Seeing the legacy of former Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed being “kicked to the curb by extremists who are taking over the PC party has been heartbreaking to me,” Jansen said.

“The tone that has been brought into Alberta politics belongs in our past,” she said.

“Most parties would describe themselves as big tent … It wasn’t big enough to fit me and I was told that over and over.”

Premier Rachel Notley said Jansen has always been a voice for moderate and progressive politics.

“We share some very important values and priorities that serve Alberta well in government,” Notley said.

Notley said the province is facing challenging times and it’s important to pull together.

“We don’t divide ourselves from each other. We don’t call each other names. We don’t harass each other. We don’t try to pull each other down,” she said.

Eaton and his co-author Xuewei Bao used a mathematical algorithm to isolate and locate more than 900 earthquakes in the Fox Creek area.

“That gave us the ability to image the fault structure,” Eaton said. “We could see that there were steeply dipping faults that extended from the injection level down into the Precambrian basement.”

The pair also realized there were two hairline faults that hadn’t been spotted in previous work.

One fault, some distance from the fracking site, quaked as fluids were pumped down and stopped when the pumping did.

Eaton said those quakes were caused by stress changes on the rock from the pumping. When the pumping ended, the stress was reduced.

But the other fault, very close to the site, remained active for months.

The researchers combined their precise fault-mapping with equally precise data on how much fluid was pumped underground, when it was pumped and where.

Premier Rachel Notley said in a speech that she understands concerns and debate is always healthy. But she told delegates that a robust climate-change plan gives Alberta more credibility as it fights for energy infrastructure such as pipelines.

“People are going to disagree sometimes, and we know that sometimes making hard decisions, particularly long-term decisions that bring about long-term repositioning and improvement for sometimes people who aren’t voters right now, that’s a little hard,” Notley said.

“Bring back businesses into Alberta, we’ve seen them leave, we need them to come back. The government needs to promote business to stay, not to leave and I’m hoping that’s what they’ll do,” Deabis added.

Paul Hinman, former MLA for Cardston-Taber-Warner and original leader of the Wildrose party, was a speaker at the event as he covered for Grant Hunter who was home ill.

“I was in the legislature many times when Rachel talked about how she was going to be accountable, how she’d go and listen to the people and how we need to be representing the people,” said Hinman. “I think that if you actually went doorto-door and asked people, an overwhelming number of Albertans understand that this is just another big government push to tax people more or to tax industries and it’s a political agenda.”

A $20-per-tonne carbon levy will come into effect on Jan. 1. The levy targets more than 20 types of fuel which produce greenhouse gas emissions when combusted. The Alberta government states every penny raised through the levy will be reinvested into the province to reduce our carbon footprint by making investments in energy efficiency for homeowners and small business owners.

And most Albertans, approximately 66 per cent of households, will receive a full or partial rebate. Individuals who make $47,000 a year or less and couples or families who make under $95,000 will qualify for the rebate.

But Hinman doesn’t feel this is the time to implement a new levy.

“We’re an economic basket case — we’re struggling. Do not impose a tax, this is like having someone that’s weak and barely able to move and say ‘you know what, we need you to carry 10 more pounds and putting a weight on them,” said Hinman. “Our economy cannot handle a carbon tax right now.”

Hinman suggests postponing the levy or putting it to a plebiscite.

“If you really believe you have a mandate from Albertans, then show us that don’t believe that you do with a plebiscite.”

Those in attendance signed a petition which urged the Provincial Legislative Assembly to hold a referendum on the matter, but Hinman said the people must do more.

“The biggest message for people today is signing these petitions are great, but I’ve been in the house when Rachel herself has put many petitions to the table there presented to the government and government carries on,” said Hinman. “What we need to do is we need to start a movement of phoning, emailing and sending letters to the premier’s office, to Shannon Phillip’s office, to the energy minister’s office, finance minster’s office and absolutely bombarding them with an overwhelming number of people calling them and say ‘please postpone the carbon tax.’”

More information on the Climate Leadership Implementation Act can be found at www.finance.alberta.ca/ publica tions/tax_rebates/faqs_carbonlevy. Follow @TMartinHerald on Twitter

Some people at the Edmonton rally questioned whether climate change was really a problem. Others acknowledged it, but said a carbon tax would only kick Alberta when it’s already down and wouldn’t stop carbon emitters like the U.S. and China.

Alicia Drader, a journeyman electrician who attended the rally, said green investment is a good thing, but said it won’t change things overnight. In the meantime, he said hasn’t worked since January and his EI benefits will run out in four weeks.

“It’s very stressing to not know what’s next, to now know what to do next.

“When you’ve exhausted sending out 200 resumes and you get a few phone calls and a handful of job interviews and then you end up having maybe 500 people going for two positions, it’s very challenging to get working,” Drader said.

“There’s a lot of people struggling.”

Jean told the crowd that Alberta’s oil is being “mishandled.”

He rejected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent announcement that all provinces will need to set a baseline price for carbon by 2018, saying it’s potentially unconstitutional because it challenges the province’s right to manage its own natural resources.

“Our oil, our natural resources belong to us.

“They do not belong to Rachel Notley. They do not belong to Trudeau. They belong to the people of Alberta,” Jean told the crowd.

On Friday, Environment Minister Shannon Phillips said there are more opportunities for municipalities to be part of large-scale energy projects.

“We’ve seen this approach from wind developers in particular, and other renewables developers ensuring community benefits,” she said. “Certainly around Vulcan and Carmangay, we’ve seen those kinds of arrangements. It’s great that the municipalities are looking at ways to ensure local employment and local economic benefits.”

She said she expects to see more of that growth in the future.

“Southern Alberta is the birthplace of Canadian wind energy industry,” she said. “We’ve already got many success stories of places that have raised their municipal tax base, and certainly benefitted from having that kind of energy in their communities.

“We have a number of advocates here in southern Alberta who are pleased to welcome that kind of opportunity.”

“I think, as we move forward with an expansion of renewables, there’s going to be more down here in southern Alberta, but more across the province as well,” she said. “We will find that there will be many more of these arrangements, whether it is local training, local hiring, or even some of the assembly and manufacturing opportunities.”

Building a budget involves complex tradeoffs between doing things that have to be done for short- and medium-term growth and those measures that may have to wait for another budget cycle, he added.

“Is there a way to do more with less? Is there a way to consider being more cost-effective against every initiative? That’s my ongoing approach to dealing with the things I’m hearing from Canadians and the things I’m hearing from my colleagues.”

In doubling down on an infrastructure program that was originally pegged at $60 billion over 10 years but now totals nearly $100 billion, the Liberals are hoping that program can spur growth and jobs, creating the tax base needed to help balance the budget.

Some of those changes won’t be felt right away — spending infrastructure money takes time and only leaves the federal treasury once project proponents submit receipts to show that work has progressed — and Morneau suggested that Canadians won’t see the effects of the long-term plan in the fiscal update for several years.

But the government believes its changes to tax rates for so-called middle-income earners, along with a new income-tested child benefit and short-term infrastructure spending, will create or maintain 100,000 jobs over the next two years, Morneau said — even though the parliamentary budget watchdog has cast doubt on the figure.

Provinces will not release fewer emissions than they did previously, as most people don’t have a choice if they drive a pickup truck or heat their home with natural gas. However, under the Liberal carbon tax, the residents of the province will have to somehow pay for it. Because of the carbon tax, every product you purchase and every household bill you pay will go up in cost.

To put this in perspective, in British Columbia there is a provincial carbon tax. This tax places a $30 per tonne price on carbon, adding 6.67 cents per litre at the gas pump. It makes B.C. the second most expensive province for gas prices in all of Canada, just behind Newfoundland and Labrador. In Alberta, if a carbon tax is fully implemented in 2018, gas prices will be roughly the same as in B.C. With the Liberal goal of $50 per tonne by 2022, gas prices will increase by at least 11 cents per litre.

A carbon tax will also mean significant increases to the price of heating your home. In Alberta, where we heat most of our houses using natural gas, under the carbon tax, there will be an increased tax of $1.50 a gigajoule. Although it may not seem significant at first, after one cold winter the difference will be alarming. It has been estimated that if this carbon tax is imposed on Canada, Alberta will be the most affected by the rise of electricity costs.

This increase in natural gas and electricity will also affect businesses, meaning the prices of non-energy products are also likely to increase. This, of course, directly affects households as they will be forced to spend more on everyday items like groceries and transportation.

Overall, it is estimated that with a $50 per tonne carbon tax, the average Canadian household will end up paying $600 per year. This amount will go up if you drive your own vehicle instead of taking public transit or if you own your own house instead of a condo. With the prices of everyday living already increasing, the carbon tax will have a detrimental impact on household budgets. With instability in the housing market and job loss on the rise, the last thing Canadians need from their government is another tax.

This carbon tax is the wrong approach to reaching climate targets and stimulating the economy. Forcing provinces to adopt a carbon tax is not in the best interest of Canadians — or Canada’s climate. Canadians will not stop purchasing groceries that were shipped to their local supermarket, quit heating their homes, or stop driving to work (especially in a place like Lethbridge). Therefore, carbon will still be released into the environment at the same rate it is now. The only difference the carbon tax will make is impose greater financial burden on families and kill jobs.

I know we are all tough Albertans who can brave the coldest of winters, but there does come a time when turning on the heat is nice. I for one do not want to pay extra tax for choosing not to be a human icicle, and as your Member of Parliament, I don’t think you should either.

“The board is going to treat this report with the utmost seriousness,” he said. “We’ll spend the requisite amount of time to review the documents in great detail.”

The panel gathered information from stakeholders in the division that included a survey of the psychological safety climate within PRS; semistructured interviews with current and former employees, trustees and other stakeholders; documentary submissions from stakeholders; and data and documents requested from PRS. Recommendations included the division creating a plan to deal with aggression and fear in the workplace felt by many employees; clarifying the roles of the board and superintendent; identify and deal with a lack of trust of the board; the board must take ownership of the superintendent evaluation process; manage concerns with procedural fairness; develop a transparent conflict resolution process; improve communication at all levels of the division; develop an off-duty conduct policy; transparency in their electronic monitoring policy; develop a policy that clarifies when alcohol should and should not be purchased; and to develop a communications policy in order to keep the public informed.

As the full review is more than 200 pages long, Strauss could not give a timeline on any decisions that might come out of it.

“We will take as much time as we need to do a thorough job and do it right,” he said, adding it would be unlikely the review would be dealt with in the next board meeting.

“During the course of upcoming weeks and months, we’ll have an opportunity to address this report.”

He said the division has many positive traits, and the board will look at the recommendations as an opportunity to improve areas that are lacking.

“We also heard today this division has a lot of positives in it,” he said. “We have a lot of things we need to look at for improvement. And we welcome that challenge.”

Strauss described the division as a partnership between staff, parents and students, and said the board welcomes the opportunity to work with those groups.

“I was very appreciative for the interest that the parents and the public have shown,” he said.

“This is part of our commitment to work with the people in our system, and to work with the public to create a better system. It’s my intent to work with the stakeholders to ensure we do get better.”

The executive summary is available online at pallisersd.ab.ca.