February Alberta Economic Fundamentals

[Ally]

Study highlights labour gaps





For Calgary employers, the road to recruitment should lead to Los Angeles, Denver or even Dublin, a Calgary Economic Development study has found.




The demand and labour study published Tuesday identifies hot spots in Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and Ireland most able to fill the 25 job types - engineers, geologists, nurses, plumbers, carpenters - expected to face hiring shortfalls in the next few years.




"We wanted to get ahead of the curve this time, prepare for the future," said Mike Fotheringham, research manager at economic development. "The shortage of labour is really a drag on our economy. If we don't have the numbers that we need to get industry going at its full potential then we're not achieving our full potential."






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[Ally]

Enbridge gets supertanker nod for Northern Gateway exports




Supertankers can safely carry huge volumes of oil sands crude through the winding waterways that connect Kitimat, B.C., to the open Pacific, a federal review has concluded, giving a boost to efforts to build a new pipeline to the West Coast.




The review by Transport Canada examined the marine passages that would allow the proposed Enbridge Inc. (ENB-T38.41-0.49-1.26%) Northern Gateway pipeline to export Alberta oil to buyers in China and California. That $6.6-billion project has become one of the country`s most important industrial initiatives, backed by major energy producers and opposed by a raft of first nations and environmental groups.





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[Ally]

Independent panel to look at Alberta's oil prices





With an election call weeks away and MLAs inundated by criticism about soaring power prices, Premier Alison Redford moved Thursday to freeze extra fees tacked onto Albertans' electricity bills while an independent panel scrutinizes costs to consumers.




Opposition parties called the announcement a preelection ploy, but said it also signals the Tory government is finally being forced to reexamine a flawed decade-old deregulation policy.






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[Ally]

Feds have to step up if Enbridge pipeline to get go ahead





The federal government has to step up its involvement, consulting with First Nations and developing an ocean management plan for tanker traffic if the Enbridge pipeline is to go ahead as planned, former cabinet minister Jim Prentice believes.




The National Energy Board is currently holding hearings on the $5.5 billion dollar pipeline project which will carry bitumen from Alberta`s oilsands across Northern British Columbia to Kitimat, where it will be shipped by tanker to Asia.






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[Ally]

High demand for Calgary condo project





CALGARY ` Here`s another sign of the rejuvenation of Calgary`s new residential condominium market.




Bucci Living sold half of the units at Tribeca, a low-rise condominium development in the southwest Mission neighbourhood, on its first day of sales and before the development has officially launched to the public, after receiving twice the target number of expected registrants for a recent VIP pre-sale event.






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[Ally]

McGuinty favours lower loonie over Alberta oil sands






TORONTO - Alberta`s on fire and Ontario`s feeling the heat.




And since the Wild Rose province`s success in selling its oil to the world is forcing up the value of the Canadian dollar ` making it that much harder for Ontario manufacturers to sell their goods ` promoting the oilsands holds little attraction for Premier Dalton McGuinty.




`I cannot believe that any success that we might enjoy here in Ontario is greater than the detriment we are experiencing as a result of the high dollar,` McGuinty said. `That has knocked the wind out of Ontario exporters and manufacturing in particular.`





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[Ally]

A bigger role for Alberta




Many will remember the made-in-Alberta bumper sticker of the 1980s that told Canadians outside of Alberta that they could `freeze in the dark.` The message caught the mood of many Albertans enraged by the National Energy Program. In his role as premier, Ralph Klein rarely missed the opportunity to invoke memories of the NEP while telling the `feds` and his provincial counterparts in no uncertain terms to keep their paws off Alberta`s resources. In those days, Alberta was content to play a limited, even isolated, role in Canada`s national dialogue; a stance emulated by the Reform Party and repeated scant years ago by several prominent Albertans, including the current prime minister, who advised the provincial government to erect firewalls to protect against the barbarians at Alberta`s gates.




Recently, however, Alberta`s new government, under Premier Alison Redford, has turned its gaze outwards, its hands open in an apparent gesture of goodwill. Where previous Alberta governments have exhibited a false bravado, mixed with terminal paranoia, the current government exudes a refreshing confidence in wanting to re-engage with the rest of Canada.





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[Ally]

TransCanada to build southern leg of Keystone pipeline: Report






WASHINGTON/CALGARY - TransCanada Corp is expected to announce on Monday that it will start to build the southern leg of its controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline between Canada and the United States, three political news organizations reported.




TransCanada will begin building the portion of the line that runs from Cushing, Oklahoma south to Texas refineries, reported The Hill, National Journal and Politico.




A company spokesman could not be reached immediately for comment.





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[Ally]

Dozens evacuated from Leduc condo




A soon-to-be married couple is starting their new life with a nightmare.




Chris Melanson, 27 and Jessica Bjorkman, 25, are two of the 150 residents being kicked out of their Leduc condo due to worsening fire violations.




`If I`m not living there, I`m not paying,` said Melanson.





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