Alberta’s beautiful diversity

By Leela Sharon Aheer Chestermere-Strathmore MLA

Hello Chestermere-Strathmore readers. I wish all of our Pakistani (Aug. 14) and Indian Subcontinent (Aug. 15) families and friends a very Happy 75th Independence Day. We are blessed in this province to have such beautiful diversity woven into a magnificent tapestry that enriches all of us. I am so honoured to have been included in your celebrations this past weekend.

I wanted to update our readers on a recent meeting held by Don Sharpe regarding EMS in our riding. We had a wonderful chat with Darren Sandbeck from AHS and he was aware of the townhalls that had been held. Neither EMS nor AHS officials were involved in the townhalls, as they have been doing outreach and engagement with myself and other levels of elected officials to help evaluate and respond to concerns from folks in our community. AHS has increased the number of paramedics by 9% in the last two years, and this does not include other contracted operators. Thank you again to Darren Sandbeck, Chief Paramedic and Senior Provincial Director for AHS EMS, for your continued work. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to AHS at 403-701-3070. 

Finally, I would like to share the Statement that our wonderful Minister of Energy Sonya Savage released regarding President Bidens recent decision to ask OPEC to increase oil production:

“The Biden administration pleading with OPEC to increase oil production to rescue the United States from high fuel prices months after cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline smacks of hypocrisy.

“Keystone XL would have provided Americans with a stable source of energy from a trusted ally and friend that adheres to the highest ESG standards in the world with industry commitments to net-zero production. Had pipelines not been politicized by opponents of oil and gas, Keystone XL would have been operational for years and reliably delivering nearly 1 million barrels of oil every day to American refineries.

“The Biden administration’s plea for more oil confirms there will continue to be demand for Canadian and Alberta energy and highlights the need for affordable and reliable energy as the world seeks to lower emissions. This is despite a deliberate push from our federal government to transition away from oil and gas. Alberta’s government will continue to push for new pipelines and new markets to support the industry, the jobs, and the prosperity it creates. The bottom line is the world needs Alberta’s energy. Albertans own the third-largest oil reserves in the world, and our industry is at the forefront of innovation and technology to reduce emissions and produce oil with the lowest carbon footprint. That’s why we are well-positioned to meet global demand and support a post-pandemic economic recovery.

“We look forward to the Biden administration’s continued support for an integrated North American energy market in the months ahead, which will create jobs and prosperity on both sides of the border.”

As always, we love to hear from you.

(Leela Sharon Aheer is the MLA Elect for Chestermere-Strathmore)