Alberta Proud

A new analysis from the Macdonald-Laurier Institute lays out a clear idea: Alberta's path to greater power doesn't begin with separation. It begins by using the constitutional powers the province already has. The paper, How the West Wins, authored by Alberta energy leader Michael Binnion, makes a straightforward case. Canada's constitution already gives provinces real authority over taxation, pensions, policing, immigration, and resources. The task is turning that authority into real capacity for responsible self-government. Alberta doesn't get stronger by waiting for Ottawa to grant it influence. It gets stronger by governing well, proving it can, and negotiating from a position of strength, the way Quebec has done for years. With Albertans set to vote on change or keeping the status quo this October, the question has rarely been more timely. Read the paper at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute: macdonaldlaurier.ca/how-the-… What could a stronger, more self-governing Alberta mean for the whole country? Tell us below.

An independent provincial report reveals former Mayor Naheed Nenshi's office withheld critical warnings about Calgary's water utility from city councillors. The report, written by independent inspector David Goldie and appointed by Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams, found that five of nine priority recommendations from a 2015-2016 consulting review were deliberately kept from city councillors. Calgary's water utility was warned nearly a decade ago that its financial management and governance needed significant reform, warnings that came years before the catastrophic Bearspaw South Feeder Main failures in 2024 and 2025. These crucial details were received by then-Mayor Naheed Nenshi and his chief of staff, but never reached the council. The decisions made years ago could directly impact the reliability and cost of water for Calgary households today. What accountability do Calgarians deserve when critical information affecting their daily lives is withheld?

Irvin Badarm, the man who initiated a group attack near an Edmonton LRT station that killed a father of two, was sentenced to four years in prison but will serve just 90 more days. Badarm, 34, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in Edmonton Court of King’s Bench for the death of Clinton Quintal, who was attacked early May 15, 2024. Quintal suffered seven stab wounds, mostly to his back, after Badarm tackled and repeatedly punched him, with another man, Adam Chinery, joining the assault. Prosecutors accepted the plea to a lesser charge because it was unclear whether Badarm or Chinery used the knife in the attack that ultimately killed Quintal. Clinton Quintal’s older sister, Angela Pearson, told the court she was upset and angry that Badarm will be free so soon, while Badarm himself offered an apology to Quintal's family and kids. With Irvin Badarm walking free in a matter of weeks, how does this sentencing protect our communities from violent crime?

Pierre Poilievre just shredded Carney for immigration... Do you agree with him?

RCMP in Alberta have begun court proceedings against a 17-year-old for a terrorism-related offence, following allegations of online correspondence with ISIS. INSET officers of the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region arrested the teen on October 26, 2026, in Alberta. The investigation began in February 2026, when police looked into online communications between an online user and others affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. The court process involves a terrorism peace bond under section 810.011 of the Criminal Code. This legal tool allows authorities to monitor individuals who may commit a terrorism-related crime, even if there is not yet enough evidence for formal charges. The youth was released with conditions and was scheduled to appear in Fort McMurray Provincial Court. This preventative measure can include strict conditions such as limiting travel or access to electronic communications. What role do you think preventative legal measures play in keeping our communities safe?

Pierre Poilievre was throwing some shade at Mark Carney today over the budget. Do you think he was justified?

A proposed 1,600 megawatt data centre, larger than all of Edmonton's power use, is being planned for Parkland County. TransAlta Corp., along with partners Brookfield and CPP Investments, signed a memorandum in February to evaluate the Boreal Technology Hub. This large-scale project will be located directly south of TransAlta’s gas-fired Keephills Generating Station, with an initial 230 megawatts approved through Alberta’s grid operator. The Alberta government actively seeks to attract data centre developers to the province, highlighting our plentiful natural gas and available land. TransAlta CEO Joel Hunter stated the province's careful strategy ensures grid reliability and keeps power affordable for Albertans, avoiding problems seen in some US jurisdictions where rapid development raised consumer bills. This Boreal Technology Hub represents a significant investment, attracting new industry by leveraging Alberta's abundant natural gas and strategic land resources. How do you think Alberta's energy advantages can attract even more tech development?

Canada is bracing for a more dangerous world. This week the government released Canada’s first national security strategy in more than 20 years, and it is blunt: the country must now prepare for every contingency, up to and including war. Defence Minister David McGuinty pointed to the threats shaping that reality, Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, rising tension between China and Taiwan, and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. At the core of the new strategy is a striking idea: that economic security is national security. In a volatile world, controlling our own energy, resources, and supply chains stops being just good economics and becomes self-defence. A country that can feed, fuel, and power itself is a country that can stand on its own. Do you think Canada is doing enough to secure its own future? Tell us below.

Albertans value faith, community, and safety for all. That’s why it’s deeply concerning that federal Liberal and Bloc MPs have actively blocked a study into crimes targeting religious institutions like church burnings and synagogue attacks. At the House of Commons Heritage Committee, they shut down motions to even *begin* a public airing of these issues, and even refused to recognize faith as integral to Canadian identity. This impacts the sense of security and belonging for many Albertans. Police-reported hate crimes targeting religion have more than doubled since 2015, and attacks on Jewish Albertans have quadrupled. Over 400 arsons have targeted places of worship across the country since 2015, with 90 of them in 2021 alone, and over 100 churches burned. Why are federal representatives preventing transparency and understanding on issues that affect our communities so profoundly? Albertans deserve answers and action, not political roadblocks that ignore a rising tide of religious persecution.

Albertans can expect greater stability and relief for their household budgets with a new three-year education property tax freeze. The province plans to collect $99 million less in property taxes in its next budget by introducing a single, province-wide Education Property Tax (EPT) rate. This rate will be set at $2.65 per $1,000 of assessed value for residential and farmland, and $3.98 per $1,000 for non-residential properties, with Finance Minister Jason Nixon confirming no cuts to education funding. The EPT rate will be frozen for three years, then adjusted and refrozen every three years, aiming for clarity and fairness across all municipalities. Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas, who noted previous disproportionate hikes, praised the system as a step toward keeping the city affordable for residents. With years of rising costs, will this tax freeze truly ease the financial burden on Alberta households?

Albertans are set to pay a staggering amount towards Ottawa's debt this year, and it’s not for new programs or services. Federal interest costs have reached $58.7 billion, now consuming 90 percent of Ottawa's $65.3 billion deficit, according to the latest Parliamentary Budget Officer figures. This comes as Canada has seen the largest percentage-point increase in gross government debt of any G7 country since 2014. Hub contributor Charles Lammam argues that despite the government emphasizing higher revenues and an early operating balance ahead of the November 5 budget, federal debt continues to grow. This means rising debt-servicing charges are making the true deficit significantly higher than what headline numbers suggest, directly impacting how taxpayer dollars are being spent. When most of the federal deficit goes to debt interest, what’s left for actual services for Canadians?

Alberta's heavy oil is facing its widest discount in years, even as global prices surge, and there's a clear reason we're missing out. As of Tuesday, Western Canadian Select's (WCS) discount to the US benchmark widened to US$31 a barrel in Alberta, the largest gap since 2022. This discount also reached US$23.50 a barrel on the US Gulf Coast, marking its widest point since 2018, according to Link Data Services. While global prices for West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude climbed over US$104 and US$117 a barrel due to Middle East conflicts, Alberta's WCS has remained below US$70 a barrel since June. With 90% of Canadian oil exports going to the US and shipping disruptions impacting Gulf Coast routes, Alberta urgently needs diversified international market access. As Alberta and Ottawa back the Pacific Link pipeline, how long should the province wait to fully connect its oil to the global market?

Failing to approve Calgary's police budget could have 'major impacts' on the safety of every Calgarian, warns Chief Katie McLellan. Chief McLellan is seeking a substantial budget increase for the Calgary Police Service over the next four years. Her plan includes hiring 309 new officers and 214 additional civilian employees by 2030. This also involves boosting the annual operating budget 19 percent, from $684.5 million in 2026 to $816.7 million by 2030. She also requests $191.9 million in capital spending, a 73 percent increase. McLellan states that without full funding, officer response will be further limited, worsening public safety outcomes given rising shootings, fatal collisions, and mental health calls in Alberta's largest city. With the Chief stating they need double the officers requested, how will Calgary ensure public safety without sufficient funding?

An opportunity to export 250,000 barrels of Alberta oil daily is blocked by a federal tanker ban. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith are backing MP David McKenzie’s Bill C-264 to repeal the federal tanker ban. This bill targets the ban along British Columbia’s northern coast, which prevents the export of 250,000 barrels of Canadian oil daily. Poilievre urged Prime Minister Mark Carney to scrap the ban ahead of an upcoming vote. Calgary-based Strathcona Resources proposes shipping this oil by rail to Prince Rupert for overseas export, potentially within two years, using existing infrastructure. Prime Minister Mark Carney, however, pledged in July to maintain the tanker ban under a B.C. agreement. MP McKenzie challenged the government on October 26, arguing Strathcona could export immediately if the ban were lifted. Why does Ottawa continue to block Alberta's energy export potential, especially when it pays their bills?

One new study reveals something shocking about Canadian home prices, but it's not the same for everyone. A new Fraser Institute study, spanning 33 Canadian cities from 2018 to 2025, compared new single-detached home sale prices to their construction permit values. Metro Vancouver recorded the largest gap, with homes selling for an average of 367.4 percent more than build cost. In 2025 alone, a Vancouver home sold for about $3.15 million, while its permit value was roughly $608,000. Alberta cities offer significantly better affordability. Calgary's average gap was 93.5 percent and Edmonton's was 94.2 percent, showing new homes sold for less than double their construction value, compared to Toronto's 96.6 percent. Lethbridge had one of the smallest national gaps at 11.1 percent, meaning new homes sold much closer to their build price. This highlights Alberta's advantage in managing housing costs. When other major cities see new homes selling for nearly double their build cost, what does Alberta's relative affordability mean for our future?

Is DEI a dying trend? Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is moving to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hiring practices across much of the public sector, saying taxpayer-funded jobs should be awarded on merit, not identity. Bill 33 (introduced Tuesday by Justice Minister Mickey Amery) would prohibit public agencies, Crown corporations, universities, colleges, school boards and municipalities from having DEI policies in place for hiring and promotion. “Albertans expect public institutions to hire and promote the best qualified people and ensure that everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed based on their skills, experience and qualifications,” Smith told reporters in Edmonton. “These changes will help to ensure that fairness is at the heart of hiring.” It looks like hiring based on skill and fit for the job making a comeback in Canada.

Beloved British actor Sir Patrick Stewart, widely known for his performances as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and Professor Charles Xavier in the X-Men franchise, has sadly passed away at 86.

Alberta is home to hundreds of thousands of people who came here from somewhere else to build a life, and a new national poll suggests they may see immigration most clearly of all. In the Environics Institute’s 2026 survey, it was first-generation immigrants and racialized Canadians who agreed most that too many immigrants aren’t adopting Canadian values: 63% of first-generation Canadians and 60% of racialized Canadians, compared with 57% of white Canadians. The pattern held on the refugee system too, where 57% of first-generation and 54% of racialized Canadians said they believe many refugee claimants are not genuine, more than Canadians whose families have been here for generations. It’s a reminder that wanting immigration to work, with real integration is a reasonable person's position. Do you think newcomers see this more clearly than most? Tell us below.

A critical federal policy is currently blocking Alberta's oil from reaching global markets, and two key leaders are pushing to change it. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre are calling on the federal government to repeal the oil tanker ban off northern British Columbia. Both leaders issued statements Monday in support of Conservative MP David McKenzie's Bill C-264, which aims to repeal the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act and is set for debate in the House of Commons on Wednesday, October 28. This move comes after a Bloomberg report highlighted Strathcona Resources' proposal to ship 250,000 barrels of Canadian oil per day by rail to Prince Rupert, B.C., for export across the Pacific. The existing ban prevents large oil tankers from loading crude at northern B.C. ports, effectively blocking this route and causing Alberta oil to sell at a significant discount to the United States. Smith stressed the need for additional pipelines and export terminals to lessen Canada's reliance on American refineries. How much longer should federal policy hinder Alberta from accessing world markets for its energy?

Small businesses in Alberta have applied for federal tariff relief, but their files have been gathering dust in Ottawa for a surprising reason. Dan Kelly, President and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), told the House of Commons foreign affairs committee on Wednesday that remission files from his members have gone untouched in Ottawa for a year. University of Calgary economist Dr. Trevor Tombe added that Canada's counter-tariffs haven't changed Washington's course, leaving firms to bear the cost. Kelly's central complaint was that almost all Government of Canada programs require a minimum of $1 million in sales, excluding the smallest businesses from support. He called this 'deeply unfair,' noting only the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency avoids this threshold. Kelly urged Minister Joly to change the policy for firms across Alberta. When federal programs meant to help small Alberta businesses are inaccessible, how much longer can they afford to wait for relief?

Remesie Uy was last seen at her Calgary home on the night of April 5, 2022, and no one has seen or heard from her since. Police think she may have travelled to the Edmonton area. Her missing persons listing gives her age as 21, and she is 5'2" and about 110 pounds, with brown curly hair and brown eyes. If you know anything, contact the Edmonton Police Service at 780-423-4567 or Edmonton Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or submit a tip online. Have you seen Remesie?