Top 5 Edmonton news stories from 2023

As Edmontonians prepare to bid adieu to 2023 and welcome in 2024, it is an appropriate time to reflect on all that has unfolded in the past year.

From a provincial election to terrifying acts of crime that shocked the city, here are the top stories from Edmonton on Globalnews.ca in 2023.

The top five stories from Global Edmonton in 2023 were ranked by page views.

#1

Rachel Notley and the Alberta NDP tried unsuccessfully to stop the United Conservative Party from being re-elected, this time under leader Danielle Smith, after Jason Kenney stepped down.

The UCP won with a reduced majority, with 49 seats going to the UCP and the NDP opposition securing 38 seats.

Both Smith and Notley won their respective ridings handily, but many other races came down to the wire. Two electoral divisions, Calgary-Acadia and Calgary-Glenmore, saw a difference of 100 or fewer ballots separating the winning candidate and runner-up.

Global News had complete results, a livestream of our coverage and a map that let you watch results in specific ridings.

Global News also compiled the campaign promises of both the UCP and NDP, and fact-checked dubious claims that emerged in the weeks leading up to election day.

#2

A man and his 11-year-old son were fatally shot during what the Edmonton Police Service described as “serious, targeted incident” at a shopping complex in deep southeast Edmonton on Nov. 9.

The shooting happened at the Petro-Canada gas station and A&W in the Harvest Pointe shopping complex just off Ellerslie Road and 50th Street.

A 41-year-old man and an 11-year-old boy died of their injuries on scene.

Police identified the father killed as 41-year-old Harpreet Uppal, who they allege was a gang member involved in the drug trade.

They did not identify the boy who was killed but noted investigators believe he was not mistakenly caught in the line of fire, and instead was deliberately shot.

“Mr. Uppal was very well known to us, very high up in the gang drug world,” Acting Supt. Colin Derksen said on Nov. 10. “We had worked very hard over the years to try to warn and give him opportunities to step out of that lifestyle and keep him and his family safe.”

#3

On May 17, a series of carjackings finally came to an end in southeast Edmonton.

But before this dramatic conclusion, the suspect allegedly used one of the stolen vehicles to ram another driver dozens of times during the morning rush hour on the south leg of Anthony Henday Drive.

Naeem Issa and his nephew were driving along Anthony Henday Drive eastbound near Terwillegar Drive at 7 a.m. Wednesday.

He said a red truck drove up behind them, hitting their bumper multiple times and pulling a gun on them.

“I started speeding up, trying to get away from him,” Issa recalled. “He gets behind me and starts ramming me from behind. I’m trying to get away from him and he’s right on me, smashing me, smashing me — probably over 20 times he hit me.

“I pass by the highway patrol sheriff, honk my horn at him… The truck came like a barrel out of nowhere and just smashed me. If I was doing, like, 170, he was probably doing 220 or more… He hit me so hard the car went into emergency mode and it wouldn’t go anymore, it wouldn’t drive anymore.”

He pulled over and said the truck pulled up and slowed down beside him, ultimately passing him then slamming on the brakes. The patrol car came around the corner and off the truck went, Issa said.

“It was terrifying. It was definitely terrifying…If that officer didn’t pull up behind us at that moment, I don’t know what would have happened.”

Issa believed they were randomly targeted.

The suspect was arrested that morning with 17 warrants. He was later charged with 51 offences.

#4

Two Edmonton police officers were shot and killed on March 16 while responding to a family violence call at Baywood Apartments that also left the 16-year-old suspect dead and a woman — his mother — injured.

“The Edmonton Police Service has been marked by a really unthinkable and horrific tragedy as two of our members have died in the line of duty,” Chief Dale McFee said.

Const. Travis Jordan, 35, who had been with EPS for 8.5 years; and Const. Brett Ryan, 30, who had been with the service for 5.5 years, were killed.

Annie Jordan described her husband Travis as “the most generous, selfless and loving person I know.

“It’s been the biggest honour being your wife,” she wrote.

Ashley Ryan had tears in her eyes as she spoke about her husband, whom she described as “a generous soul and an inviting personality.”

“My sweet husband, we thought we had eternity ahead of us,” she said, adding that she will never forget how excited he was to learn he was going to become a father even if he would never get to meet his child.

Prior to this, the last time an Edmonton police officer was killed on duty was June 8, 2015.

#5

An exciting minor hockey playoff game on March 8 ended on a sour note at the Terwillegar Recreation Centre in southwest Edmonton, resulting in several suspensions and condemnations.

It happened after a U18 Tier 1 playoff game between the South East Edmonton Recreation Association — team SE701 — and Stony Plain Minor Hockey Predators  — team SN701. The game went to an overtime shootout, ending in a 4-3 victory for Stony Plain.

Following the big win, the teams began the traditional giving of handshakes — until a player raised his fist and hit another teenager.

After the first punch was thrown, more players from both teams of 15-, 16- and 17-year-old boys got involved and a brawl broke out.

There was a pile up near the boards. Referees and a coach could be seen trying to break up the fight.

The brawl was recorded on video that was then posted online.

The Edmonton Federation Hockey League (EFHL) said three match penalties, nine fighting majors, one instigator and 15 game misconduct penalties were handed out to players of both teams.

EFHL said eight players were suspended, some indefinitely. Both head coaches of the teams were also suspended due to multiple fighting majors and match penalties post game.

&copy 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.