Alberta Minute: Projected Surplus, Irritating Wasps, and a New Police Agency

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

This Week In Alberta:

• The Province is investing $10 million to expand psychology programs at 12 post-secondary institutions, adding 761 new seats to meet rising demand for mental-health services. This funding aims to address both current and future needs by increasing educational opportunities in psychology.
  
  
• Alberta's projected surplus for 2024-25 is $2.9 billion, a significant increase from the $367 million forecasted earlier this year, largely due to higher oil prices and population growth. However, this surplus is largely tied up in non-spendable accounts, and the government will need to borrow $641 million for immediate needs.
  
  
• Albertans are dealing with a surge in wasp activity this late summer, with garden centers in southern Alberta seeing high demand for wasp control solutions. Pharmacists are reporting a spike in wasp sting treatments too. Pest control professionals note that increased wasp activity may be linked to wildfires and abundant food sources like aphids.

Last Week In Alberta:

• Premier Danielle Smith announced plans to create a new provincial police agency to handle many duties currently performed by sheriffs. This move aims to enhance civilian oversight and better manage the sheriffs' expanding police-like roles. The new agency will work alongside the RCMP rather than replace it, addressing a need for increased oversight and specialized functions. Despite this development, there is no immediate plan to shift away from the RCMP.
  
  
• At a United Conservative Party town hall, Premier Danielle Smith outlined plans to restructure Alberta's health care system by transferring some hospitals from Alberta Health Services (AHS) to other operators like Covenant Health. This strategy aims to improve care delivery and reduce service disruptions in rural areas by introducing competition and accountability.
  
  
• A new memo said that the Alberta government is going ahead with plans to limit the use of photo radar in cities by restricting its placement to playgrounds, school zones, and construction areas. New guidelines, set to be released in December, will ban photo radar on major roads and provincial highways. This decision follows criticism that photo radar is a revenue generator rather than a safety tool.

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