Alberta
Beehives and goat farms: Lacombe school shortlisted in global environmental contest
Taylor Perez says she learned more about her passions while tending beehives, goats and fruit trees at her central Alberta high school than sitting through lessons in a classroom.
“These are all skills we don’t learn in regular classes,” says the 18-year-old student at Lacombe Composite High School.
“You’re not going to learn how to collaborate with community members by sitting in a classroom learning about E = mc2.”
Perez and her classmates are buzzing with excitement after their school’s student-led beekeeping program, goat farm, fruit orchard, tropical greenhouse and other environmental projects were recognized in a global sustainability contest among 10 other schools.
It’s the only North American school to be shortlisted by T4 Education, a global advocacy group, in its World’s Best School Prize for Environmental Action contest.
“The projects are coming from the students’ own hearts and passion for taking care of the environment,” says Steven Schultz, an agriculture and environmental science teacher who has been teaching in Lacombe since 1996.
“They are going to be our community leaders — maybe even our politicians — and for them to know what the heartbeat of their generation is (is) extremely important.”
Schultz says the projects are pitched and designed by students in the school’s Ecovision Club, to which Perez belongs, and he then bases a curriculum around those ideas.
The school of about 900 students began reducing its environmental footprint in 2006 when a former student heard Schultz say during a lesson on renewable energy that “words were meaningless or worthless without action,” the 56-year-old teacher recalls.
“She took that to heart and a year later she came back and told me that she wanted to take the school off the grid.”
Schultz and students watched a fire burn down solar panels on the school’s roof in 2010, an event that further transformed his approach to teaching.
“As their school was burning, my students gathered in tears. That day I realized that students really care about the environment and they really care about the projects that they were involved in.”
Since then, 32 new solar panels have been installed, and they produce up to four per cent of the school’s electricity. After the fire, students also wanted to clean the air in their classrooms so they filled some with spider plants, including one in the teachers’ lounge.
More recently, students replaced an old portable classroom on school property with a greenhouse that operates solely with renewable energy. It’s growing tropical fruits, such as bananas, pineapples, and lemons, and also houses some tilapia fish.
Two acres of the school are also covered by a food forest made up of almost 200 fruit trees and 50 raised beds where organic food is grown.
The school also works with a local farm and raises baby goats inside a solar-powered barn that was built with recycled material.
“They breed and milk them at the farm because there are really tight regulations,” says Schultz.
“We take the excrement from the goats and the hay and use it as mulch and fertilizers for our garden. The goats also chew up the grass and allow us not to have to use lawn mowers and tractors”
Perez said her favourite class is the beekeeping program with 12 hives that produce more than 300 kilograms of honey every year.
“I love that they have different roles in their own little societies,” Perez says of the bees.
She says while working with local businesses and groups as a part of her curriculum, she learned she’s passionate about the environment and wants to become a pharmacist so she can continue giving back to her community.
James Finley, a formerly shy Grade 10 student, says the Ecovision Club and environment classes have helped get him out of his comfort zone.
“I made friends, which was a hard thing for me in the beginning. But now I have, like, hundreds,” says the 16-year-old, who enjoyed the lessons he took on harvesting.
“Taylor and Mr. Schultz were the main people that made me stay.”
Schultz says the winners of the contest are to be announced in the fall.
A prize of about $322,000 will be equally shared among five winners.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sunday, July 3, 2022.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press
Alberta
Emissions Reduction Alberta offering financial boost for the next transformative drilling idea
From the Canadian Energy Centre
$35-million Alberta challenge targets next-gen drilling opportunities
‘All transformative ideas are really eligible’
Forget the old image of a straight vertical oil and gas well.
In Western Canada, engineers now steer wells for kilometres underground with remarkable precision, tapping vast energy resources from a single spot on the surface.
The sector is continually evolving as operators pursue next-generation drilling technologies that lower costs while opening new opportunities and reducing environmental impacts.
But many promising innovations never reach the market because of high development costs and limited opportunities for real-world testing, according to Emissions Reduction Alberta (ERA).
That’s why ERA is launching the Drilling Technology Challenge, which will invest up to $35 million to advance new drilling and subsurface technologies.
“The focus isn’t just on drilling, it’s about building our future economy, helping reduce emissions, creating new industries and making sure we remain a responsible leader in energy development for decades to come,” said ERA CEO Justin Riemer.
And it’s not just about oil and gas. ERA says emerging technologies can unlock new resource opportunities such as geothermal energy, deep geological CO₂ storage and critical minerals extraction.
“Alberta’s wealth comes from our natural resources, most of which are extracted through drilling and other subsurface technologies,” said Gurpreet Lail, CEO of Enserva, which represents energy service companies.
ERA funding for the challenge will range from $250,000 to $8 million per project.
Eligible technologies include advanced drilling systems, downhole tools and sensors; AI-enabled automation and optimization; low-impact rigs and fluids; geothermal and critical mineral drilling applications; and supporting infrastructure like mobile labs and simulation platforms.
“All transformative ideas are really eligible for this call,” Riemer said, noting that AI-based technologies are likely to play a growing role.
“I think what we’re seeing is that the wells of the future are going to be guided by smart sensors and real-time data. You’re going to have a lot of AI-driven controls that help operators make instant decisions and avoid problems.”
Applications for the Drilling Technology Challenge close January 29, 2026.
The Police Review Commission (PRC) is now fully operational, giving Albertans a single, independent process to file policing complaints and ensure accountability.
Alberta’s government is putting the province at the forefront of police oversight in Canada with the creation of the PRC. This new commission replaces the current patchwork of police investigating police with one independent body responsible for receiving complaints, conducting investigations and overseeing disciplinary hearings. By centralizing these functions within a single, independent agency, Alberta is ensuring complaints are handled fairly and consistently.
“The Police Review Commission represents a new era in how Alberta addresses policing complaints. These changes are part of a broader paradigm shift where police are no longer seen as an arm of the state, but rather an extension and a reflection of the community they serve. As an independent agency, it is committed to fairness, accountability and public trust, ensuring every complaint is investigated impartially and resolved openly.”
The Police Amendment Act, 2022 laid the groundwork for this new model, establishing a modern approach to oversight built on accountability, consistency and public confidence. The PRC will manage the full complaints process from receiving and assessing, to investigating and resolving complaints related to police conduct, including serious incidents and statutory offences.
“The Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police welcomes the launch of the Police Review Commission as a meaningful step toward enhanced oversight and greater transparency in policing. By ensuring complaints are reviewed fairly and impartially, the Commission will help strengthen accountability and reinforce public trust in Alberta’s police agencies. Police leaders across the province are committed to working with the Commission and our communities to ensure every Albertan has confidence in the integrity of our police services.”
A timely and transparent complaint resolution process is essential for both the public and police. That is why the PRC must complete investigations within 180 days, and if more time is needed, the chief executive officer must publicly report on delays and provide justification. This ensures clarity, predictability and accountability throughout the process. The commission will be arm’s length from government and police services, meaning people can have greater confidence that their complaints will be investigated and resolved impartially.
“Our goal is to build trust in policing by delivering timely resolutions and fair, consistent outcomes that put people first. Every complaint will be reviewed thoroughly and handled with the transparency and respect Albertans expect and deserve.”
The PRC can also initiate systemic reviews related to police conduct or emerging trends without the need for a public complaint, and these reviews must be made public. Together, these measures create a clear, accountable process that strengthens transparency, supports continuous improvement and enhances trust in how police oversight is carried out across Alberta.
“Public safety and the confidence the public has in our police services and service members are incumbent for effective and responsible service delivery. The PRC has been developed so that Albertans may have a responsible and impartial mechanism to voice concerns regarding delivery of policing services in Alberta. I am confident that the PRC will be an inclusive and diverse representation of the communities, so we may better understand the most appropriate and effective way to respond to concerns regarding police services. I look forward to the positive outcomes for the community.”
The commission’s design was informed by engagement with Indigenous communities, law enforcement partners, municipal officials and community organizations, ensuring its structure and training reflect Alberta’s diversity and values.
Quick facts
- The PRC will handle complaints in three categories:
- Level 1: Death, serious injury and serious or sensitive allegations involving all police services in Alberta, as well as peace officer agencies.
- Level 2: Allegations of criminal and other statutory offences involving all police services in Alberta.
- Level 3: Complaints about non-criminal misconduct involving officers employed by municipal and First Nations police services.
- Complaints that fall outside the three categories will be referred to the appropriate bodies or agencies for review.
- The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) will now operate under the PRC.
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