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Alberta

Will we hear the crack of the bat in Western Canada this summer?

Published

5 years ago

3 minute read

Since the arrival of coronavirus-19 on the world scene, there has always been a chance that the Western Canada Baseball League – like virtually every other sports organization in existence – would be forced to cancel its season. There is also, at least temporarily, a possibility that WCBL teams will find a way to operate on a reduced schedule.

On Tuesday night in Edmonton, league president Kevin Kvame will oversee a discussion that could settle the issue for all of 2020. Among those present will be the champion Okotoks and playoff runner-up Edmonton Prospects, along with squads from Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Brooks.

Saskatchewan franchises that operated last season in Yorkton and Melville will not be on hand; each received a one-year recess while determining whether they could function successfully while competing with partners in larger centres.

One deadline date has already been bypassed. “I think we can only look at the possibility of opening on or about July 1,” Cassidy said. “There won’t be chance to get started by June 16, which was another outline. Maybe it will be decided to pull the pin now, but we could also wait for awhile, if that’s the league decision.”

Certainly, there are issues in addition to scheduling. “The question of our league’s growth is something that comes up all the time,” Prospects general manager Pat Cassidy said. “I won’t be surprised if an overall plan is discussed that would lead to improve our ballparks in many ways.”

Yorkton and Melville, in particular, were harmed because of small park capacity. Edmonton, for example, could accommodate up to 4,000 fans at REMAX Field for home games in the downtown Saskatchewan River Valley.

One possibility in Cassidy’s view would be a league-wide play-by-play broadcast network. “Some teams have trouble getting their information out to the public in a timely manner.”

A parallel might be drawn with the Alberta Junior Hockey League, which is roughly comparable to the WCBL in market size and the development level of its athletes. Only a few years ago, the AJHL established the sort of broadcast arrangement now seen as a future possibility in the WCBL.

“The best of it is that the league has a solid foundation,” Cassidy expanded. “We’re still growing so there are still questions that need to be asked and answers that need to be developed.”

Hope is Edmonton Prospects & WCBL biggest ally these days

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Alberta

Made in Alberta! Province makes it easier to support local products with Buy Local program

Published on April 14, 2025

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Show your Alberta side. Buy Local.

When the going gets tough, Albertans stick together. That’s why Alberta’s government is launching a new campaign to benefit hard-working Albertans.

Global uncertainty is threatening the livelihoods of hard-working Alberta farmers, ranchers, processors and their families. The ‘Buy Local’ campaign, recently launched by Alberta’s government, encourages consumers to eat, drink and buy local to show our unified support for the province’s agriculture and food industry.

The government’s ‘Buy Local’ campaign encourages consumers to buy products from Alberta’s hard-working farmers, ranchers and food processors that produce safe, nutritious food for Albertans, Canadians and the world.

“It’s time to let these hard-working Albertans know we have their back. Now, more than ever, we need to shop local and buy made-in-Alberta products. The next time you are grocery shopping or go out for dinner or a drink with your friends or family, support local to demonstrate your Alberta pride. We are pleased tariffs don’t impact the ag industry right now and will keep advocating for our ag industry.”

RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation

Alberta’s government supports consumer choice. We are providing tools to help folks easily identify Alberta- and Canadian-made foods and products. Choosing local products keeps Albertans’ hard-earned dollars in our province. Whether it is farm-fresh vegetables, potatoes, honey, craft beer, frozen food or our world-renowned beef, Alberta has an abundance of fresh foods produced right on our doorstep.

Quick facts

  • This summer, Albertans can support local at more than 150 farmers’ markets across the province and meet the folks who make, bake and grow our food.
  • In March 2023, the Alberta government launched the ‘Made in Alberta’ voluntary food and beverage labelling program to support local agriculture and food sectors.
  • Through direct connections with processors, the program has created the momentum to continue expanding consumer awareness about the ‘Made in Alberta’ label to help shoppers quickly identify foods and beverages produced in our province.
  • Made in Alberta product catalogue website

 

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Alberta

Province to expand services provided by Alberta Sheriffs: New policing option for municipalities

Published on April 14, 2025

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Expanding municipal police service options

Proposed amendments would help ensure Alberta’s evolving public safety needs are met while also giving municipalities more options for local policing.

As first announced with the introduction of the Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, Alberta’s government is considering creating a new independent agency police service to assume the police-like duties currently performed by Alberta Sheriffs. If passed, Bill 49 would lay additional groundwork for the new police service.

Proposed amendments to the Police Act recognize the unique challenges faced by different communities and seek to empower local governments to adopt strategies that effectively respond to their specific safety concerns, enhancing overall public safety across the province.

If passed, Bill 49 would specify that the new agency would be a Crown corporation with an independent board of directors to oversee its day-to-day operations. The new agency would be operationally independent from the government, consistent with all police services in Alberta. Unlike the Alberta Sheriffs, officers in the new police service would be directly employed by the police service rather than by the government.

“With this bill, we are taking the necessary steps to address the unique public safety concerns in communities across Alberta. As we work towards creating an independent agency police service, we are providing an essential component of Alberta’s police framework for years to come. Our aim is for the new agency is to ensure that Albertans are safe in their communities and receive the best possible service when they need it most.”

Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services

Additional amendments would allow municipalities to select the new agency as their local police service once it becomes fully operational and the necessary standards, capacity and frameworks are in place. Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring the new agency works collaboratively with all police services to meet the province’s evolving public safety needs and improve law enforcement response times, particularly in rural communities. While the RCMP would remain the official provincial police service, municipalities would have a new option for their local policing needs.

Once established, the agency would strengthen Alberta’s existing policing model and complement the province’s current police services, which include the RCMP, Indigenous police services and municipal police. It would help fill gaps and ensure law enforcement resources are deployed efficiently across the province.

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