'The scenes of devastation in Japan have touched the hearts of Albertans and all Canadians, prompting an overwhelming and heartfelt response,' said Premier Ed Stelmach. 'With this contribution we join with Albertans in support of the Japanese people and their determined, courageous effort in the face of incredible challenge and sorrow. Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with them as they work to rebuild their lives and their country.'

'We have seen Dr. Eagle's leadership already result in key improvements across the system, including significant reductions in emergency room wait times. This type of progress is only achieved when the various partners in health care delivery agree to work together.

'Nonprofit and charitable organizations are able to respond to community needs with great flexibility,' said Lindsay Blackett, Minister of Culture and Community Spirit. 'The donation grant helps optimize their donor contributions, while allowing them to use grant funding to support operations, programs or capital projects - wherever they need it most.'

Media inquiries may be directed to:
John Tuckwell
Communications
Children and Youth Services
780-427-4801

To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.

'It was a very productive meeting,' said Minister Zwozdesky of the two-and-a-half hour meeting in the Premier's office. 'We agreed to strengthen the relationship between Government and the AMA and to ensure two things: that physicians have a more meaningful role, and are more actively involved, in planning for our health care system; and, that we rivet our focus on improving health outcomes for Albertans.'

'There are a number of opportunities and concrete actions that can quickly be implemented so that access is improved and the health care system can provide better value for patients and put patients first,' Dr. White said, 'whether it's building on the successes of the primary care networks and their multi-disciplinary health care teams or developing clinical networks to enhance the delivery of acute care.'

The primary care review is part of the Agreement in Principle that was signed by the AMA, AHS and Alberta Health and Wellness at the end of March. The review would include the establishment of a Task Force that would include the AMA, other health care providers, AHS, and Alberta Health and Wellness. The Agreement 'in principle' is the basis for a new 3-year master agreement. June 30 is the target date for reaching a new master agreement between the AMA, AHS and Alberta Health and Wellness.

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Media inquiries may be directed to:

Gene Zwozdesky, Minister Alberta Health and Wellness Cell: 780-446-1144

Ronald A. Kustra Alberta Medical Association Cell: 780-990-4271

Visit the Government of Alberta newsroom http://newsroom.alberta.ca.

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Backgrounder: New and returning members of AEDA board of management

Backgrounder: Awards criteria and recipients

Media inquiries may be directed to:
Kevin Donnan
Communications
Alberta Advanced Education and Technology
780-868-6178

Media inquiries may be directed to:
Terry Jorden
Communications
Employment and Immigration
780-427-0703
terry.jorden@gov.ab.ca

To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.

In recent years, various plans for redeveloping the Royal Alberta Museum have been discussed, but these previous plans would have involved significant challenges. Due to space and accessibility constraints, it was not feasible to construct a comprehensive, state-of-the-art museum at the existing site. Redeveloping a museum of natural history at the current site would have required the museum to close for up to four years, with the human history collection remaining in storage indefinitely until a second, standalone museum could be constructed at a different location. Building a new museum in downtown Edmonton resolves all of these challenges by delivering a larger, more accessible Royal Alberta Museum for significantly less cost than developing two separate museums.

'This announcement puts to rest the challenges the museum has faced at the existing site. It will now be free to develop into a cultural institution well-equipped for the future - a museum with the room, accessibility, and connections it needs to become an iconic institution respected around the world,' Stelmach emphasized.

The Alberta government is partnering with the City of Edmonton to acquire the site for the new museum, on the northeast corner of 103A Avenue and 99 Street.

'The new Royal Alberta Museum will complement the other facilities anchoring our vibrant arts district,' said Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel. 'It will also become a significant part of our vision to strengthen Edmonton's reputation of having one of Canada's most diverse and exciting cultural hubs. On behalf of the City of Edmonton, I thank the Province for their investment in Edmonton's future.'

Advantages of the new Royal Alberta Museum include:

• Enough space to exhibit the museum's human history and natural history artifacts in one facility.
  
• The ability to feature major international exhibits and to regularly bring in new displays and artifacts currently in storage.
  
• Direct links to the LRT pedway system and numerous bus routes.
  
• Room to accommodate thousands more visitors every year.
  
• Video conferencing and live streaming capabilities through the SuperNet, allowing the museum to connect with classrooms around the province and other museums and research institutions throughout the world.
  
• Proximity to the Arts District of downtown Edmonton, allowing for shared programs and promotions with nearby art galleries, concert halls, theatres, and libraries.
  
• Uninterrupted public access to the museum's displays and artifacts during the construction process.
  
• Potential for future growth with shelled-in space and enough land for expansion.
  

'For the last 44 years, the Royal Alberta Museum has preserved and told the stories of Alberta and Albertans, and through its travelling exhibitions brought the world's history to our province,' said Minister of Culture and Community Spirit, Lindsay Blackett. 'The new Royal Alberta Museum will build on that legacy in a shining example of new connectivity to our past and for our future, and will inspire Albertans - of all ages - to explore and understand the world around them.'

This spring, the provincial government will launch a unique competitive bidding process to hire a private sector consortium to design and build the new museum. The tendering process will include basic requirements and a fixed construction budget. The design and construction industry will then be given the opportunity to compete on innovation, aesthetics, and enhancements to the basic requirements. Strong emphasis will be placed on a design that reflects the identity of the province, fits in well within the Arts District, is energy efficient, offers room for expansion, and ensures artifacts are properly preserved and presented.

'We are going to challenge our community of talented designers and contractors to deliver a museum that reflects what our province has become and will become in the future,' emphasized Ray Danyluk, Minister of Infrastructure. 'It will be a museum specifically developed to keep people coming back, with the capacity to continuously show Alberta's growing history in motion.'

With its proximity to existing rail lines, the new museum site would also present a viable option for a high-speed train station if one were needed in the future. In 2007, the government purchased land near downtown Calgary for a future high-speed rail station. The museum site could act as a similar location for a future high-speed rail station in Edmonton.

The current site in Glenora will continue to be used for public purposes. Government House will maintain its functions on the site and a new Lieutenant Governor's residence will be constructed on the grounds.

The new museum is expected to cost a total of $340 million. Budget 2011 includes $180 million over the first three years for the project, which includes $30 million previously committed by the Government of Canada. The new museum is projected to open by 2015.

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Note to editors: a video of the new museum along with downloadable versions of conceptual drawings are available at: http://www.infrastructure.alberta.ca.

Media inquiries may be directed to:
Cameron Traynor, Communications Director
Alberta Infrastructure
780-644-8596
To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.

The following document has been posted to the Government of Alberta website to view this document online and/or additional information/backgrounder http://www.alberta.ca//acn/201104/3018430FBE360-C31D-1D0B-AD84E7096EF95B1D.html

Visit the Government of Alberta newsroom http://newsroom.alberta.ca.

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'GreenTRIP is about this government's commitment to supporting communities as they plan for the future, making transit more accessible and better connecting municipalities,' said Premier Ed Stelmach. 'I commend the municipalities of the Capital region for working together to plan for growth in the region and develop a shared vision for transit infrastructure.'

Backgrounder: 2011 Excellence in Teaching Awards Semi-finalists

Media inquiries may be directed to:
Tim Chamberlin
Alberta Education, Communications
780-644-6821
Tim.Chamberlin@gov.ab.ca

To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.

'By continuing to build and improve our highway network, we keep Albertans working, lay the foundation for future economic growth and support our communities,' said Luke Ouellette, Minister of Transportation. 'These projects are key in building our province's world-class transportation network to support the safe and efficient movement of people and goods.'

• Highway 13 - Widening 19 kilometres between Highway 56 and Bawlf.
  
• Highway 13 - Repaving 39 kilometres between Killam and Hardisty.
  
• Highway 14 - Repaving 48 kilometres from Bruce to east of Kinsella.
  
• Highway 16 - Repaving 49 kilometres from Minburn to east of Vermilion.
  
• Highway 17 - Widening 22 kilometres between Lloydminster and Rivercourse.
  
• Highway 53 - Repaving 22 kilometres between Rimbey and Highway 792.
  
• Highway 56 - Repaving 24 kilometres between Highways 13 and 609 south of Camrose.
  
• Highway 604 - Converting 11 kilometres from gravel to pavement west of Morningside.
  
• Highway 833 - Repaving 37 kilometres between Camrose and Highway 14.
  

• Highway 2 - Converting the Highway 11A interchange in Red Deer from a cloverleaf to a diamond. Construction began in 2010 on the $23.7-million project and will be complete by fall 2011.
  
• Highway 9 - Widening and reconstruction of 15 kilometres between Highways 21 and 840 west of Drumheller. Construction started in 2010 on this $20.4-million project and will be complete by fall 2011.
  

The Alberta Mentoring Partnership's vision is that every child or youth who needs a mentor has access to one. The partnership includes representation from Alberta government ministries, community mentoring organizations and youth. With this new investment, the Alberta government will provide a total of $4.2 million for the Alberta Mentoring Partnership.

Editor's Note: The National Buyer Seller Forum schedule can be found at: http://www.nationalbuyersellerforum.ca/program/forum_schedule.html

To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.

'Alternative and renewable energy sources are a growing part of Alberta's energy portfolio,' said Ron Liepert, Minister of Energy. 'The Government of Alberta continues working towards clean energy production and is taking action to support the growth and development of bioenergy production in Alberta.'

'The advisory council's recommendations bring into sharp focus the pressing need for land-use planning in the Province of Alberta,' said Sustainable Resource Development Minister Mel Knight. 'The South Saskatchewan area's economy is strong and diverse, but water supply may be a determining factor on future growth. Responsible, coordinated, long-term planning will help us manage the multiple pressures on the landscape.'

• a regional vision statement;
  
• strategic land-use principles;
  
• regional outcomes, objectives and recommendations with associated resource maps; and,
  
• a regional land-use map and its associated management intents.
  

• water - develop options for improving source water protection and other means to protect watershed integrity;
  
• economic development - examine how the region should develop, aiming for the long-term success of the agriculture, energy, forestry, tourism industries and other economic opportunities;
  
• conservation - identify, conserve and restore landscapes valued for their water security, ecological function and biodiversity, considering development implications;
  
• recreation and tourism management - improve management of recreation use on public lands, identify locations of lands with high value for recreation and tourism; and,
  
• human development - examine development needs and healthy community objectives and consider the impacts to aboriginal communities.
  

To meet the unique needs of the South Saskatchewan area landscape, the advisory council proposed a land-use classification system that includes proposed management intents for each land-use type - agriculture (cultivated lands and native rangeland), conservation, mixed use (forest), population centres and recreation and tourism.

The 19-member advisory council held 13 meetings across the region, from Calgary to Medicine Hat to Strathmore. Council members also participated in public information, stakeholder and municipality sessions, received more than 100 stakeholder submissions and devoted countless hours to reviewing reports, policies and other sources of information. Landowners, municipal officials and business people sat on the council. Others brought expertise in energy, conservation and stewardship, agriculture, and irrigation to the table. All RAC members are connected to and have broad experience and knowledge of the region.

The advice document, advisory council meeting agendas and notes, along with other material concerning the development of the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan and the Land-use Framework are available at www.landuse.alberta.ca

Released in 2008, the Land-use Framework sets out a new approach for managing lands and natural resources to achieve Alberta's long-term economic, environmental and community goals. A key strategy of the framework is the development of seven regional plans based on seven new land-use regions. The South Saskatchewan is the second plan to be developed under the framework. The government will soon release the draft Lower Athabasca Regional Plan.

The Alberta government is working to build a better Alberta by fostering economic growth, strengthening our health and education systems, investing in infrastructure, supporting safe and strong communities and ensuring a clean and healthy environment.

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Backgrounders: Summary and highlights of advice, Regional Advisory Council members
RAC Candidate Conservation Management Areas on Public Lands Document
RAC Recommended Land-use Classification Document

Media inquiries may be directed to:

Capturing these off-gases, which are the result of combustion during the upgrading and refining process, will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

'Alberta's petrochemical industry is the largest in Canada,' said Energy Minister Ron Liepert. 'It depends on ongoing availability of competitively priced ethane to remain viable.' The sector employs 7,500 Albertans and helps to diversify the labour market as well as add value to Alberta's economy, with annual shipments of almost $9.2 billion and exports of more than $5.4 billion in 2009.

Using off-gases for value-added production can reduce emissions from the oil sands by up to one million tonnes annually. 'That is equal to about 10 per cent of Alberta's current reduction obligation under the Specified Gas Emitters Regulation' said Liepert. 'Using off-gases in value-added production further reduces the environmental footprint of Alberta's oil sands operations.'

The program requires petrochemical companies to submit an application to Alberta Energy for credits that can be applied to specific projects, including details and a supporting business case. The ethane that is produced must be used for value-added upgrading in Alberta (e.g. consumed by petrochemical companies). Ethane that is exported or used in enhanced oil recovery is not eligible for credits.

Capture of significant volumes of off-gases can provide a broader range of feedstocks to diversify the types of petrochemicals manufactured in Alberta. Ethane is a feedstock used to make ethylene which is then used to manufacture petrochemical derivatives such as ethylene glycol, styrene and linear low-density polyethylene. Examples of products include film, moulding, wire and cable, flooring, plastics, detergents, synthetic lubricants, and cable.

The five-year Incremental Ethane Extraction Program was approved by government and released publicly on September 29, 2006. The program is being extended for an additional five years with no new funding. Approximately $310 million of the original $350 million remains in the program. The program is a royalty credit program whereby fractionation credits are provided to petrochemical companies consuming incremental ethane for value-added upgrading in Alberta (such as ethylene and derivatives).

The program was expanded by Alberta Energy in collaboration with industry and the Alberta Competitiveness Council Petrochemical/Chemical Task Team, co-chaired by Lacombe-Ponoka MLA Ray Prins and industry representative Val Mirosh. In reviewing sectors like the petrochemical industry, the Competitiveness Council looked at a variety of factors crucial to success, including productivity, innovation, taxes and fiscal policy, regulation, transportation and infrastructure, labour force development and access to capital markets.

'These changes to the Incremental Ethane Extraction Program will encourage industry to make the large capital investments in Alberta required to increase the supply of feedstock for our petrochemical industry,' said Val Mirosh, co-chair of the petrochemical/chemical task team and former Vice-President of Nova Chemicals. 'Alberta's petrochemical industry has a long history in the province and provides many important benefits to all Albertans.'

The Alberta government is working to build a better Alberta by fostering economic growth, strengthening our health and education systems, investing in infrastructure, supporting safe and strong communities and ensuring a clean and healthy environment.

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Backgrounder: Incremental Ethane Extraction Program

Media inquiries may be directed to:
Jay O'Neill
Communications
Alberta Energy
780-422-3667
To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.

The following document has been posted to the Government of Alberta website to view this document online and/or additional information/backgrounder http://www.alberta.ca//acn/201103/30115E426C4C3-F72A-F4D6-FFC522BDF9E535CF.html

Visit the Government of Alberta newsroom http://newsroom.alberta.ca.

Share this online

Media inquiries may be directed to:
Keltie MacPherson
Communications
Culture and Community Spirit
780-427-6530
Keltie.macpherson@gov.ab.ca

To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.

With a shared investment of more than $2.1 million, the Alberta government and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will deliver New Products, New Markets initiatives to facilitate trade relationships with priority markets. The initiatives will help expand international trade connections between Alberta's agri-food exporters, deliver customized, results-oriented service to Alberta exporters, and enhance the global competitiveness of Alberta's agriculture industry.

Currently operators post financial security for reclamation each year based on the following year's estimated land disturbance. The security is returned when the land is reclaimed. The new mine financial security program takes an asset-to-liability approach which recognizes the resource value - whether bitumen or coal - as an asset in terms of cash flow. For new mines, a base security will be collected early in the mine's life, when the risk of mine closure or abandonment is at a minimum. Full financial security will be collected later in the mine's life, but before assets are completely reduced. For mines already operating, existing security held by the province will be held as base security.

The six-member expert panel will be co-chaired by Stefan Bachu, Distinguished Scientist for CO2 Storage with Alberta Innovates Technology Futures and Don Thompson, President of the Oil Sands Developers Group.

Over the coming weeks, occupational health and safety enforcement, inspections and investigations in Alberta will be divided into three regions instead of two. The traditional regions of north and south, divided near Red Deer, will become north, central and south, providing a greater focus in northern Alberta - the site of major economic activity, particularly in the oil and gas, and construction sectors.

'This will further reinforce my resolve to ensure compliance of the OHS Act and enforcement where needed,' said Thomas Lukaszuk, Minister of Employment and Immigration, speaking to the Edmonton Chapter of the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering. 'I hope this sends a strong message to any company or worker in Alberta who feels the law doesn't apply to them. That's 132 officers delivering a message that no company, no individual is above the law.'

The Alberta government is working to build a better Alberta by fostering economic growth, strengthening our health and education systems, investing in infrastructure, supporting safe and strong communities and ensuring a clean and healthy environment.

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Backgrounder: Occupational Health and Safety provincial regions and number of officers

Media inquiries may be directed to:
Barrie Harrison, Communications
Alberta Employment and Immigration
780-427-5585
Barrie.Harrison@gov.ab.ca
To call toll free within Alberta dial 310-0000.

The following document has been posted to the Government of Alberta website to view this document online and/or additional information/backgrounder http://www.alberta.ca//acn/201103/3001381C43FA1-E198-00BA-F4842F5FD7FF76D0.html

Visit the Government of Alberta newsroom http://newsroom.alberta.ca.

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Alberta was the first province in Canada to implement a 10-year plan to end homelessness. Housing First provides homeless people with permanent housing in tandem with wrap-around supports, which may include intensive medical, psychiatric, and case management services, such as life skills training, landlord liaison assistance or addictions counseling.

With input from municipalities, the minimum threshold for projects has been reduced from 10 per cent to five per cent of total MSI funding. For example, for a municipality receiving $500,000 through MSI, the MSI portion of an eligible project had to be at least $50,000 under the previous rules; now the MSI portion can be as low as $25,000.

• Municipal District of Opportunity: Construction of Phase 1 of the Wabasca Multiplex Community Centre ($11.2 million in MSI funding);
  
• City of Red Deer: construction of the Civic Centre Project ($62.9 million in MSI funding);
  
• City of Lethbridge: construction of a Community Arts Centre ($14.5 million in MSI funding); and
  
• Cypress County: paving of Eagle Butte Road ($3 million in MSI funding).
  

Did you know…

Improving access: An additional 528 MRIs will be performed in Red Deer between Jan. 3 and March 31, as part of a one-time provincial MRI surge to reduce wait times.

News Release