Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

Alberta SouthWest Regional Economic Development (AlbertaSW) is a partnership of 16 towns, villages and rural municipal districts bordering on BC and MT. Key sectors of the economy in the region are agriculture, renewable energy and tourism. All these industries require consideration of the natural resources and landscapes, creating a natural focus on sustainability, In 2007, in collaboration with...

The early years of human development needs to be an essential priority for the whole community and by creating awareness of the importance of the early years in children’s development, communities can help create and implement an action plan specific to enhancing healthy childhood development. One essential element for children’s development is play. Play allows children to use their creativity wh...

The early years of human development needs to be an essential priority for the whole community and by creating awareness of the importance of the early years in children’s development, communities can help create and implement an action plan specific to enhancing healthy childhood development. One essential element for children’s development is play. Play allows children to use their creativity wh...

Liberal Education is rooted in an approach to learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. It provides students with broad knowledge of the wider world (e.g. science, culture, and society) as well as in-depth study in a specific area of interest. The philosophy of Liberal Education traces back to the Classical Era of the ancient Greeks and Ro...

Liberal Education is rooted in an approach to learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. It provides students with broad knowledge of the wider world (e.g. science, culture, and society) as well as in-depth study in a specific area of interest. The philosophy of Liberal Education traces back to the Classical Era of the ancient Greeks and Ro...

Our drinking water comes from the Oldman River, but where does this river start? The tributaries that feed a river are collectively called headwaters, the source or ‘birthplace’ of our river. Located along the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains, the headwaters of the Oldman River flow from an increasingly busy landscape - one that includes mining, logging, grazing, and recreation. This unique a...

Our drinking water comes from the Oldman River, but where does this river start? The tributaries that feed a river are collectively called headwaters, the source or ‘birthplace’ of our river. Located along the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains, the headwaters of the Oldman River flow from an increasingly busy landscape - one that includes mining, logging, grazing, and recreation. This unique a...

Canada has joined many other national and regional jurisdictions in declaring a climate emergency. Recent reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warn of increasingly deterioriating conditions across the globe in the face of unchecked global heating. While human generated emissions of CO2 and other greenhouses gases are accepted as the major cause, efforts to bend the emiss...

Canada has joined many other national and regional jurisdictions in declaring a climate emergency. Recent reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warn of increasingly deterioriating conditions across the globe in the face of unchecked global heating. While human generated emissions of CO2 and other greenhouses gases are accepted as the major cause, efforts to bend the emiss...

Five years ago, in 2015, the governments of the United Nations agreed on a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that we would need to attain by 2030 to make life better and more sustainable for future generations. Our governments had come to accept that we were rapidly overpopulating the planet, depleting our natural resources and destroying our environment. These goals cover the full ra...

Five years ago, in 2015, the governments of the United Nations agreed on a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that we would need to attain by 2030 to make life better and more sustainable for future generations. Our governments had come to accept that we were rapidly overpopulating the planet, depleting our natural resources and destroying our environment. These goals cover the full ra...

The Official Opposition’s 2019 Alternative Budget lays out a path for Alberta to create jobs, diversify the economy, protect vital public services, and bring the provincial budget to balance. This path is based on economic data in the government’s budget, and more crucially, on widespread consultation with Albertans. Last fall, the NDP Caucus held town hall meetings in communities across Alberta,...

The Official Opposition’s 2019 Alternative Budget lays out a path for Alberta to create jobs, diversify the economy, protect vital public services, and bring the provincial budget to balance. This path is based on economic data in the government’s budget, and more crucially, on widespread consultation with Albertans. Last fall, the NDP Caucus held town hall meetings in communities across Alberta,...

The September 3, 2019 release of the Report and Recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Alberta’s Finances (the MacKinnon report) argues that both the size and compensation of Alberta’s public sector are higher than comparator provinces, and suggests that the government could reduce the size of the public sector (through employee attrition), consider alternative delivery of government programs...

The September 3, 2019 release of the Report and Recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Alberta’s Finances (the MacKinnon report) argues that both the size and compensation of Alberta’s public sector are higher than comparator provinces, and suggests that the government could reduce the size of the public sector (through employee attrition), consider alternative delivery of government programs...

In 2016, students at the U of L established a local chapter of the World University Service of Canada (WUSC). It is a Canadian international development non-profit organization dedicated to improving education, employment and empowerment opportunities for youth, women and refugees in more than 25 countries around the world. WUSC’s Student Refugee Program (SRP) combines refugee resettlement with op...

In 2016, students at the U of L established a local chapter of the World University Service of Canada (WUSC). It is a Canadian international development non-profit organization dedicated to improving education, employment and empowerment opportunities for youth, women and refugees in more than 25 countries around the world. WUSC’s Student Refugee Program (SRP) combines refugee resettlement with op...

Is it MS, Lupus or immune system dysfunction? Doctors were left puzzled by Audrey Skoog’s rapidly deteriorating health. This led to specialist after specialist as well as referrals out of country and out of province. When diagnosis came, she found herself with late stage Lyme disease otherwise known as disseminated Lyme disease; this stage occurs months or even years after a tick bite, when the in...

Is it MS, Lupus or immune system dysfunction? Doctors were left puzzled by Audrey Skoog’s rapidly deteriorating health. This led to specialist after specialist as well as referrals out of country and out of province. When diagnosis came, she found herself with late stage Lyme disease otherwise known as disseminated Lyme disease; this stage occurs months or even years after a tick bite, when the in...

The average Canadian households wastes $1,760 every year in squishy cucumbers, spoiled yogurt and moldy bread. Not only does food waste have a negative impact on our pocketbooks, it’s bad for the environment as resources are wasted producing food that is never eaten. Wasted food is responsible for 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, making the reduction of food waste a key strategy in figh...

The average Canadian households wastes $1,760 every year in squishy cucumbers, spoiled yogurt and moldy bread. Not only does food waste have a negative impact on our pocketbooks, it’s bad for the environment as resources are wasted producing food that is never eaten. Wasted food is responsible for 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, making the reduction of food waste a key strategy in figh...

Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party retained power in a close-run federal election. The Liberals won 157 seats and 33% of the popular vote, enough to retain power in a minority parliament. Opposition leader Andrew Scheer’s Conservative Party won more votes, but far fewer seats. This was the first time since 1979 that the winner of the most seats wasn’t also the winner of the most votes. The NDP did far...

Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party retained power in a close-run federal election. The Liberals won 157 seats and 33% of the popular vote, enough to retain power in a minority parliament. Opposition leader Andrew Scheer’s Conservative Party won more votes, but far fewer seats. This was the first time since 1979 that the winner of the most seats wasn’t also the winner of the most votes. The NDP did far...

Budget 2019 reflects a commitment to responsible fiscal management and a promise to balance the budget in 4 years. It's focused on creating jobs and delivering public services and infrastructure to support private sector investment and a vibrant society. Alberta's many successive provincial deficits have created a serious financial situation and a debt burden that has reached $62.7 billion. Govern...

Budget 2019 reflects a commitment to responsible fiscal management and a promise to balance the budget in 4 years. It's focused on creating jobs and delivering public services and infrastructure to support private sector investment and a vibrant society. Alberta's many successive provincial deficits have created a serious financial situation and a debt burden that has reached $62.7 billion. Govern...