EDMONTON — Alberta Opposition Leader Rachel Notley says if elected in 2023, her NDP will work to make the province a powerhouse in renewable energy.

Notley says that includes moving Alberta’s electricity grid to net-zero emissions by the year 2035.

She says an NDP government will also develop geothermal energy, hydrogen fuel and manufacturing of carbon fibre from bitumen.

Notley made the comments in a speech at the Alberta NDP 2021 convention, held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The party, led by Notley, won the 2015 election but lost to the United Conservatives in 2019, and is looking to win back government two years from now.

Notley says Premier Jason Kenney has failed on all fronts to confront the pandemic by introducing half measures that have failed to keep people safe from COVID-19.

And she says photos this week of Kenney and his inner circle appearing to violate health rules while dining on the patio roof of a building near the legislature grounds show Kenney is in it for himself.

“He’s no leader,” said Notley Sunday in the online speech.

“Those photos (are) showing the premier and his most senior ministers huddled around a table, on top of his private Sky Palace patio, not a care in the world. No masks, no distancing, no rules. Just whiskey, waiters, and white linen tablecloths.

“They reveal the real Jason Kenney: a man who refuses to let his own rules prevent him from living his best life – a life that you and I can’t have yet.”

Kenney has insisted the dinner was within public health rules because it was under the 10-person limit on outdoor social gatherings. But he has not addressed apparent violations of masking and distancing rules.

Two of his United Conservative backbench members and two cabinet ministers have criticized the event for breaking health rules.

Notley also received 98.2 per cent approval from NDP members in the party’s leadership review.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2021.

EDMONTON — Sunday marked the fourth day in a row that Alberta reported less than 300 new cases of COVID-19.

The numbers were reported Sunday in a limited update on the province’s COVID-19 website.

Another 231 new cases of COVID-19 were reported Sunday after over 5,330 tests were completed. The provincial positivity rate is 4.5 per cent.

The seven-day rolling average for provincial positivity is 4.85 per cent.

There are now 4,884 active case of COVID-19 in Alberta, marking the first time since March 16, 2021 that there have been less than 5,000 active cases.

As of Sunday there were 360 people in hospital with COVID-19, including 96 in ICU – the first time the total number of people in ICU dipped below 100 since April 16 this year.

Three more deaths from COVID-19 were reported Sunday, raising the total to 2,246.

The Calgary zone leads the province in active cases and for the number of people in hospital with 1,997 active infections and 140 patients. The Edmonton zone has 1,315 active cases and 116 in hospital.

The North zone has 677 active infections and 37 people in hospital. The Central zone has 632 active cases and 38 in hospital while the South zone has 263 active infections and only 29 in hospital.

The province reported another milestone on Saturday when over 3 million vaccine doses had been administered.

The province’s first drive-in vaccination clinic will open up in Calgary on Monday.

Over 3.05 million vaccine doses have been administered in Alberta, with 66.4 per cent of the population aged 12 or older receiving at least one dose. 13.9 per cent of the population eligible for vaccination are fully vaccinated.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health, is expected to give her next update later this week. 

EDMONTON — A cabinet minister is calling on the premier of Alberta to apologize for his Sky Palace dinner and criticized remarks he made about cancel culture.

Leela Aheer – Alberta’s minister of culture, multiculturalism, and the status of women – released a Facebook post on Saturday evening from her personal account calling on the premier to apologize.

“I am confused and, like you, extremely hurt, and I’m so sorry for any pain, anger, or frustration this may have caused you,” she said.

“All of us make mistakes, but this one is a big one.”

She called on all ministers present at the meeting to apologize to Albertans.

“Our leadership should sincerely apologize,” she added. “I want you to know that I have diligently followed the rules right alongside all of you as we fight COVID.”

Premier Jason Kenney, three ministers, and four other people dining on a rooftop patio drew large amounts of criticism over the alleged flouting of the province’s gathering rules.

The group of United Conservative Party members were spotted Tuesday evening on the balcony of the Sky Palace of the Federal Building on the Alberta Legislature grounds in Edmonton.

Aheer also criticized Kenney for remarks he made earlier this week regarding “cancel culture.”

Kenney spoke out Tuesday afternoon about what he called an ongoing “cancel culture” in Canada after being asked what he thought about the growing movement to change the names of landmarks and schools associated with historical figures organizing and promoting residential schools.

The premier warned that if cancelling historical figures and their achievements continues, most of the country’s founding fathers could one-day be removed from the history books.

Kenney also spoke favourably about Sir John A. Macdonald, noting that he co-sponsored a bill as a sitting MP to recognize Canada’s first prime minister “without whom Canada would not exist.”

“And as his authoritative contemporary biographer Richard Gwyn said, ‘No Macdonald, no Canada.’ I think Canada is worth celebrating. I think Canada is a great historical achievement. It is a country that people all around the world seek to join as new Canadians.”

In Aheer’s statement, the minister said “changing the names of schools and educating people about these atrocities is not ‘cancel culture.’”

“Cancel culture is what has happened to our First Nations by not acknowledging these atrocities and those responsible,” Aheer said.

“This is a turning point in our province and our country where we can truly start the process of healing, and I am honored to stand with my First Nation sisters and brothers.”

Requests for comment to Aheer’s press secretary were not responded to.

CTV News Edmonton reached out to the premier’s office for comment.

With files from CTV News Calgary’s Dave Dormer 

EDMONTON — Alberta reported another 293 cases of COVID-19 on Saturday as the province administered over 3 million vaccine doses.

The numbers were reported Saturday in a limited update on the province’s COVID-19 website.

There are 373 people in hospital, including 105 patients in ICU.

Three more deaths from COVID-19 were reported Saturday.

The province’s seven-day rolling average of daily cases is 309.

Alberta has 5,071 active cases and a positivity rate of 4.4 per cent.

Over 3 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in the province as of Friday.

Sixty-six per cent of Alberta’s population over the age of 12 has received at least one vaccine dose. Over 502,800 Albertans are fully immunized, translating to 13 per cent of those ages 12 and up.

The province expanded vaccine eligibility on Tuesday so that anyone who received their first dose in March can now book their second shot.

Those who got their first immunization in April can begin booking a second dose appointment on June 14 while those vaccinated in May can start booking appointments on June 28.

Premier Jason Kenney said in a statement that the province had reached a new milestone in the fight against COVID-19.

“Crossing the 3 million dose milestone means we are that much closer to being open for summer,” Kenney said. “As more Albertans continue to step up and get vaccinated, we can all look forward to brighter days ahead.”

“Alberta’s vaccine rollout continues to pick up speed every day,” said Tyler Shandro, minister of health.

“Every day tens of thousands of doses are getting into Albertans’ arms. This is a testament to the commitment each Albertan has to putting this pandemic behind us.”

The province’s first drive-in vaccination clinic will open up in Calgary on Monday.

Dr. Deena Hinshaw, chief medical officer of health, is expected to give her next update later this week. 

EDMONTON — Officials say there is no threat to the public after a search for “armed and dangerous” individuals in Parkland County, Alta. concluded.

Police responded to an incident Saturday afternoon in the area of Highway 60 and Highway 628 west of Edmonton. Mounties said in a tweet at 2 p.m. that armed suspects were at large and encouraged residents to stay in their homes or shelter in place. 

An Edmonton Police Service cruiser seen leaving the police containment area near the active incident (CTV News Edmonton)

An Alberta Emergency Alert was sent to phones and televisions in the area near the incident and in west Edmonton at 2:12 p.m. advising residents to “shelter in place.”

The alert was in effect until 4:24 p.m. when officials said there was no longer a danger to the public and that two suspects were in police custody.

Officials told CTV News Edmonton that while an alert was originally issued for two suspects, there are three suspects.

The situation began around 12:30 p.m. with an “incident” in Edmonton, RCMP told CTV News Edmonton. RCMP was asked to assist Edmonton police. No details were provided about the location or what transpired.

Mounties said that the “incident” continued as suspects left the city and moved into Parkland County where a standoff occurred.

A rolled-over vehicle pulling a trailer on Highway 628 west of Highway 60 is being considered as part of the investigation.

Police formed a perimeter around what they described as a “containment area” on Saturday during an incident involving armed suspects in Parkland County, Alta. (CTV News Edmonton)

RCMP said no officers were hurt during the standoff.

One suspect was injured during the incident and was taken to hospital by EMS. The extent of their injuries is unknown.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has been called, RCMP say.

Highway 628 between Highway 60 and Range Road 264 will be closed for the remainder of the day as police continue their investigation. 

More to come…