Danielle Smith says her Alberta government won't advance a separation vote
If there's an 'appetite' for an Alberta sovereignty conversation, Premier Danielle Smith says it would have to come from a citizen-initiated petition. Power & Politics host David Cochrane asks Smith what a fourth Liberal term means for Alberta's relationship with Ottawa.
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Toronto Star
an hour ago
- Toronto Star
Alberta's Smith, former prime ministers to speak at conference ahead of G7
CALGARY - Two former Canadian prime ministers and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith are among the notable names set to speak at a conference today ahead of next week's G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis. The conference is hosted by the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy and its G7 research group and will feature a series of panels about past summits and international affairs.
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
In the news today: World leaders, former PMs and protestors expected ahead of G7
Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed… Groups planning protests for G7 summit in Alberta Protests during the upcoming G7 leaders summit in Kananaskis, Alta., may be starkly different than demonstrations happening this week against immigration crackdowns in the United States. A University of Toronto research group that has been monitoring the meetings of world leaders since 1998 says its analysis shows Canadian protests are more peaceful and smaller. But similar to the recent demonstrations in Los Angeles, they're likely to be against the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump. 'The Los Angeles protests will add another (issue) the protesters going there already care about, but it won't do anything much more than that,' said John Kirton, director of the G7 Research Group. Former PMs speaking at conference ahead of G7 Two former Canadian prime ministers and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith are among the notable names set to speak at a conference today ahead of next week's G7 leaders' summit in Kananaskis. The conference is hosted by the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy and its G7 research group and will feature a series of panels about past summits and international affairs. Former prime minister Jean Chrétien will speak about past summits hosted in Canada alongside his former deputy prime minister and finance minister John Manley. Former prime minister Joe Clark is to give the closing keynote speech and offer his thoughts on the day's discussions. Smith faces raucous town hall on coal policy 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.' $30B in new investments needed for mineral demand A newly released report estimates Canada will need at least $30 billion in new capital investments by 2040 if it wants to meet domestic demand for the critical minerals key to a green economy transition. But the Canadian Climate Institute's report says cutting back on environmental safeguards and Indigenous consultation to speed up those projects is likely to backfire. The report released Thursday says those cutbacks can lead to delays later on, due to community opposition or litigation. The think tank's latest report comes as the federal government, along with Ontario and British Columbia, face major pushback from First Nations and environmental groups to legislation intended to speed up mining project approvals. N.L. hydrogen companies behind in land bills Newfoundland and Labrador is owed millions of dollars in fees from green energy companies, underlining growing doubts about whether promises of major projects and multi-billion dollar investments will pan out. Six companies are vying to create new operations in the province that would use wind energy to produce hydrogen for exports overseas. Figures obtained by The Canadian Press reveal some owe a collective total of $13.7 million in fees due in 2024 for the use of Crown land. Russell Williams, an associate political science professor at Memorial University in St. John's, N.L., said he's not surprised the companies have land fees outstanding. 'I think it highlights the extent to which the public should be skeptical about megaprojects, and about governments getting very carried away, very early, with the idea that there are huge benefits from these kinds of natural resource developments,' Williams said in a recent interview. However, the province insists the money will be collected. Kendrick Lamar to perform in Toronto tonight Kendrick Lamar is set to perform in Toronto tonight in his first swing through Drake's hometown since the pair started feuding last year. The American rapper stops in the city for two nights on his Grand National Tour with SZA, and some Drake fans say they plan to congregate outside the Rogers Centre. An Instagram post shared across social media promises a so-called 'OVO Takeover' near the venue, referring to Drake's brand, October's Very Own. The post says Drake fans want to 'show Kendrick whose city this is,' but that there will be 'no hate, no drama — just pure Toronto energy.' A spokesperson for Drake did not respond to a request for comment. — This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025
Globe and Mail
6 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.
