AB Today – Daily Report February 13, 2020

Quotation of the day

“If you look at how destructive oil sands can be, there’s a very strong rationale.”

Armando Senra, head of BlackRock’s iShares Americas funds, told the New York Times ​ ​ ​ ​ the company is divesting from Alberta’s oilsands because their operations are among the worst climate offenders.

Today in AB

On the schedule The house resumes on February 25 with a throne speech, followed by the budget on February 27.

Premier watch Premier met with First Nations and Métis chiefs at Government House on ​ ​ ​ ​ Wednesday to discuss the impacts of federal Bill C-92, which reformed the Indigenous child ​ ​ welfare system in Canada. Children’s Services Minister Rebecca Schulz, Justice Minister Doug ​ ​ ​ Schweitzer, Indigenous Relations Minister Rick Wilson and Environment and Parks Minister ​ ​ ​ were also in attendance. ​

Treaty 8 chiefs walked out before the meeting began, at the same time as the Assembly of First ​ ​ Nations announced it has launched a class action lawsuit against the federal government over the child welfare system.

“The chiefs of the sovereign Nations of Treaty 8 will determine their own destiny when it comes to the authority and jurisdiction of our Lands, resources and our children,” the chiefs said in a statement.

Meanwhile, British Columbia Premier John Horgan said Kenney is entitled to his opinion when ​ ​ he was asked about Alberta’s premier referring to protestors against the Coastal GasLink pipeline as “eco-colonialists.”

"I haven't talked to Premier Kenney since before Christmas,” Horgan told reporters at a news conference in Victoria Wednesday. “I expect I'll talk to him and other premiers — there's a first ministers conference coming up. I'll see if he can give me a more detailed description of — what did he call it? Eco-colonialism? I'm not familiar with that term. So I'll see if he can help me out when I see him next.”

Pro-Teck mine chief criticizes Kenney’s handling of negotiation A First Nations chief who signed on to the Teck Frontier project said the Alberta government is yet to address environmental and cultural concerns about the proposed mine.

Athabasca Chipewyan First Nations Chief Allan Adam raised his concerns to fellow Indigenous ​ ​ leaders and the federal government in letters last week, adding that the province’s refusal to cooperate in good faith is putting the project at risk.

“Premier Kenney has been vocal in the media blaming Canada for delaying the project, however the truth is that it is Alberta’s refusal to cooperate in good faith, that puts the project at risk,” Adam wrote, adding there are environmental and social impacts that fall outside of either Teck or the federal government's control.

He said concerns over water levels on the Athabasca River, bison habitat and migratory birds have been addressed by both Teck and Canada, but not the province.

Adam’s criticisms are not unique to the current UCP government. In an appearance on CBC’s ​ Power and Politics earlier this week, he said the province has been missing from the table for ​ two years, dating back to when the NDP was in power.

“We made an agreement with Teck Resources,” Adam said. “We approved of Teck Resources. Why can’t you deal with mitigation for the life of the project with [Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation] and get this by and quit calling us money hungry?” Adam said on Power and Politics.

But, in a letter to federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson, ​ ​ Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon doubled down on his earlier claim that Adam is ​ ​ looking for money.

“We recognize that Chief Adam intends to drive a hard bargain, as should any official representing his constituents,” Nixon wrote. “I note that Chief Adam has now also injected direct financial compensation into his apparent demands, above and beyond funds for environmental mitigation.”

Nixon also outlined the work that has already been done to address environmental concerns around the project.

NDP Leader and Indigenous Relations critic acknowledged ​ ​ ​ ​ more needed to be done by the time their government was voted out of office, but accused the UCP of abandoning the nation-to-nation relationship.

“If this project does end up being rejected, the majority of blame lays squarely at the feet of Jason Kenney and the UCP for engaging in an arrogant, disrespectful, and frankly sloppy ​ failure to do their job,” Notley said.

Government-run Indigenous fund will ‘funnel’ money to oil and gas sector, Adam says Adam also expressed concerns about the Indigenous Opportunities Corporation (IOC), a newly formed Crown corporation that manages a $1-billion fund to back Indigenous business investments.

“This fund is essentially a way for the government to take money intended for First Nations and funnel it to their friends in the oil and gas sector,” Adam wrote. “This fund will pit First Nations against one another by giving Nations outside of Alberta access to capital to develop oil and gas projects on our traditional territory.”

In a statement, Indigenous Relations Minister Rick Wilson responded to some of Adam’s ​ ​ concerns — for example, clarifying there are a wide range of natural resources projects that can be funded by the IOC beyond oil and gas, including in renewables, forestry and infrastructure.

The government's highest priority is on its duty to consult and said the new Crown corporation does not replace that, Wilson stated.

Treaty 8 chiefs are demanding another meeting with the province on February 27.

Today’s events February 13 at 11:30 a.m. — Edmonton, ​ ​ NDP Leader Rachel Notley will speak at the United Nurses of Alberta rally at the Foothills ​ ​ Medical Centre in Calgary at noon, and NDP Health critic David Shepherd will speak at the ​ ​ United Nurses of Alberta rally outside the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton at 11:30 a.m.

February 13 at 1 p.m. — Edmonton ​ ​

The UCP’s legislative review committee will hold a closed-door meeting in the cabinet room of the Alberta legislature.

February 13 at 6 p.m. — Edmonton ​ ​ Premier Jason Kenney, Multiculturalism Minister and Municipal Affairs Minister ​ ​ ​ ​ will attend a film screening at the Royal Alberta Museum for Black History Month. ​

Topics of conversation

● New York-based BlackRock, the world’s largest asset management firm, announced Wednesday that it will divest from the Alberta oilsands, the New York Times reports. ​ ​ ​ ​ ○ BlackRock representatives met with Premier Jason Kenney late last year during ​ ​ ​ ​ his trip to New York City. ○ In a written statement to the Times, Kenney’s spokesperson Christine Myatt ​ ​ ​ said investors should be evaluating each oilsands project individually rather than lumping all of the region’s projects together, as some are much less carbon intensive. ○ The Times cited an unnamed provincial official as saying divesting from energy is ​ ​ a low-stakes endeavour financial firms are using to appease environmentalists, since Canadian energy investments have not been producing great returns. ○ The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers noted divestment has not curtailed production, since Canadian banks are still willing to back the projects. ○ The Canadian Energy Centre — the government’s $30-million war room — posted and then deleted tweets attempting to undermine the Times’ credibility — ​ ​ ​ they referenced Jayson Blair, a former reporter who was fired from the paper for ​ ​ plagiarism in 2003, and allegations of anti-Semitism against the paper. ​ ○ The war room’s head Tom Olsen later apologized for the tweets, but said a more ​ ​ ​ ​ fulsome response to the New York Times story would be forthcoming on the CEC ​ ​ website. ○ BlackRock is the latest in a growing number of international lenders to divest from the oilsands, with others including French banks BNP Paribas and Société Générale and the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund.

● A new survey out of the Angus Reid Institute shows a deep divide among Canadians ​ ​ over the Teck Frontier Mine, with an overwhelming majority of Albertans supporting the project. ○ One-quarter of Canadians strongly support, and another quarter moderately support the project, while the same number strongly oppose it. ○ In Alberta, 78 per cent of respondents support the project (60 per cent strongly), while just 17 per cent oppose it.

● The Edmonton Social Planning Council released a report on the impact affordable ​ ​ housing wait times are having on people’s quality of life. ○ Through interviews with 81 individuals on the Edmonton housing waitlist, the report authors developed eight recommendations, including that provincial law be changed to prevent landlords from inquiring about their tenants' income status, and that the federal and provincial governments fund the proposed Canada Housing Benefit to allow for its delivery on a timely basis. ○ John Kolkman, research associate for the Edmonton Social Planning Council, ​ said ahead of the UCP’s spring budget there is uncertainty over Alberta’s share of funding. ○ “Instead of cost-matching, the 24 per cent cut in rental assistance announced in the October 2019 Alberta Budget suggests that the province is planning to use the new federal dollars to replace at least some existing provincial dollars,” Kolkman said in a news release. “Without proper funding from both orders of government, the effectiveness in reducing wait times of those being forced to wait will be severely compromised.”

● Cenovus Energy released annual reporting to investors on Wednesday, showing a ​ ​ turnaround in 2019. ○ The company said it exceeded its crude-by-rail shipping target, loading 106,00 barrels per day in December. ○ Its net debt was reduced to $6.5 billion, down $289 million in the fourth quarter.

● Tim Gerwing, spokesperson for Municipal Affairs Minister Kaycee Madu, told the ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Calgary Herald that the province will not step in to investigate Calgary city Councillor Joe ​ ​ Magliocca’s expenses. ​ ○ Magliocca is under fire for expensing food and alcohol at a Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference with officials who say they did not dine with him. ○ The province cited rules under the Municipal Governance Act requiring ​ ​ municipalities to have their own powers to investigate code of conduct. ○ That investigation is made more complicated by the fact that Calgary’s integrity commissioner Sal LoVecchio recused himself from looking into the claims ​ ​ because he had a $163 lunch with Maliocca paid for and expensed by the councillor.

News briefs — Governmental

Government greenlights Cougar Creek dam flood mitigation plan ● Environment and Parks Minister Jason Nixon announced approval of the Cougar Creek ​ ​ dam’s flood mitigation strategy.

○ The $48.8-million project, which has previously received $30.3 million from the province, will have a debris flood retention structure.

Appointments and employments

Terrestrial Energy ● Former prime minister Stephen Harper was named to Terrestrial Energy’s advisory ​ ​ board as the company looks to develop Generation IV nuclear power technology.