Alberta
Province touts University Status for RDC as a post-secondary highlight of 2018
From the Province of Alberta
Post-secondary more accessible, affordable in 2018This 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.
Highlights of the year include:
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. |
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
Undoubtedly some of the motorists driving past The Whistle Stop Cafe at Mirror on Tuesday morning thought it was an April Fools prank. It wasn’t.
Chris Scott, owner of the gas station at The Whistle Stop Cafe offered a one day promotion on April 1st. Scott sold 8000 litres of regular gasoline for $0.80/ litre.
The promotion was funded by Scott and the Alberta Prosperity Project. In this video posted to his social media, Chris Scott explains why they did it.
28 energy leaders call for eliminating ALL energy subsidies—even ones they benefit from
The High Cost Of Continued Western Canadian Alienation
Carney’s Cap on Alberta Energy Costing Canada Billions
DOGE discovered $330M in Small Business loans awarded to children under 11
-
2025 Federal Election2 days agoPoilievre, Conservatives receive election endorsement from large Canadian trade union
-
2025 Federal Election2 days agoRCMP Confirms It Is ‘Looking Into’ Alleged Foreign Threat Following Liberal Candidate Paul Chiang Comments
-
2025 Federal Election1 day agoMark Carney refuses to clarify 2022 remarks accusing the Freedom Convoy of ‘sedition’
-
2025 Federal Election1 day agoPM Carney’s Candidate Paul Chiang Steps Down After RCMP Confirms Probe Into “Bounty” Comments
-
Censorship Industrial Complex2 days agoFrance condemned for barring populist leader Marine Le Pen from 2027 election
-
Business2 days agoBiden’s Greenhouse Gas ‘Greendoggle’ Slush Fund Is Unraveling
-
2025 Federal Election1 day ago
Liberal MP Paul Chiang Resigns Without Naming the Real Threat—The CCP
-
Business2 days agoTrump says ‘nicer,’ ‘kinder’ tariffs will generate federal revenue