Pre-election budgets are rarely admirable. Money is spread around like pixie dust to curry the support of voters and to knee-cap opposition parties by borrowing their ideas. To a certain extent, the pre-election good news budget that Alberta Finance Minister Travis Toews delivered Tuesday follows this time-honoured political path, helped by $27.5 billion in oil and gas revenues in the 2022/23 fiscal year. And so, it is easy to chide the budget for populist policies like freezing insurance rates and capping post-secondary tuition fee increases at 2 per cent and for industrial policy measures for politically favoured industries (such as agricultural processing and film and television production). And there is the usual scattering of minor tax credits instead of a general cut in personal taxes – with no mention of a tax review geared to major reform, which the United Conservative Party proposed when it took office.

The article discusses the North Saskatchewan River valley parks system in Edmonton, which is the largest urban park in North America. During the pandemic, the park system provided a much-needed opportunity for people to get outside and enjoy nature. The River Valley Alliance is a not-for-profit organization that aims to create a world-class trail system within the park, and the article argues that supporting this initiative is a smart investment that will pay dividends for years to come. The article also highlights the park’s potential for tourism and as an amenity to attract and retain top talent. The RVA plans to complete a 100-kilometre continuous connection from Fort Saskatchewan to Devon, but their funding will run out in 2025, and the article hopes that they will receive additional support to complete the project. The RVA will unveil the regional trail’s name later this year, chosen through collaboration with Indigenous Elders and knowledge keepers.

Our friend Michael Launer is an Albertan and a strong advocate for green technologies. He and his partners founded Annelida in 2018, an innovative ag-tech company that is positioned to disrupt conventional thinking in the agriculture sector. They have looked at the wider issues of conventional fertilizer use and its impacts on soil biology for producers. Without natural replenishment of microbiology back into the ground, the use of traditional fertilizers leads to depletion and degradation of the soil over time. Their team took on this challenge and is producing enhanced nutrient efficiency formulas – modern and effective regenerative ag solutions derived directly from nature.

We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator,” said Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, in his opening remarks at the COP27 summit in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. I neither contest the urgency that was ignited in 2015 when the historic Paris Agreement was adopted at COP21, nor deny how this urgent matter must maintain the spotlight. It remains the demand for all leaders of economies, me included, to rise up, promote, deliver, and defend the methodologies that are most properly suited to our cultures, our resources, and our people – our globe.

Get ready, Edmonton, because MacEwan means business! Having celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, the university is now planning for its future. Last year, MacEwan released Teaching Greatness, a bold strategic vision to guide the institution’s evolution and growth in the coming years. The plan includes significantly growing the university’s student body.

Diagnostic testing plays a critical role in the early
detection, diagnosis and treatment of diseases and
conditions, making it one of the most effective
tools in keeping Albertans safe and healthy. For more than

I have always believed that business and team sports have a lot in common. The greatest Canadian coach of all time, Claire Drake used to say, “It’s amazing what you can accomplish when no one cares who gets the credit.”