Alberta
The UnDad turns family life into art
Trent Wilkie has been an actor, a writer, a producer, a journalist and a wilderness guide. But the hardest job he’s ever had is being a parent.
The UnDad Podcast gives the father of two a chance to explore the highs and lows of raising tiny humans, and the bigger topic of family and how it forms us.
Sometimes he interviews someone about being a parent or what it was like to be a kid; sometimes we get a piece of his endlessly creative mind with original stories and soundscapes; and sometimes we get a window into his home life through cameos by his wife Elizabeth and his children, ages two and four.
“My biggest influence is my wife,” he says. “She sets me straight and keeps me focused.”
The UnDad was named best podcast and best family blog in last year’s Best of Edmonton survey. Here’s a bit more about the father of the show:
Q. What will people get out of listening to your podcast?
A. It is not only a parenting podcast, it is an art piece. It is more about existing than selling a product. I create, and this is one of my favourite mediums.
Q. What podcasts do you listen to and why?
A. I listen to Revisionist History, Reply All, and The Last Podcast On The Left. They are entertaining. It isn’t so much the content, but the way it is served. That is the magic spot.
Q. What is the most interesting comment you’ve received from a listener?
A. “My husband was worried about being on your podcast, but I’d like to say thank you. He answered questions that were meaningful, that respected his position in life. You offered him an outlet, that is awesome.”
Q. Do you have any unusual hobbies or talents that would surprise your listeners?
A. I have been a canoe guide for 10 years. I’ve written for the CBC, Fangoria, and countless other high-profile publications. I’ve done a lot. It has made me who I am.
Q. If you could have any guest on your podcast, who would you choose?
A. I’d like to have Stephen King or Cormac McCarthy.
Q. Write your own epitaph — what would it say?
A. ‘Tis a fearful thing to love what death can touch.
Q. What has been your favourite episode so far?
A. I like two: the interview with Gaia Willis and one titled I Love The Rain. The interview with Gaia is my bread and butter. Pure journalistic anthropology. The other is an artistic soundscape that I conceptualized on my own and brought to life.
Be sure to connect with The UnDad on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Each week Todayville will introduce you to members of the Alberta Podcast Network so you can learn more about the many podcasters in Alberta. You can find The UnDad and dozens of other shows at albertapodcastnetwork.com.
About Alberta Podcast Network
The Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB, is on a mission to:
Help Alberta-based podcasters create podcasts of high quality and reach larger audiences;
Foster connections among Alberta-based podcasters;
Provide a powerful marketing opportunity for local businesses and organizations.
Alberta Podcast Network Ltd. is pursuing this mission with funding from ATB Financial and support from other sponsors.
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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