Monday, August 25: The UCP government announces it will survey the public about the potential for nuclear energy to meet Alberta’s “growing energy needs while supporting decarbonization goals.”
Read More: Should Alberta Have Nuclear Energy?
Wednesday, August 27: The Alberta Party votes “overwhelmingly” to change its name to the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party. The decision is pending Elections Alberta approval.
Read More: What’s in a Name?
Thursday, August 28: The Alberta government announces that its projected budget deficit this year is $6.5-billion. This is $1.3-billion higher than the previous forecast. Finance Minister Nate Horner attributes the worsening deficit primarily to lower oil prices and uncertainty created by US trade policy.
Read More: Getting off the Roller Coaster
Friday, August 29: Premier Danielle Smith responds to a list of 200 books to be removed by the Edmonton Public School Board from its libraries due to “explicit sexual content,” calling the list “vicious compliance” with a new UCP directive. The EPSB says it is merely following an order signed by Education and Childcare Minister Demetrios Nicolaides on July 4.
Read More: Should Sex Ed be Mandatory?
August 29: Negotiations between the government and the Alberta Teachers’ Association break down. Ministers Nate Horner (Finance) and Demetrios Nicolaides (Education and Childcare) issue a statement saying the union is being manipulative and that their “primary interest is in diverting supports away from the classroom to further drive up teacher compensation.” ATA president Jason Schilling says teachers have received a mere 5.75 per cent pay increase over the past decade.
Read More: Bursting at the Seams
August 29: The provincial government launches the Alberta Wallet, a way to carry government-issued documents on smartphones. The first document to be available is a mobile health card.
Read More: Why Can’t You Get a Family Doctor?
The Week in Alberta is updated weekdays by 4:30pm MT.
