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Province announces funding for interim cardiac catheterization lab at the Red Deer Regional Hospital

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Alberta’s government is partnering with the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation to expedite the delivery of life-saving cardiac services to central Alberta residents.

Alberta’s government is partnering with the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation to expedite the delivery of life-saving cardiac services to central Alberta residents.

Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring that Albertans have access to the health care they need, including life-saving cardiac care and lab services, no matter where they live. For those in central Alberta, the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre plays a critical role in providing that care, which is why the $1.8-billion Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre redevelopment project includes two state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization labs.

While the project is expected to be completed by 2031, the government recognizes the urgent need for cardiac services for the 450,000 Albertans from Red Deer and surrounding rural communities. If passed, Budget 2025 will provide $3 million in startup funding and ongoing funding to cover the operational costs for an interim cardiac catheterization lab at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.

“Every Albertan should have access to the health care services they need close to home. Albertans living in the Red Deer area have long advocated for a cardiac catheterization lab and I am pleased to support a project that we know will help save lives.”

Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health

A cardiac catheterization lab is a dedicated space where specialized teams can carry out diagnostic tests that examine and evaluate heart function to aid in the diagnosis of cardiac health concerns and treatment of coronary artery disease. The lab will be equipped with specialized imaging equipment to allow for cardiac procedures primarily including ablation, angiogram and angioplasty.

The interim cardiac catheterization lab will be located within the existing Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre in a space currently being used as a physician’s lounge. Preliminary design plans are already in place and construction is expected to begin by fall 2025.

The Red Deer Regional Health Foundation has committed to funding the capital cost of the project, which is expected to be about $22 million.

In October 2024, the foundation announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Alberta Health Services to fast-track the opening of a cardiac catheterization lab at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre.

“We are incredibly grateful for the generosity of the Donald and Lacey families, whose support is bringing life-saving cardiac care closer to home for the benefit of all central Albertans. Together with all our health care partners, their commitment to advancing health care will make a lasting impact on countless lives for years to come.”

Manon Therriault, chief executive officer, Red Deer Regional Health Foundation

The foundation’s work is made possible by the generosity of donors, supporters and champions across the region. To support the development of the interim cardiac catheterization lab, the foundation announced a $10-million donation from the John Donald family.

“I am pleased to support the development of cardiac services in central Alberta, something we’ve long advocated for. This initiative will provide essential care to our community and ensure that more lives are saved closer to home.”

John Donald, Red Deer Regional Health Foundation donor

By prioritizing the development of an interim cardiac catheterization lab, patients will have access to critical services about three years earlier than expected. The interim cardiac catheterization lab is expected to be operational in early 2027.

“Developing this lab will allow us to treat more cardiac patients closer to home and support them in their recovery. Enhancing our cardiac services will also support our efforts to recruit and retain the talented professionals needed to care for our region’s patients.”

Janice Stewart, chief zone officer, Alberta Health Services Central Zone

Being able to meet the needs of the province’s rapidly growing population is a top priority for Alberta’s government.

Quick facts

  • The $1.8-billion Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre redevelopment project will upgrade several services throughout the hospital site, including:
    • an additional patient tower
    • six new operating rooms
    • a new medical device reprocessing department
    • two new cardiac catheterization labs
    • renovations to various areas within the main building
    • a newly renovated and expanded emergency department
    • a new ambulatory clinic building to be located adjacent to the surface parkade

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This is a news release from the Government of Alberta.

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Former Chief Judge of Manitoba Proincial Court will lead investigation into AHS procurement process

Published on March 3, 2025

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Deputy Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade Christopher McPherson has issued the following statement on an independent third-party investigation into procurement and contracting processes used by the Government of Alberta and Alberta Health Services (AHS):

Deputy Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade Christopher McPherson has issued the following statement on an independent third-party investigation into procurement and contracting processes used by the Government of Alberta and Alberta Health Services (AHS):

“While serving as Acting Deputy Minister of Executive Council, Premier Danielle Smith asked me to establish a credible, independent, third-party investigation into the procurement processes used by the Government of Alberta and AHS and their outcomes.

“I have informed Premier Smith that the Honourable Raymond E. Wyant, former Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba, will lead this investigation. I asked Premier Smith to issue a ministerial order to facilitate his work and she has done so. Judge Wyant’s work on this matter begins immediately.

“Judge Wyant was appointed to the Manitoba bench in 1998 before becoming Chief Judge in 2002. Prior to his service on the bench, Judge Wyant worked as a criminal defence lawyer and Crown attorney and was acting deputy director of Manitoba prosecutions at the time of his appointment to the Bench. He has also taught law for many years at Robson Hall at the University of Manitoba.

“Judge Wyant will review the relevant legislation, regulations and policies related to procurement typically used by Government of Alberta departments and agencies, specifically AHS, and their application to the procurement of pharmaceuticals and to services offered by chartered surgical facilities. Questions that Judge Wyant will consider are outlined in the attached terms of reference, and include whether or not any elected official, Government of Alberta or AHS employee, or other individuals, acted improperly during the procurement processes. Judge Wyant will make recommendations to the government for improvement or further action as appropriate.

“Appointed under the Government Organization Act, Judge Wyant will operate independently of government. The Government of Alberta will provide Judge Wyant with access to all relevant documents held by its departments and AHS, as well as facilitate interviews with relevant individuals.

“Judge Wyant has been given a budget of $500,000 to undertake this important work, including to retain legal and audit assistance at his discretion. He is being paid $31,900 per month, which is the same remuneration rate as the Chief Justice of the Alberta Court of Justice.

“To ensure additional independence, Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction will hold the budget for this third-party investigation.

“Judge Wyant will deliver an interim written report by May 30, 2025. A final written report and recommendations will be delivered by June 30, 2025, and it will be posted on alberta.ca.”

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Can Trump Revive The Keystone Pipeline?

Published on March 2, 2025

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From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By David Blackmon

In a post on his Truth Social media platform Monday night, President Donald Trump said he still wants to see the Keystone XL pipeline through to completion. Here is the full text of the president’s post:

“Our Country’s doing really well, and today, I was just thinking, that the company building the Keystone XL Pipeline that was viciously jettisoned by the incompetent Biden administration should come back to America, and get it built — NOW! I know they were treated very badly by Sleepy Joe Biden, but the Trump Administration is very different — Easy approvals, almost immediate start! If not them, perhaps another Pipeline Company. We want the Keystone XL Pipeline built!”

For those unaware, the company that spent a decade attempting to finance, obtain permits, and build the Keystone XL pipeline project is TC Energy  (formerly Trans Canada), which is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

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Fraught with controversy from the beginning, Keystone XL became a true political football during the Barack Obama presidency as the anti-oil and gas lobby in the U.S. mounted a disinformation campaign to kill public support for it. The mounting of the costly disinformation campaign made the process of obtaining permits at all levels of government – state, local, and federal – far more difficult and time-consuming, needlessly running up the project’s cost in the process.

After the Obama State Department led by Secretary John Kerry refused to issue the international cross-border permit required to complete the line, Trump quickly acted to ensure its approval early in his first term in office. By the time Joe Biden assumed office in January 2021, TC Energy had invested billions of dollars – creating thousands of high-paying jobs in the process – and well over half the line was already in the ground. Still, despite the huge sunk cost and lacking an ability to cite any instance in which TC Energy stood in violation of any U.S. law or regulation, Biden took the extraordinary, indefensible step of cancelling the project with the stroke of a pen.

But can the project really be revived now? It’s an important question given that Keystone XL was designed to bring as many as 830,000 barrels of Canadian oil per day into the United States for refining and delivery to markets.

Here, it is key to note that – as I pointed out last November when then-President-elect Trump raised this topic – TC Energy is no longer the owner of the moribund project. The remnants of Keystone XL were included in a group of assets TC Energy spun off last year when it formed a new company named South Bow Energy.

Complicating matters further is the fact that, after it decided the pipeline was a lost cause back in 2021, TC Energy pulled the installed pipe out of the ground so it could be repurposed for other projects in its portfolio. Then, there’s the fact that many of the permits the company spent years trying to obtain from various levels of governments are no longer valid and would have to go through the application and approval processes again were the project to be revived.

At the federal level, the Department of Interior and FERC would govern most of the necessary permitting processes. President Trump ordered all of his departments and commissions in January to research ways the executive branch can streamline the federal processes and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum included that goal as one of his 6 top priorities in a memo to staff dated February 3.

But even if those projects are successful in speeding up permitting at the federal level, they would have no impact on such challenges at the state and local levels. Activist groups who organized the opposition to the project saw great success in holding up permitting issuances at these lower levels of government, and would no doubt revive that strategy to attack any effort to restart the pipeline.

There can be no doubt that Trump’s desire to get the pipeline built is a laudable goal from a commercial, environmental and national security standpoint. Whether it is a practical goal is another question with many factors arrayed in opposition to it.

But one thing I’ve learned long ago is to never underestimate Donald Trump’s ability to get a deal done, so no one should give up hope just yet.

David Blackmon is an energy writer and consultant based in Texas. He spent 40 years in the oil and gas business, where he specialized in public policy and communications.

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