Alberta
Emergency expert says covid cases will mostly disappear by May. Lockdown restrictions not necessary.
Retired Lieutenant Colonel David Redman wishes government officials would rely less on computer modelling and more on real world stats which are easy enough to find online. The former head of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency says jurisdictions everywhere have made the covid crisis far worse by ignoring their emergency response plans and treating the covid crisis as a health emergency. As a result health officials are virtually in charge of all government matters which has resulted in governments prioritizing the protection of hospitals instead of considering all parts of government and society equally.
As for case numbers, Redman says you only have to look as far as the US to compare how covid has been spreading in states which have had strict lockdowns and other states which have been ‘open’ for months. Below are the daily case graphs from Worldometers.com showing how case numbers have been tracking in the neighbouring states of South Dakota with no lockdowns or restrictions, and North Dakota which did implement restrictions along with most other jurisdictions in November as case numbers were soaring. The graphs look nearly identical with numbers peaking in November and early December and falling significantly until a levelling off in February and slightly increasing in March.
It’s a similar story in California which has had some of the tightest restrictions in the US and Texas which had far fewer restrictions and then completely dropped restrictions almost a month ago. In both states numbers are down significantly from peaks in December and January.
When looking at case numbers around the world David Redman concluded that these graphs look strikingly similar to the annual viral infection curve. Jurisdictions seem to be affected less by the type of restrictions they’ve been enforcing compared to their neighbours and more by the climate they share. Looking back on the last year Redman predicts that the covid case numbers will continue to follow this pattern and in jurisdictions everywhere, numbers will plummet as temperatures heat up around the beginning of May. Here’s a short presentation by David Redman comparing lockdown measures and Canada’s Annual Viral Infection Curve. Redman shows the annual viral infection curve performed exactly as usual in the past year.
Redman says this shows restrictions have not affected case numbers, but have coincided with the curve. He concludes lockdown measures have not significantly affected the spread of Covid.
If the Province of Alberta and other governments would have enacted their emergency response agencies at the beginning of this crisis, Redman says the approach would have been significantly more successful at saving lives, and protecting the economy. Here is an abridged version of his presentation on emergency management. Redman has been trying unsuccessfully to convince governments across the country to pivot away from their health emergency response plans to the more general emergency response plans. It’s a compelling argument and a must see.
Your province, your plate
For the first time in more than 40 years, Alberta is refreshing its licence plate with a Strong and Free motto, and the final look will be decided by Albertans.
From Oct. 15 until Nov. 5, Albertans can take part in a tournament-style online vote for a new provincial licence plate design that proudly reflects who we are every time we hit the road.
The new licence plate will be available in late 2026 and will be based on a “Strong and Free” theme, echoing the Latin motto of our province and reflecting Alberta’s bold identity, economic strength and deep-rooted provincial pride. The motto’s inclusion on the licence plates will also serve as a nod to Canada’s national anthem and Alberta’s position as a strong and sovereign province within a united Canada.
“From our wide-open landscapes to our entrepreneurial spirit, Alberta has so much to be proud of, and our new licence plate will reflect that pride. For the first time in four decades, Albertans will choose how we tell that story. I look forward to seeing which design is selected to show the world that this is the land of the strong and free.”
With options that include famous Alberta landmarks such as the Three Sisters Mountains, and long-standing symbols of our province’s core industries including agriculture and energy production, the potential plates each contain symbols of Alberta’s beauty, history and spirit.
In the first phase of voting, Albertans can vote for their favourite of eight unique concepts that incorporate Alberta’s unique landscape and history. Following the first phase, four designs will advance to the next round of voting where the top two will be selected, and subsequently, there will be a final vote for the winning plate concept. The winning new licence plate will be announced during the fall session of the legislature.
“Alberta is strong and free, and Albertans will have the opportunity to choose a new licence plate that captures that spirit. The new licence plate will be a fresh design that every Albertan will be proud to show off, whether they’re driving to work, heading to the lake or exploring North America.”
If an Albertan wants to replace their current plate for the new licence plate once it is released, they can voluntarily pay a $28 fee. Alternatively, Albertans could obtain a new plate on their vehicle registration renewal date at no additional cost. Motorists may also continue using the previous licence plate once the new licence plate is brought onboard, provided it is still in good condition.
Quick facts
- Alberta’s current licence plate was designed in 1984.
- In 2021, Alberta began a transition from painted to reflective plates with the same design.
- The new designs each incorporate reflective technology to improve readability for law enforcement and automated systems in low-light conditions, and also meet international standards for visibility, legibility and counterfeit resistance.
Related information
Licence plate designs. Click link above to vote
Enbridge CEO Greg Ebel. The company’s extensive pipeline network transports about 30 per cent of the oil produced in North America and nearly 20 per cent of the natural gas consumed in the United States. Photo courtesy Enbridge
From the Canadian Energy Centre
B.C. tanker ban an example of federal rules that have to change
The CEO of North America’s largest pipeline operator says Alberta’s move to champion a new oil pipeline to B.C.’s north coast makes sense.
“There’s a good reason the Alberta government has become proponent of a pipeline to the north coast of B.C.,” Enbridge CEO Greg Ebel told the Empire Club of Canada in Toronto the day after Alberta’s announcement.
“The previous [federal] government’s tanker ban effectively makes that export pipeline illegal. No company would build a pipeline to nowhere.”
It’s a big lost opportunity. With short shipping times to Asia, where oil demand is growing, ports on B.C.’s north coast offer a strong business case for Canadian exports. But only if tankers are allowed.
A new pipeline could generate economic benefits across Canada and, under Alberta’s plan, drive economic reconciliation with Indigenous communities.
Ebel said the tanker ban is an example of how policies have to change to allow Canada to maximize its economic potential.
Repealing the legislation is at the top of the list of needed changes Ebel and 94 other energy CEOs sent in a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney in mid-September.
The federal government’s commitment to the tanker ban under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was a key factor in the cancellation of Enbridge’s Northern Gateway pipeline.
That project was originally targeted to go into service around 2016, with capacity to ship 525,000 barrels per day of Canadian oil to Asia.
“We have tried to build nation-building pipelines, and we have the scars to prove it. Five hundred million scars, to be quite honest,” Ebel said, referencing investment the company and its shareholders made advancing the project.
“Those are pensioners and retail investors and employees that took on that risk, and it was difficult,” he said.
For an industry proponent to step up to lead a new Canadian oil export pipeline, it would likely require “overwhelming government support and regulatory overhaul,” BMO Capital Markets said earlier this year.
Energy companies want to build in Canada, Ebel said.
“The energy sector is ready to invest, ready to partner, partner with Indigenous nations and deliver for the country,” he said.
“None of us is calling for weaker environmental oversight. Instead, we are urging government to adopt smarter, clearer, faster processes so that we can attract investment, take risks and build for tomorrow.”
This is the time for Canadians “to remind ourselves we should be the best at this,” Ebel said.
“We should lead the way and show the world how it’s done: wisely, responsibly, efficiently and effectively.”
With input from a technical advisory group that includes pipeline leaders and Indigenous relations experts, Alberta will undertake pre-feasibility work to identify the pipeline’s potential route and size, estimate costs, and begin early Indigenous engagement and partnership efforts.
The province aims to submit an application to the Federal Major Projects Office by spring 2026.
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