![\"Downtown](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/edmonton_journal_articles_165\/9c042575f84fa5179bb4a68513439dc2.jpg\"\/)
<\/p>\nWhile the answer to, “Where was the suspect when the crime was committed?” could be answered simply with information digital providers already track for their own monetization purposes, getting “lawful access” to that information to put criminals behind bars can be maddeningly convoluted while the victim count climbs.<\/p>\n
This is about to change under a bill making its way to Senate chamber and committees in the fall, Ruby Sahoda told Edmonton civic, business and law enforcement leaders Thursday.<\/p>\n
Appointed a year ago to fill Prime Minister Mark Carney’s newly created Secretary of State for Combatting Crime post, Sahoda is in the Edmonton area for two days on a packed schedule of meetings to bolster public understanding of Bill C-22’s crime-fighting capacity.<\/p>\n
The bill will help put dangerous criminals behind bars and will help disrupt and dismantle organized crime, Sahoda told the standing-room-only packed house at the Westin.<\/p>\n
“I am convinced that without moving forward on giving police the technical capabilities to get the information that they need to dismantle organized crime networks, that we will not make a dent in organized crime, and we will leave a gap in our country,” she said.<\/p>\n
No carte blanche<\/p>\n
From a simple assault to a sophisticated extortion racket, every criminal enterprise is likely to be laying out digital breadcrumbs.<\/p>\n
There’s been a perception that “lawful access” will grant police carte-blanche access to those breadcrumbs via everyone’s digital phones, iPads and laptops.<\/p>\n
“It does not,” Sahoda said firmly.<\/p>\n
With the new law, service providers already keeping digital tabs on consumers will be required to keep it for a specific period of time, so if a warrant is served on them for a criminal investigation, they can \u2014 with clear conscience and set parameters \u2014 provide it to the police.<\/p>\n
“A lot of these cybercrime situation investigations go on for years on end, and in the process of that investigation, there’s more and more victims along the way. Some of these investigations that could get wrapped up in a month or a couple months end up taking a year or more, and then you tack on so many more victims along the way that could have been prevented,” Sahoda said.<\/p>\n
Of the so-called Five Eyes countries collaborating on security issues \u2014 Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom and United States \u2014 Canada alone has no set regime to lawfully access digital information with a warrant.<\/p>\n
Digital access standards often vary widely by jurisdiction and company across Canada, she said.<\/p>\n
“That’s detrimental to Canadians. Without having something in place \u2026 we’re leaving a gap in vulnerability for criminal activity to take place, and by the time that police are able to catch up with those bad actors, it is often too late and often after many, many victims are exposed to this criminal activity.”<\/p>\n
Bail, sentencing reform<\/p>\n
A powerful tool in the judicial toolbox, Bill C-14 came into effect July 15, empowering the province’s prosecutors and judges to take firmer measures on repeat violent offenders, with changes to Canada’s Criminal Code making bail more restrictive for repeat violent offenders.<\/p>\n
It increases penalties for serious crimes. It also closes loopholes opened by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau government’s Bill C-75 in 2019 requiring the release of an accused person at the earliest opportunity and on the least onerous conditions.<\/p>\n
Sahoda told the group the law addresses what she heard on her last visit, concerns about unlawfulness in the Downtown core impacting businesses and the safety and well-being of Edmontonians.<\/p>\n
“I think we’re going to see positive impacts on crime in downtown cores across the country,” she said.<\/p>\n
Will the provincial penal system be prepared for additional effort to address dangerous offenders?<\/p>\n
Sahoda said she spoke with Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis and Premier Danielle Smith.<\/p>\n
“This is an ask that they had of the federal government, to make these changes \u2026 I think provinces across the country are making sure that they’re ramped up and prepared,” she said.<\/p>\n
Sahoda said she hears community leaders who say effective criminal reduction calls for more than enforcement alone.<\/p>\n
“(It) requires prevention, intervention, and addressing the factors that contribute to repeat offending, including addiction and mental health challenges and other issues. Communities benefit from strong partnerships between law enforcement, business, and other grassroots organizations,” she said.<\/p>\n
Financial crimes agency<\/p>\n
Still to come: Bill C-29 introduced Canada’s proposed Financial Crimes Agency to investigate complex cases of money laundering and organized criminal activity, to help bring criminals to justice.<\/p>\n
“We’re answering the call from all provinces and territories who have said loud and clear that they wanted action from Ottawa. We’ll continue to work with them as these bills pass and come into force, as the provincial and territorial obligations of the justice system are applying (them),” Sahoda said.<\/p>\n
Sahoda made several nods to the province’s role in Confederation, a concept under debate with an Oct. 19 referendum on whether the province even wants to stay a part of Canada.<\/p>\n
Throughout global market uncertainties, Alberta’s entrepreneurs, retailers, manufacturers, and service providers have continued to show resilience for more than a century, she said.<\/p>\n
“Albertans have worked to help build this country. You’ve created a strong and prosperous province in the greatest country in the world, and that strong Canadian spirit will get us through this challenge and economic environment together,” she said.<\/p>\n
“Alberta’s success is essential to the success of our country, and that success is only possible with communities that are safe and resilient.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Downtown Revitalization Coalition\u2019s Cheryll Watson, in Edmonton, on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026.<\/p>\n
Safety ‘foundational’<\/p>\n
Public safety and businesses exiting downtowns have been in the news.<\/p>\n
While Edmonton’s crime severity has reached a five-year low, property crime has increased, noted event host Cheryll Watson with the Downtown Revitalization Coalition as she hailed Sahoda’s efforts.<\/p>\n
“Safety is foundational economic infrastructure,” she said, with a nod to Edmonton Police Service partners in the room.<\/p>\n
“It is not separate from economic development. It is what makes economic development possible.<\/p>\n
“The challenges playing out in our Downtown do not fit neatly into one single municipal, provincial, or federal jurisdiction. Neither can solutions. Businesses and communities should not be left to navigate the gaps of government on their own, and that is why today’s conversation really matters,” Watson said.<\/p>\n
jcarmichael@postmedia.com<\/a><\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Bookmark our website and support our journalism:\u00a0Don’t\u00a0miss the news you need to know \u2014 add\u00a0EdmontonJournal.com<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0EdmontonSun.com<\/a>\u00a0to your bookmarks and\u00a0sign up for our newsletters here.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today:\u00a0The Edmonton Journal<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/a>The Edmonton Sun<\/a>.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While the answer to, “Where was the suspect when the crime was committed?” could be answered simply with…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":167372,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[17,42327,53734,47,33729,53733,1772,52,20734,18676,53732],"class_list":["post-167371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-edmonton","tag-canada","tag-carte-blanche","tag-combatting-crime-ruby-sahota","tag-crime","tag-criminal-investigation","tag-dangerous-criminals","tag-david-bloom","tag-edmonton","tag-lawful-access","tag-organized-crime","tag-ruby-sahoda"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=167371"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167371\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/167372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=167371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=167371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=167371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}