Latest News from Calgary Herald
Calgary Herald
32 minutes 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.'
Calgary Herald
an hour ago
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Varcoe: Trans Mountain CEO eyes initiatives to increase capacity, hopes to join national projects list
Article content The CEO of Trans Mountain Corp. sees the need to build more pipeline capacity to ship oil to Canada's West Coast for export at some point. Article content Article content Mark Maki doesn't envision the federally owned Crown corporation pitching construction of a new pipeline to the northwest coast of British Columbia, but it is advancing plans that could increase the capacity of its core system. Article content Article content And it comes as the need for more energy infrastructure is resonating across the country, both inside governments and with Canadians. Article content Article content 'You have to start first with what's the supply outlook going to be, and so I'm an optimist by nature,' Maki said in an interview Friday. Article content 'There are so many good things being said now out of the federal government around the need to develop conventional energy here in Canada that I'm optimistic that there's going to be a need to tweak the existing systems, to optimize the existing pipeline systems.' Article content For Trans Mountain, possible capacity expansion starts with adding drag-reducing agents to allow more oil to flow through its existing network that can transport 890,000 barrels per day (bpd) from the Edmonton area to Burnaby. Article content Article content Test work is already underway to see how it will work. This step could increase existing system capacity by five to 10 per cent, at relatively minimal capital expense, by the end of 2026. Article content In the longer term, the corporation is doing early engineering work on a plan that could see pumping stations added to bolster capacity to nearly 1.14 million bpd later in the decade. Article content Article content Boosting the capacity of the Trans Mountain system will be determined, in part, by demand from producers and by the owners of the Trans Mountain Corp. — Canadian taxpayers. Article content The fact Trans Mountain is working on the concept just a year after completing its historic $34-billion expansion development, which nearly tripled the capacity of the existing line to the B.C. coast, speaks to the economic uncertainty Canada faces today.
Calgary Herald
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
At Tel Aviv's Hostages Square, a weekly ritual of grief, hope and community
Tel Aviv — Every Saturday night, scores of Israelis (along with some tourists) stream into the courtyard of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, which has become known as Hostages Square, to commune and to call for the return of people held captive in Gaza. Article content Article content As of last Saturday's rally, Hamas still held around 58 of its 251 initial hostages, some alive and some believed dead. Speakers at Hostages Square that night included former hostage Naama Levy and family members of other Hamas victims. Article content Article content 'In captivity, I saw thousands of people standing here, wrapped in flags, shouting, singing, holding pictures of the hostages — of my picture. It made me feel that I wasn't forgotten. That it wasn't over. That I would return,' Levy told the crowd, according to a translation. Article content Article content The hostages rally is actually one of two regular, well-attended Saturday night protests in Tel Aviv; the other, a kilometre away at Habima Square, is explicitly political: they want the 'corrupt government' of Benjamin Netanyahu gone. It's part of the same movement that began before October 7, protesting Netanyahu's proposals to limit judicial power, among other things. Article content As attendees flooded out of the square after last Saturday's rally, National Post editor-in-chief Rob Roberts spoke to Nili Gefen about why she comes. Article content Article content Article content I come here every Saturday, especially because at first we came because I thought it would make my government do something to bring them back. Now I come so the families don't feel so alone. Article content I don't know, after 600 days almost, I don't know if this will change what the government does, but I do hope the families don't feel so alone with their pain. Yeah, so it's important we come here, not only sometimes. September, when the six hostages were murdered, we came every night. You know, we have children, jobs and things like that, but this is a terrible, terrible reality that I hope will change soon for everybody. Article content You talk about first coming here to try to send a message to the government. Obviously, you don't think they've listened. What did you want the government to do?
Calgary Herald
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Minus most starters, Ottawa Redblacks fall to Montreal Alouettes in CFL pre-season finale
For much of the Ottawa Redblacks' pre-season finale at TD Place, it looked like the highlight of the night would stand as the lightning storm — which included high winds and toonie-sized hail pellets — that delayed the start of the game by almost an hour. Article content Article content The excitement meter spiked a couple of times, but all in all, followers of the CFL in Ottawa have to be happy the regular season kicks off with the Redblacks' visit to Saskatchewan on Thursday for a game against the Roughriders. Article content Article content The Redblacks sat most starters to take a look at players on the bubble, and the results were predictable in a sloppy 24-16 loss to the Montreal Alouettes on Friday night. Article content Article content Former Redblacks quarterback Caleb Evans had an easy time moving the ball against his old team in one quarter's work, completing eight of 11 pass attempts for 111 yards, and running for a touchdown. Article content Montreal's 17-7 halftime lead included a scoreless second quarter. Article content Ottawa's most prolific offensive player was Tyrie Adams, who is trying to win a backup job behind starting quarterback Dru Brown. Article content Adams scored on a nine-yard run with just under nine minutes left in the fourth quarter to pull the Redblacks within eight points. Article content Adams orchestrated a last-minute drive that stalled on the Montreal 45. Article content The Redblacks created some excitement in the third quarter when Dustin Crum directed a drive that included a 38-yard pass to running back Elijah Collins, who also distinguished himself on the night. Article content Article content But the Redblacks drew the ire of the fans when, on a third and goal from the three, they elected to settle for a 10-yard field goal that pulled Ottawa to within one score. Article content With Brown not dressed, Matt Shiltz started the game and played one quarter, completing two of two passes for 32 yards — including a 31-yarder to Andre Miller. Article content Crum completed eight of 13 pass attempts for 96 yards. Article content Former Toronto Argonaut Daniel Adeboboye was effective as the starting running back, carrying the ball four times for 24 yards. Article content Returning American linebacker Frankie Griffin was a demon on Redblacks' special teams with three first-half tackles. Article content American receiver Ayir Asante didn't do his chances of making the team any favours when he fumbled the Alouettes' first punt of the game, giving the visitors the ball on the Ottawa 34-yard line. Article content Ending the touchdown drive with a key pass knockdown was defensive lineman Daniel Okpoko, a Redblacks second-round pick year, but Montreal did manage a 24-yard field goal from Joshua Hutley off the Asante gaffe.
Calgary Herald
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
Calgary Flames promote Trent Cull to full-time assistant, announce Brad Larsen will return
The Calgary Flames have rewarded Trent Cull with a permanent promotion, while Brad Larsen is ready to return and Dan Lambert has been released from his contract and will be looking for work elsewhere. Article content The Flames announced those updates on Friday afternoon, essentially finalizing their coaching staff for the 2025-26 campaign. Article content Cull was previously the skipper for the AHL's Wranglers, but he spent the second half of this season on the big-league bench after Larsen was granted a leave of absence for family reasons. Article content Article content The 51-year-old Cull made such a positive impact — on the penalty-kill units, in particular — that he's now been named a full-time assistant on Ryan Huska's crew. Article content Article content The Flames are also thrilled to welcome back Larsen, a valuable sounding board for Huska since he has previous experience as both a player and a head coach at the highest level. Larsen, now 47, was hired as an assistant last June. He has been away from the organization since early December. Article content Lambert, who had one year remaining on his contract in Calgary, is the odd man out. He was responsible for the defence in 2024-25. 'Facing a challenging situation last season, Trent stepped in and was very impressive managing his assignments with our NHL club,' said Flames general manager Craig Conroy in Friday's announcement. 'We thank Dan for his contributions to the organization during the past two seasons and wish him every success with his future in the game.' Article content Cull's promotion means the Wranglers will be searching for a new shot-caller. With the stockpile of exciting prospects who will be developing next season at the AHL level, that's considered a very important post.
