Tuesday, June 16: The Globe and Mail reports that Alberta Health Services has been ordered to hand over documents to the RCMP as part of the police investigation into allegations of procurement irregularities at AHS.
Read more: The Hidden Connections in the Skybox Photo
June 16: The Alberta Teachers’ Association says it “opposes any ballot questions in the Alberta referendum that refer to restricting access to provincially funded public education based on a child’s immigration status… every child in Alberta deserves access to publicly funded education. Period.”
Read more: Always Hiding
Wednesday, June 17: Premier Danielle Smith announces energy rebates: one-time $100 payments to Albertans aged 18 or older who have a combined household income of less than $225,000 and file their 2025 taxes.
Read more: Heritage Trust Fund
June 17: In response to the upcoming referendum question on separation, the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs of treaties 6, 7 and 8 passes a resolution “calling for an investigation by the RCMP and Auditor General into the actions of premier Danielle Smith and members of the UCP to determine whether they constitute treason.”
Read more: Is a Referendum a Good Way to Make a Decision?
June 17: Premier Danielle Smith announces that the Water Not Coal petition, which collected over 200,000 signatures, will not be included in the October 2026 referendum. Smith says Elections Alberta issued a June 1 deadline for signatures to be received. Petition organizer Corb Lund says he’s “deeply disappointed and shocked,” adding that “at no point was any June 1 deadline mentioned.”
Read more: Why Coal Mines Always Get Approved
Thursday, June 18: The UCP government announces that its new “dual-practice” health model will launch in September. The model allows physicians to work in both the public and private systems, with a minimum number of hours required in the public system to be eligible.
Read more: Why Can’t You Get a Family Doctor?
Friday, June 19: Opposition leader Naheed Nenshi criticizes the introduction of the dual-practice health model, saying it’s a push towards more privatized health care and will force Albertans, for the first time ever, to pay for surgeries in public hospitals.
Read more: Doctors Depart
The Week in Alberta is updated weekdays by 4:30pm MT.
