Latest news with #GovernmentofAlberta
Calgary Herald
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
Duelling Alberta separation referendum questions up for discussion
Article content 'As it is the Government of Alberta that ultimately decides how or if to implement any referendum result, those government decisions will ultimately be subject to constitutional scrutiny,' Amery wrote on X. 'We encourage Elections Alberta to withdraw its court reference and permit Albertans their democratic right to participate in the citizen initiative process.' Article content In a statement posted to X, the premier said 'Albertans have a democratic right to participate in the citizen initiative process. Article content 'They shouldn't be slowed down by bureaucratic red tape or court applications,' she wrote. Article content The independent agency declined to withdraw its court reference. Article content 'In seeking the opinion of the Court, the Chief Electoral Officer is fulfilling his duty under the Citizen Initiative Act in an independent, neutral and non-partisan manner,' the agency said on Tuesday. Article content Article content So if the courts don't make the determination on the constitutionality of the question, as required by the Citizen Initiative Act, who does? Article content That's not altogether clear. Article content On Tuesday, National Post sought clarity from Amery's office on the question of if the court application were to be rescinded, who — whether Elections Alberta or the provincial government — should make the call on whether the question itself is within constitutional bounds. Article content Heather Jenkins, Amery's press secretary, declined to clarify. Article content Elections Alberta, however, has approved a separation referendum question that does not engage constitutional questions. Article content Crafted by Alberta Forever Canada, a federalist group headed by Thomas Lukaszuk, who served as deputy premier in Alison Redford's Progressive Conservative government, that question asks: Do you agree that Alberta should remain in Canada? Article content Article content The application here is for a 'legislative or policy proposal,' not a constitutional proposal. Article content That group will now have until late October to gather the necessary signatures to get the question on the ballot before voters. Article content What happens once the question is approved? Article content In the wake of the federal election, which saw the Liberals returned to power under Prime Minister Mark Carney, and with separatist sentiment on the rise, the Alberta government moved to make it easier for Albertans to get referendum questions on the ballot. Article content Originally, the act, passed by Jason Kenney's government in 2021, required the signatures of 20 per cent of registered electors, but the current government felt that to be an impossibly high threshold. Article content Once the question is approved and paperwork filed with Elections Alberta, then the proponents can set out to gather the signatures. The Sylvestre petition cannot seek signatures yet because it has not been approved but the Lukaszuk one can.
Edmonton Journal
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edmonton Journal
Sean Feucht facing more concert permit uncertainty for second leg of Canadian tour
Christian musician and pastor Sean Feucht, who had six performance permits revoked on the first leg of his Canadian tour last week, may need to seek out new venues for some of the advertised concerts on next month's second leg in Western Canada. Article content National Post contacted the site managers for the five shows between Aug. 20 and 24, all of whom are still in the process of reviewing the applications. Article content Article content Article content The show that seems most likely to proceed is at South Bandshell on the Alberta legislature grounds in Edmonton on Aug. 22. Article content Article content According to the provincial guidelines, performances require specific approval and anything associated with 'ministry initiatives… may be considered on a case-by-case basis.' All applicants are required to carry at least $2 million in liability insurance and include a security plan, among other requirements. Article content 'Alberta is committed to supporting and respecting everyone's right to free speech,' the ministry wrote to National Post. 'We have a duty to uphold these rights and freedoms, regardless of an individual's religious or political beliefs. The Government of Alberta does not engage in shutting down or censoring law-abiding events.' Article content Article content Article content Article content A spokesperson for the city said they are still reviewing the application from BURN Canada, the Canadian arm of the Burn 24-7 worship and prayer movement founded by Feucht in 2005. Article content Feucht, a 41-year-old married father of four from California, describes himself as a musician, missionary, author and activist. However, his religious and political views — including his stance on abortion, gender, the LGBT community and COVID-19 mask and vaccine mandates — are what led to much of the discord last week. He's also been closely affiliated with the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement and is a passionate supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump. Article content The City of Saskatoon, where Feucht and company are promoting an Aug. 21 show at Diefenbaker Park, is taking another look at the application it initially approved.
Global News
5 days ago
- Business
- Global News
New rail spur line aims to connect Coaldale to global markets
Last month, a Dutch company officially started operating at their first Canadian facility. NewCold's cold storage facility in Coaldale, Alta., was a $222 million project that has already added dozens of full-time positions, with management saying the employment ceiling hasn't yet been reached. However, exports out of the 323,000-square-foot facility aren't moving at the level the new building is capable of. To help move things along, the Government of Alberta announced on Friday its support of a new rail spur running through the heart of Coaldale's industrial park. A rail spur is a short offshoot of a main line, and in this case the spur will connect with the Canadian Pacific Kansas City running through town. 'This project will provide us with a connection to the NewCold storage facility, which will allow local producers to transport southern Alberta grown and manufactured goods to a global consumer base in the agri-food processing sector,' said Devin Dreeshen, Alberta's minister of transportation and economic corridors. Story continues below advertisement In total, the Alberta government is spending $3.475 million via a grant through the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program. 'Coaldale is a growing hub for agri-food and industry in southern Alberta. By investing in key infrastructure like this rail extension, we're helping unlock the region's full economic potential and positioning Coaldale as a driver of long-term growth,' said Dreeshen. Despite being a small town, Coaldale is situated at the heart of the agri-food corridor on Highway 3. Combining its location with a willingness to expand the agricultural industry and government support, Coaldale's mayor is declaring a bright future for his town. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Coaldale is open for business and we mean it,' said Jack Van Rijn, mayor of Coaldale. In fact, he says this is a true game-changer for the southern Alberta community. 'This project represents one of the most significant industrial infrastructure investments in Coaldale's history.' The NewCold facility isn't the only major agriculture investment in the region in recent years, either. In 2023, McCain announced a $600 million investment to double its potato operation just outside of town. 1:43 Coaldale McCain Foods plant looks to add 260 hires to workforce 'If you build it they will come,' said Grant Hunter, Alberta's associate minister of water. Story continues below advertisement He, like Van Rijn, says the region has a strong economic future. 'I think it's just the beginning. I've been saying this for six years, I believe that southern Alberta is going to be some of the best real estate investment in Canada.' Hunter says the government is serious about making an impact in the area. 'This partnership between the province, Town of Coaldale and private industry is exactly the kind of collaboration we need to drive long-term growth, support job creation and help establish southern Alberta as a leading centre for agri-food production and efficient supply chain distribution.' NewCold's area site manager, Derek Bedke, agrees that the area is ripe for business. 'When you're working with local governments and provincial governments that allow you to operate quickly, it really facilitates the progress and it makes it a very easy decision to partner with towns like Coaldale and provinces like Alberta,' said Bedke. That quick work is exactly what Van Rijn says he is happy to see. 'From the time that we shook hands on the deal moving forward, they had shovels in the ground less than a year later, so it's just a testament that southern Alberta, the Town of Coaldale and Lethbridge County is open for business.' Story continues below advertisement The rail spur project will have a total estimated cost of $8 million, with the town of Coaldale and NewCold picking up what the grant doesn't cover.
Edmonton Journal
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
Friday's letters: Cartmell's infill vote absence a bad look for potential mayor
Article content Is that what Edmonton has to expect should Tim Cartmell become mayor? Lame excuses about technologies followed by a letter? He should be in front of the camera and face reporters and Edmontonians. Article content Article content Article content In reading Don Braid's column on the current measles outbreak in Alberta, it's sad when 'equally awful' seems to be considered an acceptable standard. We should all be equally ashamed. Article content Someone has got to explain to our premier that she can start an Alberta pension plan at any time, but will have to start it from scratch. And it would have to be separate from and out of the hands of the Government of Alberta. The money in the CPP doesn't belong to the Government of Canada to use as it sees fit; the government of the day can't just take money out of it to balance a budget or to build a railway. Article content None of the CPP should ever belong to the Government of Alberta; it belongs to us, those that have and are still contributing to it. Even if we separate from Confederation, the money in that CPP that we the people have contributed will be due to us, not to the Alberta government's general revenues. Article content Article content Warren Footz, St. Albert Article content Alberta now has more cases of measles than all of the United States. Definitely not a record to be proud of. Interesting that both Alberta and the United States have leaders who are strongly against vaccines. The people I feel sorry for are the poor children who may have long-term aftereffects, but had no voice in getting the vaccine or not. Article content Plain and simple, we need a government that will heed the science. Article content Thank you to Lydia Kawun and Colin Hefferon for their clear assessment of Edmonton's new zoning law. Most people would agree that increased density in Edmonton is a good thing. The problem is the no-holds-barred, one-size-fits-all approach. This is simply building the tenements and slums of tomorrow.
Edmonton Journal
17-07-2025
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
Opinion: Edmonton's zoning bylaw offers opportunities for young people
In the context of the ongoing conversations around Edmonton's zoning bylaw, it seems Edmontonians have been thinking about and talking about infill housing more than ever before. While there have been years of public engagement leading up to this moment, it is fantastic to see Edmontonians becoming more engaged on infill housing. Article content However, the youth perspective has been largely left out of the narrative. As a busy 25-year-old Edmontonian who was unavailable to speak at the recent public hearings, where city councillors rightfully approved new design regulations for infill housing, I want to share part of my current perspective in the hopes that it will help shape your perspective. Article content Article content Article content Infill housing has always been a controversial subject in Edmonton, even going back to policies such as lot-splitting and the mature neighbourhood overlay, which are now generally accepted as enabling positive infill housing. The new zoning bylaw takes it up a notch, but particularly contentious is mid-block row housing (or eight-plexes, if you want to make it sound more scary) in mature neighbourhoods. Illegal pauses of such infill housing (which would take away individual property rights) have been floated, but row housing under the new zoning bylaw has played, and continues to play an important role in tackling Edmonton's housing crisis. Article content Article content According to general building permits data in Edmonton's Open Data Portal, so far in 2025, there have been 2,073 units in row housing with five-plus units that were issued building permits — just under 70 per cent of the total number of units for apartments. There is a narrative that gentle density in mature neighbourhoods, largely through row housing, is not making a meaningful dent in housing supply. The numbers show otherwise. Before you jump in and say 'but this infill housing is not affordable!' hear me out. While new infill housing can be a bit pricey upfront (it is new after all), it creates more homes for Edmontonians using economies of scale, and opens up homes elsewhere in Edmonton when people move into the infill housing. Such added supply puts upward pressure on vacancy rates, which have consistently moved opposite to inflation-adjusted rent changes in Edmonton over the last few decades, according to vacancy and rent data I sourced from Government of Alberta datasets. The concept of supply and demand has proven to ring true for housing in Edmonton. Article content The zoning bylaw is ultimately about fairness, especially for younger Edmontonians like myself who want an affordable and livable city. Any neighbourhood that restricts infill housing forces other neighbourhoods to pick up the slack. Putting all our infill-housing eggs in the downtown basket is not fair — many Edmontonians would prefer to live closer to the ground and neighbourhood streetscape rather than in 'skyboxes,' not to mention downtown having to further subsidize the property taxes of existing low-density neighbourhoods. And limiting infill housing mid-block (the vast majority of lots) would decimate where missing-middle housing can practically be built.
