Redford was set to address the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association Mayors Caucus at an MLA breakfast alongside Municipal Affairs Minister Doug Griffiths.
Addressing a packed room of politicians - some who drove across the province to attend the breakfast – Griffiths apologized on behalf of Redford and explained she was feeling under the weather and overworked.
“I was in Fort McMurray with the premier just the other day and I know she’s been going non-stop,” Griffiths said. “She deserves a day off.”
Griffiths said that they spent Wednesday finalizing the March 7 provincial budget and attending several committee meetings, which may have left Redford too tired to attend the breakfast.
“This morning she woke up and the day just got the best of her and she just needs a day of rest,” Griffiths said. “I think she’s all right. The flu’s been going around but I’d imagine she’ll recover very quickly.”
Responding to queries over Twitter, the premier’s communications staff said Redford fell ill overnight. Griffiths again confirmed on Twitter that Redford was “very ill.”
Taking over for Redford, Griffiths repeated that the provincial government won’t balance the budget on the backs of municipalities but that there will be some tough decisions.
Redford previously came down with the flu on Nov. 5, 2012, when she was too sick to attend the fifth anniversary of the Safe Communities initiative at Edmonton’s Westmount Junior High School.
@SunMattDykstra