#ThisWeekInAlberta

• This week marks the final event on our Can't Stop Alberta Tour. After 23 amazing events, we’re headed to Edmonton on Wednesday. We’ll be discussing the Alberta Pension Plan, K-12 education, Alberta’s relationship with Ottawa, municipal politics, and more. Attendance is free, but if you’re so inclined, you can make a donation to help cover our venue hire costs and our travel expenses. Thanks to each and every one of you who came out to one of our stops. We were fortunate enough to meet people from Lethbridge to Fort McMurray, Lloydminster to Grande Prairie, and everywhere in between. If we didn’t come to your city, don't worry, we’re planning another tour soon!
• The Legislature will resume this afternoon with the Throne Speech at 3:00 pm. It can be watched live online. There will be afternoon sittings of the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
• Alberta is collaborating with software company AltaML to develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology aimed at predicting wildfire locations. This AI-based prediction tool utilizes decades of fire data and weather forecasting to help allocate resources for firefighting efforts more accurately. The goal is to provide pinpoint locations of potential fires, optimize resource placement, and potentially save $2 million to $5 million annually.

#ThisWeekInAlberta

• Our Can't Stop Alberta Tour continues. We’re headed to Airdrie on Tuesday, and Calgary on Wednesday. We’ll be discussing K-12 education, Alberta’s relationship with Ottawa, energy policy, and more. Attendance is free, but if you’re so inclined, you can make a donation to help cover our venue hire costs and our travel expenses. We hope to see you at one or more of the events.
• The Province will continue to hold a number of geographically targeted telephone town halls to gauge Albertans’ interest in a provincial pension plan. This next town hall will take place tomorrow from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm and is intended for residents of Southern Alberta. You can either preregister or visit the website to listen live.
• The federal and provincial governments are providing $165 million in aid to Alberta livestock producers affected by a season-long drought. The funding, part of the AgriRecovery initiative, aims to help farmers and ranchers address extraordinary costs due to the drought and excessive heat. The program offers up to $150 per head for breeding animals, including cattle, bison, and horses. Drought conditions have persisted for several years in southern Alberta, leading to higher feed costs and increased challenges for livestock producers.

#ThisWeekInAlberta

• Our Can't Stop Alberta Tour continues. We’re headed to Red Deer on Tuesday, and Vulcan on Wednesday. We’ll be discussing K-12 education, Alberta’s relationship with Ottawa, energy policy, and more. Attendance is free, but if you’re so inclined, you can make a donation to help cover our venue hire costs and our travel expenses. We hope to see you at one or more of the events, and if you're not in the cities listed above, don't worry - just check the list online for an event near you.
• The Province will be holding a number of geographically targeted telephone town halls to gauge Albertans’ interest in a provincial pension plan. The first one takes place this evening and is intended for people living in Northern Alberta. The others will take place on October 24th (Southern Alberta), November 9th (Calgary and surrounding area), November 16th (Edmonton and surrounding area), and November 22nd (Central Alberta). All of the events run from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. You can either preregister or visit the website to listen live. The NDP is also having a consultation event online, on October 19th at 6:30pm.
• Alberta Health Services (AHS) is enforcing stricter masking rules within hospitals to manage COVID-19 outbreaks, but regions and hospitals have the freedom to disregard these directives. The decision to enhance masking for staff, patients, and visitors, along with its extent, depends on various factors such as outbreak numbers and hospitalization rates.

#ThisWeekInAlberta:

THIS WEEK IN ALBERTA                             

•  Our Can't Stop Alberta Tour continues in Southern Alberta. We’re headed to Taber on Wednesday, Cardston on Thursday, and Lethbridge on Friday. We’ll be discussing K-12 education, Alberta’s relationship with Ottawa, energy policy, and more. Attendance is free, but if you’re so inclined, you can make a donation to help cover venue hire costs and other expenses. We hope to see you at one or more of the events, and if you're not in the cities listed above, don't worry - we have a few more dates scheduled. Click here to check the list online for an event near you.
• The most complete and well-preserved triceratops skull ever found in Canada is now on display at The Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller as part of the "Fossils in Focus" exhibit. Discovered in 2014, the skull is nearly two metres long by spent over 6,500 hours preparing the fossil, which weighs almost 500 kilograms.
• Provincial politicians are set to travel to Germany to gain insights into the country's energy transition plans. The trip, scheduled from October 8th to 14th, will involve Shane Getson, MLA for Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland, and Garth Rowswell, MLA for Vermilion-Lloydminster-Wainwright, along with Canadian and U.S. lawmakers. They aim to learn from Germany's experiences as it navigates an energy crisis triggered by factors such as the war in Ukraine and a shift away from nuclear power, while planning to transition to renewables by 2050.

#ThisWeekInAlberta

• Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange will present her proposal for decentralizing Alberta Health Services (AHS) to Premier Danielle Smith and Cabinet on Wednesday, with potential implementation beginning in the fall to align with the new budget cycle in February. Smith has tasked LaGrange with making AHS more responsive to regional needs.
• As we enter the cold and flu season, the Province will be leaving mask-wearing in healthcare settings up to individuals. Some Canadian jurisdictions have recently reinstated mask mandates for hospitals and other healthcare settings, but the Ministry of Health says the Province will not issue such a mandate.
• Alberta is leading the country in population growth, with people flocking to the province both from other countries and the rest of Canada. Statistics Canada says that this year’s numbers mark not only the highest annual net interprovincial gains for Alberta, but the highest annual net interprovincial gains ever recorded for a province since comparable data has been available.

 #ThisWeekInAlberta

• Our Can't Stop Alberta Tour continues this week. Today, we’re headed to Rocky Mountain House, followed by stops in Drumheller, Stettler and Innisfail.  We’ll be discussing K-12 education, Alberta’s relationship with Ottawa, energy policy, and more. Attendance is free, but if you’re so inclined, you can make a donation to help cover our venue hire costs and our travel expenses. We hope to see you at one or more of the events, and if you're not in the cities listed above, don't worry - just check the list online for an event near you.
• Nominations are open for the first Board of Directors of the newly formed Alberta Grains - the organization that resulted from the merger of Alberta Barley and the Alberta Wheat Commission. There are 12 spots on the board, two per region, and farmers are being encouraged to apply. The nomination deadline is October 31st and forms are available online. The Alberta Canola Producers Commission is also seeking nominations for its Board of Directors elections - more information and requirements are also available online.
• E. coli cases are trending in the right direction after an outbreak believed to be linked to a central kitchen at a Calgary daycare chain resulted in hundreds of sick children. The Province is now conducting an investigation, including testing food samples and interviewing daycare and kitchen staff. There is also an investigation underway to see how many shared kitchens serving daycares exist in the province.

#ThisWeekInAlberta

• Our Can't Stop Alberta Tour continues this week. This week, we’re headed to Edson, Grande Prairie, Barrhead, and Sherwood Park. We’ll be discussing K-12 education, Alberta’s relationship with Ottawa, energy policy, and more. Attendance is free, but if you’re so inclined, you can make a donation to help cover our venue hire costs and our travel expenses. We hope to see you at one or more of the events, and if you're not in the cities listed above, don't worry - just check the list online for an event near you.
• Alberta's Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, RJ Sigurdson, is on a trade mission to South Korea and Japan. The mission aims to promote Alberta's agriculture industry and its agri-food products. During the visit, Minister Sigurdson will engage with agri-businesses, government officials, and media to explore investment and trade opportunities for the province's agricultural sector. Japan is Alberta's third-largest agri-food export market, with key products including wheat, canola seed, and beef, while South Korea ranks as the fifth-largest agri-food export market, with exports including beef, canola oil, pork, wheat, and hay.
• Premier Danielle Smith's approval rating is at its highest point since she took office. Smith stands out as the Canadian Premier with the highest number of respondents "strongly approving" of her leadership. Alberta’s credit rating is also on the upswing, having just received a bump to AA on account of real GDP growth and a stable debt-to-GDP ratio. 

#ThisWeekInAlberta

• Our Can't Stop Alberta Tour continues this week. This evening, we’re headed to Oyen, followed by stops in Medicine Hat, Brooks and Strathmore. The events will be casual and fun, with plenty of opportunities for networking and participation. Attendance is free, but if you’re so inclined, you can make a donation to help cover our venue hire costs and our travel expenses. We hope to see you at one or more of the events, and if you're not in the cities listed above, don't worry - just check the list online for an event near you.
• The Court of King’s Bench will consider arguments and make a decision about the meaning of the word “engineer”. The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) is seeking to stop tech companies Jobber and iStock from posting job ads recruiting software engineers, arguing that to become a professional engineer, one must meet certain ethical, professional, and technical requirements. Jobber and iStock are arguing that the term software engineer is understood as being distinct from the civil, technical, chemical, and other engineering professions that fall under APEGA’s regulatory system. Jobber’s lawyer says APEGA is engaging in “regulatory overreach”.
• Over the span of four years, Alberta's universities are set to receive $27.3 million to support innovative technology research through the Province’s Major Innovation Fund. The goal is to assist post-secondary institutions in expediting advancements in medical devices, electronic and mobile health, clean energy, and space and defense technologies. 

#ThisWeekInAlberta

• We’re heading out on our Can't Stop Alberta Tour. In spring, we hosted 6 events across the province, and they were so successful that we’re headed to 24 cities over the next eight weeks. Watch your inbox for more details soon, but for this week, you can find us in Camrose, Fort McMurray, Bonnyville and Lloydminster, followed by a trip to Oyen, Medicine Hat, and Brooks the following week. The events will be casual and fun, with plenty of opportunities for networking and participation. Attendance is free, but if you’re so inclined, you can make a donation to help cover our venue hire costs and our travel expenses. We hope to see you at one or more of the events, and if you're not in the cities listed above, don't worry - we'll have more events to announce elsewhere across the province very soon!
• Residents from the Northwest Territories will remain in Alberta for at least another week after the evacuation order was extended until September 11th. In her remarks at the evacuation centre in Edmonton, Northwest Territories Premier Caroline Cochrane said that she shares evacuees’ frustrations and also wants to go home, but that it will take at least 4 or 5 days to get folks there after the fire is under control. Essential workers are being recalled to Yellowknife to pave the way for the return, but getting them back to the city was challenging due to the fire. Thank you to each and every Albertan that has helped our friends to the north!
• New traffic rules, designed to protect roadside workers, are in effect. Drivers in the lane closest to a vehicle with flashing lights are required to slow down to 60 kilometres per hour (or the posted speed limit, whichever is lower), or move over if it’s safe to do so.

#ThisWeekInAlberta

• Albertans facing charges for breaking pandemic-related laws will likely see their charges dropped. A court decision ruled that the Province's health orders were invalid because politicians made the final decision on health restrictions instead of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, a breach of the Public Health Act. As a result, the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service said that "there is no longer a reasonable likelihood of conviction”.
• More than a dozen companies will receive a piece of the Province’s $5.5 million Aviation Skills Grant funding. The grant, designed to bolster Alberta’s aviation industry, accepted its first intake of applicants this past spring, and recipients will receive up to $30,000 per job trainee to help offset costs for new or vacant positions. Among the companies to receive funding are Sky Wings Aviation Academy in Red Deer, the Calgary Flying Club, and West Wind Airspray in Lethbridge.
• The Province will also fund 19 partners through Alberta Innovates Ecosystem Development Partnerships Program, enabling those partners to provide skills, resources, mentoring, and supports to innovators and entrepreneurs in the tech sector. An investment of $13.6 million will be made, and partners will have up to 36 months to implement their projects. Among the projects being funded are a hub for neuroengineering solutions at the University of Lethbridge and an Alternative Construction Technologies Hub at SAIT. The government really should just cut taxes instead. of handing out subsidies.

 #ThisWeekInAlberta

• ThisWeekInAlbertaAlberta is hosting a large number of evacuees from the Northwest Territories as people flee the wildfires in the area. Evacuees have been sheltered all over Alberta, including Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, St. Albert, Red Deer, Edmonton, and Calgary. Albertans are no stranger to wildfires, and have generously offered to assist our neighbours to the north. Members of the Penhold Volunteer Fire Department have also agreed to head up north and help battle the blaze.
• The federal government is mulling livestock tax deferrals following agricultural disasters in southern Alberta. More than a dozen agricultural disasters have been declared by Alberta counties, and Premier Danielle Smith has recognized the hardships being faced by farmers. She suggested that the province's crop insurance program would have sufficient funding to cover existing claims from those who had been adversely affected this year.
• Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault will head to China for a meeting of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development - an organization of which he is Vice Chairperson. Premier Danielle Smith said she’s concerned about why Guilbeault wants to force Alberta into net-zero by 2035, but is okay with China taking much longer to meet the target. Guilbeault’s visit comes at a time when the federal opposition parties are ramping up calls for an inquiry into Chinese interference in Canada’s elections.

 #ThisWeekInAlberta