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Alberta

Dane’s Lemonade Stand – Young Dirt Bike Enthusiast Raising Money for Autism Aspergers Friendship Society

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As the city gears up for a scorching hot August Long Weekend, one young man is preparing to give back to his community. Dane, a 9-year-old from Calgary will be spending his long weekend helping OHV riders at Mclean Creek Provincial Recreation Area cool off for a good cause. 

Dane and his family are heading out to Mclean Creek to camp, dirt bike, and to set up his lemonade stand, where he’ll be selling refreshments for $1 a cup to raise money for donation to the Autism Aspergers Friendship Society of Calgary (AAFS). “He just has the biggest heart,” says Maria, Dane’s mom, “He is the first one to help out when someone needs it.” 

Dane was diagnosed with level two autism just over 3 years ago, and his family has been a member of AAFS for the last year. “They’re just amazing,” says Maria, “they give opportunities to these kids and really make them feel like they are a part of something.” 

The idea for lemonade stand started when Dane, 7 at the time, told his mom he wanted to buy her a house. What originally began as a fun idea quickly became a very meaningful project for Dane. Seeing it as an opportunity to support her son’s creative ambitions and teach a valuable life lesson on the importance of giving back, they sat down together and decided AAFS would be the most suitable place to donate to. 

AAFS launched in 2004 with the support of the Autism Calgary Association. The organization was founded to provide tailored social and recreational programs to kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) where they could be supported and understood, and flourish as members of the community. 

AAFS facilitates a number of activity programs seven days a week, including sports, community outings, club nights, outdoor pursuits, and many more. Acting as a major resource for over 700 member families, AAFS believes in “placing faith in our youth, fostering their independence, and making a difference for those who need it most.” 

After delaying this year’s lemonade stand during the early summer because of COVID-19, Maria says Dane can’t wait to get out to Mclean this weekend. “For him, the lemonade stand is the world,” she says, “anyone who knows him knows he loves camping, he loves dirt biking, and he loves his lemonade stand.”
If you’re heading out to Mclean this long weekend, bring a few extra dollars and swing by the lemonade stand to beat the heat and help Dane support a great local organization. 

Pin for Dane’s Lemonade Stand

Update – August 5, 2020

An update from Dane’s mom Maria says the lemonade stand had a record year, raising a total of $346.90! “The weekend was hot and the guests who stopped by were kind, caring and compassionate,” says Maria.
Along with friends, family and riders, the Alberta OHV Trail Riders group contributed to the success of the stand by offering key chains to any member who made a donation of $10 or more.
 

 

For more stories, visit Todayville Calgary.

Alberta

Big win for Alberta and Canada: Statement from Premier Smith

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Premier Danielle Smith issued the following statement on the April 2, 2025 U.S. tariff announcement:

“Today was an important win for Canada and Alberta, as it appears the United States has decided to uphold the majority of the free trade agreement (CUSMA) between our two nations. It also appears this will continue to be the case until after the Canadian federal election has concluded and the newly elected Canadian government is able to renegotiate CUSMA with the U.S. administration.

“This is precisely what I have been advocating for from the U.S. administration for months.

“It means that the majority of goods sold into the United States from Canada will have no tariffs applied to them, including zero per cent tariffs on energy, minerals, agricultural products, uranium, seafood, potash and host of other Canadian goods.

“There is still work to be done, of course. Unfortunately, tariffs previously announced by the United States on Canadian automobiles, steel and aluminum have not been removed. The efforts of premiers and the federal government should therefore shift towards removing or significantly reducing these remaining tariffs as we go forward and ensuring affected workers across Canada are generously supported until the situation is resolved.

“I again call on all involved in our national advocacy efforts to focus on diplomacy and persuasion while avoiding unnecessary escalation. Clearly, this strategy has been the most effective to this point.

“As it appears the worst of this tariff dispute is behind us (though there is still work to be done), it is my sincere hope that we, as Canadians, can abandon the disastrous policies that have made Canada vulnerable to and overly dependent on the United States, fast-track national resource corridors, get out of the way of provincial resource development and turn our country into an independent economic juggernaut and energy superpower.”

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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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