Connect with us

Alberta

Province twinning David Thompson Highway (#11) from Sylvan Lake to Rocky Mountain House

Published

4 minute read

Premier Kenney announces highway 11 expansion

From the Province of Alberta

Improving David Thompson Highway and creating jobs

The Government of Alberta will twin a 66-kilometre stretch of the David Thompson Highway between Sylvan Lake and Rocky Mountain House.

This $120-million project is part of Albertaā€™s Recovery Plan and will create about 582 jobs, while upgrading the highway and improving traffic flow along this important recreation corridor.

ā€œAlbertaā€™s government is taking every possible step to get folks back to work. Infrastructure upgrades like this will create jobs today, while ensuring our roads and highways can support the needs of Albertans for years to come. Ultimately, this will create more opportunities for Albertans and visitors alike to access the natural beauty and hospitality of our province.ā€

Jason Kenney, Premier

ā€œThe David Thompson Highway leads to some of the most breathtaking scenery in Canada and has become a popular route for the tourism industry. Twinning this highway will increase and improve access for Albertans and tourists alike to enjoy Albertaā€™s outdoors. The project is part of our governmentā€™s recovery plan to create jobs, diversify our economy and get Albertans back to work.ā€

Ric McIver, Minister of Transportation

The David Thompson Highway project is part of the more than $10 billion infrastructure spending announced as part of Albertaā€™s Recovery Plan. This spending includes: $6.9 billion Budget 2020 capital spending, $980 million accelerated for Capital Maintenance and Renewal, $200 million for Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program and water infrastructure projects, $600 million in strategic infrastructure projects, $500 million in municipal infrastructure and $1.5 billion for Keystone XL.

ā€œThe twinning of the David Thompson Highway is an important infrastructure project for our community and will support further investment in the province. It will address the congestion at the 781 intersection that continues to plague the area and, frankly, is long overdue. Most importantly, this project will create jobs right here in central Alberta at a time when Albertans need it most.ā€

Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, and MLA for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake

ā€œThis project represents major progress on transportation infrastructure that will positively impact many communities in Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre. The David Thompson Highway ā€“ named after one of Western Canadaā€™s true pioneers ā€“ sees considerable use by industry, tourists and Albertans recreating in the surrounding areas. Twinning the highway will ensure this gateway to the Rockies is upgraded for use for generations to come ā€“ boosting tourism, shoring up industry supply chains and allowing Albertans to explore what I consider the most beautiful area in the province.ā€

Jason Nixon, Minister of Environment and Parks, and MLA for Rimbey- Rocky Mountain House- Sundre

Albertaā€™s government is helping create more than 50,000 good jobs for Albertans by building schools, roads and other core infrastructure that benefits Albertans and communities. It will further diversify our economy by helping sectors grow and succeed and return investment to our province by ensuring we have the most competitive tax environment in Canada

Quick facts

  • Sylvan Lake and the David Thompson Country region are popular summer vacation destinations.
  • Design work will start in 2020 with construction activities getting underway in the 2021 construction season following land acquisition. A project of this scope typically takes about four years to build.
  • The project will be completed in phases over the following several construction seasons.
  • About 5,800 vehicles use this section of Highway 11 each day.
  • This project is anticipated to support 344 direct and 248 indirect jobs.

Todayville is a digital media and technology company. We profile unique stories and events in our community. Register and promote your community event for free.

Follow Author

Alberta

Big win for Alberta and Canada: Statement from Premier Smith

Published on

Premier Danielle Smith issued the following statement on the April 2, 2025 U.S. tariff announcement:

ā€œToday 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.

ā€œThis is precisely what I have been advocating for from the U.S. administration for months.

ā€œIt 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.

ā€œThere 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.

ā€œI 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.

ā€œAs 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.ā€

Continue Reading

Alberta

Energy sector will fuel Alberta economy and Canadaā€™s exports for many years to come

Published on

From the Fraser Institute

By Jock Finlayson

By any measure, Alberta is an energy powerhouseā€”within Canada, but also on a global scale. In 2023, it produced 85 per cent of Canadaā€™s oil and three-fifths of the countryā€™s natural gas. Most of Canadaā€™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 Canadaā€™s international exports.

Consider some key facts about the provinceā€™s energy landscape, as noted in the Alberta Energy Regulatorā€™s (AER) 2023Ā 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 Albertaā€™s oil and gas production fell in 2023, as the surging prices recorded in 2022 following Russiaā€™s invasion of Ukraine retreated. Capital spending in the provinceā€™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 Canadaā€™s oil industry and should boost Albertaā€™s energy production and exports going forward.

In a world striving to address climate change, Albertaā€™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 ā€œpeakā€ consumption hasnā€™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 Sachsā€™ 2024 global energy forecast predicts that ā€œoil usage will increase through 2034ā€ thanks to strong demand in emerging markets and growing production of petrochemicals that depend on oil as the principalĀ 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 Albertaā€™s energy sector, particularly if the federal government dials back some of the economically destructive energy andĀ climate policiesĀ adopted by the lastĀ government. According to the AERā€™s ā€œbase caseā€ 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 Albertaā€™s upstream gas from LNG operators in British Columbia.

The AERā€™s forecast also points to a positive trajectory for capital spending across the provinceā€™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 ā€œemergingā€ 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 Canadaā€™s export portfolio for the foreseeable future.

Jock Finlayson

Senior Fellow, Fraser Institute
Continue Reading

Trending

X