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Alberta

Alberta wildfire situation (May 8, 6:00 p.m.)

Published

3 years ago

15 minute read

More than 29,000 individuals have been evacuated from communities throughout north and central Alberta.

Those evacuated due to wildfires should register at local reception centres or at emergencyregistration.alberta.ca.

Current situation

  • Alberta has declared a provincial state of emergency. Visit alberta.ca/emergency for information or call 310-4455, now available 24-7.
  • The evacuation for the town of Edson as well as central and eastern parts of Yellowhead County has lifted. Some areas remain under evacuation order.
  • The Big Lakes County evacuation order has been downgraded to a one-hour evacuation alert. Large portions of the affected area currently have no electrical power or natural gas services.
  • The mandatory evacuation notice has been lifted in Northern Sunrise County. Residents are now allowed to return to their homes.
  • Mandatory evacuation orders remain in effect for the following areas. Please check alberta.ca/emergency or download the Alberta Emergency Alert mobile app for complete information:
    • Parts of Brazeau County, including the town of Drayton Valley. Evacuees should register in Edmonton at the Expo Centre, Hall C, at 7515 118 Avenue.
    • The entire town of Rainbow Lake. Evacuees should register in High Level at the High Level Arena, at 10101 105 Avenue.
    • Fox Creek, Little Smoky and surrounding areas. Evacuees should register at the Allan and Jean Millar Centre, at 58 Sunset Boulevard in Whitecourt.
    • Parts of Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation and the Municipal District of Greenview. Evacuees should register at Memorial Hall, 4808 50 Street in Valleyview.
    • Parts of the County of Grande Prairie. Evacuees should register at the Bonnets Energy Centre, 10017 99 Avenue, Grande Prairie.
    • Parts of Big Lakes County. Evacuees should register at Elks Rodeo Hall on Highway 749.
    • Parts of Lac Ste. Anne County. Evacuees should register at the Mayerthorpe Diamond Centre, at 4184 54 Street.
    • Parts of Yellowhead County (east of Range Road 110 and east of Range Road 101 and south of Township Road 560). Evacuees should register at the Dr. Duncan Murray Rec Centre, 805 Switzer Drive, Hinton, or at the Jasper Fitness & Aquatics Centre, at 305 Bonhomme Street, Jasper.
    • Parkland County and the Hamlet of Entwistle. Evacuees should register at Wabamun Jubilee Hall, at 5132 53 Avenue in Wabamun.
  • Residents of the following areas should be prepared to evacuate on short notice:
    • The Grovesdale area of the Municipal District of Greenview.
    • Clearwater County in the area west of Beaverdam Provincial Recreation Area and east of the Bighorn Dam, including the hamlet of Nordegg.
    • Parts of the County of Grande Prairie, including the Pipestone Creek area.
    • The town of Valleyview.
    • Lac St. Anne County, in the area north of Township Road 560 and south of Highway 43, and between Range Road 60 to 53 and the community of Cherhill.
    • Athabasca County, in the area of Range Road 214 and Range Road 215 north of Township Road 674. The prepare to evacuate notice for everyone else in the area between Jackfish Lake and the Athabasca River to the west remains in effect.
    • Big Lakes County
    • MD of Greenview, in the area west of Highway 40 and south of the Wapiti River to the British Columbia border.
  • Eighteen declared states of local emergency (SOLE) and two band council resolutions include:
    • Big Lakes County
    • Brazeau County
    • Clear Hills County
    • Drayton Valley
    • Town of Edson
    • MD of Fairview
    • Town of Fairview
    • MD of Greenview
    • Town of Fox Creek
    • Gift Lake Metis Settlement
    • County of Grande Prairie
    • Town of High Prairie
    • Northern Sunrise County
    • East Prairie Metis Settlement
    • Peavine Metis Settlement
    • Lac St. Anne County
    • Parkland County
    • Town of Rainbow Lake
    • Yellowhead County
    • The Little Red River Cree Nation (Fox Lake) has declared a SOLE through Band Council Resolution
    • Whitefish Lake First Nation has declared a SOLE through Band Council Resolution

Information for evacuees

  • Evacuees should register at the reception centre identified for their community so staff can quickly assist them and connect them with the resources they need.
  • Evacuees with special needs who are unable to stay in an evacuation centre can request emergency financial assistance to cover hotel accommodations.
    • Special needs could include having a disability, a medical condition or other family needs.
    • Apply for emergency financial assistance by visiting an Alberta Supports Centre or calling the Income Support Contact Centre at 1-866-644-5135. Information is also available through the Alberta Supports Contact Centre at 1-877-644-9992.
  • Any Albertan who has evacuated under mandatory order for seven consecutive days or more can apply for a one-time emergency evacuation payment at alberta.ca/emergency using an Alberta.ca Account.
    • Eligible evacuees will receive $1,250 per adult and an additional $500 per dependent child under 18 years.
    • Funds can take up to 24 hours to flow into accounts and will be disbursed via e-transfer.
    • Evacuees unable to receive an e-transfer or who cannot apply online can contact 310-4455 for assistance and to make alternate arrangements.
  • Albertans affected by wildfires, including evacuees, can access supports by calling the Alberta Supports Contact Centre at 1-877-644-9992.
    • The centre is open from 8:15 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.
  • The Income Support Contact Centre is also available 24-7 and provides emergency financial assistance. Call 1-866-644-5135.
  • Albertans can report a price gouging complaint by calling 310-4455.

Fire bans and other restrictions

  • Unusually warm, dry weather and strong winds mean it is easier for a wildfire to start and spread.
  • As a result of these conditions, there is a fire ban issued for most of the province. Fire restrictions in some parks and southern municipalities are also in effect. No open burning is allowed, including backyard fire pits, inside the Forest Protection Area. Alberta Parks and many municipalities and communities have ordered their own bans and restrictions. For more information, visit albertafirebans.ca.
  • A provincial off-highway vehicle (OHV) restriction is also in place, which means the recreational use of off-highway vehicles on public land, including on designated OHV trails, is prohibited.

Wildfire activity updates

  • There are currently 88 active wildfires in the Forest Protection Area, 25 of which are classified as out of control.

Travel

  • There are multiple road closures and advisories for north and central Alberta.
  • Visit 511.alberta.ca for up-to-date information on road closures and travel advisories.

Health

  • No additional evacuations were required over the last 24 hours. Evacuated patients and continuing care residents are being relocated in safe and appropriate settings. All zones are opening care spaces to accommodate those in need.
  • Alberta Health Services has issued a boil water advisory for the River Bend Water Co-op in Big Lakes County as a precautionary measure.
  • All patients who are expected for assessment or treatment for a cancer diagnosis in an evacuated area are asked to call the Cancer Centre Transition Team (toll-free at 1-888-432-8865) to ensure they are receiving the care they require.
  • All appointments with laboratory services, mental health and public health in evacuated communities continue to be postponed at this time. Clients will be contacted directly by AHS to be rescheduled as soon as possible. Dialysis clients are being booked at alternate sites. Home care clients impacted by evacuations are being contacted to arrange for alternative home visits and support from nursing teams.
  • EMS and zones continue to be fully engaged to ensure the safe transport and care of all patients/residents. Other zones and provincial programs are assisting with reception centres and ensuring availability of spaces/equipment as needed.
  • Residents affected by the wildfires who have health care-related questions and are looking for up-to-date information about the wildfires or health care resources, should visit the Alberta Health Services Wildfire Resources webpage.
  • For non-emergency health advice, including information on their health care options, residents should call Health Link at 811.

Mental health and addiction resources

  • If you’re struggling with your mental health or need to talk to someone about how you are feeling, resources are available:
    • Call the AHS Mental Health Helpline at 1-877-303-2642 or Health Link at 811
    • Call 211 or text INFO to 211 or visit ab.211.ca to access digital supports or find local services near you
    • Call Counselling Alberta at 1-833-827-4230 or visit counsellingalberta.com for virtual counselling services
  • Addiction supports are also available:
    • Call the AHS Addiction Helpline at 1-866-332-2322 or Health Link at 811
    • Call the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program at 1-844-383-7688 for same-day treatment

Air quality concerns

  • As of noon today, most conditions across the province are rated “low-risk”.
    • Conditions in Fort Chipewyan, Fort McKay and Fort McKay South are rated “moderate risk”.
  • People who are concerned about air quality impacts on their health should refer to the Air Quality Health Index. The Air Quality Health Index is updated hourly.
  • Alberta Health Services is deploying mobile air quality monitoring, as multiple communities are reporting high levels of smoke and ash residue.

Justice

  • The Drayton Valley circuit court is within the Town of Drayton Valley’s evacuation order. The next sitting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 16.

Agriculture and livestock

  • Agricultural societies may have room for livestock evacuated from wildfire areas. Contact the Alberta Association of Agricultural Societies.
  • Evacuated farmers and ranchers:
    • Should visit alberta.ca/emergency to find the most up-to-date information on the current wildfire situation.
    • Can contact the wildfire resource line at 310-4455 with agriculture and livestock-related questions.
    • Should register at the reception centre identified for their community so staff can quickly assist them and connect them with the resources they need.
    • May need re-entry permits if they want to go back into an evacuated area to check on livestock and should check with their municipality before entering.

Alberta Emergency Alerts

  • For up-to-the-minute Alberta Emergency Alert information, visit Alberta Emergency Alert.
  • Albertans are encouraged to download the Alberta Emergency Alert mobile app, which immediately pushes all alerts out to subscribers.
  • Albertans may notice emergency alerts for their community expiring or being removed from the system. This does not mean the emergency is over. What it does mean is that your community has been able to return to normal communication methods to update residents via local media.
  • Please pay close attention to alert updates, local media and the alberta.ca/emergency website for up-to-date information on evacuation orders, reception centres and resources for people who have been impacted.

Donations

  • Albertans who wish to help can make cash donations through the Canadian Red Cross or within their regions to a recognized charitable organization of their choice.
  • Financial donations are preferred for disaster events, as most critical items can be sourced locally and monetary donations can be used to support vulnerable populations and be targeted to mental health initiatives in support of evacuees.
  • Individuals and companies with goods or services to offer or donate to support government’s response to the wildfire event can email [email protected].ca.

Insurance

  • Albertans with questions about their insurance coverage during the wildfires should contact their insurance representative.
  • The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) has updated information about insurance during wildfires. Albertans affected by wildfires can visit the IBC web page for information on property and auto insurance.
  • Albertans can call IBCs Consumer Information Centre at 1-844-2ask-IBC (1-844-227-5422) or email IBC’s regional office at [email protected] (Western and Pacific regions).

Before Post

Related Topics:

This is a news release from the Government of Alberta.

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The Canadian Energy Centre’s biggest stories of 2025

Published on December 30, 2025

By

From the Canadian Energy Centre

Canada’s energy landscape changed significantly in 2025, with mounting U.S. economic pressures reinforcing the central role oil and gas can play in safeguarding the country’s independence.

Here are the Canadian Energy Centre’s top five most-viewed stories of the year.

5. Alberta’s massive oil and gas reserves keep growing – here’s why

The Northern Lights, aurora borealis, make an appearance over pumpjacks near Cremona, Alta., Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. CP Images photo

Analysis commissioned this spring by the Alberta Energy Regulator increased the province’s natural gas reserves by more than 400 per cent, bumping Canada into the global top 10.

Even with record production, Alberta’s oil reserves – already fourth in the world – also increased by seven billion barrels.

According to McDaniel & Associates, which conducted the report, these reserves are likely to become increasingly important as global demand continues to rise and there is limited production growth from other sources, including the United States.

4. Canada’s pipeline builders ready to get to work

Photo courtesy Coastal GasLink

Canada could be on the cusp of a “golden age” for building major energy projects, said Kevin O’Donnell, executive director of the Mississauga, Ont.-based Pipe Line Contractors Association of Canada.

That eagerness is shared by the Edmonton-based Progressive Contractors Association of Canada (PCA), which launched a “Let’s Get Building” advocacy campaign urging all Canadian politicians to focus on getting major projects built.

“The sooner these nation-building projects get underway, the sooner Canadians reap the rewards through new trading partnerships, good jobs and a more stable economy,” said PCA chief executive Paul de Jong.

3. New Canadian oil and gas pipelines a $38 billion missed opportunity, says Montreal Economic Institute

Steel pipe in storage for the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion in 2022. Photo courtesy Trans Mountain Corporation

In March, a report by the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) underscored the economic opportunity of Canada building new pipeline export capacity.

MEI found that if the proposed Energy East and Gazoduq/GNL Quebec projects had been built, Canada would have been able to export $38 billion worth of oil and gas to non-U.S. destinations in 2024.

“We would be able to have more prosperity for Canada, more revenue for governments because they collect royalties that go to government programs,” said MEI senior policy analyst Gabriel Giguère.

“I believe everybody’s winning with these kinds of infrastructure projects.”

2. Keyera ‘Canadianizes’ natural gas liquids with $5.15 billion acquisition

Keyera Corp.’s natural gas liquids facilities in Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. Photo courtesy Keyera Corp.

In June, Keyera Corp. announced a $5.15 billion deal to acquire the majority of Plains American Pipelines LLP’s Canadian natural gas liquids (NGL) business, creating a cross-Canada NGL corridor that includes a storage hub in Sarnia, Ontario.

The acquisition will connect NGLs from the growing Montney and Duvernay plays in Alberta and B.C. to markets in central Canada and the eastern U.S. seaboard.

“Having a Canadian source for natural gas would be our preference,” said Sarnia mayor Mike Bradley.

“We see Keyera’s acquisition as strengthening our region as an energy hub.”

1. Explained: Why Canadian oil is so important to the United States

Enbridge’s Cheecham Terminal near Fort McMurray, Alberta is a key oil storage hub that moves light and heavy crude along the Enbridge network. Photo courtesy Enbridge

The United States has become the world’s largest oil producer, but its reliance on oil imports from Canada has never been higher.

Many refineries in the United States are specifically designed to process heavy oil, primarily in the U.S. Midwest and U.S. Gulf Coast.

According to the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission, the top five U.S. refineries running the most Alberta crude are:

  • Marathon Petroleum, Robinson, Illinois (100% Alberta crude)
  • Exxon Mobil, Joliet, Illinois (96% Alberta crude)
  • CHS Inc., Laurel, Montana (95% Alberta crude)
  • Phillips 66, Billings, Montana (92% Alberta crude)
  • Citgo, Lemont, Illinois (78% Alberta crude)
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Alberta

Alberta project would be “the biggest carbon capture and storage project in the world”

Published on December 26, 2025

By

Pathways Alliance CEO Kendall Dilling is interviewed at the World Petroleum Congress in Calgary, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

From Resource Works

By Nelson Bennett

Carbon capture gives biggest bang for carbon tax buck CCS much cheaper than fuel switching: report

Canada’s climate change strategy is now joined at the hip to a pipeline. Two pipelines, actually — one for oil, one for carbon dioxide.

The MOU signed between Ottawa and Alberta two weeks ago ties a new oil pipeline to the Pathways Alliance, which includes what has been billed as the largest carbon capture proposal in the world.

One cannot proceed without the other. It’s quite possible neither will proceed.

The timing for multi-billion dollar carbon capture projects in general may be off, given the retreat we are now seeing from industry and government on decarbonization, especially in the U.S., our biggest energy customer and competitor.

But if the public, industry and our governments still think getting Canada’s GHG emissions down is a priority, decarbonizing Alberta oil, gas and heavy industry through CCS promises to be the most cost-effective technology approach.

New modelling by Clean Prosperity, a climate policy organization, finds large-scale carbon capture gets the biggest bang for the carbon tax buck.

Which makes sense. If oil and gas production in Alberta is Canada’s single largest emitter of CO2 and methane, it stands to reason that methane abatement and sequestering CO2 from oil and gas production is where the biggest gains are to be had.

A number of CCS projects are already in operation in Alberta, including Shell’s Quest project, which captures about 1 million tonnes of CO2 annually from the Scotford upgrader.

What is CO2 worth?

Clean Prosperity estimates industrial carbon pricing of $130 to $150 per tonne in Alberta and CCS could result in $90 billion in investment and 70 megatons (MT) annually of GHG abatement or sequestration. The lion’s share of that would come from CCS.

To put that in perspective, 70 MT is 10% of Canada’s total GHG emissions (694 MT).

The report cautions that these estimates are “hypothetical” and gives no timelines.

All of the main policy tools recommended by Clean Prosperity to achieve these GHG reductions are contained in the Ottawa-Alberta MOU.

One important policy in the MOU includes enhanced oil recovery (EOR), in which CO2 is injected into older conventional oil wells to increase output. While this increases oil production, it also sequesters large amounts of CO2.

Under Trudeau era policies, EOR was excluded from federal CCS tax credits. The MOU extends credits and other incentives to EOR, which improves the value proposition for carbon capture.

Under the MOU, Alberta agrees to raise its industrial carbon pricing from the current $95 per tonne to a minimum of $130 per tonne under its TIER system (Technology Innovation and Emission Reduction).

The biggest bang for the buck

Using a price of $130 to $150 per tonne, Clean Prosperity looked at two main pathways to GHG reductions: fuel switching in the power sector and CCS.

Fuel switching would involve replacing natural gas power generation with renewables, nuclear power, renewable natural gas or hydrogen.

“We calculated that fuel switching is more expensive,” Brendan Frank, director of policy and strategy for Clean Prosperity, told me.

Achieving the same GHG reductions through fuel switching would require industrial carbon prices of $300 to $1,000 per tonne, Frank said.

Clean Prosperity looked at five big sectoral emitters: oil and gas extraction, chemical manufacturing, pipeline transportation, petroleum refining, and cement manufacturing.

“We find that CCUS represents the largest opportunity for meaningful, cost-effective emissions reductions across five sectors,” the report states.

Fuel switching requires higher carbon prices than CCUS.

Measures like energy efficiency and methane abatement are included in Clean Prosperity’s calculations, but again CCS takes the biggest bite out of Alberta’s GHGs.

“Efficiency and (methane) abatement are a portion of it, but it’s a fairly small slice,” Frank said. “The overwhelming majority of it is in carbon capture.”

From left, Alberta Minister of Energy Marg McCuaig-Boyd, Shell Canada President Lorraine Mitchelmore, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell Ben van Beurden, Marathon Oil Executive Brian Maynard, Shell ER Manager, Stephen Velthuizen, and British High Commissioner to Canada Howard Drake open the valve to the Quest carbon capture and storage facility in Fort Saskatchewan Alta, on Friday November 6, 2015. Quest is designed to capture and safely store more than one million tonnes of CO2 each year an equivalent to the emissions from about 250,000 cars. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Credit where credit is due

Setting an industrial carbon price is one thing. Putting it into effect through a workable carbon credit market is another.

“A high headline price is meaningless without higher credit prices,” the report states.

“TIER credit prices have declined steadily since 2023 and traded below $20 per tonne as of November 2025. With credit prices this low, the $95 per tonne headline price has a negligible effect on investment decisions and carbon markets will not drive CCUS deployment or fuel switching.”

Clean Prosperity recommends a kind of government-backstopped insurance mechanism guaranteeing carbon credit prices, which could otherwise be vulnerable to political and market vagaries.

Specifically, it recommends carbon contracts for difference (CCfD).

“A straight-forward way to think about it is insurance,” Frank explains.

Carbon credit prices are vulnerable to risks, including “stroke-of-pen risks,” in which governments change or cancel price schedules. There are also market risks.

CCfDs are contractual agreements between the private sector and government that guarantees a specific credit value over a specified time period.

“The private actor basically has insurance that the credits they’ll generate, as a result of making whatever low-carbon investment they’re after, will get a certain amount of revenue,” Frank said. “That certainty is enough to, in our view, unlock a lot of these projects.”

From the perspective of Canadian CCS equipment manufacturers like Vancouver’s Svante, there is one policy piece still missing from the MOU: eligibility for the Clean Technology Manufacturing (CTM) Investment tax credit.

“Carbon capture was left out of that,” said Svante co-founder Brett Henkel said.

Svante recently built a major manufacturing plant in Burnaby for its carbon capture filters and machines, with many of its prospective customers expected to be in the U.S.

The $20 billion Pathways project could be a huge boon for Canadian companies like Svante and Calgary’s Entropy. But there is fear Canadian CCS equipment manufacturers could be shut out of the project.

“If the oil sands companies put out for a bid all this equipment that’s needed, it is highly likely that a lot of that equipment is sourced outside of Canada, because the support for Canadian manufacturing is not there,” Henkel said.

Henkel hopes to see CCS manufacturing added to the eligibility for the CTM investment tax credit.

“To really build this eco-system in Canada and to support the Pathways Alliance project, we need that amendment to happen.”

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