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Alberta

Edmonton passes new State of Local Emergency Order; tough rules all vehicle for hire operations

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For the safety of everyone in Edmonton using ride sharing and vehicle for hire operators the city has passed an order under the State of Local Emergency tough new rules to help limit risks of exposure to COVID-19.

Under the order, effective immediately, all taxis, limousines, private transportation providers, shuttle service providers; as well as all ride sharing services such as Uber, Tapp and all others operating vehicles for hire, must adhere to these new restrictions.

  • No more than one passenger per vehicle; except if:
  • additional passengers are members of the same household, individuals in a close personal relationship, or a required caregiver; or
  • the size and capacity of the vehicle allows for 2 metres between each passenger and the driver (e.g. shuttle bus);
  • No passengers are permitted in the front passenger seat(s)
  • While driving and/or operating as a vehicle for hire service, cleaning and disinfecting supplies must be kept in the front passenger seat in plain view and used for cleaning of vehicles after each trip.
  • Door handles (interior and exterior), window controls, door locks, passenger seating area, seat belts and buckles, must be cleaned after each fare and with disinfecting cleaning products and substances. Payment devices must be cleaned after each use.
  • Drivers should take appropriate care (e.g. Personal Protective Equipment) when providing physical support to passengers.
  • Any vehicle that provides service to a passenger who is demonstrating COVID-19 symptoms, including cough, fever, shortness of breath, runny nose, or sore throat, or who otherwise indicates that they are at risk of having COVID-19, must be immediately removed from service and thoroughly sanitized.

These requirements and restrictions are now in place till further notice.

The City of Edmonton promises to work with the vehicle for hire industry to communicate these changes. For any drivers not following this directive, enforcement teams will be deployed to help ensure adherence to the new regulations.

The vehicle for hire industry has been deemed an essential service and these new requirements ensure they can continue to operate in a manner that is safe for both drivers and passengers.

Alberta

Alberta Next: Taxation

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A new video from the Alberta Next panel looks at whether Alberta should stop relying on Ottawa to collect our provincial income taxes. Quebec already does it, and Alberta already collects corporate taxes directly. Doing the same for personal income taxes could mean better tax policy, thousands of new jobs, and less federal interference. But it would take time, cost money, and require building new systems from the ground up.

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Alberta

Cross-Canada NGL corridor will stretch from B.C. to Ontario

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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.

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