Latest news with #Albertans
Calgary Herald
an hour ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Opinion: Can Alberta survive a net-zero agenda?
Article content It should be evident to Albertans that the province is on a collision course with the Carney government, driven by a fundamental disagreement: will Alberta and Western Canada be allowed to fully develop its hydrocarbon endowment, or will that economic value be lost in pursuit of the climate policy known as 'net zero'? Article content Article content This collision is inevitable and imminent. Net zero is difficult to reconcile with growing, or even sustaining, existing hydrocarbon production in Canada. Article content Article content In April 2025, Mark Carney won a near majority government based on his perceived superior credibility in confronting the tariff threats from the Trump administration. The win was narrow in the popular vote nationally, but not in Alberta, where Carney gained only 28 per cent of the vote. The outcome was defined by tariffs and not a direct endorsement of a net-zero imperative for Canada. Article content Article content Canada has endured a decade of economic stagnation, much of it attributable to the obstruction of hydrocarbon production and related infrastructure by various elements of the Canadian left. Yet, net zero remains a policy goal of the Carney government. Article content It's unreasonable for any Canadian prime minister to speak about becoming an 'energy superpower' while placing self-destructive limits on the development of Canada's hydrocarbon endowment. Article content Meanwhile, hydrocarbon demand globally is not declining, nor is it expected to in the foreseeable future. Any global market share for hydrocarbons Canada relinquishes in its pursuit of net zero will be captured by other nations, creating no real net decrease in global emissions. Article content Carney wasn't elected to explicitly deconstruct the hydrocarbon industry and with it, much of Alberta's economy. Yet that would be the consequence if his government materially advances its net-zero agenda. Article content If this is not Carney's intention, he should clarify his position to be consistent with the following: Article content No federal emission caps will apply to hydrocarbon production through to at least 2050. Article content The Impact Assessment Act (Bill C-69) should be repealed and replaced with an expedited review process that ensures irrevocable political sanction for major projects within one year of regulatory application, free of climate tests and explicit statutory guidance on stakeholder consultation and accommodation.
Calgary Herald
2 hours ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Bell: Danielle Smith and Alberta give Mark Carney an offer he shouldn't refuse
It is a letter. A five-page letter. Article content Article content You could call it THE letter. Whatever happens with this letter will play a big, big part in Alberta's place in Canada going forward. Article content It is dated May 16, signed by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and addressed to Prime Minister Mark Carney. Article content On Monday, June 2, this letter will be on the table when Carney sits down with the premiers in Saskatoon. Article content Article content Before Smith gets around to making her offer, she begins her letter to Carney talking about how what Alberta wants will 'address serious issues plaguing Canada's economic well-being and the very real sense of alienation felt across the West.' Article content Article content This is serious stuff. Alberta has had more than enough. Article content She says Asian customers in Japan and South Korea have told her they believe Canada needs to 'accelerate market access of our oil, LNG, ammonia and critical minerals faster.' Article content Article content Alberta's pitch is to build out the B.C. port of Prince Rupert. Article content 'We must build on what TMX delivered by creating another pipeline that delivers similar economic uplift, jobs, opportunities for reconciliation and Canadian security.' Article content Article content The premier says an oil pipeline has to be on Carney's list of nation-building projects to be fast-tracked. Article content It will also … and read between these lines … 'send an unwelcome signal to Albertans concerned about Ottawa's commitment to national unity.' Article content Smith adds there must be 'a clear path to increasing oil and gas production so that Canada can achieve its full economic potential by avoiding the stranding of trillions of dollars of energy assets in Alberta.'
Edmonton Journal
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Interim report for Alberta's investigation into AHS procurement delayed four months
Article content The preliminary report of the Alberta government's investigation into procurement and contracting processes at Alberta Health Services (AHS) will be delayed by four months, and the final report by 3 1/2 months, the province announced Friday. In January, former Manitoba chief judge of the provincial court Raymond Wyant was appointed to lead the third-party investigation into Alberta's procurement of pharmaceuticals, and the services offered by chartered surgical facilities. Article content His interim report was to have been due to government on Friday, but will now be pushed back until Sept. 24, a delay of three months and 26 days. Similarly, his final report was to have been due on June 30 but will now be completed by Oct. 15, a delay of three months and 16 days, and less than two weeks before MLAs return for the fall sitting of the legislature and five days before municipal elections are held across the province. Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration Deputy Minister Christopher McPherson selected Wyant to lead the investigation and cited the large number of documents and interviews being reviewed in announcing the delay. 'In consultation with and by the mutual agreement of judge Wyant and the deputy minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, I have extended the term of the investigation,' he stated in a news release. Article content He added that the terms of reference for the investigation remain unchanged. Questions Wyant is considering include if any elected official, government of Alberta or AHS employee acted improperly during the procurement processes. Wyant's is one of several ongoing investigations into allegations of corruption within procurement practices at AHS that were raised in a $1.7-million wrongful dismissal lawsuit filed by the agency's former head, Athana Mentzelopoulos. Her allegations have not been tested in court and the government has denied wrongdoing. Alberta's Office of the Auditor General and the RCMP are also investigating. Critics, including Opposition New Democrats, have claimed Wyant's review is limited in scope and could be subject to political interference. Earlier Friday, NDP leader Naheed Nenshi issued a statement calling on the government to release the interim report and reiterating his call for a public inquiry, something the government has so far resisted citing the adequacy of the existing ongoing investigations. Article content 'Albertans know they can't trust Danielle Smith's government to protect public health care or education, or to stop the rising cost of living caused by her policies,' said Nenshi in a news release. Nenshi added, 'this was a specific promise to Albertans, it must be kept,' noting Justice Minister Mickey Amery had pledged the report would be available online on May 30 'for everybody to read.' Former cabinet minister, and current independent MLA, Peter Guthrie has spoken out against Wyant's investigation, saying it lacks the accountability needed to earn the public's trust. 'This review resembles a classic 'Whitewash Report,' seemingly designed to conceal wrongdoing rather than expose it — an approach that risks triggering serious accusations of a coverup,' he wrote in a letter he posted online in April. mblack@ Latest National Stories
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Interim report for Alberta's investigation into AHS procurement delayed four months
The preliminary report of the Alberta government's investigation into procurement and contracting processes at Alberta Health Services (AHS) will be delayed by four months, and the final report by 3 1/2 months, the province announced Friday. In January, former Manitoba chief judge of the provincial court Raymond Wyant was appointed to lead the third-party investigation into Alberta's procurement of pharmaceuticals, and the services offered by chartered surgical facilities. His interim report was to have been due to government on Friday, but will now be pushed back until Sept. 24, a delay of three months and 26 days. Similarly, his final report was to have been due on June 30 but will now be completed by Oct. 15, a delay of three months and 16 days, and less than two weeks before MLAs return for the fall sitting of the legislature and five days before municipal elections are held across the province. Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration Deputy Minister Christopher McPherson selected Wyant to lead the investigation and cited the large number of documents and interviews being reviewed in announcing the delay. 'In consultation with and by the mutual agreement of judge Wyant and the deputy minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, I have extended the term of the investigation,' he stated in a news release. He added that the terms of reference for the investigation remain unchanged. Questions Wyant is considering include if any elected official, government of Alberta or AHS employee acted improperly during the procurement processes. Wyant's is one of several ongoing investigations into allegations of corruption within procurement practices at AHS that were raised in a $1.7-million wrongful dismissal lawsuit filed by the agency's former head, Athana Mentzelopoulos. Her allegations have not been tested in court and the government has denied wrongdoing. Alberta's Office of the Auditor General and the RCMP are also investigating. Critics, including Opposition New Democrats, have claimed Wyant's review is limited in scope and could be subject to political interference. Earlier Friday, NDP leader Naheed Nenshi issued a statement calling on the government to release the interim report and reiterating his call for a public inquiry, something the government has so far resisted citing the adequacy of the existing ongoing investigations. 'Albertans know they can't trust Danielle Smith's government to protect public health care or education, or to stop the rising cost of living caused by her policies,' said Nenshi in a news release. Nenshi added, 'this was a specific promise to Albertans, it must be kept,' noting Justice Minister Mickey Amery had pledged the report would be available online on May 30 'for everybody to read.' Former cabinet minister, and current independent MLA, Peter Guthrie has spoken out against Wyant's investigation, saying it lacks the accountability needed to earn the public's trust. 'This review resembles a classic 'Whitewash Report,' seemingly designed to conceal wrongdoing rather than expose it — an approach that risks triggering serious accusations of a coverup,' he wrote in a letter he posted online in April. mblack@ Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
Calgary Herald
a day ago
- Health
- Calgary Herald
AHS issues warning after measles exposure at three Calgary locations
Amid the ongoing measles outbreak, a person confirmed to have the virus travelled to three locations in south Calgary while infectious last week, prompting a warning issued Friday by Alberta Health Services (AHS). Article content Article content The individual was at the Cineplex in Seton on May 23 and 24 from approximately 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.; the Amenida Residences and Hotel on Macleod Trail on May 24 from 1 a.m. to 12 p.m., and the IKEA in Deerfoot Meadows on May 24 from approximately 12 to 5 p.m. Article content Article content 'Anyone who attended these locations at these times, who was born in or after 1970 and has less than two documented doses of measles-containing vaccine, may be at risk for developing measles,' the health authority said in an advisory. 'They should self-monitor for symptoms of measles and are strongly encouraged to review their immunization records.' Article content Article content As of Friday morning, there were 654 cases of measles across Alberta, 630 of which were past the period of communicability. Three Albertans with the virus are currently being treated in hospital. Article content There have been 12 total measles cases reported in Calgary since the measles outbreak began. The majority – 491 – of Alberta's cases have been in the south zone. Article content Symptoms of measles include a fever of 38.3 C or higher; a cough, runny nose and red eyes; and a rash that appears three to seven days after a fever starts, usually beginning behind the ears and on the face, and spreading down the body toward the arms and legs. Article content Article content The rash appears red and blotchy on lighter skin colours, according to AHS, while on darker skin colours, it can appear purple or darker than the skin around it. Article content Article content If symptoms start to develop, AHS advises individuals to stay home and call the provincial measles hotline at 1-844-944-3434 before visiting any health-care facility or provider, including a family physician clinic or pharmacy. Article content
