Alberta
Alberta Serious Incident Response Team investigating fatal police shooting at Cochrane
From the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT)
Investigation continues into RCMP officer-involved shooting
On Dec. 7, 2019, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) was directed to investigate the circumstances surrounding an RCMP officer-involved shooting in Cochrane, Alberta, that resulted in the death of a 28-year-old man.
On Dec. 6, 2019, Cochrane RCMP and the Calgary Police Service received information from two separate individuals raising significant concerns about the behaviour and recent messages sent by the 28-year-old man. Police were also advised that the man, currently bound by a condition prohibiting him from being in possession of firearms, had several firearms in his possession within the residence.
Based on the information provided, the decision was made to attend the residence, to arrest the man for breach of his release conditions and remove access to the firearms. Shortly after 7 p.m., the officers arrived at the home, which is located in a populated residential area in northwest Cochrane. The man, who was armed with a firearm and the sole occupant of the residence, refused to surrender. The home was contained and the RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT) responded to the location. RCMP successfully applied for a warrant to enter the home to arrest the man.
Telephone contact with the man was established, but attempts over the next several hours to negotiate his surrender failed. At one point, an RCMP armoured vehicle pulled up to the rear of the residence, at the overhead vehicle door to the attached garage. Shortly thereafter, approximately five to six shots were believed to have been fired from inside the garage, through the solid garage vehicle door, in what would have been in the general direction of the armoured vehicle.
Ultimately, in the early morning hours, after attempting various forms of intervention, ERT officers deployed a chemical agent into the residence. Moments later, at approximately 1:40 a.m., the man exited the residence and a confrontation occurred between officers and the man, which resulted in an officer discharging his firearm. The man was struck and fell to the ground. Emergency medical aid was provided on scene, and the man was transported by ambulance to hospital, but did not survive.
A loaded .22 calibre semi-automatic rifle was recovered from the snow near where the man fell.
The .22 calibre semi-automatic rifle that was recovered:
Initial examination at the scene revealed what appeared to be bullet holes in the overhead vehicle door of the attached garage, and seven spent shell casings were recovered from inside the attached garage. Six bullet holes were identified on the garage of a nearby residence. A search of the residence led to the recovery of two other guns and additional ammunition.
ASIRT’s investigation, which will focus on what led up to the officer-involved shooting, continues. It will include additional interviews with witnesses. In order to preserve the integrity of the investigation, no further information will be released at this time.
ASIRT’s mandate is to effectively, independently and objectively investigate incidents involving Alberta’s police that have resulted in serious injury or death to any person, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.
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.”
From the Fraser Institute
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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