Karen Bartko
Online Journalist
Karen has worked at Global Edmonton since 2006, and has been an online journalist covering stories across Alberta for more than 10 years.
She is an award-winning journalist, having won two RTDNA Prairie Regional Awards with Global Edmonton’s online team for its coverage of the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire.
Karen is grateful for the privilege of covering stories in the community she was raised in, at the TV station she grew up watching each day.
She got her start as a studio assistant at Global while still in college and became an ENG video editor for four years. Karen then moved to the editorial team as the overnight writer for Global News Morning Edmonton. Karen joined the online team in 2014. She lives for breaking news and enjoys the fast pace of the digital world.
Karen knows the Edmonton region well and that knowledge informs her coverage of local news. She grew up in Parkland County, attended high school in Devon and graduated from the Radio and Television Arts program at NAIT in 2008.
Outside of work, Karen enjoys cooking, reading, killing plants gardening, travelling and taking in Edmonton’s numerous summer festivals. She’s also learning to love/hate golf.
Karen is a pop culture geek who indulges in a long list of TV shows and can frequently be found scouring Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Reddit. She would never say no to a good glass of wine.
Contact Karen Bartko
Video Archives
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Edmonton group calls for downtown safety in next budget -
5th Project Gaslight guilty plea sends Edmonton man to prison -
Local efforts to support hurricane recovery in Jamaica -
Alberta ‘Avenue of Champions’ slogan changing -
Open Cockpit Day at Alberta Aviation Museum -
Motion to pause bike lane projects in Edmonton defeated -
Edmonton mayoral candidates make their pitches in crowded race -
Alberta sees record-breaking year for organ and tissue donors -
41st Taste of Edmonton underway in the downtown core -
Psychic predictions for the future of the Edmonton Oilers -
Edmonton Elks fans optimistic about season -
More pushback for Bill C-5 from Indigenous groups -
Edmontonians accuse Foundry Room owner of stealing their event deposits -
Edmonton gay bar Evolution moving to Jasper Avenue, will temporarily have 2 locations -
Restaurant industry reacts to federal tax ‘holiday’ -
Raw video of wildfire damage in Jasper, Alta. -
Will Alberta’s renewable energy changes help or hinder development? -
60-year-old Edmonton elementary school set to get 1st playground -
The downside of a snowless winter on Edmonton businesses that rely on it -
Southwest Edmonton school wins Connor McDavid visit after raising $15k
Author Archives
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Driver accused of deliberately hitting Muslim woman due to race: Edmonton policeEdmonton police allege the accused boxed in the victim's vehicle and prevented her from leaving a northside parking lot while making racist and xenophobic comments.Crime6 hours
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Trapped grandparents die in north Edmonton apartment fire: ‘They were best friends’More than 60 years ago, Major Singh Bhandal and Surinderjit Kaur Bhandal exchanged vows to spend their life together — a promise they kept, to their very devastating end.FireJul 15
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3 homes damaged by fire in southwest Edmonton’s Cameron Heights areaA fire broke out late Tuesday afternoon in the southwest Edmonton neighbourhood, leaving two family homes gutted and a third also damaged.FireJul 14
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Thunderstorm capable of triggering tornados headed for Edmonton regionConditions are ripe for the development of severe thunderstorms that may generate strong wind gusts, large hail, heavy rain and possibly tornadoes, Environment Canada said.WeatherJul 14
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1 dead, 2 missing after vehicle hits Edmonton building, causing fiery explosionOne person is dead, two more are missing and several others injured after a vehicle collided with an apartment building, causing a gas explosion and massive fire.FireJul 14
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Deep sinkhole opens up in north Edmonton after weekend thunderstormsThe City of Edmonton and EPCOR say Mother Nature has pushed the wastewater system to its limits in recent weeks, as several thunderstorms have dumped massive amounts of rain.WeatherJul 13
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High Level Bridge sidewalk closed after heavy rain erodes riverbank slopeRecent heavy rainfall has caused riverbank instability at the southeast side of the High Level Bridge, where the slope next to the east sidewalk wooden guardrail has failed.TrafficJun 25
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Alberta man, charged with sex crimes against girls, was twice released from custodyThe Grande Prairie man is accused of sexual assault, harassment, assault while choking, abduction, forcible confinement and more, involving four girls — one, as young as 12.CrimeJun 25
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3 people killed after plane fighting wildfire crashes near Fort Simpson, N.W.T.Three people were found dead after their fixed-wing Turbo Commander AC960, which was fighting a wildfire in the Northwest Territories, crashed near Fort Simpson.FireJun 25
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Edmonton mosquito number rising after rainy weekend — and more expectedA weekend of torrential rain, followed by warn and sunny weather, has created perfect conditions for Edmonton's already health mosquito population to explode.EnvironmentJun 24
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Invasive Prussian carp showing up in Sylvan LakeLab results confirm Prussian carp are now living in Sylvan Lake. Similar to goldfish, they are an invasive species that causes all sorts of problems.EnvironmentJun 24
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Edmonton region to be deluged by 30-60 mm of rain — possibly setting a new recordThis month has been the second-wettest June ever in Edmonton and is now on track to break the record that has existed since 1914.WeatherJun 24
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Wayward dock and boats found 300 km downstream from EdmontonThe entire dock, plus five metal boats chained to it, broke free from the shore on Monday when the river rose more than 1.5 metres and the streamflow doubled in speed.WeatherJun 24
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Edmonton school custodian charged with child sexual exploitation offencesThe suspect is accused of possessing and sharing child sexual exploitation materials, formerly known as child pornography, on Threads — a Meta-owned app similar to Twitter/X.CrimeJun 23
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Edmonton water supply alert lifted as stormwater pressure easesOn average, Edmonton receives 69.9 mm of rain in June but Environment Canada said 104 millimetres of rain fell in the city over three days.WeatherJun 23
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Town of Tofield floods after massive rainfall: ‘Never seen this much water here’Southeast of Edmonton, an overland flooding alert was issued for Tofield after two days of heavy rain turned roads, fields, parking lots and other low-lying areas into lakes.WeatherJun 22
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Entire dock, with boats attached, swept away after heavy rainfall in EdmontonAfter a heavy rainfall, one might expect to see debris floating down the North Saskatchewan River — but one sight late Monday morning caught some by surprise.WeatherJun 22
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Emergency alerts across Edmonton area as rainfall pushes stormwater systems to capacitySo far this June, Edmonton has recorded 189 mm of rain — the most in more than 60 years — and more rain is expected before the end of the month.WeatherJun 22
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Advertised Fort Saskatchewan craft fair a scam, RCMP warnThe Northern Prairie Craft, Food and Vendor Fair is being advertised as a three-day event taking place at the Dow Centennial Centre, but RCMP say the entire event is a scam.CrimeJun 17
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Funnel clouds, landspout tornadoes possible across much of central AlbertaConditions will be favourable Wednesday for the development of funnel clouds which could become weak tornadoes, Environment Canada said in a special weather statement.WeatherJun 17
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Alberta giving $100 energy rebates to some households — is yours one of them?The Alberta Energy Rebate application portal opens on July 1 and closes Sept. 30.PoliticsJun 17
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Tornado warning downgraded as thunderstorm sweeps over Medicine Hat, southeastern AlbertaThe severe thunderstorm was over a rural area between Brooks, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge, and was moving was moving to the southeast at 40 km/h.WeatherJun 16
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2 tornadoes touches down in Peace River region of northwestern AlbertaEnvironment Canada confirmed a tornado touched down and said the storm developed suddenly, with no watches or warnings issued beforehand.WeatherJun 16
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Retired EPS officer Bill Clark sentenced for leaking confidential info to mediaThe Edmonton Police Service searched Bill Clark's work phone and found he had been sending photos, videos and tips about numerous high-profile incidents and crimes to Global News.CrimeJun 15
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Girl, 4, dies in collision after running into traffic in north EdmontonA four-year-old was walking through a parking lot with her mom near 66 Street and 170 Avenue, when the girl broke free and ran into traffic on the major road.TrafficJun 15