At a Glance

Alberta Announces New Health Measures and Vaccine Incentive

Government officials announced a new swath of initiatives intended to curb the rapid spread of the Delta

variant of COVID-19 across the province.

• Provincial mask mandate in place for all indoor public spaces, effective September 4 at 8:00am

  • Will not apply to schools, but school boards will continue to set COVID-19 policies as they deem appropriate

• Curfew on liquor sales by 10:00pm at restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, nightclubs, and other licensed establishments (as of September 4 at 8:00am).

• A recommendation that employers pause plans to have staff term to work and continue with work at-home measures.

• A recommendation that unvaccinated persons limit their indoor social gatherings to a max of 10 people in two cohort families

In addition, a new vaccine incentive program will pay those who get vaccinated between today and October 14th $100 in the form of a gift card. Eligible Albertans will have to indicate they have been vaccinated on the government’s website, starting September 13th.

Fiscal Update Shows Better-Than-Expected Recovery

Finance Minister Travis Toews released Alberta’s latest fiscal update, showing economic recovery has been moving at a faster pace than projected in Budget 2021. The document shows the current deficit has been updated to $7.759 billion, a total of $10.462 billion less than originally projected for the year. Revenues increased to $54.980 billion due in part to rising resource revenues.

However, taxpayer-supported debt did not drop significantly as it currently sits at $105.7 billion. Alberta’s GDP has improved significantly to its current projection of 6.7%. Additionally, it is estimated that the province added about 73,000 jobs to the economy since January, which brings Alberta to 90% of pre-pandemic employment levels.

Barry Morishita Officially Becomes Leader of Alberta Party

The Mayor of Brooks and former president of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) has been acclaimed as the next leader of the Alberta Party. Interested leadership candidates had until August 31 to file their nomination papers. He will take over from interim-leader and former MLA Jacquie Fenske who took over the role when Stephen Mandel stepped down as leader.

“It is time for a renewed focus on collaborative, democratic leadership that works to better the lives of all Albertans. The Alberta Party is committed to solutions and changes that are practical, affordable and rooted in local communities. That is why I have chosen this path and why I will be working hard over the next few months to earn your support and your trust.” – Barry Morishita

Teachers Reach Pension Agreement

After fighting for nearly two years following the announcement in the UCP’s first tabled budget as government, Alberta teachers will remain in control of how their pensions will be invested. AIMCo and the Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) have reached an agreement which will replace the ministerial order that granted the province’s investment manager to have the final say over how pension monies are invested.

While the Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund (ATRF) was transferred into AIMCo when Bill 22 went into force and effect, ATRF will be able to once again have the final say in their fund’s investment. ATA President Jason Schilling said “teachers mounted a strong, wide-reaching, relentless campaign in defence of their pensions, which provided the ATRF with the backing they needed to negotiate an effective agreement that protects the interests of teachers.”

Measures to Improve Health Care Capacity

As the province plunges deeper into a fourth wave of the pandemic driven by the Delta variant, the province announced measured designed to help health care workers combat COVID-19. It was announced that the province will put an indefinite pause on plans to end testing, tracing, and isolation which was pushed back from August to September 27th. Alberta Health Services has also added an additional 58 surge beds over the past week to improve ICU capacity. The province’s ICU occupancy currently sits at 87% of total capacity, which includes surge beds.

In the Calgary health zone, all elective surgeries and outpatient procedures have been cancelled for the remainder of the week. The move allows qualified staff to be redirected to COVID-19 wards and care for patients fighting the virus. In Edmonton, it was revealed that empty shell space in the Kaye Edmonton Clinic near the University Hospital may be potentially open in the next few weeks as a field hospital. It would add 195 beds for low-risk patients recovering from COVID-19. A small field hospital was opened in Calgary at the South Health Campus for non-COVID-19 patients.