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Alberta

Alberta Sports Hall of Famer Kreg Llewellyn passes away

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From a Facebook post by Jaret Llewellyn
Our family is here is Texas to say goodbye to my big brother. Kreg passed 4 days ago on July 7.
Although we may never find all the answers, we know Kreg sustained a head injury a couple months ago, which seemed to result in a change in his demeanor. Based both on the location and the severity of the injury, we believe Kreg lost his ability to effectively process certain aspects of life and cope with anxiety. Through his faith in Christ and his selfless personality, Kreg always wanted to help others and always took their pain upon his shoulders, which in his current state, magnified his struggles. Without a familiar coping mechanism, Kreg was caught in a mental haze. Even though Kreg was searching and fighting for answers, he always tried to protect his loved ones from having to share his burden. Kreg was the strongest person I have ever known and I will miss him every day.
Kreg was my hero and an inspiration to so many around the world. Anyone who had the privilege to know Kreg could see he had a huge heart, because he wore it on his sleeve. His faith in God has always been deep and in recent years he was sharing his faith to help others, who were looking for spiritual guidance.
Kreg will always be the most talented athlete I have ever seen, not only on the water, but in any sport you asked him to try. During the height of the professional tour Kreg was the most dominant male multi event skier. He could do anything he set his mind to, or should I say, any seemingly impossible thing Mike told him to try, and he always made the most difficult things look easy. Watching him inspired me to try my best every day, both on and off the water, to live up to the standard he set, even though things always seemed much harder than he made them look. But that was the most beautiful thing about Kreg, he not only set the standard for me, but he stopped along his own path to help others excel with him. Kreg made me the skier I wanted to be and helped me become the best man I could be.
Although our family is struggling through this difficult time, we truly appreciate the outpouring love and support we have received from every corner of the world. All of the stories and the uplifting moments others have shared about Kreg have been heartwarming to all of us. Kreg always wanted to help others and help the world come together, especially in these uncertain times. His life was all about bringing joy and harmony to others, which he showed through his grace in all aspects of his life. To us, one’s wealth is not about how much money you have, it’s how far your heart reaches in respect to others. In that sense, Kreg was the richest man I know and those around him learned to be the same by following his lead. Right now, I can’t image how we will continue without Kreg’s leadership, but I know he would want us to come together as a community and as a world. To use the lessons he taught us and to love one another with all of our hearts.
Please anyone, who has posted stories, or photos of Kreg earlier, if you could re-share them again here and add your favorites photos and stories! With all of our love, God Bless you!
We are planning a service on Saturday July 18, in San Marcos, Calvary Chapel of the Springs located at 310 W Hutchinson St., San Marcos, Texas.
We are working on streaming the service if you are unable to attend. When we have a link we will give an update on that.
Following the service there will be a gathering at San Marcos POA river park following the service to share stories, approximately at 7pm. 411-498 River Ranch Cir, Martindale, TX
For loved ones that cannot attend now we will be planning a celebration of Kreg’s life in Canada in the coming months once travel restrictions are lifted. We will be sharing stories about Kreg at his home training grounds at Dodd’s Lake in Innisfail, Canada.

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Alberta

Energy sector will fuel Alberta economy and Canada’s exports for many years to come

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From the Fraser Institute

By Jock Finlayson

By any measure, Alberta is an energy powerhouse—within Canada, but also on a global scale. In 2023, it produced 85 per cent of Canada’s oil and three-fifths of the country’s natural gas. Most of Canada’s oil reserves are in Alberta, along with a majority of natural gas reserves. Alberta is the beating heart of the Canadian energy economy. And energy, in turn, accounts for one-quarter of Canada’s international exports.

Consider some key facts about the province’s energy landscape, as noted in the Alberta Energy Regulator’s (AER) 2023 annual report. Oil and natural gas production continued to rise (on a volume basis) in 2023, on the heels of steady increases over the preceding half decade. However, the dollar value of Alberta’s oil and gas production fell in 2023, as the surging prices recorded in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine retreated. Capital spending in the province’s energy sector reached $30 billion in 2023, making it the leading driver of private-sector investment. And completion of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project has opened new offshore export avenues for Canada’s oil industry and should boost Alberta’s energy production and exports going forward.

In a world striving to address climate change, Alberta’s hydrocarbon-heavy energy sector faces challenges. At some point, the world may start to consume less oil and, later, less natural gas (in absolute terms). But such “peak” consumption hasn’t arrived yet, nor does it appear imminent. While the demand for certain refined petroleum products is trending down in some advanced economies, particularly in Europe, we should take a broader global perspective when assessing energy demand and supply trends.

Looking at the worldwide picture, Goldman Sachs’ 2024 global energy forecast predicts that “oil usage will increase through 2034” thanks to strong demand in emerging markets and growing production of petrochemicals that depend on oil as the principal feedstock. Global demand for natural gas (including LNG) will also continue to increase, particularly since natural gas is the least carbon-intensive fossil fuel and more of it is being traded in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Against this backdrop, there are reasons to be optimistic about the prospects for Alberta’s energy sector, particularly if the federal government dials back some of the economically destructive energy and climate policies adopted by the last government. According to the AER’s “base case” forecast, overall energy output will expand over the next 10 years. Oilsands output is projected to grow modestly; natural gas production will also rise, in part due to greater demand for Alberta’s upstream gas from LNG operators in British Columbia.

The AER’s forecast also points to a positive trajectory for capital spending across the province’s energy sector. The agency sees annual investment rising from almost $30 billion to $40 billion by 2033. Most of this takes place in the oil and gas industry, but “emerging” energy resources and projects aimed at climate mitigation are expected to represent a bigger slice of energy-related capital spending going forward.

Like many other oil and gas producing jurisdictions, Alberta must navigate the bumpy journey to a lower-carbon future. But the world is set to remain dependent on fossil fuels for decades to come. This suggests the energy sector will continue to underpin not only the Alberta economy but also Canada’s export portfolio for the foreseeable future.

Jock Finlayson

Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute
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Alberta

The beauty of economic corridors: Inside Alberta’s work to link products with new markets

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From the Canadian Energy Centre

Q&A with Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transport and Economic Corridors

Devin Dreeshen, Alberta’s Minister of Transportation
and Economic Corridors.

CEC: How have recent developments impacted Alberta’s ability to expand trade routes and access new markets for energy and natural resources?

Dreeshen: With the U.S. trade dispute going on right now, it’s great to see that other provinces and the federal government are taking an interest in our east, west and northern trade routes, something that we in Alberta have been advocating for a long time.

We signed agreements with Saskatchewan and Manitoba to have an economic corridor to stretch across the prairies, as well as a recent agreement with the Northwest Territories to go north. With the leadership of Premier Danielle Smith, she’s been working on a BC, prairie and three northern territories economic corridor agreement with pretty much the entire western and northern block of Canada.

There has been a tremendous amount of work trying to get Alberta products to market and to make sure we can build big projects in Canada again.

CEC: Which infrastructure projects, whether pipeline, rail or port expansions, do you see as the most viable for improving Alberta’s global market access?

Dreeshen: We look at everything. Obviously, pipelines are the safest way to transport oil and gas, but also rail is part of the mix of getting over four million barrels per day to markets around the world.

The beauty of economic corridors is that it’s a swath of land that can have any type of utility in it, whether it be a roadway, railway, pipeline or a utility line. When you have all the environmental permits that are approved in a timely manner, and you have that designated swath of land, it politically de-risks any type of project.

CEC: A key focus of your ministry has been expanding trade corridors, including an agreement with Saskatchewan and Manitoba to explore access to Hudson’s Bay. Is there any interest from industry in developing this corridor further?

Dreeshen: There’s been lots of talk [about] Hudson Bay, a trade corridor with rail and port access. We’ve seen some improvements to go to Churchill, but also an interest in the Nelson River.

We’re starting to see more confidence in the private sector and industry wanting to build these projects. It’s great that governments can get together and work on a common goal to build things here in Canada.

CEC: What is your vision for Alberta’s future as a leader in global trade, and how do economic corridors fit into that strategy?

Dreeshen: Premier Smith has talked about C-69 being repealed by the federal government [and] the reversal of the West Coast tanker ban, which targets Alberta energy going west out of the Pacific.

There’s a lot of work that needs to be done on the federal side. Alberta has been doing a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to economic corridors.

We’ve asked the federal government if they could develop an economic corridor agency. We want to make sure that the federal government can come to the table, work with provinces [and] work with First Nations across this country to make sure that we can see these projects being built again here in Canada.

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