to $8.7 billion under a worst-case tariff scenario outlined in Thursday’s provincial budget.

Will Trump's tariff threat finally spur action on dropping inter-provincial barriers?

Canada’s premiers have talked about the need to break down inter-provincial trade barriers for years but the trade tariff threat from U.S. President Donald Trump may prompt them to finally take action. 

Alberta introduces plan to allow people with disabilities to work and receive benefits

The new Alberta Disability Assistance Program will start in July 2026. It will co-exist with the current Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped, which will still be available for people who cannot work due to their disability. 

Alberta premier says diplomacy wins after Trump grants tariff reprieve

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says U.S. President Donald Trump's decision grant a 30-day reprieve on his threat to tariff imports from Canada shows that diplomacy works.

Families reeling after Alberta ends child-care subsidy

Alberta parents were caught off guard that changes announced yesterday will raise their daycare bills by hundreds of dollars a month starting  April 1. 

Provincial support delays are hurting disabled Albertans and families, reports find

Inclusion Alberta released two reports this week highlighting the problems with Family Support for Children with Disabilities (FSCD) and Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PDD) programs. 

Alberta government axes funding for 3 disability advocacy groups

The Alberta government has cut funding to three self-advocacy groups for people with intellectual disabilities more than a year before the expiry of their contracts. 

Red Deer's supervised consumption site starts phasing out services

Operating hours for the Red Deer, Alta., supervised consumption site are now cut in half, as the facility moves to shut down by March.