# ucp (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 5 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover ucp. Page: Feed: --- ## [Mysterious note left behind after hit-and-run, police searching for suspect](https://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/news/crime/mystery-hit-and-run-suspect-alberta-police/wcm/48ecfe6b-7414-4bb5-b488-287dcaeee457) _2026-08-21 · Itoro Umanah · Fort McMurray Today_ RCMP said that the collision did "significant damage" to the victim's vehicle and while a note was left, no contact information was provided. ## ['Step in a good direction': Northern Albertan artists combatting vandalism one mural at a time](https://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/news/murals-graffiti-northern-alberta-local-art-vandalism/wcm/2a4bdcd7-2423-44bd-bf59-cf9f5cd076f9) _2026-08-20 · Itoro Umanah · Fort McMurray Today_ The RMWB is investing $120,000 in a graffiti abatement 'mural fest,' engaging youth across the region in 'meaningful community work' ## [Danielle Smith muses about holding binding separation vote before next year’s general election](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/danielle-smith-muses-about-holding) _2026-08-20 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ Maybe it’s time for Alberta’s premier to channel the Clash and ask herself: ‘Should I stay or should I go?’ ## [Northern Alberta woman charged in alleged $800,000 Heritage Society fraud case](https://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/news/crime/800000k-fraud-northern-alberta-rcmp-investigation-charged-laid/wcm/b5da255d-2343-42ba-931a-de4907e202a9) _2026-08-19 · Itoro Umanah · Fort McMurray Today_ The Fort McMurray Heritage village has since closed its doors to the public after a unanimous vote from the RMWB council to temporarily take control of the Heritage Society's assets ## [Sept. 14 by-election called in Calgary-Shaw; there’s plenty to ponder about what it’ll all mean](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/sept-14-by-election-called-in-calgary) _2026-08-19 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ It’s telling no candidate from a fringe separatist party has emerged to challenge the UCP in the vote ## [Keyano College reports nearly $800k in student awards, announces new $50,000 endowment for female students](https://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/news/local-news/keyano-supports-indigenous-femeale-students-awards/wcm/989ee01c-cb81-4f48-9b96-0ed8a3b3d920) _2026-08-18 · Itoro Umanah · Fort McMurray Today_ The endowment will be in effect for the 2026-2027 academic year and will provide two awards annually, one specifically for a female First Nations or Métis student ## [Count on it, UCP red tape will make it easier to lose your health care](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/count-on-it-ucp-red-tape-will-make) _2026-08-18 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ So where’s the minister of ‘red-tape reduction’ now that we actually need him? ## ['We want nothing to do with separatism': Thomas Lukaszuk drives anti-separatist Unity Bus across Alberta](https://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/news/national/thomas-lukaszuk-forever-canadian-fort-mcmurray/wcm/bb75beb9-4d8c-474f-8d6d-d342c9a4c0d1) _2026-08-17 · Itoro Umanah · Fort McMurray Today_ The Forever Canadian movement is grassroots, volunteer-led, opposing petition backed by former Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk, who said that most Albertans want to remain Canadians and that the push from the UCP and separatists has caused "amazing division" within the province ## [Preston Manning, 84, turns up with yet another ‘assembly’ to polish Alberta’s tarnished separation referendum](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/preston-manning-84-turns-up-with) _2026-08-15 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ He’s teaming up with another political has-been, former B.C. premier Gordon Campbell, 78 ## [Suspect charged in violent break and enter in downtown Fort McMurray](https://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/news/violent-break-and-enter-fort-mcmurray-crime/wcm/a43f781a-1f44-4d0d-a2fc-77722a998135) _2026-08-14 · Itoro Umanah · Fort McMurray Today_ Police say the suspect, who fled on foot, left a trail and was found injured in a nearby neighbourhood ## [Fast, secure international transfers (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/CwwTL7wSHNtL) _2026-08-14 · **Sponsored**_ Bank transfer, cash pickup, mobile wallet — low fees and real-time tracking ## [Warrant issued for Fort McMurray man allegedly involved in aggravated assault](https://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/news/crime/fort-mcmurray-assault-calagary-edmonton-suspect/wcm/3d6df513-3252-4da0-8931-3b711bdc4cdf) _2026-08-14 · Itoro Umanah · Fort McMurray Today_ Police say the suspect's whereabouts are currently unknown, but he frequents the Fort McMurray, Edmonton and Calgary areas ## [Newspaper uncovers strange surge in fund-raising for separatist party in 2025](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/newspaper-uncovers-strange-surge) _2026-08-14 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ But what does it mean and what will Elections Alberta do about it? That’s not so clear ## [Getting lawyers to wear cowboy hats for 10 days every July is as close as Alberta’s going to get to a ‘distinct legal tradition’](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/getting-lawyers-to-wear-cowboy-hats) _2026-08-13 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ Alberta’s United Conservative Party is suffering from péquiste envy again! ## ["I'm gonna get in big trouble": Bizarre video shows driver filming reckless stunt on Highway 63](https://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/news/im-gonna-get-in-big-trouble-bizarre-video-shows-driver-filming-reckless-stunt-on-highway-63/wcm/195e8bf4-e551-493c-803b-edf1a5a006a8) _2026-08-12 · Itoro Umanah · Fort McMurray Today_ Wood Buffalo RCMP Traffic Services are investigating the dangerous driving that was captured on video ## [Suspect charged following stabbing incident that landed one person in hospital](https://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/news/crime/downtown-stabbing-victim-hospitalized-fort-mcmurray/wcm/9baa661d-3c21-48cc-9656-43341f2c06fe) _2026-08-12 · Itoro Umanah · Fort McMurray Today_ The victim is facing non-life-threatening injuries at this time, police say ## [St. Albert Public Library Board has estimated cost of UCP book ban at $100,000 in 2027](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/st-albert-public-library-board-has) _2026-08-10 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ That’s money that could be spent on, you know, books – not to mention other library materials and activities ## [Guest post by Lorne Fitch: 20 reasons Albertans should be concerned about conservation](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/guest-post-by-lorne-fitch-20-reasons) _2026-08-07 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ One doesn’t need much insight to conclude that conservation, protection of our natural environment, is no priority in Alberta ## [‘In Alberta we believe in free speech, full stop,’ Danielle Smith says – at least when it comes to hate speech](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/in-alberta-we-believe-in-free-speech) _2026-08-06 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ But don’t think about advocating a teachers’ strike, at least until after Aug. 31, 2028! ## [Having made Alberta’s blue flag a symbol of separatism, separatists are furious some folks see it as a symbol of separatism!](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/having-made-albertas-blue-flag-a) _2026-08-05 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ Alas, Alberta’s Boring Blue Banner flops on both inspirational and vexillographical grounds ## [Alberta propaganda push suggests UCP is encountering stiffer opposition to AI data centres than it expected](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/alberta-propaganda-push-suggests) _2026-08-03 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ Don’t worry about it, folks, slick online promotion advises, just think of hyperscale AI data centres as ‘digital refineries’! ## [Point a Domain, Start a Pit (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/FqQpgVtxZGuH) _2026-08-03 · **Sponsored**_ Point any domain to a blacked-out, poison-green coming-soon page with an email waitlist. ## [Alberta Day is coming on Sept. 1! It won’t be replacing Labour Day any time soon](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/alberta-day-is-coming-on-sept-1-it) _2026-08-02 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ ‘Alberta Day,’ according to Jason Kenney back in 2020, was a great time to remember the Spanish Flu ## [Let’s go back to the future Danielle Smith promised us: ‘No one should ever have to pay out of pocket to see a family doctor’](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/lets-go-back-to-the-future-danielle) _2026-07-27 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ That’s what she said on April 12, 2023 – but that was then, and this is now, so get ready to pony up some cash! ## [Was the separation petition ‘too big to rig’? Elections Alberta thinks so – many Albertans will not be so sure](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/was-the-separation-petition-too-big) _2026-07-25 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ Elections Alberta has so botched the validation process that both pro-Canadian and pro-separation Albertans now profoundly distrust it ## [Planned changes to Ottawa’s Canada Health Transfer could slash more than $50B from public health care over a decade](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/planned-changes-to-ottawas-canada) _2026-07-23 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ ‘Now is the time to invest in Canada’s public health care system, not undermine it’ — CFNU President Linda Silas ## [UCP apologists clutch their pearls about premier’s ‘fascist pancakes’](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/ucp-apologists-clutch-their-pearls) _2026-07-21 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ Please don’t say that warning about a government showing signs of incipient fascism is outside the realm of acceptable political discourse ## [$&#% your fascist pancakes! An Alberta moment](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/and-your-fascist-pancakes-an-alberta) _2026-07-19 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ There’s just something about FYFP that so perfectly encapsulates the current state of political affairs in Alberta that to hear it is to fully get it ## [Danielle Smith to Calgary-Shaw voters: Forget about a by-election any time soon](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/danielle-smith-to-calgary-shaw-voters) _2026-07-17 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ Alberta premier explains it’s the middle of summer and you don’t have time for politics … seriously! ## [Obviously impressed by the nice reception the NDP gave him, Sen. Lindsay Graham said Donald Trump made him ‘want to move to Canada’](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/obviously-impressed-by-the-nice-reception) _2026-07-13 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ In 2015, the Wildrose Party was outraged the NDP didn’t meet the late U.S. Senator at the airport with a brass band and a bouquet of roses ## [Something’s gravely wrong with how Elections Alberta torpedoed Corb Lund’s Water Not Coal citizen initiative petition](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/somethings-gravely-wrong-with-how) _2026-07-12 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ Combined with ongoing UCP electoral jiggery-pokery, this is turning into a genuine crisis of democratic legitimacy ## [UCP’s ‘constitutional’ referendum questions push a grab-bag of right-wing policy goals intended to divide and weaken Canada](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/ucps-constitutional-referendum-questions) _2026-07-10 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ Through commission and omission, the final four questions we must deal with on Oct. 19 aim to support a provincial march into federal jurisdiction – say no to all nine! ## [Non-custodial Crypto Payments & Escrow (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/OeRw92bupjCW) _2026-07-10 · **Sponsored**_ Accept multi-chain crypto with trustless escrow, instant confirmations, and no KYC ## [Meta announcement shows Alberta’s determination to welcome AI data centres, public anxiety notwithstanding](https://albertapolitics.substack.com/p/meta-announcement-shows-albertas) _2026-07-09 · David Climenhaga · Alberta Politics by David Climenhaga_ Other than a few jobs and modest annual government revenues, it’s not completely clear what benefits these massive plants will bring to Alberta ## [A Patient or Just Another Number? How UCP Policies Exacerbate the Crises in Health Care](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/patient_or_number) _2026-06-30 · Rebecca Graff-McRae · Blog_ In a health-care emergency, wait times can be a matter of life or death. A recent visit to the Emergency Department at an Edmonton hospital highlighted the degree to which the long list of policies implemented by the Alberta government — ostensibly intended to fix health care — have only served to exacerbate the overlapping crises facing the system. ## [The West Wants Out: A Manufactured Threat From an Old Playbook](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/western_alienation) _2026-06-15 · Ricardo Acuna · Blog_ Alberta separatism is all over the news — but is it an emerging threat or just a rehash of the many separatist waves that hit Western Canada in the past? This article examines the history of separatism and so-called western alienation, and argues that it's never been a real threat, but rather a tool used by governing parties to win concessions for their friends and distract from their own policy… ## [Expensive by Design: How UCP Policies Sabotage Affordability in Alberta](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/expensive_by_design) _2026-04-28 · Salimah Valiani · Blog_ Underfunding education, privatizing health care, and relying on deregulated, private electricity generation are just a few of the UCP policy choices deepening the affordability crisis in the province. In Alberta, private market interests always come first. Helping struggling Albertans, apparently, isn’t even part of the list. ## [Political Choices: Why Can’t the Alberta Government Stop Punching Itself in the Face?](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/political_choices) _2026-03-06 · Ricardo Acuna · Blog_ Alberta's Budget 2026 brings deficits, instability, and strained infrastructure and services despite obvious solutions. Why do we keep punching ourselves in the face? ## [The End of Canadian Medicare? Alberta Legislation Opens the Door to U.S. Health Care](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/end_of_medicare) _2026-02-03 · Andrew Longhurst · Research - Parkland Institute_ When Bill 11 passed in December 2025, Alberta became the first province to legislate two-tier health care — a system that gives faster access to those who can pay and longer waits for those who can’t afford to jump the queue — for medically necessary services. This report shows how the Health Statutes Amendment Act puts Canadian medicare at risk and opens the door for American health insurance… ## [We Are the Economy: How the Carney Government Is Failing to Meet the Moment](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/we_are_the_economy) _2025-12-22 · Lindsay McLaren · Blog_ Extractive corporations and the wealthy were the clear winners in the recent federal budget, with struggling Canadians and the environment sitting squarely on the losers' side. But Carney could’ve chosen a different path — one that is centred on the well-being of people and our one and only planet. ## [Alberta’s Union Advantage: Wages, Equity, and the Power of Collective Bargaining](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/union_advantage) _2025-12-11 · Andrew Stevens · Research - Parkland Institute_ Despite years of conservative governments undermining labour rights and restricting collective bargaining, the union wage advantage — the gap between average earnings of unionized and non-unionized workers — remains strong in Alberta. This report draws on new data to show how unionization strengthens wages and benefits while promoting fairness for women, immigrants, and precarious workers across… ## [Poisoning Labour Relations: The Consequences of Alberta’s Teachers’ Back-to-Work Legislation](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/poisoning_labour_relations) _2025-11-22 · Jason Foster · Blog_ With teachers having been legislated back to the classroom and schools now operating as usual, it is important to see the Back to School Act, and its use of the notwithstanding clause, in its broader context and talk about the consequences of its passage on workers, unions, and labour relations in Alberta and Canada. ## [Give Frontline Workers More Help Dealing With Alberta's Drug Crisis](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/drug_crisis) _2025-11-20 · Jennifer Jackson · Blog_ The drug-poisoning crisis in Alberta continues unabated, after nearly a decade of record numbers of deaths. Fatalities are the most tragic and visible consequence, but the prevalence of a toxic drug supply also creates ripple effects that impact families, communities, and the health-care workers who seek to mitigate harm, provide care, save lives, and assist the grieving. ## [Ripple Effects: The Drug Toxicity Crisis and Its Impact on Frontline Health Workers](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/ripple_effects) _2025-11-06 · Jennifer Jackson · Research - Parkland Institute_ Based on a scientific survey of over 500 health workers, this report shows how Alberta's toxic drug crisis impacts frontline health workers as daily issues of inadequate equipment and treatment options, lack of managerial and government support, and insufficient knowledge about drug poisoning put them in a position of having to do more with less. Media release Full Report ## [Sabotaging Prevention: Alberta’s ‘Preventative Health’ Ministry Is Anything But](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/sabotaging_prevention) _2025-10-28 · Rebecca Graff-McRae · Blog_ The Alberta government has justified its new protocols for distribution of COVID-19 vaccines by claiming they will minimize wastage, save money, and prioritize the most vulnerable. In this blog, Parkland Institute research manager Rebecca Graff-McRae reflects on her personal experiences with trying to access vaccines, and debunks the government's claims. ## ["Parental Rights" Threaten to Take Public Education Backwards](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/parental_rights_oped) _2025-10-06 · Heather Ganshorn · Blog_ The language of “parental rights” is being used by vocal conservative groups to push political agendas that threaten the inclusiveness and integrity of Alberta’s public education system. In this article, researcher Heather Ganshorn traces the movement’s ideological roots, documents its growing influence, and highlights its links to the agenda of privatization. See what's at stake in upcoming… ## [When Disrespect Becomes Policy: How Government Neglect Sparked Labour Unrest](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/disrespect) _2025-10-02 · Ian Doktor · Blog_ As Albertans prepare for the first teacher strike in nearly 25 years, it is important for parents, educators, and education stakeholders to reflect on where we are and how we got here. In this open letter, parent, teacher, and doctoral candidate Ian Doktor highlights that it is not just about wages, and details the years of disrespect, underfunding, and bad decisions by the Alberta government that… ## [Challenging 'Parental Rights': A Primer for Parents, Students, Educators, and Advocates](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/parental_rights) _2025-09-04 · Heather Ganshorn · Research - Parkland Institute_ A specific brand of “parental rights” is increasingly being weaponized to justify restrictions on inclusive practices in Alberta’s education system. At the same time, one key feature of this agenda — the push for “school choice” — is laying the groundwork for broader privatization. This report shows where these efforts are coming from, what’s at stake, and how to fight for schools that are… ## [Undervalued and Overstretched: Inequity, Discrimination, and the Crisis Facing Alberta’s Allied Health-Care Workforce](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/undervalued) _2025-07-03 · Jenny Godley · Research - Parkland Institute_ This report finds that widespread experiences of discrimination, wage inequities, and job-related stress are contributing to retention challenges within Alberta’s allied health-care workforce — the professionals who support everything from emergency response and diagnostic testing to mental health and rehabilitation services. Media release Full Report ## [Gutting Peter to make sure Paul gets a nice corporate bonus](https://prolificprogressive.wordpress.com/2025/04/14/gutting-peter-to-make-sure-paul-gets-a-nice-corporate-bonus/) _2025-04-15 · Calamity Jayne · The Prolific Progressive_ I am so sick of people trying to use “the national debt” to justify their support of harmful, thoughtless policies from greedy, self-serving politicians. If people are genuinely so concerned about our national debt that they are willing to sacrifice healthcare, education and the CPP (which I don’t think most people really are), the focus Continue reading "Gutting Peter to make sure Paul gets a… ## [Operation Profit: Private Surgical Contracts Deliver Higher Costs and Longer Waits](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/operation_profit) _2025-03-26 · Andrew Longhurst · Research - Parkland Institute_ New data analyzed in this report shows that the costs of private surgical services under the Alberta Surgical Initiative have skyrocketed, even as patients face increasingly long waits — including for cancer and other critical surgeries. Meanwhile, Alberta is one of only three provinces where real per capita hospital spending has been steadily declining for the past decade. Media release Full… ## [Raising Alberta: Making $10-a-Day Child Care Work in Our Province](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/raising_alberta) _2025-01-31 · Susan Cake · Research - Parkland Institute_ Since Alberta signed the $10-a-day Child Care deal, reports on the results have been mixed. While many parents have benefited from reduced fees, some providers have voiced concerns about the program, and the provincial government has complained that the federal agreement is overly restrictive. This report examines the progress made under the $10-a-day plan in Alberta, identifies persistent… ## [Shifting Gears: Exploring Edmonton’s Financial And Political Pressures And Ways Forward](http://www.parklandinstitute.ca/shifting_gears) _2024-11-28 · Inez Hillel · Research - Parkland Institute_ With spending growing faster than revenues, the City of Edmonton is feeling the pinch of an increasingly challenging financial situation. This report examines how cuts to provincial funding, rising service demands, and underutilized revenue streams have left the city struggling to meet the needs of its residents. It highlights concerns about homelessness, mental illness, addiction, and the rising…