Alberta
Canada’s largest fireworks show of the year set for Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, and Red Deer to celebrate the Stampede
News Release from The Calgary Stampede
Calgary Stampede to Light up the Night Sky Across Alberta!
The Calgary Stampede is proud to celebrate the resilience and determination of our great province through a province-wide fireworks display on Friday, July 9. The Fireworks Spectacular presented by Bell, will take place in Lethbridge, Red Deer, Edmonton and Calgary and we invite all Albertans to join together in celebration as we light up the night sky in recognition of our shared goals and bright future for our province. This incredible display will be a must-see, as the largest and most sophisticated firework event produced in Canada this year.
Since 1912, fireworks have played an important role in Stampede celebrations. Taking place in coordination with the fireworks of the Calgary Stampede Evening Show performance on the first night of Stampede 2021, the sparkling world-class display will occur simultaneously in all four participating cities to a synchronized musical soundtrack.
“This is our way of lighting up the Alberta skies and providing the opportunity to celebrate together,” says Steve McDonough, President & Chairman of the Stampede Board. “Thousands of Albertans will be able to view this amazing firework show from their own neighbourhood at the same time, with the same soundtrack on July 9th.”
“On behalf of Lethbridge City Council, we congratulate our friends in Calgary for their creativity and collaboration on this fireworks spectacular. We look forward to helping celebrate the beginning of the Calgary Stampede with what is sure to be a brilliant display of fireworks for residents and visitors to enjoy,” says Mayor Chris Spearman of the City of Lethbridge.
“The Calgary Stampede is leading the way in the return to community life in our province. Red Deer is honoured to be a part of this initiative to celebrate our Western heritage together,” says Red Deer Mayor, Tara Veer. “Albertans have been hit hard by the pandemic, but together we can rebuild and demonstrate our resilience on July 9th.”
The pyro-technical experts from Fireworks Spectaculars Canada, an Alberta based company, are familiar with all four cities, and bring their award winning and awe-inspiring team together across the province to create this magical moment to kick-off the 2021 Stampede.
“At this stage, we have to think about how we get major events up and running again. The Calgary Stampede is leading the way and, one by one, other events will follow. As Explore Edmonton takes over management of K-Days in Edmonton, we are watching and learning from our friends at the Stampede. This will mark the beginning of recovery for the events sector and it marks a milestone moment for Alberta as we emerge from the pandemic,” says Maggie Davison, Interim CEO, Explore Edmonton
“As we move hopefully into our post-pandemic future, this fireworks display will allow us to safely honour what we’ve been though, to express our gratitude to all the essential workers who gotten us through, and to look forward with optimism,” says Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi
The Fireworks Spectacular presented by Bell will feature four identical, world-class firework displays in each city – Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer and Lethbridge – starting at 11 p.m. on July 9. Albertans are invited to participate in this in this free, family-friendly celebration with specific viewing locations and information available at CalgaryStampede.com. It will also be broadcast live on CTV Calgary, CTV2 and CTVNews.ca beginning at 11 p.m., so that you can watch from the comfort of your own home. Tune in as we light up the night sky to celebrate Stampede Spirit across Alberta. We thank our community partners Explore Edmonton, The City of Red Deer, Westerner Park and Lethbridge & District Exhibition. This is a celebration of our province, and at the Calgary Stampede we believe we are Greatest Together.
Watch in person from your seat at the 2021 Calgary Stampede Evening Show! Evening Show and Rodeo tickets are now available and include admission into Stampede Park the day of the show. New in 2021, a VIP, full-service, outdoor experience that will put you in the heart of the action on the Grandstand tarmac. Reserve a table for your group of four or six people to enjoy the experience in a brand-new way! To book your Evening Show, Rodeo or VIP Tarmac tickets, or to purchase general Park admission for days you are not attending the Evening Show or Rodeo, go to CalgaryStampede.com
About the Calgary Stampede
The Calgary Stampede celebrates the people, the animals, the land, the traditions and the values that make up the unique spirit of the west. The Calgary Stampede contributes to the quality of life in Calgary and southern Alberta through our world-renowned Stampede, year-round facilities, western events and several youth and agriculture programs. Exemplifying the theme We’re Greatest Together, we are a volunteer-supported, not-for-profit community organization that preserves and celebrates our western heritage, cultures and community spirit. All revenue is reinvested into Calgary Stampede programs and facilities.
Keyera Corp.’s natural gas liquids facilities in Fort Saskatchewan. Photo courtesy Keyera Corp.
From the Canadian Energy Centre
By Will Gibson
Keyera ‘Canadianizes’ natural gas liquids with $5.15 billion acquisition
Sarnia, Ont., which sits on the southern tip of Lake Huron and peers across the St. Clair River to Michigan, is a crucial energy hub for much of the eastern half of Canada and parts of the United States.
With more than 60 industrial facilities including refineries and chemical plants that produce everything from petroleum, resins, synthetic rubber, plastics, lubricants, paint, cosmetics and food additives in the southwestern Ontario city, Mayor Mike Bradley admits the ongoing dialogue about tariffs with Canada’s southern neighbour hits close to home.
So Bradley welcomed the announcement that Calgary-based Keyera Corp. will acquire the majority of Plains American Pipelines LLP’s Canadian natural gas liquids (NGL) business, creating a cross-Canada NGL corridor that includes a storage hub in Sarnia.
“As a border city, we’ve been on the frontline of the tariff wars, so we support anything that helps enhance Canadian sovereignty and jobs,” says the long-time mayor, who was first elected in 1988.
The assets in Sarnia are a key piece of the $5.15 billion transaction, which will connect natural gas liquids from the growing Montney and Duvernay plays in B.C. and Alberta to markets in central Canada and the eastern U.S. seaboard.
Map courtesy Keyera Corp.
NGLs are hydrocarbons found within natural gas streams including ethane, propane and pentanes. They are important energy sources and used to produce a wide range of everyday items, from plastics and clothing to fuels.
Keyera CEO Dean Setoguchi cast the proposed acquisition as an act of repatriation.
“This transaction brings key NGL infrastructure under Canadian ownership, enhancing domestic energy capabilities and reinforcing Canada’s economic resilience by keeping value and decision-making closer to home,” Setoguchi told analysts in a June 17 call.
“Plains’ portfolio forms a fully integrated cross Canada NGL system connecting Western Canada supply to key demand centres across the Prairie provinces, Ontario and eastern U.S.,” he said.
“The system includes strategic hubs like Empress, Fort Saskatchewan and Sarnia – which provide a reliable source of Canadian NGL supply to extensive fractionation, storage, pipeline and logistics infrastructure.”
Martin King, RBN Energy’s managing director of North America Energy Market Analysis, sees Keyera’s ability to “Canadianize” its NGL infrastructure as improving the company’s growth prospects.
“It allows them to tap into the Duvernay and Montney, which are the fastest growing NGL plays in North America and gives them some key assets throughout the country,” said the Calgary-based analyst.
“The crown assets are probably the straddle plants in Empress, which help strip out the butane, ethane and other liquids for condensate. It also positions them well to serve the eastern half of the country.”
And that’s something welcomed in Sarnia.
“Having a Canadian source for natural gas would be our preference so we see Keyera’s acquisition as strengthening our region as an energy hub,” Bradley said.
“We are optimistic this will be good for our region in the long run.”
The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2026, pending regulatory approvals.
Meanwhile, the governments of Ontario and Alberta are joining forces to strengthen the economies of both regions, and the country, by advancing major infrastructure projects including pipelines, ports and rail.
A joint feasibility study is expected this year on how to move major private sector-led investments forward.
Alberta
Alberta school boards required to meet new standards for school library materials with regard to sexual content
Alberta’s government has introduced new standards to ensure school library materials are age-appropriate.
School libraries should be safe and supportive places where students can learn and explore without being exposed to inappropriate sexual content. However, in the absence of a consistent standard for selecting age-appropriate library materials, school boards have taken different approaches, leading to concerns about safeguards in place.
In response to these concerns, and informed by feedback from education partners and the public, Alberta’s government has created standards to provide school boards with clear direction on the selection, availability and access to school library materials, such as books.
“Our actions to ensure that materials in school libraries don’t expose children to sexual content were never about banning books. These new standards are to ensure that school boards have clear guidance to ensure age-appropriate access to school library materials, while reflecting the values and priorities of Albertans.”
The new standards set clear expectations for school library materials with regard to sexual content and require school boards to implement policies to support these standards.
Standards for school library materials
Under the new standards, school libraries are not permitted to include library materials containing explicit sexual content. Non-explicit sexual content may be accessible to students in Grade 10 and above, provided it is age-appropriate.
“Protecting kids from explicit content is common sense. LGBTQ youth, like all children, deserve to see themselves in stories that are age-appropriate, supportive and affirming – not in material that sexualizes or confuses them.”
School boards must also regularly review their school library collections, publish a full list of available materials and ensure that a staff member supervises students’ access to school library materials. School boards will have to remove any materials with explicit sexual content from their school libraries by October 1.
School board policies and procedures
All school boards must have publicly available policies that align with the new standards for selecting and managing library materials by January 1, 2026. School boards can either create new policies or update existing ones to meet these requirements.
These policies must outline how school library materials are selected and reviewed, how staff supervise students’ access throughout the school day, and how a student, parent, school board employee or other member of the school community can request a review or removal of materials in the school library. School boards are also required to clearly communicate these policies to employees, students and parents before January 2026.
“A robust, grade- and age-appropriate library catalogue is vital for student success. We welcome the ministry’s initiative to establish consistent standards and appreciate the ongoing consultation to help craft a plan that will serve our families and communities well.”
“Red Deer Public Schools welcomes the new provincial standards for school library materials. Our division is committed to maintaining welcoming, respectful learning spaces where students can grow and thrive. Under the new standards for school libraries, we remain dedicated to providing learning resources that reflect our values and support student success.”
Quick facts
- The new standards will apply to public, separate, francophone, charter and independent schools.
- The ministerial order does not apply to municipal libraries located within schools or materials selected for use by teachers as learning and teaching resources.
- From May 26 to June 6, almost 80,000 people completed an online survey to provide feedback on the creation of consistent standards to ensure the age-appropriateness of materials available to students in school libraries.
Related information
- Ministerial Order
- School library standards engagement
- Reference Materials: Content warning: this document contains graphic content that may be disturbing to viewers and is not appropriate for young viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.
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