Alberta
Rediscover Kombucha with Calgary Brewed Bar Star Buch

What would you say if I told you there was an organic, fair trade, direct trade, ecosocial, rainforest certified, gluten free, dairy free, nut free, GMO free, vegan, non-alcoholic alternative that doesn’t taste like sawdust – brewed right here in Calgary?
Introducing Bar Star Buch, the 2-person premium kombucha operation led by Boss Buch Suzanne Mills, the self-proclaimed former bar star on a mission to make sober – and healthy – sexy. Launched in February 2019, Bar Star Buch promotes gut health, mental health and wellness while providing a tasty, non-alcoholic alternative packed with additional nutrients and health benefits. According to Suzanne, “There are more neurons in the gut than in the spinal cord … your gut is likely filled with bad bugs, so you need the specialty ingredients, probiotics, enzymes and vitamins in our premium kombucha. Your gut is your second brain & where your immune system lives, which means that if your gut bacteria is out of balance, it directly affects not only how you feel physically, but also your mood, focus and stress levels.”
Be it a personal preference, a designated-driver situation, recovery, or any other untold possibility, there are plenty of reasons someone may choose not to drink on a night out. However, the availability of non-alcoholic alternatives often falls short of appealing, especially in a city with a booming craft beer industry. “As a non-drinker, you have limited options,” says Suzanne, “pop, decaf coffee, or kids menu. We wanted to make an inclusive, health-conscious, low sugar alternative that normalizes not drinking in a social setting.”
Bar Star Buch offers a variety of flavors, each with their own premium organic ingredients designed to promote overall health and wellness. “It’s not just a standard, “hippie” kombucha brand,” says Suzanne, “if you’re gonna drink kombucha anyway, you may as well get a bit of a bonus. So every single flavor has some kind of additional health benefit.”
For example, the original Basic Buch, featuring organic black tea, green tea, lime juice, ginger and spearmint focuses on gently calming overall gut upset. The Buch Slap is an organic pineapple, lemongrass and cayenne pepper combination aimed at detoxification and metabolism function. The Namaste Buches features organic wild blueberry juice, elderberries, schisandra berries and rhodiola root to boost immune function and promote relaxation. All of which taste great – it’s the adult equivalent of hiding vegetables in your child’s mac & cheese so they get the nutrients they need without even knowing it.
In addition to the Bar Star Buch line-up of delicious, health-conscious flavors, they also feature specialty seasonal brews in support of local charities that focus on improving mental health and wellness in all of it’s forms. 100% of the profits from each specialty brew are donated to designated charities across Calgary. Previous charitable campaigns include the Fall 2019 Crazy Buch brew in support of the Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre, and the Spring 2020 Komboujee Brew, which raised almost $1,500 for Cerebral Palsy Kids & Families. “We intentionally support small, local organizations,” says Suzanne, “We’re very, very mindful of that. Especially in this economy, it’s the little ones that are really struggling and can benefit the most from our contributions.”
Bar Star Buch is currently raising money for Tiny Footprints Pregnancy and Infant Loss, and will be announcing their Spring 2021 charitable partner in March.
Right now, you can find Bar Star Buch in single serving bottles at Trolley 5 on 17th Ave and on-tap at Common Bond Bar on Stephen Ave, as well as a number of organic markets throughout the city. It is also available to Work Nicer members at several co-working spaces throughout Calgary and Edmonton.
For more information on Bar Star Buch, visit https://ilovethisbar.ca.
For more stories, visit Todayville Calgary.
Alberta
Median workers in Alberta could receive 72% more under Alberta Pension Plan compared to Canada Pension Plan

From the Fraser Institute
By Tegan Hill and Joel Emes
Moving from the CPP to a provincial pension plan would generate savings for Albertans in the form of lower contribution rates (which could be used to increase private retirement savings while receiving the same pension benefits as the CPP under the new provincial pension), finds a new study published today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Due to Alberta’s comparatively high rates of employment, higher average incomes, and younger population, Albertans would pay a lower contribution rate through a separate provincial pension plan while receiving the same benefits as under the CPP,” said Tegan Hill, director of Alberta policy at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Illustrating the Potential of an Alberta Pension Plan.
Assuming Albertans invested the savings from moving to a provincial pension plan into a private retirement account, and assuming a contribution rate of 5.85 per cent, workers earning the median income in Alberta ($53,061 in 2025) could accrue a stream of retirement payments totalling $454,741 (pre-tax)—a 71.6 per cent increase from their stream of CPP payments ($264,968).
Put differently, under the CPP, a median worker receives a total of $264,968 in retirement income over their life. If an Alberta worker saved the difference between what they pay now into the CPP and what they would pay into a new provincial plan, the income they would receive in retirement increases. If the contribution rate for the new provincial plan was 5.85 per cent—the lower of the available estimates—the increase in retirement income would total $189,773 (or an increase of 71.6 per cent).
If the contribution rate for a new Alberta pension plan was 8.21 per cent—the higher of the available estimates—a median Alberta worker would still receive an additional $64,672 in retirement income over their life, a marked increase of 24.4 per cent compared to the CPP alone.
Put differently, assuming a contribution rate of 8.21 per cent, Albertan workers earning the median income could accrue a stream of retirement payments totaling $329,640 (pre-tax) under a provincial pension plan—a 24.4 per cent increase from their stream of CPP payments.
“While the full costs and benefits of a provincial pension plan must be considered, its clear that Albertans could benefit from higher retirement payments under a provincial pension plan, compared to the CPP,” Hill said.
Illustrating the Potential of an Alberta Pension Plan
- Due to Alberta’s comparatively high rates of employment, higher average incomes, and younger population, Albertans would pay a lower contribution rate with a separate provincial pension plan, compared with the CPP, while receiving the same benefits as under the CPP.
- Put differently, moving from the CPP to a provincial pension plan would generate savings for Albertans, which could be used to increase private retirement income. This essay assesses the potential savings for Albertans of moving to a provincial pension plan. It also estimates an Albertan’s potential increase in total retirement income, if those savings were invested in a private account.
- Depending on the contribution rate used for an Alberta pension plan (APP), ranging from 5.85 to 8.2 percent, an individual earning the CPP’s yearly maximum pensionable earnings ($71,300 in 2025), would accrue a stream of retirement payments under the total APP (APP plus private retirement savings), yielding a total retirement income of between $429,524 and $584,235. This would be 22.9 to 67.1 percent higher, respectively, than their stream of CPP payments ($349,545).
- An individual earning the median income in Alberta ($53,061 in 2025), would accrue a stream of retirement payments under the total APP (APP plus private retirement savings), yielding a total retirement income of between $329,640 and $454,741, which is between 24.4 percent to 71.6 percent higher, respectively, than their stream of CPP payments ($264,968).

Joel Emes
Alberta
Alberta ban on men in women’s sports doesn’t apply to athletes from other provinces

From LifeSiteNews
Alberta’s Fairness and Safety in Sport Act bans transgender males from women’s sports within the province but cannot regulate out-of-province transgender athletes.
Alberta’s ban on gender-confused males competing in women’s sports will not apply to out-of-province athletes.
In an interview posted July 12 by the Canadian Press, Alberta Tourism and Sport Minister Andrew Boitchenko revealed that Alberta does not have the jurisdiction to regulate out-of-province, gender-confused males from competing against female athletes.
“We don’t have authority to regulate athletes from different jurisdictions,” he said in an interview.
Ministry spokeswoman Vanessa Gomez further explained that while Alberta passed legislation to protect women within their province, outside sporting organizations are bound by federal or international guidelines.
As a result, Albertan female athletes will be spared from competing against men during provincial competition but must face male competitors during inter-provincial events.
In December, Alberta passed the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act to prevent biological men who claim to be women from competing in women’s sports. The legislation will take effect on September 1 and will apply to all school boards, universities, as well as provincial sports organizations.
The move comes after studies have repeatedly revealed what almost everyone already knew was true, namely, that males have a considerable advantage over women in athletics.
Indeed, a recent study published in Sports Medicine found that a year of “transgender” hormone drugs results in “very modest changes” in the inherent strength advantages of men.
Additionally, male athletes competing in women’s sports are known to be violent, especially toward female athletes who oppose their dominance in women’s sports.
Last August, Albertan male powerlifter “Anne” Andres was suspended for six months after a slew of death threats and harassments against his female competitors.
In February, Andres ranted about why men should be able to compete in women’s competitions, calling for “the Ontario lifter” who opposes this, apparently referring to powerlifter April Hutchinson, to “die painfully.”
Interestingly, while Andres was suspended for six months for issuing death threats, Hutchinson was suspended for two years after publicly condemning him for stealing victories from women and then mocking his female competitors on social media. Her suspension was later reduced to a year.
-
Business1 day ago
Mark Carney’s Fiscal Fantasy Will Bankrupt Canada
-
Opinion1 day ago
Charity Campaigns vs. Charity Donations
-
Alberta1 day ago
Temporary Alberta grid limit unlikely to dampen data centre investment, analyst says
-
Daily Caller21 hours ago
‘Strange Confluence Of Variables’: Mike Benz Wants Transparency Task Force To Investigate What Happened in Butler, PA
-
Frontier Centre for Public Policy2 days ago
Canada’s New Border Bill Spies On You, Not The Bad Guys
-
Uncategorized2 days ago
CNN’s Shock Climate Polling Data Reinforces Trump’s Energy Agenda
-
Opinion1 day ago
Preston Manning: Three Wise Men from the East, Again
-
Business1 day ago
Carney Liberals quietly award Pfizer, Moderna nearly $400 million for new COVID shot contracts