A government-commissioned report, by McDermott Consulting, showed that in 2005 Alberta had .45 beds per 1000 people for mental patients, while the national average stood at 1.9 beds per 1,000.

On Monday, Alberta advocates including the Canadian Mental Health Association said that the province requires more mental health beds.

The pricey cancer drug 'Avastin' has finally received approval, as a first-line of treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer, by Alberta on Thursday. The decision is a significant one, more so as colorectal cancer - or cancer of the colon or rectum - happens to be the second main cause of cancer deaths in Canada.