Alberta Dental Association wants to help shape a provincial dental plan
The federal government's Canadian Dental Care Plan is set to expand next month to provide coverage for all ages, but Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has pledged to opt-out of the plan by 2026. In response, the Alberta Dental Association wants to help craft a made-in-Alberta plan to replace it. ADA president Dr. Hans Herchen joined Edmonton AM's Mark Connolly to discuss the situation.
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Globe and Mail
3 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Alberta Premier grilled on province's coal policy at rowdy, angry town hall
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and three of her ministers got an earful on Wednesday night from southern Alberta locals at a rowdy, hours-long town hall to discuss the province's coal policy. About 500 people, dressed in cowboy hats, belt buckles, and jeans, packed a community hall in Fort Macleod, Alta., for an event marked by heckling, competing applause and placards. 'If we are not prepared to look and find middle-ground solutions to allow for industries to proceed while reducing our environmental footprint, you're going to find that different industries become the next on the hit list,' Smith said through a chorus of protesting voices and verbal jabs. 'Banning industries is just not something we are going to do.' The premier and her ministers of energy, environment and agriculture took questions and were shouted down on several occasions by attendees as they defended changes to the province's coal policy. Many in the crowd held small placards reading 'lie' and 'false,' raising them each time they disagreed with a statement. There was a notable group that came in support of the province's coal policy, frequently applauding the ministers and shooting back at other crowd members. Many attendees carried notebooks and pens, keenly taking notes throughout. The town hall came weeks after the Alberta Energy Regulator, or AER, granted an Australia-based coal company permission to start a controversial coal exploration on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Northback Holding Corp.'s project at Grassy Mountain was initially rejected in 2021 when a panel ruled that the likely environmental effects on fish and water quality outweighed the potential economic benefits. Alberta regulator approves controversial coal exploration applications at Grassy Mountain Late last year, the project was exempted from the Alberta government's decision to ban open-pit coal mines because Northback's application was considered an 'advanced' proposal. The issue has been polarizing in southern Alberta, where the debate has primarily revolved around the economic implications of development against environmental effects. A non-binding referendum in Crowsnest Pass saw 70 per cent of voters saying they'd support the nearby coal project. Despite frequent pushback over the two-and-a-half-hour event, Smith rarely chose to get into back-and-forth discussions with attendees. She defended the province's approach to coal developments, pitching responsible development that prioritizes environmental standards. Smith also frequently cited a lawsuit by five coal companies that say they're owed $15 billion by the province in lost revenues and sunk costs. She argued again on Wednesday that she had taxpayers in mind when the province lifted its moratorium on coal mining and development on the eastern slopes. 'If we do nothing, then we are told we'll likely lose those cases and have to pay ($15 billion).' An energetic Brian Jean, the province's energy minister, frequently challenged the boisterous crowd and at times trotted offstage to hand his business card to those asking questions. 'I live in the oilsands. You can't tell me what I'm concerned about and what I'm not concerned about. I'm very concerned about our earth and our planet,' he said. Coal mines on Alberta's eastern slopes are poisoning fish populations, study says Several questions returned to a new study by Alberta government scientists, yet to be peer reviewed, which recently said old coal mines on the eastern slopes are poisoning fish and any further coal mining there would result in 'population collapse' of fish species in a nearby lake. Asked about the report, Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz said the province is looking into the issue and is waiting for it to be confirmed by the peer-review process. She said further studies to be released later this year are being conducted. 'We want to understand what is happening there so that we can prevent that from happening in the future.' The premier also jousted with protesters while speaking to reporters before the town hall. When a group gathered behind her and started yelling, she turned around and asked them to let her finish the interview. 'I'm looking for a little bit of courtesy,' she said. The event was scheduled to last two hours, but Smith asked to take questions for an extra 30 minutes after the clock had run out.
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Alberta premier faces raucous, angry town hall on province's coal policy
FORT MACLEOD – Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and three of her ministers got an earful from southern Alberta locals at a rowdy, hours-long town hall to discuss the province's coal policy. About 500 people, dressed in cowboy hats, belt buckles, and jeans, packed a community hall in Fort Macleod, Alta., for an event marked by heckling, competing applause, and placards. The premier and her ministers of energy, environment and agriculture took questions and were shouted down on several occasions by attendees as they defended changes to the province's coal policy. The town hall came weeks after the Alberta Energy Regulator, or AER, granted an Australia-based coal company permission to start a controversial coal exploration on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. A new study by Alberta government scientists, which has yet to be peer reviewed, recently said old coal mines on the eastern slopes are poisoning fish and any further coal mining there would result in 'population collapse' of fish species in a nearby lake. The premier also jousted with protesters while speaking to reporters before the town hall, where concerns about water, agriculture and wildlife were also raised. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2025.
National Observer
9 hours ago
- National Observer
Alberta seeks private investor to help build oil pipeline to coast
The Alberta government is working to entice a private-sector player to build a major crude pipeline to coastal waters, Premier Danielle Smith said Wednesday. "We're talking to all of the pipeline proponents; anyone who has had success in building a pipeline in Canada and has an interest in perhaps coming together as a consortium. Or, if one emerges as being a principal proponent, then we'll be interested in talking to them, too," Smith told reporters following a speech to the Global Energy Show. "But we know that it's a chicken and egg problem, that no one's going to come forward with a project without some guarantee that it is going to be approved." Alberta could help the project along by committing barrels of physical bitumen received in lieu of cash royalties from oilsands producers, Smith said. She has been enthusiastic about reviving a plan to ship oilsands crude to the northern B.C. coast for export to Asia, and the end point she sees making the most sense is Prince Rupert, B.C. Enbridge Inc. had once planned to ship crude to another northern B.C. port, Kitimat, via its proposed Northern Gateway pipeline. That project was nixed in 2016 when the federal government banned tankers off the northern B.C. coast. Enbridge CEO Greg Ebel has said it would take a major overhaul in federal regulations for his company to revisit such a proposal. The Alberta government is working to entice a private-sector player to build a major crude pipeline to coastal waters, Premier Danielle Smith said Wednesday. Smith said Prince Rupert might be a more viable choice than Kitimat, as it has a less treacherous route out to the open Pacific and many other commodities already move out of there. Smith said no company will agree to build a pipeline to the northern B.C. coast as long as there is a tanker ban, and oilsands companies aren't going to expand their production as long as there's a federal emissions cap. The premier urged conference attendees to keep up the pressure on Prime Minister Mark Carney's government to do what needs to be done to get "nation-building" projects built. "Anything less than success means failing to act for Canada. It means failing to stand up for democracy and peaceful global development," she said. "And most importantly, it means a loss of economic prosperity that future Canadian youth and families cannot count on to enhance their standard of living locally and to eliminate energy poverty globally." With U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs throwing the Canada-U.S. trade relationship into disarray, there have been growing calls for Canada to tap into other markets for its resources. The only way meaningful amounts of Canadian oil can currently flow to customers outside the United States is via the federally owned Trans Mountain pipeline to the B.C. Lower Mainland, whose expansion started up about a year ago. Trans Mountain CEO Mark Maki told reporters on the sidelines of the conference that his is among the companies Smith has talked to about spearheading a new pipeline. "But as far as us ... optimize the existing kit is the first priority," he said. The Trans Mountain pipeline has been running at about 85 per cent of its capacity of 890,000 barrels a day. That could be taken further to 1.14 million barrels a day with the help of drag-reducing chemical additives and additional pumping horsepower. Maki said Carney, a former central banker, strikes him as a decisive and detail-oriented leader who "gets it." "The business sort of wiring to him, I think is where a lot of my optimism comes from," he said. Carney recently met with provincial and territorial premiers to hear about what projects they'd like to see fast-tracked under new legislation, but has not said which have made the cut. Smith said she'll give the Liberals until the fall legislative session — or four to six months — to determine whether Carney is serious about his pledge to make Canada an "energy superpower." Smith is also keen on accessing global markets via the East Coast or a pipeline to the Port of Churchill in northern Manitoba, which would give tanker access to Hudson Bay. Smith heaped praise on Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew — a New Democrat of a much different political stripe than her United Conservative Party — for being open to that idea. "He has been very vocal in saying that he wants Churchill to be a major export hub, including oil and gas, and he's been unequivocal about that," Smith said. B.C. NDP Premier David Eby, on the other hand, has been skeptical about pursuing a Northern Gateway-like proposal while Trans Mountain, already in operation, is running under full capacity and has expansion potential.
