Alberta Minute: NDP Leadership, Navigation Centre, and Healthcare Town Halls

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

This Week In Alberta:

• The Legislature is still on break, but will reconvene on February 28th. There are two Committee meetings this week - the Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship will meet today at 1:00 pm, and tomorrow, the Standing Committee on Legislative Offices will meet at 1:30 pm to consider the budgets for a number of Offices.
  
  
• The Alberta Government is reviewing the Seniors Lodge Program, the province's oldest affordable housing initiative for seniors. Comprising 10,850 units in 149 lodges across Alberta, the program offers meals, housekeeping, and recreational activities. The review aims to address transitions between lodges and continuing care homes, ensuring seniors' evolving needs are met effectively. A Review Panel has been formed that includes representatives from various organizations, such as the Alberta Seniors and Community Housing Association, Rural Municipalities Alberta, and the Aboriginal Friendship Centre of Calgary. The review aligns with Budget 2023's allocation of $40.6 million for the Lodge Assistance Program.
  
  
• Beginning on Tuesday, the Province is hosting in-person engagement sessions to collect feedback about health care delivery in Alberta. There will be 40 sessions in total, across the province, and Ministers will be in attendance wherever possible. Registration is required and can be done online.

Last Week In Alberta:

• Former Premier Rachel Notley announced her resignation as leader of the Alberta NDP and Official Opposition. Notley said she will stay on until a new leader is chosen. A time frame for the leadership race will be discussed on January 27th. This will be the first consequential leadership vote for the NDP, and will likely determine the fate of the party. Notley, now Alberta’s longest-serving MLA, has not made any decisions about how long she will stay in her role as the MLA for Edmonton-Strathcona.
  
  
• A new “navigation and support centre” was opened in Edmonton to help house people living in encampments in the city. Edmonton police have been clearing encampments, citing safety concerns for residents in and around them. The City will provide free transportation to the centre, and Alberta Health Services, along with Radius Health, will be on site to provide health and recovery-oriented services. Indigenous cultural supports and liaisons will also be available, and those accessing the space will be connected with other services to help them find shelter, housing, or gain access to Alberta identification and financial services. The effectiveness of the $13-million centre will be reviewed every 30 days, and is intended to support the current emergency shelter system.
  
  
• The Be the Cure campaign, initially launched in Alberta, has expanded nationwide to encourage people to participate in clinical trials and advance medical research for various diseases. The campaign addresses the challenge of public awareness about ongoing trials, aiming to accelerate the completion of studies and expedite tests or treatments for various conditions. The initiative provides an online list of trials for individuals to search in their area, emphasizing the recruitment of diverse participants. Beyond aiding researchers, Be the Cure offers Canadians access to potential treatments when conventional options are exhausted.

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