Once again, the Senate has bailed on Canadians and proven themselves irrelevant by not stopping Bill C-11 in its tracks. Why are they even a body? What are their roles and who sets their expectations for delivery? I thought the Senate is considered the ‘second non-partisan look’, but at this point they appear fairly irrelevant.
Alberta has had a lot of good news stories lately. We’re expected to lead the country in economic growth in 2023. We’re also the most powerful magnet in the country for Canadians wanting better job prospects and a lower cost of living. In 2022, Alberta’s population grew by nearly 60,000 between July and September alone, which is
With the provincial election on the horizon, I want to write specifically to other Calgary business owners and their workers with the hope of making some critical points in the 500 words available. Not only are we losing the Canada we used to know, but we are also at risk of losing Alberta and the spirit of a prosperous and vibrant province that we have built and re- built over the years. While 2022 wasn’t the greatest worldwide in the aftermath of COVID, Alberta remained one of the most successful economies regardless of the many challenges we faced.
No thanks to the federal Impact Assessment Act or Bill C-69 – even with a global energy crisis and the world pleading for Canada’s responsibly and sustainably produced natural resources, Canada, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), is on track to have the worst performing economy of the G20 over the next 10 years. Our organizations – the Alberta Enterprise Group and ICBA Alberta – are in the Supreme Court of Canada, supporting the Government of Alberta and almost all other provinces and territories in their fight against the federal government’s Impact Assessment Act.
With all the chatter around the Prime Minister’s proposed ‘Just Transition’ plan, and the nuances surrounding what caused the federal government to change the name to ‘Sustainable Jobs,’ I gathered the courage to download the 32 pages headlined: ‘Sustainable Jobs Plan.’ It turns out it is not something one does for entertainment on a Saturday night.
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 various predictions and concerns for Canada in 2023, including inflation, economic growth, and tensions between resource-rich provinces and climate-frenzy Ottawa. The fastest-growing economies are predicted to be Guyana, Libya, and Venezuela due to oil and gas development and political stability. There is also a rise in environmentalists looking to end the fossil fuel industry, which is causing tension with oilfield workers. Housing insecurity and economic hardship are also concerns. Additionally, the article notes that Canada has spent millions of dollars on COVID isolation hotels due to a lack of notice of vacating.
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.
While I planned to talk about ‘The Good & The Bad of 2022’, there truly is an “Ugly’ component that can’t be overlooked because of its influence on the outcome. 2022 has been a challenging year, full of complexities, surprises and most concerning times. As the days wound down to December 31, it seemed the tone might have just carried forward into 2023 if things were not talked about. For me personally, it truly does feel like we have lived through one of the most difficult times in our country.
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.