Alberta Minute: Ethical Oil, Resort Development, and Trapping Restrictions Lifted

Alberta Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Alberta politics.

This Week In Alberta:

• The Alberta government is advancing legislation to open Crown land for all-season resort development, aiming to stimulate tourism. This initiative would allow resorts in areas like Kananaskis Country, positioning Alberta to attract year-round visitors with diverse recreational options, from skiing to spas. The legislation will also establish a new regulator to streamline the application process and address environmental considerations. This plan aligns Alberta’s approach with British Columbia's established resort framework, responding to concerns about tourism dollars leaving the province. Public consultation will help determine specific development sites.
  
  
• Alberta is lifting restrictions on trapping wolverines, lynx, river otters, and fishers on Crown land to gather data on their populations, a move Forestry Minister Todd Loewen says will help establish informed quotas. Previously, trapping these species, particularly wolverines, was heavily limited due to insufficient population data. The last estimate in 2003 suggested there were fewer than 1,000 breeding wolverines. Loewen says that trappers' field knowledge and logbooks are vital resources that can provide large-scale ecological insights faster than a small team of biologists alone.
  
  
• Alberta’s updated K-12 curriculum introduces a directive for students to learn about the province's role as the "most ethical producer of oil" and the importance of natural resources to Alberta’s quality of life. The curriculum framework, released online in April, is part of an ongoing process to emphasize Alberta's economic contributions through its energy sector. Similar courses are being developed in Saskatchewan.

Last Week In Alberta:

• Premier Danielle Smith criticized the federal government's new draft emissions cap regulations aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas operations. She expressed frustration with the federal approach, accusing Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault of having a "deranged vendetta" against Alberta. Smith is exploring legal action, including a constitutional challenge and a motion under the Alberta Sovereignty within a United Canada Act. Our friends at Project Confederation have a petition opposing the emissions cap - you can sign it by clicking here.
  
  
• Alberta law enforcement has implemented a new data-sharing system that allows agencies across the province to collaborate and track top offenders. This system identified Alberta’s 10,000 most frequent offenders, leading to nearly 1,000 arrests in just two weeks. Crimes range from theft and drug trafficking to sexual offences and attempted murder, with most offenders being repeat criminals who operate across jurisdictions. In Edmonton alone, the system enabled officers to execute 250 warrants and detain 108 individuals. Similar operations are planned for Calgary and southern Alberta, with officers expecting to conduct one or two major crackdowns each year.
  
  
• The Province has asked rural municipalities to submit names of oil and gas companies with unpaid property taxes to support enforcement efforts. Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver stated that the Province could potentially direct the Alberta Energy Regulator to shut down companies that continue to default. However, municipalities must wait a year after a payment deadline before reporting a company, and the amount owed must meet a minimum threshold. Rural Municipalities of Alberta estimates that oil and gas companies owe over $250 million in property taxes, and local leaders are expressing frustration with the limited enforcement options. The government has introduced some measures, like restricting licenses for companies with significant unpaid taxes, but municipalities remain concerned about managing the financial burden.

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