At a Glance - October 17, 2023
Vaccine Booking Open/Masking Directive Issued
As COVID-19 numbers rise once again, bookings have opened to receive the COVID-19 booster shot. The province’s booking system opened Tuesday, and local pharmacies have reported they have already seen increased demand.
According to Dr. Lynora Saxinger – an infectious disease specialist at the University of Alberta, the new vaccines are more than just a booster and represent “a real upgrade,” offering far better immunity to those who choose to get the shot than last year’s booster did.
While the province hopes that immunizations will help mitigate COVID numbers, Alberta Health Services has put a directive in place to allow for masking requirements in hospitals to prevent the spread of the virus. The new directive came into effect on Wednesday and will allow hospitals to require patients, support workers, and families visiting emergency departments to mask.
Although AHS has stated that regions and hospitals are allowed to ignore the directive, it is unclear who has the final say if the region and hospital disagree.
Funding Announcement Targeting Gender-Based Violence
As part of a national initiative, the federal government will be giving Alberta $54 million in federal funding to create and implement a 10-year strategy to end gender-based violence. The announcement was made on Thursday at a news conference held by Lisa Hepfner - parliamentary secretary for the federal Women, Gender Equality, and Youth Minister Marci Ien.
According to figures released by Hefner, Alberta is currently the fifth-highest among the provinces and territories in police-reported intimate partner violence, and fourth-highest in terms of police-reported sexual assault.
Alberta’s Arts, Culture and Status of Women Minister Tanya Fir said the Alberta government has launched an online survey to shape the made-in-Alberta survey, which will be open until November 17. Additionally, Fir said representatives will consult with survivors of gender-based violence, front-line community organizations, Indigenous communities, and other partners to gain perspective and help inform the strategy that will be adopted.
Arena Deal Update
The UCP Government has announced that the Calgary arena agreement has been officially signed and executed. This funding is part of the deal made between the Flames and the government before the provincial election last spring when Smith promised to contribute $330 million toward the $1.2 billion development. According to the province, a fundamental part of the agreement is that no amount of the province’s funding will be used to construct the new building. Instead, the money must be used for road and bridge construction in the surrounding area, as well as the demolition of the Saddledome.
The execution of this agreement means that design and planning may begin moving forward. According to the City of Calgary, construction is expected to start in 2024, with the aim of completing the new arena by 2026 or 2027.
Pension Discussions Continue in Alberta
As of late September, Premier Danielle Smith opened a public online consultation on a proposal to withdraw from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP). Central to her announcement was the release of a third-party report that claims Alberta is responsible for 53% of the plan’s total assets. Additionally, the report indicated that the Alberta Pension Plan (APP) would operate similarly to the Quebec Pension Plan, established in 1966 after it opted out of the federal fund.
Before the APP can move forward, a panel will consult with Albertans over the next few months about a possible provincial pension plan, and a report will be submitted based on the findings in May 2024. The information from the report will determine if there is enough support for a referendum to be held – if a referendum is held, it will ultimately decide Alberta’s pension plan future.
Alberta Launches Tell The Feds Campaign
The Alberta Government has begun an $8-million campaign to “educate Canadians and Albertans” on the impacts of new emissions regulations proposed by the federal government. The campaign involves a wide array of media advertisements, including television, web, social, billboard, and others. The ads will run until November 2, when the federal government’s public input period on net-zero concludes.
Alberta has rolled out this campaign in Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. According to the province, these regions were chosen as they are “most impacted by the regulations.”
This campaign comes amid rising tensions over differences in net-zero goals between the Alberta and Federal governments. Last week, Premier Danielle Smith indicated her government was preparing a Sovereignty Act motion in an effort to push back against Ottawa’s planned emission reductions. Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault has said there will be no special treatment for Alberta regarding new regulations to make electricity cleaner and transition to net-zero by 2035.