Alberta
Province grants $150,000.00 to Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, many Albertans were struggling with addiction and mental health. And now, with the immense challenges that the pandemic has placed on families, the need for local support has become even more evident.
Alberta’s government has always prioritized treating those suffering from addiction and mental health concerns with care and compassion. We understand that partnering with local providers is often the best way to deliver the support Albertans need. On the heels of Bell Let’s Talk Day, we must keep the mental health discussion going 365 days a year.
That is why we are excited to announce that as part of Alberta’s Government COVID Mental Health Action Plan, Red Deer will be receiving funds to support wellness and recovery right here in our community.
The Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre is a not for profit organization rooted in the protection and recovery of the most innocent and vulnerable Albertans – our children. Under Phase 3 of this Community Funding Grant Program, they will receive $150,000 to support their work and continue responding to children, youths, and families in need.
Phase 3 of our Community Funding Grant Program also includes $20,000 for Red Deer Family Services Bureau, a nonprofit organization that provides preventive, supportive, and early intervention services throughout Central Alberta.
I am thrilled to have had an active role in advocating for these projects in Red Deer. As the local MLA, I believe in the platform our government ran on, which included a comprehensive plan to expand mental health and addiction and treatment.
Among other things, we created Alberta’s first Associate Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction to respond to the addiction crisis, we eliminated user fees for Albertans accessing publicly funded addiction treatment beds, and we invested $25 million towards building five new long-term recovery communities, one of which will be right here in Red Deer.
Alberta’s government will continue supporting services that build lasting recovery for Albertan’s facing mental health and addiction challenges. We are excited that the Associate Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction is working closely with local treatment providers to provide the best service possible to those in need.
If you are struggling with mental health or addictions, know that you are not alone and there is help available 24/7. These resources were dramatically expanded as part of the COVID Mental Health Action Plan.
Addiction helpline: 1-866-332-2322
Mental health helpline: 1-877-303-2642
Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 or text ‘CONNECT’ to 686868
MLA for Red Deer North Adriana LaGrange
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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