Alberta Minute: Workplace Recovery, Weakened Dollar, and a Pandemic Response Report

Alberta Minute: Workplace Recovery, Weakened Dollar, and a Pandemic Response Report

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

 

Alberta Legislature by IQRemix on Flickr

 

This Week In Alberta:

  • Alberta's tourism industry is seeing positive effects from a weaker Canadian dollar, with ski resorts like Banff Sunshine Village experiencing an increase in US visitors. The low exchange rate, making travel to Canada more affordable, is particularly appealing to American tourists who find activities like skiing in Banff and Lake Louise to be a great value compared to options in the US. Additionally, the tourism industry is hopeful that the trend will continue, with bookings for places like Waterton Lakes National Park showing promising signs of growth.

  • The Alberta government is introducing a new guide to support workers facing addiction, aiming to reduce stigma and encourage recovery-focused practices in the workplace. With around 10% of employees in Alberta having struggled with substance use, the guide offers suggestions to help employers foster recovery-friendly environments. The guide also highlights the economic benefits for employers, estimating savings of $8,500 per employee annually through recovery-friendly policies.

  • Alberta's College of Physicians and Surgeons is introducing new guidelines for doctors who need to reduce their patient load, aiming to ensure “safe care” for doctors. The previous lottery system for discharging patients has been replaced with a triage approach, prioritizing patients with urgent health needs. This change comes as Alberta faces a shortage of family physicians, with around 600,000 residents lacking a family doctor. Health experts express concerns about the impact of patient discharge on access to preventive care, particularly for healthier patients who may end up relying on emergency services. The Alberta Medical Association is hopeful that a new physician pay model will help alleviate pressure and stabilize the primary care system.

 


 

Last Week In Alberta:

  • Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi has been acclaimed as the party's candidate for Edmonton-Strathcona, the riding previously represented by Rachel Notley, who stepped down on December 30th. If elected, Nenshi would be the third NDP leader to serve the area, which he described as the "beating heart" of the party. The byelection must be called by June, though the United Conservative Party has yet to open its nomination process for the riding. Nenshi criticized Premier Danielle Smith's leadership, emphasizing the need for stronger public services and economic diversity. The UCP responded by committing to selecting a locally-rooted candidate through its grassroots nomination process.

  • Premier Danielle Smith addressed interprovincial trade barriers and looming US tariffs. She emphasized the need for Canada to reduce its reliance on the US by improving domestic trade across provinces, noting that Alberta has struggled to sell its oil and gas to other provinces due to opposition. Smith also expressed the importance of engaging with the US to strengthen cross-border trade, highlighting Alberta's significant role in energy production. She is working to foster collaboration among provinces and improve relations, particularly in the context of energy discussions, which she believes should be led by Alberta, not federal officials.

  • The Province has released a 269-page final report outlining key findings and recommendations for improving the response to future pandemics. The report emphasizes the importance of preserving patients' rights to care and informed consent, as well as ensuring health care professionals can provide treatments that benefit patients. Key recommendations include modifying regulations on off-label drug use, protecting health care workers from disciplinary actions for promoting alternative treatments, and enhancing transparency by requiring media to disclose public health and pharmaceutical contracts when reporting on health-related matters. The report also suggests creating whistleblower protections for physicians and speeding up clinical trials for alternative treatments. The panel that compiled the report was commissioned by Premier Danielle Smith's government.

 

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  • Alberta Institute
    published this page in News 2025-01-25 21:54:59 -0700