Monday, May 12: Premier Danielle Smith announces that the government will be freezing its industrial carbon pricing at $95 per tonne of emissions. The price had been set to rise to $110 per tonne in 2026.
Tuesday, May 13: Premier Danielle Smith responds to the new federal cabinet, calling the appointment of Julie Dabrusin as Environment Minister a “step in the wrong direction.” Smith writes that Dabrusin is “anti-oil and gas,” an “advocate against oil sands expansion” and the “architect of the designation of plastics as toxic.”
May 13: Calgary-Hays MLA Ric McIver is elected as the 15th Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, replacing Nathan Cooper. A long-time MLA, McIver served most recently as Minister of Municipal Affairs.
May 13: The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), representing 24,000 provincial employees, votes in favour of a strike, with a 90.1 per cent strike mandate.
Wednesday, May 14: The government passes Bill 54, the Election Statutes Amendment Act. The bill makes it easier for citizens to trigger a referendum (on e.g., separation), bans electronic vote tabulators, and allows corporations and unions to donate to provincial parties and leadership contests.
May 14: At a shareholders meeting in Calgary, ATCO CEO Nancy Southern says talk of Alberta sovereignty is hurting her company. “It’s impacting investments now… Our Japanese partners or our South Korean partners [who] want to invest in a multi-billion-dollar plant in the heart of Alberta say, ‘Well, what are the rules going to be? What’s the currency going to be? Is there security around this? Who’s going to trade with this? How do we get to tidewater?…’ They are very concerned.”
Thursday, May 15: The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) approves a controversial coal project at Grassy Mountain, saying it’s in the public interest and won’t negatively affect wildlife or water. Northback Holdings Corp. can now drill and divert water to the site. A similar project at the site had previously been rejected by a joint review panel in 2021, which concluded the environmental risks outweighed the projected economic benefits.
Friday, May 16: Premier Danielle Smith announces changes to cabinet, which now includes four ministers dedicated to the health portfolio: Adriana LaGrange (Primary and Preventative Health Services), Matt Jones (Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services), Rick Wilson (Mental Health and Addiction) and Jason Nixon (Assisted Living and Social Services). At 27 members, the cabinet is larger than any under premiers Kenney, Notley, Prentice, Redford or Stelmach.
May 16: Updates to the Alberta legislature grounds are complete, including a new river feature with spray and lights and upgrades to the reflecting pool and dome fountain. The government spent $12-million on the project.
