At a Glance
UCP Government Buys 50% Stake in Sturgeon Refinery
By paying $825 million to reduce tolling costs at the Sturgeon Refinery, the Government of Alberta is taking 50% ownership of the controversial facility northeast of Edmonton. The government’s involvement in the refinery dates back to Premier Ed Stelmach’s days as the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission, a crown corporation, has a contract to provide bitumen to the refinery. The refinery processes 150,000 barrels per day of bitumen blend, producing diesel, diluent, and other products for global markets. The province also signed a restructuring deal that also prolongs the processing contract’s length to 2058 – a 10-year extension.
Alberta Proposes a Proposes 3% Pay Cut for Nurses
The United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) has been in labour negotiations with employers, including Alberta Health Services (AHS), Covenant Health, Lamont Health Care Centre, and Bethany Group. At the direction of Alberta’s Finance Minister Travis Toews, is the government has proposed a 3% salary rollback for publicly funded nurses.
This is in addition to other rollbacks such as the elimination of semi-annual lump sum payments and reduced shift and weekend premiums, leading to an overall 5% compensation reduction for nurses. Minister Toews stated that the province is in desperate need to reduce its spending, stating that “the need to bring wages in line with other large provinces does not diminish our deep respect for the exceptional work and dedication for public workers… It is simply reflective of our fiscal reality, and one that many sectors in the province has experienced.” UNA’s negotiators expressed surprise to this proposal as they previously had had a continuing wage freeze proposed during the pandemic.
Another Referendum Question Added on the Fall 2021 Ballot
Premier Jason Kenney recently announced that Albertans will be given an opportunity to vote on a second referendum question this October. The question will ask if Albertans support eliminating seasonal time changes that occur in the spring and fall. On the ballot, Albertans will also be asked to vote on the principle of equalization and to elect Senate candidates.
The Alberta Government decided against including questions on Alberta leaving the Canada Pension Plan and the creation of a provincial police force. The province ultimately decided against introducing these questions as more analysis time is required. Calgary voters also may be able to vote on whether or not to return fluoride to the city’s drinking water. To help municipalities deal with the added cost of referendum questions on the ballot, the province has pledged $10 million.
Alberta Farmers Face Drought Conditions
Farmers throughout Alberta have been facing such dire conditions that the provincial and federal governments are working on an AgriRecovery program. With each continued day of the extremely dry conditions, the damage to crops increases in severity as high temperatures prevents their flowers from blooming and therefore from being pollinated.
With this heatwave, farmers are saying that their crops are just not growing, marking this as potentially one of the worst years for agriculture following last year’s extremely successful harvest. AgriRecovery is a cost-sharing program to provide emergency support in cases of natural disaster with Ottawa picking up 60% of the tab while the remainder is covered by the provinces.
Calgary - Banff Rail Link Proposal Moving Forward
The possibility of a 150km rail link between Calgary and Banff is inching closer to becoming a reality as interest from investors and backing from the federal and provincial governments strengthen. The proposal would create a passenger train line between Calgary’ International Airport and the Town of Banff, with additional stops in downtown Calgary, Cochrane, Morely, and Canmore. A memorandum of understanding was signed between Alberta Transportation and the Canadian Infrastructure Bank last month, sparking interest from private investors.