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Alberta

Olympic focus at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame – The Halftime Report

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News from the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame

Team Canada

Red and white are not only the colours associated with our nations flag but are also represented in the Olympic apparel worn by Team Canada, often accented with black to make the maple leaf shapes as vibrant as possible.

These looks are also reinterpreted for spectator apparel sold through retailers like Hudsons Bay.

Do you have a favourite Team Canada outfit?

This newsletter is sponsored by the Innisfail Eagles.

Honoured Member in Focus: Kyle Shewfelt

Kyle Shewfelt began his gymnastic career in 1988, at the age of six.

At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, Kyle made history when he won Canada’s first Olympic gymnastics medal – a gold on the floor exercise. He also placed fourth on the vault.

Kyle’s international career began in 1996. That year, he placed first on floor and third on vault in Austria, and placed first on vault and second on floor in Hungary.

In 1999 and 2000, Kyle made his mark in the World Cup circuit. At the 2003 World Artistic Gymnastic Championships, Kyle captured two bronze medals – on floor and vault.

Kyle’s autobiography, Make it Happen: My Story of Gymnastics. the Olympics, and the Positive Power of Sport was released in April and is available through www.kyleshewfelt.com as well as through Chapters/Indigo.

Welcome back, Alberta Olympians!

Congratulations to Alberta Olympians Claudia Holzner, Halle Pratt, Marco Arop, Sage Watson, Josephine Wu, Haley Daniels, Allison Beveridge, Kelsey Mitchell, Caeli McKay, Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski, Nicole Hare, Jessica Sevick, Keyara Wardley, Lynda Kiejko, Stephanie Labbé, Yuri Kisil, Finlay Knox, Cole Pratt, Rebecca Smith, Blair Bann, Jay Blankenau, Lucas Van Berkel, Graham Vigrass, Kyra Christmas, Kelly McKee, Kindred Paul, and Danielle Lappage for competing on the Olympic stage in Tokyo.

Congratulations also to Honoured Members Kyle Shewfelt, who was an analyst for CBC’s coverage of Olympic gymnastics, and Blythe Hartley, who was an analyst during the diving events.

We are incredibly proud of all you accomplished. Welcome home.

Provincial Sport Organization: Alberta Gymnastics Federation

The Alberta Gymnastics Federation values the growth and development of gymnastics and the opportunity to encourage and support the clubs, gymnasts, coaches, and judges who bring gymnastics to life. Gymnastics is a sport for everyone. It provides an opportunity to challenge oneself physically and enables one to explore various forms of movement in fun creative ways. We also strive to inspire gymnasts, coaches, and judges to meet their own potential through athlete and leadership development courses.

Tickets now available for Alberta Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet

Join us on Friday, October 22nd, 2021 when we induct the next group of provincial sports legends to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.

The Banquet, which had been postponed from its original date in May 2020, will now take place that evening at the Red Deer College (RDC) Arts Centre.

The timetable for the event is as follows:

  • 5:30 – 6:30 pm: Cocktail Reception
  • 5:30 – 6:30 pm: Silent Auction and Raffles
  • 6:45 – 8:30 pm: Awards and Presentations
  • 8:30 – 8:45 pm: Closing Remarks
  • 8:45 – 9:30 pm: Dessert/Nightcap in RDC Arts Centre Lobby

The Class of 2020 includes athletes Deidra Dionne, Chris Phillips, Kelly Sutherland, and Michael Robertson; builders Jan Ullmark, Terry Morris, Ken Babey, and Derek Douglas; Bell Memorial Award winners Nancy Southern and Ian Allison; Achievement Award winner John Currie; Pioneer Award winner Stan Wakelyn; and Legacy Award winner Dennis Kadatz.

Tickets are $50 for Alberta Sports Hall of Fame Honoured Members and their guests, or $75 for general admission.

For tickets, email [email protected], call (403) 341-8614, or visit https://www.albertasportshall.ca/2020-induction-banquet to download the ticket order form.

Join us (and the Innisfail Eagles) on the links!

The Annual Alberta Sports Hall of Fame Golf Tournament is set to tee off off on Tuesday, September 14 at the Innisfail Golf Course. This season, we will be partnering with the Innisfail Eagles Hockey Team.

We are still looking for golfers, sponsors, and volunteers.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to support the preservation of Alberta sports by playing at one of the province’s crown jewels.

Call (403) 341-8614 or email programmer@albertasportshall.ca for more information.

Join the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, September 18th, for a showcase of family fun, sport, and culture in celebration of Alberta Culture Days.

The event will include appearances by the Red Deer Aboriginal Dance Troupe, Association Canadienne Francaise de l’Alberta Régionale de Red Deer, Alberta Sports Hall of Fame Honoured Member and Olympic gold medalist Kyle Shewfelt, the Hungry Beast Food Truck and much more.

Events get underway at 10 am and wrap up at 4 pm.

Leave a legacy

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame needs your support to continue the ongoing preservation of Alberta’s sports history and the development of museum exhibits. We are grateful and appreciative of the generosity of our supporters and friends. We would be happy to assist you in choosing how your personal legacy will be fulfilled and the many options available. Here is some information on donating shares to ASHFM and the benefits to you as a donor.

Donate

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame provides a family-friendly, interactive experience. You will be surprised by what you discover inside! Have fun, laugh, play and discover Alberta sports heroes together. The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is an interactive, hands-on celebration of Alberta's sporting history. Our over 7,000 square feet of exhibit space includes a multisport area with virtual baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer; an adaptive sports area, including a 200 meter wheelchair challenge; a Treadwall climbing wall; the Orest Korbutt Theatre; the Hall of Fame Gallery; an art gallery displaying works by provincial artists, and much more. Our venue boasts a collection of over 17,000 artefacts of Alberta sports history and showcases many of these items in a number of displays. The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame also offers an education program, group activities, and a unique environment to rent for your birthday party, special event, corporate reception or meetings.

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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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