At a Glance: July 11 - 22, 2022
September 1st Will Henceforth be Known as Alberta Day
At the Premier’s Stampede Breakfast this past week in Calgary, he announced that September 1st will now be known as Alberta Day. The day is intended to celebrate the province’s rich cultural history and pay tribute to the day Alberta officially joined Confederation. On September 1, 1905, the Alberta Act came into effect, formally establishing the Province of Alberta.
“Alberta is exceptional in every way. We are the custodians of one of the world’s most beautiful and diverse natural environments. The Indigenous people of this place are an inspiration in how they have overcome great adversity to create an ever-brighter future, rooted in their ancient cultures and customs,” said Premier Jason Kenney in a written release. “Creating a new annual tradition of Alberta Day – the day we entered Confederation – will be one way of showing our pride in this amazing province.” The province will host Alberta Day celebrations in both Edmonton and Calgary and have promised to support other municipalities as they plan their own celebrations.
Thomas Dang Will Not Seek Re-Election
The MLA for Edmonton-South has released a statement informing Albertans that he has decided to not run in the 2023 provincial election. He is scheduled to make his first appearance in court for his alleged hacking of the province’s vaccination record portal using Premier Jason Kenney’s personal information. “Given the lengthy nature of the investigation and proceedings into my actions related to the security test I performed on the government of Alberta’s COVID-19 vaccination records website, I believe my continued candidacy for the Alberta NDP distracts from the important work ahead.”
MLA Dang began to sit as an independent member of the Legislature following an RCMP raid of his home connected to these allegations. He had requested to rejoin the NDP Caucus once he was informed that police would not be pursuing criminal charges; however, party leader Rachel Notley had recently indicated that he would not be permitted back into the party until his court matters were resolved.
Province Cancels Changes to Insulin Pump Program
After considerable public pushback, Health Minister Jason Copping has announced that the province will no longer be pursuing their proposed changes to the Insulin Pump Therapy Program that would have shifted device costs onto users. "By looking only at this one narrow program as opposed to the whole pathway and not taking in consideration not just the cost of providing supports, but the savings associated with supplying the supports, we keep people out of hospital. We did not look at it from that point of view.”
In addition, the province will also begin to offer newer insulin pump models in September. Minister Copping will also form a working group to develop a Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes management plan. That group will be given one year to provide the province with their recommendations.
Alberta Reverses Changes to Victims of Crime Fund
Early in the UCP’s first term in government, Justice and Solicitor General announced that some of the money collected from the Victims of Crime Fund would be utilized for other initiatives – some of which include drug treatment court and funding changes to the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team. However, Minister Tyler Shandro has announced that, going forward, money in the fund will only be used in ways that help the victims of crime in Alberta.
"We know the previous financial benefits program was not quick enough and simply did not provide enough immediate support to those who were coping with trauma. And that was not acceptable." NDP Justice Critic Irfan Sabir criticized the government for having made the changes to the fund in the first place, suggesting those fees should never have been used to pay for their funding changes to the ministry.
Calgary Starbuck Location First in Alberta to Unionize
A Starbucks located in southwest Calgary is the first Starbucks in Alberta to unionize. A majority of the 32 employees at the Starbucks voted though mail-in ballot to join the United Steelworkers union. Scott Lunny, USW director for Western Canada, said this is about having a seat at the table and more of a voice. “The baristas in Calgary are joining the growing number of Starbucks workers across North America who are organizing for better working conditions and wages,” he said. There are five Starbucks stores in Lethbridge currently organizing a similar vote.
The United Steelworkers union already represents Starbucks employees in Victoria, Surrey, and Langley, B.C., as well as various workers in the United States. A spokesperson for Starbucks Canada responded to the news via email this week saying, “from the beginning, we’ve been clear in our belief that we are better together as partners, without a union between us at Starbucks, and that conviction has not changed.”