Alberta Minute: Nurse News, Drought Aid, and Town Halls Continue

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

This Week In Alberta:

• Our Can't Stop Alberta Tour continues. We’re headed to Airdrie on Tuesday, and Calgary on Wednesday. We’ll be discussing K-12 education, Alberta’s relationship with Ottawa, energy policy, and more. Attendance is free, but if you’re so inclined, you can make a donation to help cover our venue hire costs and our travel expenses. We hope to see you at one or more of the events.
  
  
• The Province will continue to hold a number of geographically targeted telephone town halls to gauge Albertans’ interest in a provincial pension plan. This next town hall will take place tomorrow from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm and is intended for residents of Southern Alberta. You can either preregister or visit the website to listen live.
  
  
• The federal and provincial governments are providing $165 million in aid to Alberta livestock producers affected by a season-long drought. The funding, part of the AgriRecovery initiative, aims to help farmers and ranchers address extraordinary costs due to the drought and excessive heat. The program offers up to $150 per head for breeding animals, including cattle, bison, and horses. Drought conditions have persisted for several years in southern Alberta, leading to higher feed costs and increased challenges for livestock producers.

Last Week In Alberta:

• The Alberta government announced it will spend up to $5 million to study the feasibility of constructing the Eyremore dam in southern Alberta. The proposed dam, situated southwest of Brooks along the Bow River, would serve multiple purposes, including enhancing water management and flood mitigation. With a capacity between 370 million and 740 million cubic meters, the dam aims to capture and store water for the region's variable water supply. The project, which has been discussed since the 1960s, could provide benefits to southern Alberta's agriculture and recreational development, although it is expected to take at least a decade before construction begins.
  
  
• The Province announced funding for 1,221 new seats to train internationally educated nurses in Alberta. The investment aims to help address the shortage of nursing instructors and provide support for students pursuing nursing careers in Alberta. Additionally, a bursary program offering financial incentives to nurses willing to work in rural Alberta is expected to launch in early November. Those who agree to live and work in rural Alberta after graduation could receive $6,000 a year, up to a maximum of $30,000 after five years.
  
  
• Speaking of nursing, Alberta’s nurse practitioners said they are optimistic about the prospect of receiving public reimbursement for their clinic services, following an announcement by the government. Health Minister Adriana LaGrange unveiled a new payment model designed to encourage nurse practitioners to establish their clinics, manage patients, and provide services within their scope of practice and expertise. This initiative aims to address healthcare challenges and enhance access to family medicine, and was based on recommendations from the Modernizing Alberta's Primary Health Care System report.

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