Monday, August 24: Premier Danielle Smith releases a statement in response to the breakdown of trade negotiations between Canada and the US. “The US tariffs are harmful to both countries,” she writes, but adds “Cutting off Alberta energy exports to the US would be extremely harmful to Canadians and is not a viable option.”
Read more: Trade in the Trump Era
Tuesday, August 25: The Canadian Chamber of Commerce announces that its campaign to keep the country united and counter Alberta separatism will be co-chaired by former premiers Jason Kenney (UCP) and Rachel Notley (NDP).
Read more: Morphing to the Middle
Wednesday, August 26: In an open letter, Forever Canadian leader Thomas Lukaszuk asks Danielle Smith to suspend the separation referendum question scheduled for October 19 in light of the tariffs imposed by US president Donald Trump.
Read more: Forever Canadian
Thursday, August 27: The province’s latest fiscal update predicts a $2-billion surplus instead of the originally projected $9.4-billion deficit. The improvement is mostly credited to high oil prices owing to war in the Middle East.
Read more: Independently Poor
August 27: A Pembina Institute report says Meta’s proposed data centre near Edmonton could see household electricity bills in Alberta rise by anywhere from $267 to $462 per year. Opposition NDP leader Naheed Nenshi calls for an immediate moratorium on new AI data centres until new regulations are written.
Read more: Take Back the Power
The Week in Alberta is updated weekdays by 4:30pm MT.
