City residents and all Albertans are key players in Canada

By Lethbridge Herald on July 9, 2022.

AT THE LEGISLATURE
Nathan Neudorf – UCP MLA for Lethbridge East

Canada. Around the world it’s a country known for its stunning landscapes, generous people and of course, ice hockey and poutine.  

155 years ago, on March 29, 1867, the British North America Act (BNA Act) was passed by British Parliament, creating the Dominion of Canada.

While it took time for all the provinces to unify and create the Canada we see today, the basic structure of how our country operates from one side to the other has remained relatively stable. Incredibly, our methods of governance still fundamentally reflect the structure from a document born in the 1860s.

Since our humble beginnings, we’ve grown from three million people, to over 38 million. As a nation, we’ve traversed through conflict and difficulty, through tragedies and triumphs. 

As a result, we’ve built strength, resiliency and identity. 

Between 1939 and 1945, more than one million Canadian men and women served full-time in the armed services, according to Historica Canada, with more than 43,000 people killed.

 Canada’s sacrifice during the war was embodied in heroic campaigns from Dieppe to Ortona and Normandy.

Having set the scene with the magnificence of the great Country we live in, let’s bring it a little closer to home and talk about Alberta; a province whose people are innovative, industrious and generous to others; a province that’s hospitable, a world-class tourist destination; and a province that serves as both a national breadwinner and agricultural producer and exporter. 

Not only is Alberta one of the breadbaskets of the world, we’re amongst the biggest breadwinners in Canada. 

At 15.27 per cent of the total GDP, we are truly the economic engine of Canada. 

Allow me to prove my point…

Our film industry is set to eclipse $1 billion dollars in annual net production values, with an anticipated and corresponding $482 million in related spending, generating 9,000 jobs per year. 

Our tourism industry is another brightly shining Alberta star. Thanks to the combination of breathtaking scenery, a rich, diverse and well-documented history, scores of accommodations, culinary delights, and outdoor and indoor adventures and events, Alberta brings in over $10 billion dollars of tourism-related expenditures — and more than 30 million visitors — per annum. 

Although these numbers took a hit in 2020 and 2021, there are encouraging signs that production will come roaring back.  As devastating as the pandemic was on the tourist sector, Alberta responded with innovation, business redevelopment and expansion. 

With the number of movies set to be filmed in Alberta, visitor interest in our great province will only increase.

Another strong economic driver, our energy sector traces its roots back to 1875, when Canada’s Geological Survey discovered the presence of a black, gooey substance in Alberta. The oilsands have since proved to have a dramatic impact on the country’s economy and political landscape. 

Alberta’s oil sands contain the fourth-largest oil reserves in the world after Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

 Our proven reserves equal about 165.4 billion barrels, production totaling 17.3 million cubic meters in April 2022, up 9.9 per cent compared to April 2021. 

Last year, the value of all crude oil, bitumen, natural gas and natural gas liquids produced in Alberta topped $107 billion. 

With higher prices and output, it’s projected to climb to $163.5 billion this year. Through Alberta resource – Alberta taxpayers made a $272 billion net contribution to federal government finances between 2007 and 2019.

Alberta is proud to be home to the largest Indian reservation in Canada, spanning 352,600 acres and boasting a population of 4,713 in 2018. 

Blood Indian Reserve No. 148 is a part of the Blackfoot Confederacy and is based in southern Alberta on 557.2 square miles of reserve land bordered by the Old Man River, the St. Mary River, and the Belly River. Our First Nations are strong and proud. 

We have the opportunity to again be leaders in Canada through our work on truth and reconciliation, as well as meaningful collaboration with the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation to address economic development and stability.

Not only are Albertans hardworking and industrious, but they are also generous and welcoming. According to Statistics Canada, Albertans often rank highest when it comes to donations and philanthropic giving.

 We also have the lowest income tax in Canada, a provincial ministry dedicated to the reduction of red tape and significant investment in core, revenue-generating infrastructure.

Canada’s most popular national park (as well as the very first national park in the country) just so happens to be Banff – located, of course, in Alberta. Not that I’m bragging – but we do host an iconic national park that is on almost every world traveler’s bucket list — and for good reason. 

Not to be left out, Alberta Agriculture continues stand above the crowd. Our province is a leading producer of canola, wheat, dry peas, barley, potatoes, and sugar beets as well as Canada’s largest producer and exporter of beef. 

The province’s growable acres, abundance of sunshine and innovative and efficient irrigation systems make Alberta ideally suited to produce and export agricultural products. Based on the steady growth of these sectors, there’s no reason to believe this upward trend won’t continue. Above all, I believe Albertan ingenuity drives this production.

And now to bring it even closer to home, Lethbridge is experiencing growth and diversity like never before.  While we are generally known for our agriculture and agri-food products which employs almost 20 per cent of the region’s population, it is also home to an incredible manufacturing sector. 

 In fact, manufacturing exports totaled $1.23 billion last year, up 49 per cent from 2020 and 77 per cent compared to 2019.  

This makes up approximately 70 per cent of our total exports from Lethbridge which were $1.76 billion in 2021 up 43 per cent from 2019.

Lethbridge embodies much of the spirit and grit that exemplifies our province and our country. We are a key player in Alberta, just as Alberta is a key player in Canada. Each of us has something to offer and when we all give our best – the effects are far-reaching.

 As we’ve recently celebrated our nations 155th birthday, I’m reminded once again of the blessing it is to live in Canada. Let’s not take it for granted, as we continue to move forward.