Alberta
Province of Alberta reaching out to the rest of Canada for skilled workers
Alberta is calling again
A second Alberta is Calling campaign is launching to attract more skilled workers from across Ontario and Atlantic Canada.
Alberta’s economy continues to grow and diversify, creating rewarding jobs across industries and the province, including in high-demand sectors like skilled trades, health care, food service and hospitality, accounting, engineering and technology. Alberta workers continue to have the highest earnings across all provinces. As more jobs are created, businesses need more skilled workers.
In summer 2022, Alberta’s government launched the Alberta is Calling campaign to help address labour shortages across industries throughout the province. The first campaign targeted Canadians living in Toronto and Vancouver, while this second campaign turns its attention to Canadians living in the Maritimes and parts of Ontario, including London, Hamilton, Windsor and Sudbury.
The campaign highlights Alberta’s economic advantages, including the booming technology and innovation sector as well as offering the highest weekly earnings and lowest taxes in Canada. In addition, the campaign again promotes lifestyle attractions including Calgary, North America’s most liveable city, and access to world-famous mountains and parks for year-round hiking, skiing, biking, and more than 300 days of sunshine per year.
“As Alberta continues to create jobs, attract investment and diversify its economy, we are once again putting out a call for skilled workers to join our great province and appreciate the quality of life that Alberta has to offer. It is the Renewed Alberta Advantage, and I encourage more people to experience it for themselves.”
“Since last summer, nearly 70,000 individuals have moved here, the largest inflow of people we have seen in two decades. Between opportunity and quality of life, Alberta has a fantastic value proposition and the Alberta is Calling campaign has helped to share this message. We look forward to welcoming even more Canadians to Alberta soon.”
“Alberta’s vibrant and diverse restaurant sector is one of the province’s largest employers. However, coming out of the pandemic there are almost 18,000 vacancies in the restaurant sector for vital roles like managers, chefs and prep cooks. That is why Restaurants Canada is pleased to support the relaunched Alberta is Calling campaign.”
“What a great time for people to pursue careers in the trades in Alberta. Women Building Futures supports women seeking new career opportunities to get quality pre-apprenticeship training for exciting careers in the inclusive workplaces WBF Employers of Choice create.”
To learn more about the opportunities and advantages of living in Alberta, visit albertaiscalling.ca.
Quick facts
- The new phase of Alberta is Calling is launching in:
- Atlantic Canada
- St. John’s, N.L.; Charlottetown, P.E.I.; Moncton and Saint John, N.B.; and Halifax, N.S.
- Ontario
- Hamilton, London, Windsor, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Chatham, Timmins and Cornwall
- Atlantic Canada
- In 2022, Alberta saw the highest employment growth in the country.
- Alberta workers continue to have the highest weekly earnings of any provinces, at $1,268 (Statistics Canada, December 2022).
- Alberta families earned a median after-tax income of $104,000 in 2020, which is more than $7,000 higher than Ontario.
- Alberta families generally pay lower personal taxes (for 2022, considering annual family incomes of $75,000, $150,000 and $300,000).
- Alberta saw the highest net interprovincial migration in Canada, at 19,285 people, in the third quarter of 2022.
- According to Alberta’s Short-Term Employment Forecast, high and moderately high-demand occupations include:
- restaurant and food service managers
- software engineers and designers
- web designers and developers
- transport truck drivers
- registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses
- accounting technicians and bookkeepers
- shippers and receivers
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.
FDA requires new warning on mRNA COVID shots due to heart damage in young men
Before Trudeau average annual immigration was 617,800. Under Trudeau number skyrocketted to 1.4 million annually
Carney’s new agenda faces old Canadian problems
Blackouts Coming If America Continues With Biden-Era Green Frenzy, Trump Admin Warns
-
COVID-1921 hours ago
FDA requires new warning on mRNA COVID shots due to heart damage in young men
-
Business19 hours ago
Carney’s new agenda faces old Canadian problems
-
Daily Caller16 hours ago
Blackouts Coming If America Continues With Biden-Era Green Frenzy, Trump Admin Warns
-
Indigenous20 hours agoInternal emails show Canadian gov’t doubted ‘mass graves’ narrative but went along with it
-
Bruce Dowbiggin22 hours agoEau Canada! Join Us In An Inclusive New National Anthem
-
Business2 days agoCBC six-figure salaries soar
-
Addictions2 days agoCan addiction be predicted—and prevented?
-
Addictions2 days agoMore young men want to restrict pornography: survey