Alberta
Come meet Canadian Olympic Heroes at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame
Celebrate with Marco Arop, Nicholas Bennett, Diane Jones Konihowski, Lyndon Rush, Rebecca Smith, Reid Maxwell, and Molly Simpson
September 30, 2024 | Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, Red Deer, AB
The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is excited to announce an exclusive Olympian Meet & Greet event on September 30, 2024, featuring a lineup of seven of Canada’s most celebrated athletes: Marco Arop, Nicholas Bennett, Diane Jones Konihowski, Lyndon Rush, Rebecca Smith, Reid Maxwell, and Molly Simpson. This unique event will give fans an extraordinary opportunity to meet these Canadian Olympians, learn about their journeys, and get inspired by their remarkable stories.
Each of these athletes has made significant contributions to their respective sports, representing Canada on the global stage with distinction:
- Marco Arop – A middle-distance running powerhouse, Marco Arop is a decorated 800m runner and World Championship medalist. His resilience, speed, and passion have inspired a new generation of track athletes.
- Nicholas Bennett – A Paralympic swimming sensation, Nicholas Bennett has set records in the pool and inspired countless fans with his dedication, determination, and stellar achievements on the international stage.
- Diane Jones Konihowski – An icon in Canadian athletics, Diane Jones Konihowski is a former Olympic heptathlete and gold medalist at both the Pan American and Commonwealth Games. Her storied career has earned her a lasting legacy in the world of sports.
- Lyndon Rush – An Olympic medalist in bobsleigh, Lyndon Rush is known for his skill and leadership on the ice track. His achievements in the sport have solidified him as one of Canada’s most notable bobsleigh athletes.
- Rebecca Smith – A talented swimmer who represented Canada at the Olympic Games, Rebecca Smith has earned accolades in international competitions, showcasing her strength and perseverance in the pool.
- Reid Maxwell – An accomplished swimmer, Reid Maxwell proudly wore the Canadian colours this year at hist first Paralympic Games in Paris.
- Molly Simpson – A rising star in BMX racing, Molly Simpson has demonstrated her skill and fearlessness on the international circuit. She continues to break barriers in the sport and inspire young athletes across the nation.
Event Highlights: Fans will have the chance to interact with these incredible athletes through autographs, photos, and personal conversations. Attendees will also hear firsthand accounts of their experiences at the highest levels of competition, from the challenges they faced to the triumphs that defined their careers. This event is a rare opportunity to connect with athletes from a wide range of sports, all of whom have represented Canada on the world stage.
Event Details:
Date: September 30, 2024
Time: 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Alberta Sports Hall of Fame
4200 Queen Elizabeth II Highway, Red Deer, AB
Tickets: There is no charge for the Meet & Greet and entry to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is included. Guests will also have the opportunity to explore the museum’s engaging exhibits, which showcase the incredible history of sports in Alberta and the achievements of its most prominent athletes.
About the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame:
The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is a museum dedicated to preserving Alberta’s rich sporting history. With interactive exhibits and a wide collection of artifacts, the Hall of Fame honors the athletes, coaches, and teams that have contributed to the province’s vibrant sports culture. Through events like the Olympian Meet & Greet, the Hall of Fame continues to engage the public and celebrate the athletes who have brought pride to Alberta and Canada.
Alberta
“It’s Canada’s Time to Shine” – CNRL’s $6.5 Billion Chevron Deal Extends Oil Sands Buying Spree
From Energy Now
Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.’s $6.5 billion acquisition from Chevron Corp. marks the latest in a string of deals that has helped make it the country’s largest oil producer and brought Alberta’s massive oil sands deposits almost entirely under local control.
CNRL has feasted on the oil sands assets of foreign energy producers over the past decade, snapping up stakes and operations from Devon Energy Corp. and Shell Plc as they shifted away from the higher-cost, higher-emissions oil sands business. Investors have applauded the strategy, which allows CNRL to boost output and make the operations more efficient.
That trend continued on Monday, with CNRL shares climbing more than 4% after the deal with Chevron raised its stake in a key oil sands mine and a connected upgrading facility, while also adding natural gas assets in the Duvernay formation.
“These assets build on the robustness of Canadian Natural’s assets,” said CNRL President Scott Stauth said on a conference call Monday. The deal boosts CNRL’s stake in the Athabasca oil sands project, which it first bought from Shell in 2017, to 90% from 70%.
The acquisition was largely expected and boosts CNRL’s oil and gas output by roughly 9%, adding the equivalent of 122,500 barrels of oil production per day.
“It’s just been a matter of time,” Eight Capital analyst Phil Skolnick said by phone, noting that CNRL had been seen as the logical buyer for Chevron’s oil sands business.
While CNRL also boosted its dividend by 7% on Monday, Desjardins analyst Chris MacCulloch cautioned the company’s additional debt to finance the acquisition “may disappoint some investors” given it plans to temporarily slow capital returns.
Still, MacCulloch said the deal is positive overall for CNRL as it further consolidates assets in the region. “There’s no place like home,” he wrote in a note.
Chevron, for its part, is the latest in a long line of US and international oil producers — such as BP Plc, TotalEnergies SE and Equinor ASA — that have shifted away from the oil sands after spending billions to build facilities in the heavy-oil formation. That has left the oil sands largely in the control of Canadian firms including CNRL, Suncor Energy Inc. and Cenovus Energy Inc.
“There’s no remaining, obvious assets available,” Ninepoint Partners partner and senior portfolio manager Eric Nuttall said after Monday’s deal. Ninepoint owns 3.1 million shares in CNRL, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Many of those oil sands deals have been struck at prices that favor the Canadian buyers, which have consolidated land, reduced costs and boosted returns in recent years.
“It’s Canada’s time to shine,” Nuttall said, adding that he expects foreign investors will return to the country’s oil producers in the future.
Alberta
Alberta Preparing a New Regulatory Framework for iGaming
With the success of the iGaming market in Ontario, Alberta is looking to it as a blueprint for its own plans in that arena. Despite this, there will likely be differences in the way the two provinces regulate this industry. These potential differences will likely be based on the strategies laid out by Dale Nally, Alberta’s Minister of Service and Red Tape Reduction.
The manner in which Alberta eventually decides to handle its iGaming regulations will be crucial to maintaining a healthy balance for the industry there. Many other regions have begun seeing the drawbacks of over-regulation in this field. As a result, many new-age casinos operating offshore have been gaining popularity over traditional ones that are often stifled by restrictions.
This is because restrictions place more onerous burdens on operators and cause lengthy delays with everything from sign-up procedures to payout times. However, offshore casinos have become a revelation for players tied down by these restrictions. For example, crypto casinos and the perks found at sites like an instant payout casino have seen the number of players from regions like the US, UK, Asia, Europe, and even Canada soaring in recent years.
Instant payout casinos in particular have grown very popular in recent years as they offer players same-day access to their winnings. This phenomenon has been playing out amid ever-tightening regulations on iGaming sites being deployed in many prominent markets.
While reasonable regulations have their benefits, many players feel that most jurisdictions are over-regulating the industry now and players have begun to respond by flocking to offshore sites. Instant payout casinos offer a perfect refuge since platforms like these feature fewer restrictions, more expansive gaming libraries, more privacy, and more generous bonuses.
While Alberta is drawing heavily from Ontario’s regulatory guidelines, it also wants to retain some aspects that will distinguish it too. Minister Nally has indicated that Alberta will seek a less onerous regulatory regime than Ontario. However, as it is with Ontario, there won’t be a limit imposed on the number of iGaming operators permitted. These would also not require any partnerships with land-based casinos.
This approach is expected to foster a competitive online betting environment. As such, huge operators are expected to set up shop there and operate freely alongside the government-run Play Alberta—which currently holds a monopoly.
Nally’s ministry has already been busy working on these new regulations and is set to keep being so as it will also be directly responsible for overseeing iGaming regulations and their enforcement. This ensures a separate regulatory body need not be created. It also addresses concerns raised by operators that Alberta’s Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis Commission (AGLC) would have a conflict of interest if it managed the new regime as the AGLC is a market operator since it runs the Play Alberta platform.
All in all, Alberta’s approach currently does look good and at least considers the need for making it as simple as possible for new entrants to gain access to the market. Alberta’s method to “conduct and manage” gambling activities is in direct contrast with Ontario’s, where iGaming Ontario (iGO) is simply a subsidiary of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO).
The revenue-sharing model will also be looked at. Currently, Ontario operators are taxed 20% with the province making $790 million of them last year—with more expansion on the horizon. On that note, Alberta has hinted that it may seek a higher percentage. With other things like consults with indigenous communities and other stakeholders, and setting up transition periods for “grey” market operators, there is more work to be done. However, for now, the future of the iGaming industry in Alberta looks good indeed.
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