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Province touts University Status for RDC as a post-secondary highlight of 2018

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From the Province of Alberta

Post-secondary more accessible, affordable in 2018

This year, the government improved the post-secondary system by ensuring more Albertans get an affordable education, closer to home.

In March 2018, the Government of Alberta gave Red Deer College and Grande Prairie Regional College approval to pursue becoming universities and develop full degrees, allowing more Alberta students to study closer to home.

From capping tuition and helping institutions diversify their program offerings in high-tech to supporting colleges transitioning to universities, the province continued to improve affordability and accessibility of university and college education.

“Alberta’s universities and colleges are absolutely critical to securing our province’s future. Our government is investing in students so they can reach their full potential and get the education they need for the economy of the future.”

Marlin Schmidt, Minister of Advanced Education

Highlights of the year include:

  • Introducing new legislation to grow post-secondary learning spaces by 3,000 seats through a $43-million investment and $7 million for scholarships and learner supports.
  • Freezing tuition for a fifth year to save students an average of $2,000 for a four-year degree.
  • Legislating future tuition to ensure increases are no more than inflation.
  • Bringing post-secondary executive salaries in line with national averages and eliminating perks and bonuses, saving up to $5 million per year.
  • Granting Red Deer College and Grande Prairie College approval to begin the transition to become universities, as well as officially granting the Alberta College of Art and Design university status as of Feb. 1, 2019. These changes mean future generations of students will not have to bear the financial costs and stress of moving away from their community to pursue an education.
  • Allocating $1.4 billion, including $736 million in Capital Maintenance and Renewal funding, to capital investments for post-secondary institutions over five years to ensure students have safe, modern classrooms and learning facilities.
  • Increased the number of student representatives on college and university boards.

Over the next year, Advanced Education will collaborate with post-secondary institutions to execute new legislation and policies while maintaining affordable, high-quality education across the province.

After 15 years as a TV reporter with Global and CBC and as news director of RDTV in Red Deer, Duane set out on his own 2008 as a visual storyteller. During this period, he became fascinated with a burgeoning online world and how it could better serve local communities. This fascination led to Todayville, launched in 2016.

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Alberta

Made in Alberta! Province makes it easier to support local products with Buy Local program

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Show your Alberta side. Buy Local.

When the going gets tough, Albertans stick together. That’s why Alberta’s government is launching a new campaign to benefit hard-working Albertans.

Global uncertainty is threatening the livelihoods of hard-working Alberta farmers, ranchers, processors and their families. The ‘Buy Local’ campaign, recently launched by Alberta’s government, encourages consumers to eat, drink and buy local to show our unified support for the province’s agriculture and food industry.

The government’s ‘Buy Local’ campaign encourages consumers to buy products from Alberta’s hard-working farmers, ranchers and food processors that produce safe, nutritious food for Albertans, Canadians and the world.

“It’s time to let these hard-working Albertans know we have their back. Now, more than ever, we need to shop local and buy made-in-Alberta products. The next time you are grocery shopping or go out for dinner or a drink with your friends or family, support local to demonstrate your Alberta pride. We are pleased tariffs don’t impact the ag industry right now and will keep advocating for our ag industry.”

RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation

Alberta’s government supports consumer choice. We are providing tools to help folks easily identify Alberta- and Canadian-made foods and products. Choosing local products keeps Albertans’ hard-earned dollars in our province. Whether it is farm-fresh vegetables, potatoes, honey, craft beer, frozen food or our world-renowned beef, Alberta has an abundance of fresh foods produced right on our doorstep.

Quick facts

  • This summer, Albertans can support local at more than 150 farmers’ markets across the province and meet the folks who make, bake and grow our food.
  • In March 2023, the Alberta government launched the ‘Made in Alberta’ voluntary food and beverage labelling program to support local agriculture and food sectors.
  • Through direct connections with processors, the program has created the momentum to continue expanding consumer awareness about the ‘Made in Alberta’ label to help shoppers quickly identify foods and beverages produced in our province.
  • Made in Alberta product catalogue website

 

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Alberta

Province to expand services provided by Alberta Sheriffs: New policing option for municipalities

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Expanding municipal police service options

Proposed amendments would help ensure Alberta’s evolving public safety needs are met while also giving municipalities more options for local policing.

As first announced with the introduction of the Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, Alberta’s government is considering creating a new independent agency police service to assume the police-like duties currently performed by Alberta Sheriffs. If passed, Bill 49 would lay additional groundwork for the new police service.

Proposed amendments to the Police Act recognize the unique challenges faced by different communities and seek to empower local governments to adopt strategies that effectively respond to their specific safety concerns, enhancing overall public safety across the province.

If passed, Bill 49 would specify that the new agency would be a Crown corporation with an independent board of directors to oversee its day-to-day operations. The new agency would be operationally independent from the government, consistent with all police services in Alberta. Unlike the Alberta Sheriffs, officers in the new police service would be directly employed by the police service rather than by the government.

“With this bill, we are taking the necessary steps to address the unique public safety concerns in communities across Alberta. As we work towards creating an independent agency police service, we are providing an essential component of Alberta’s police framework for years to come. Our aim is for the new agency is to ensure that Albertans are safe in their communities and receive the best possible service when they need it most.”

Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services

Additional amendments would allow municipalities to select the new agency as their local police service once it becomes fully operational and the necessary standards, capacity and frameworks are in place. Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring the new agency works collaboratively with all police services to meet the province’s evolving public safety needs and improve law enforcement response times, particularly in rural communities. While the RCMP would remain the official provincial police service, municipalities would have a new option for their local policing needs.

Once established, the agency would strengthen Alberta’s existing policing model and complement the province’s current police services, which include the RCMP, Indigenous police services and municipal police. It would help fill gaps and ensure law enforcement resources are deployed efficiently across the province.

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