Ian Gray

EDMONTON – The third week of Alberta’s election campaign began with the major party leaders arguing who knew the most about farming and which would fight the hardest for producers with Ottawa. Later in the week, premier Ralph Klein, Liberal leader Nancy MacBeth and New Democrat Raj Pannu all denounced the federal government’s $500 million […] Read more

EDMONTON — The Alberta government has called the province’s 25th general election for March 12, exactly four years and a day after it last went to the polls. Premier Ralph Klein dropped the election writ just minutes after lt. governor Lois Hole finished reading the throne speech, tying with a similar one day legislature session […] Read more

EDMONTON – The Alberta government and the province’s 6,000 doctors will return to the bargaining table in January, forestalling for the time being more job actions. Premier Ralph Klein met personally with Alberta Medical Association president Clayne Steed Dec. 22, prompting the new talks. The association organized a series of rotating closures of clinics and […] Read more

Excerpts from the Feb. 17 House of Commons debate amending the Canadian Wheat Board Act Ralph Goodale (minister of natural resources and minister responsible for the Canadian Wheat Board, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to open this third reading debate on Bill C-4, an act to amend the Canadian Wheat Board Act, a […] Read more

Alberta hospitals cancelled elective surgery earlier this week as they prepared for a possible nurses’ strike. The 12,000 members of the United Nurses of Alberta were to take a strike vote March 4. While it’s illegal for nurses to strike in Alberta, the nurses said cuts to health care have taken their toll. About 8,000 […] Read more

The people of Rocky Mountain House were clear. They don’t want video lottery terminals in their town. Of 3,600 eligible voters in the Alberta town, 1,035 voted to get rid of the machines and 565 voted to keep them. Yet the future of 37 VLTs in the town, and others in the province, is far […] Read more

There are no more premiums at the trough. The Alberta pork war is over after four weeks of high returns for prairie hog farmers. Along with the announcement that Saskatchewan Wheat Pool was buying 35 percent of Fletcher’s Fine Foods in Red Deer, Alta. came the news Feb. 10 that the company would no longer […] Read more

The Saskatchewan Scrap Tire Corporation held meetings throughout the province in November and December to inform people about its recycling program, with attendance ranging from six to 40 people. “Attendance is a bit lower than what we had hoped,” said Roberta Windrum, executive director of the corporation. “(There is) somewhat of a bit of apathy […] Read more