At a Glance - Week of June 3, 2025
Three Alberta By-elections Officially Underway
Three provincial by-elections have been called in Alberta, with election day scheduled for June 23, 2025. The three ridings, Edmonton-Strathcona, Edmonton-Ellerslie, and Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, were vacated by the resignations of the Hon. Rachel Notley, Rod Loyola, and the Hon. Nathan Cooper, respectively. Edmonton-Strathcona will see NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi face the UCP’s Darby Crouch. Edmonton-Ellerslie will see the NDP’s Gurtej Singh Brar face the UCP’s Naresh Bhardwaj. Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills will see the UCP’s Tara Sawyer face the NDP’s Bev Toews.
Additional Funding for New Grande Prairie Police Force
The Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services has provided the City of Grande Prairie with additional funding to transition away from the RCMP as its policing services provider. Building upon the $9.7 million provided in 2023, an additional $7 million will be allocated to cover the transition costs associated with new salaries, benefits, recruitment, equipment, and training.
“The City of Grande Prairie is pursuing a policing solution that’s right for the community and its residents, and Alberta’s government is behind them throughout the transition process. Albertans, regardless of where they live, deserve fast and reliable law enforcement where and when they need it. Our government remains committed to ensuring Alberta municipalities have their choice of policing provider,” stated Minister Mike Ellis.
Alberta Ranked Last in Housing Affordability Initiatives
More and Better Housing Canada, a project conducted by the Task Force for Housing and Climate, released an annual report card that ranks Alberta as the worst in Canada for efforts to address housing affordability. Receiving a “D+” grade, the province was scored on its ability to fulfill the following five categories: legalizing density, improving building codes, accelerating factory-built housing, avoiding building in high-risk areas, and the ability to fill in market gaps. The highest-ranked provinces, British Columbia, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island only received a “C+” grade in comparison.
With the report ranking only the Government of Alberta’s policy initiatives, municipalities in the province were complimented. “There are a lot of great things happening in Alberta. Housing starts are quite high. We have a lot of fantastic reforms at the municipal level in both Edmonton and Calgary, but they don't have much to do with the provincial government,” commented author and Ontario-based economist Mike Moffat.
Funding to Support Youth Employment
The Government of Alberta is investing over $17 million in employment support targeted at youth. The announcement follows statistics indicating a difficult job market for youth, such as a 22% reduction in summer job listings across the country.
“Alberta’s economy depends on a strong, skilled workforce – and that starts with our youth. This investment ensures more young Albertans can get their foot in the door, gain experience and power the future of our province,” stated Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Trade Joseph Schow. The funds will be targeted at providing youth with job coaching, resume development, interview practice, job search strategies, workshops, and job placements.
Alberta Teachers One-Step Closer to Strike Action
The Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA) has voted 99.45 per cent in favour of a strike authorization. “This is a loud and clear message from teachers that the government needs to do more, and it starts with funding public education. We’re the least funded school jurisdiction in all of Canada, and that’s impacting our classrooms,” stated ATA President Jason Schilling. The decision to enact a strike would occur if an agreement is not made with the province in the coming days, after which the ATA would have 120 days to enact a strike of its over 40,000 members.