Alberta
Danielle Smith partnering with Elon Musk’s Starlink to bypass federal internet censorship laws
Starlink satellite rendering
From LifeSiteNews
The Alberta government is working with SpaceX’s Starlink to avoid ‘federal government delays launching projects and allocating funding’ for internet access
The government of Alberta is partnering with Elon Musk’s SpaceX’s Starlink to bring internet to certain areas of the province to test the viability of the technology that Premier Danielle Smith said last year could be used as a firewall to bypass federal internet censorship laws.
Last Thursday, United Conservative Party (UCP) Minister of Technology and Innovation Nate Glubish announced that “advancing satellite internet technology in Alberta is an important milestone and an innovative way to achieve our goal of universal connectivity by 2027.”
Glubish said that connecting rural Albertans via Starlink is another way to “eliminate the connectivity gap.”
As a result, the Alberta government in a limited-time pilot is working with SpaceX’s Starlink to avoid “federal government delays launching projects and allocating funding” for internet access.
In June 2022 while was running for leadership of the UCP, Smith said that she would create a provincial internet firewall to bypass federal internet censorship laws with the possible help of Starlink.
“Hey @elonmusk I’m running to be the Premier of Alberta. We still value free speech here. Could Alberta set up an independent ISP using @starlink to bypass the new @justintrudeau internet censorship law,” Smith wrote.
Smith also included in her tweet last week a reminder of her message last year that said: “Did you know @JustinTrudeau’s new internet censorship law will mean Liberal partisans can pick and choose what Albertans can say and express on the Internet.”
“As Premier, I will protect the right of every Albertan to express their opinion – left, right and everything in between – without fear of Ottawa’s censorship.”
Musk’s Starlink is a satellite-operated internet provider that offers fast service from virtually anywhere in the world and is free from censorship.
Smith made the comments in light of the federal government’s internet censorship Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, which at the time was blasted by many as allowing the government more control of free speech through potential new draconian web regulations.
As for the Alberta Starlink pilot, it will see the government contribute $1,000 to each eligible household in the County of Forty Mile, County of Warner No. 5 and Cardston County.
The government says that the pilot will provide “feedback” for future programs regarding Alberta’s access to the internet.
Since 2019, SpaceX has launched 12,000 satellites over 60 countries to provide internet access.
As for the Trudeau government’s Bill C-11, it was passed last year. It mandates that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) oversee regulating online content on platforms such as YouTube and Netflix to ensure that such platforms are promoting content in accordance with a variety of its guidelines.
This bill has been panned by critics, Smith, and even Musk.
In October, after the CRTC said that certain podcasters must “register” with the government by November 28. In response, Musk said that “Trudeau is trying to crush free speech in Canada.”
Another Trudeau internet censorship law, Bill C-18, the Online News Act, became law in June despite warnings that it will end free speech in Canada. This new law forces social media companies to pay Canadian legacy media for news content shared on their platforms.
Smith has been in a prolonged battle with the Trudeau government over its extreme green energy policies that target Alberta, and no doubt should the Starlink trial go well, the government might look at ways to further shield Albertans from federal government overreach.
Smith’s political style leans toward libertarianism. She strongly opposed COVID mandates of all kinds, and after winning Alberta’s provincial election earlier this year, she promised to stand up for parental rights as well as to cut government bloat by taking away powers from unelected health officials.
“If Ottawa had it’s way Albertans would be left to freeze in the dark”
The ineffective federal net-zero electricity regulations will not reduce emissions or benefit Albertans but will increase costs and lead to supply shortages.
The risk of power outages during a hot summer or the depths of harsh winter cold snaps, are not unrealistic outcomes if these regulations are implemented. According to the Alberta Electric System Operator’s analysis, the regulations in question would make Alberta’s electricity system more than 100 times less reliable than the province’s supply adequacy standard. Albertans expect their electricity to remain affordable and reliable, but implementation of these regulations could increase costs by a staggering 35 per cent.
Canada’s constitution is clear. Provinces have exclusive jurisdiction over the development, conservation and management of sites and facilities in the province for the generation and production of electrical energy. That is why Alberta’s government is referring the constitutionality of the federal government’s recent net-zero electricity regulations to the Court of Appeal of Alberta.
“The federal government refused to work collaboratively or listen to Canadians while developing these regulations. The results are ineffective, unachievable and irresponsible, and place Albertans’ livelihoods – and more importantly, lives – at significant risk. Our government will not accept unconstitutional net-zero regulations that leave Albertans vulnerable to blackouts in the middle of summer and winter when they need electricity the most.”
“The introduction of the Clean Electricity Regulations in Alberta by the federal government is another example of dangerous federal overreach. These regulations will create unpredictable power outages in the months when Albertans need reliable energy the most. They will also cause power prices to soar in Alberta, which will hit our vulnerable the hardest.”
Finalized in December 2024, the federal electricity regulations impose strict carbon limits on fossil fuel power, in an attempt to force a net-zero grid, an unachievable target given current technology and infrastructure. The reliance on unproven technologies makes it almost impossible to operate natural gas plants without costly upgrades, threatening investment, grid reliability, and Alberta’s energy security.
“Ottawa’s electricity regulations will leave Albertans in the dark. They aren’t about reducing emissions – they are unconstitutional, ideological activist policies based on standards that can’t be met and technology that doesn’t exist. It will drive away investment and punish businesses, provinces and families for using natural gas for reliable, dispatchable power. We will not put families at risk from safety and affordability impacts – rationing power during the coldest days of the year – and we will continue to stand up for Albertans.”
“Albertans depend on electricity to provide for their families, power their businesses and pursue their dreams. The federal government’s Clean Electricity Regulations threaten both the affordability and reliability of our power grid, and we will not stand by as these regulations put the well-being of Albertans at risk.”
Related information
- Conference Board of Canada socio-economic Impacts of Canada’s 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan – (April 2025)
- Alberta Electric System Operator’s position on Canadian Energy Regulations
Oh, Canada
We find it endlessly fascinating that most Canadians believe they live in a representative democracy, where aspiring candidates engage in authentic politicking to earn their place in office. So accustomed are Canada’s power brokers to getting their way, they rarely bother to cover their tracks. A careful reading of the notoriously pliant Canadian press makes anticipating future events in the country surprisingly straightforward.
Back in December, when Pierre Poilievre was given better than 90% odds of replacing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau—and Mark Carney was still just an uncharismatic banker few had heard of—we engaged in some not-so-speculative dot-connecting and correctly predicted Carney’s rise to the top spot. Our interest was driven by the notoriously rocky relationship between Ottawa and the Province of Alberta, home to one of the world’s largest hydrocarbon reserves, and how Carney’s rise might be a catalyst for resetting Canada’s energy trajectory. In a follow-up article titled “The Fix Is In,” we laid out a few more predictions:
“Here’s how the play is likely to unfold in the weeks and months ahead: Carney will be elected Prime Minister on April 28 by a comfortable margin; [Alberta Premier Danielle] Smith will trigger a constitutional crisis, providing cover for Carney to strike a grand bargain that finally resolves longstanding tensions between the provinces and Ottawa; and large infrastructure permitting reform will fall into place. Protests against these developments will be surprisingly muted, and those who do take to the streets will be largely ignored by the media. The entire effort will be wrapped in a thicket of patriotism, with Trump portrayed as a threat even greater than climate change itself. References to carbon emissions will slowly fade…
In parallel, we expect Trump and Carney to swiftly strike a favorable deal on tariffs, padding the latter’s bona fides just as his political capital will be most needed.”
The votes have barely been counted, yet the next moves are already unfolding…
“Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she’ll make it easier for citizens to initiate a referendum on the province’s future in Canada, after warning that a Liberal win in Monday’s election could spur a groundswell of support for Alberta separatism. Smith said on Tuesday that a newly tabled elections bill will give everyday Albertans a bigger say in the province’s affairs.
‘(We’re giving) Albertans more ways to be directly involved in democracy, and to have their say on issues that matter to them,’ Smith told reporters in Edmonton.
If passed, the new law would dramatically lower the number of signatures needed to put a citizen-proposed constitutional referendum question on the ballot, setting a new threshold of 10 per cent of general election turnout — or just over 175,000, based on Alberta’s last provincial election in 2023.”
“US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is looking to make a trade deal and will visit the White House within the next week. Trump said he congratulated Carney on his election victory when the Canadian leader called on Tuesday.
‘He called me up yesterday – he said let’s make a deal,’ Trump told reporters at the White House after a televised Cabinet meeting.”
Remember where you read it first.
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