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Alberta
8 FACTS YOU MUST KNOW – Canada Action on the proposed Teck Frontier Mine
#visionCanada2119
In an effort to help Albertans and Canadians understand each other and have meaningful conversations about energy, the environment, and the economy, Todayville presents this informative post from Canada Action. We invite you to share your questions, comments and concerns. Please note the first time you comment on a Todayville story you will be asked to register as a user. Once registered you are also invited to contribute your own original posts to Todayville’s front page. Thank you for taking part in these important community conversations.
Diagrams and thumbnail photo from Teck.com
From Canada Action
Teck Frontier Mine: 8 Facts You Must Know
With the federal government’s decision on the Teck Frontier Mine coming soon (in February), there’s some important details about this new oil sands project that need to be brought into the limelight.
Teck’s new oil sands mine in northern Alberta will be one of the most innovative projects of its kind to-date, making use of industry-leading technologies to:
> Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions intensity
> Minimize water use and protect water quality
> Reclaim land as soon as mining begins
> Ensure safe, secure tailings storage with leading-edge technology
> Prevent or mitigate possible impacts to wildlife
Fact #1: Global Oil Demand is Growing
But before we discuss these further, it’s essential we are all reminded of the paramount fact that global oil demand is projected to grow by nearly 10 million barrels per day between now and 2040, as outlined in the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) most recent World Energy Outlook 2019.
Oil Sands Action@OilsandsAction
Heck, that’s the whole reason why Teck has proposed this massive new oil sands mine in the first place. If oil sands growth forecasts by the Canadian Energy Regulator (CER)and U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) come even close to being true, with production increasing 50% by 2040 and even more so by 2050, the new Teck Frontier Mine is just a small part of the puzzle for Canada’s energy industry going forward.
We know about projected growth for oil and natural gas demand in the foreseeable future, so why would anyone not want Canada to have as much market share as possible? As one of the most transparent, regulated and environmentally responsible petroleum producers on the planet, it only makes sense that Canada should be one of the last producers “out of the pool.”
> Canadian Oil is in the World’s Best Interest: ESG Scorecard
> Canada Ranks 6th on Democracy Index 2018 (ESG Criteria)
> Canada Tops Environmental Performance Index Among Top 10 Oil Exporters
Canada’s record of oil and gas production is exemplified by Teck’s initiatives to make Frontier one of the best-in-class oil sands mines ever built in regards to both the environment and Indigenous support.
Fact #2: Land Reclamation Will Begin as Soon as Mining Starts
> Land reclamation will begin as mining progresses, adhering to strict regulations set forth by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER)
> The actual footprint of active mining will be smaller than the total project area due to on-going reclamation efforts
> With a size of about 292 square kilometres, the mine’s total surface area is about half the size of Edmonton but this land will not be all disturbed at once
Fact #3: Frontier Will Have a Carbon Intensity Less than 50% of USA Refineries
> GHG emissions intensity of the Frontier project will be about 50% less than the oil sands industry average
> Carbon intensity of the Frontier project will be less than half of the oil currently refined in the United States
> Energy efficient mining processes and cogeneration are among the industry-leading technologies that will help reduce GHG emissions
Fact #4: Extensive Work on Prevention & Mitigation for Wildlife
> Extensive assessments of potential effects on fish, wildlife and their habitat have been conducted to ensure the right steps are taken to prevent and mitigate effects during operations and after the mine is closed
> Any affected wildlife habitat will be fully reclaimed to a “…self-sustaining ecosystem with local vegetation and wildlife.” – AER
Fact #5: Frontier Will Have the Lowest Water Use Intensity
> Teck’s Frontier Mine will have one of the lowest water use intensities in the oil sands
> About 90% of water used to process the bitumen will be recycled, minimizing fresh water withdrawals from the Athabasca river
> Off-stream water storage will help to reduce water withdrawals from the river during low flow periods
> Safeguards will ensure water quality is protected and there are no leaks into the water table
Fact #6: Leading-Edge Tailings Management & Technology
> Teck’s Frontier Mine project will use state-of-the-art practices to create a safe and secure placement for tailings
> Centrifuges will de-water tailings fluid before placement mined-out pits, eliminating the need for dams after operations cease and providing increased levels of security for tailings containment in the process
Fact #7: All 14 Indigenous Communities Support the Project
> All 14 Indigenous groups in the region where the Teck Frontier Mine is proposed support the project. They include:
- Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
- MikisewCree First Nation
- Fort McKayFirst Nation
- Fort Chipewyan Métis
- Fort McKayMétis
- Fort Mc Murray Métis1935
- Fort McMurrayFirst Nation #468
- MétisNation of Alberta- Region One and it’s member locals
- Athabasca Landing Local # 2010
- Buffalo Lake Local # 2002
- ConklinLocal # 193
- Lac La BicheLocal # 1909
- Owl River Local # 1949
- Willow Lake Local # 780
Fact #8: Teck Frontier Mine a Much-Needed Boon for the Energy Sector
> Frontier will employ up to 7,000 people during peak construction
> An additional 2,500 people will be employed throughout operations over a project life of 41 years
> 75,000 person-years of employment generated by the construction of Frontier
> $55 billion generated in provincial taxes and royalties
> $12 billion generated in federate corporate income and capital taxes
> $3.6 billion generated in municipal property taxes
Teck’s investment of $20.6 billion in northern Alberta comes at a time where a lack of new pipeline capacity and strangulating regulations have been choking the life out of one of Canada’s most valuable industries.
Frontier will create thousands of new employment opportunities, tens of billions in government revenues and provide a much-needed boost to an industry that has seen countless jobs and investor cash flee in droves to more competitive oil and gas producing jurisdictions over the past five years.
Much like the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, an approval of Teck’s Frontier Mine would help to restore investor confidence in Canada’s energy sector.
With the Trans Mountain Expansion, Keystone XL and Line 3 Replacement set to add more than a million barrels of additional pipeline capacity for Canada in the near future, it only makes sense that this project – with its low carbon intensity and leading-edge environmental initiatives – should provide some of the oil necessary to fill those pipes.
Learn more – Pipelines in Canada: What You Should Know
Canada Action is an entirely volunteer created grassroots movement encouraging Canadians to take action and work together in support of our vital natural resources sector. We believe it’s critical to educate Canadians about the social and economic benefits provided by the resource sector and industry’s commitment to world-class environmental stewardship. We’re strong supporters of Canada’s oil sands and the resource sector generally because we know how important these industries are to Canada’s present and future prosperity.
We’re committed to engaging Canadians in a more informed conversation about resource development, about how important it is to our society and about how we’re doing it well today and improving our practices for the future. We believe that by educating Canadians on the importance of the country’s resource sector – they’ll act on that information, stand up and make their voices count.
From LifeSiteNews
Alberta announced it ‘is reviewing how MAID is regulated to ensure there is a consistent process as well as oversight that protects vulnerable Albertans, specifically those living with disabilities or suffering from mental health challenges.’
The Conservative provincial government of Alberta is pushing back against the Canadian federal government’s continued desire to expand euthanasia in the nation, saying it will launch a review of the legislation and policies surrounding the grim practice, including a period of public engagement.
The United Conservative Party (UCP) government under Premier Danielle Smith in a press release said the province needs to make sure that robust safeguards and procedures are in place to protect vulnerable people from being coerced into getting euthanatized under the MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) program.
“Alberta’s government is reviewing how MAID is regulated to ensure there is a consistent process as well as oversight that protects vulnerable Albertans, specifically those living with disabilities or suffering from mental health challenges,” said the government Monday.
The government said a online survey regarding MAiD open to all Albertans who have opinions about the deadly practice will be available until December 20.
“We recognize that medical assistance in dying is a very complex and often personal issue and is an important, sensitive and emotional matter for patients and their families,” said Alberta’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General Mickey Amery.
Amery said it is important to ensure this process has the “necessary supports to protect the most vulnerable.”
The government said that it will also be engaging with academics, medical associations, public bodies, as well as religious organizations and “regulatory bodies, advocacy groups” regarding MAiD
The government said all information gathered through this consultation will “help inform the Alberta government’s planning and policy decision making, including potential legislative changes regarding MAID in Alberta.”
When it comes to MAiD, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government sought to expand it from the chronically and terminally ill to those suffering solely from mental illness.
However, in February, after pushback from pro-life, medical, and mental health groups as well as most of Canada’s provinces, the federal government delayed the mental illness expansion until 2027.
Alberta’s Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Dan Williams said that the UCP government has been “clear” that it does not “support the provision of medically assisted suicide for vulnerable Albertans facing mental illness as their primary purpose for seeking their own death.”
“Instead, our goal is to build a continuum of care where vulnerable Albertans can live in long-term health and fulfilment. We look forward to the feedback of Albertans as we proceed with this important issue,” he noted.
The Alberta government said that as MAiD is “federally legislated and regulated” it is main job will be to try and make sure that it protects “vulnerable individuals” as much as possible.
Alberta’s Minister of Health Adriana LaGrange reaffirmed that the Alberta government “does not support expanding MAID eligibility to include those facing depression or mental illness and continues to call on the federal government to end this policy altogether.”
The number of Canadians killed by lethal injection under the nation’s MAiD program since 2016 stands at close to 65,000, with an estimated 16,000 deaths in 2023 alone. Many fear that because the official statistics are manipulated the number may be even higher.
To combat Canadians being coerced into MAiD, which LifeSiteNews has covered, the combat pro-life Delta Hospice Society (DHS) is offering a free “Do Not Euthanize Defense Kit” to help vulnerable people “protect themselves” from any healthcare workers who might push euthanasia on the defenseless.
Nurse practitioners expand primary care access |
The Alberta government’s Nurse Practitioner Primary Care program is showing early signs of success, with 33 nurse practitioners already practising independently in communities across the province.
Alberta’s government is committed to strengthening Alberta’s primary health care system, recognizing that innovative approaches are essential to improving access. To further this commitment, the Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Program was launched in April, allowing nurse practitioners to practise comprehensive patient care autonomously, either by operating their own practices or working independently within existing primary care settings.
Since being announced, the program has garnered a promising response. A total of 67 applications have been submitted, with 56 approved. Of those, 33 nurse practitioners are now practising autonomously in communities throughout Alberta, including in rural locations such as Beaverlodge, Coaldale, Cold Lake, Consort, Morley, Picture Butte, Three Hills, Two Hills, Vegreville and Vermilion.
“I am thrilled about the interest in this program, as nurse practitioners are a key part of the solution to provide Albertans with greater access to the primary health care services they need.”
To participate in the program, nurse practitioners are required to commit to providing a set number of hours of medically necessary primary care services, maintain a panel size of at least 900 patients, offer after-hours access on weekends, evenings or holidays, and accept walk-in appointments until a panel size reaches 900 patients.
With 33 nurse practitioners practising independently, about 30,000 more Albertans will have access to the primary health care they need. Once the remaining 23 approved applicants begin practising, primary health care access will expand to almost 21,000 more Albertans.
“Enabling nurse practitioners to practise independently is great news for rural Alberta. This is one more way our government is ensuring communities will have access to the care they need, closer to home.”
“Nurse practitioners are highly skilled health care professionals and an invaluable part of our health care system. The Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Program is the right step to ensuring all Albertans can receive care where and when they need it.”
“The NPAA wishes to thank the Alberta government for recognizing the vital role NPs play in the health care system. Nurse practitioners have long advocated to operate their own practices and are ready to meet the growing health care needs of Albertans. This initiative will ensure that more people receive the timely and comprehensive care they deserve.”
The Nurse Practitioner Primary Care program not only expands access to primary care services across the province but also enables nurse practitioners to practise to their full scope, providing another vital access point for Albertans to receive timely, high-quality care when and where they need it most.
Quick facts
- Through the Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Program, nurse practitioners receive about 80 per cent of the compensation that fee-for-service family physicians earn for providing comprehensive primary care.
- Compensation for nurse practitioners is determined based on panel size (the number of patients under their care) and the number of patient care hours provided.
- Nurse practitioners have completed graduate studies and are regulated by the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta.
- For the second consecutive year, a record number of registrants renewed their permits with the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA) to continue practising nursing in Alberta.
- There were more than 44,798 registrants and a 15 per cent increase in nurse practitioners.
- Data from the Nurse Practitioner Primary Care Program show:
- Nine applicants plan to work on First Nations reserves or Metis Settlements.
- Parts of the province where nurse practitioners are practising: Calgary (12), Edmonton (five), central (six), north (three) and south (seven).
- Participating nurse practitioners who practise in eligible communities for the Rural, Remote and Northern Program will be provided funding as an incentive to practise in rural or remote areas.
- Participating nurse practitioners are also eligible for the Panel Management Support Program, which helps offset costs for physicians and nurse practitioners to provide comprehensive care as their patient panels grow.
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