June 4, 2007 Alberta Hansard 1475 Legislative Assembly of Alberta representing the communities of Innisfree, Islay, Clandonald, Marwayne, Dewberry, Blackfoot, Mannville, and Vermilion. Title: Monday, June 4, 2007 1:00 p.m. Through the organizational efforts of Shirley McRobert, the seniors’ Date: 07/06/04 co-ordinator for the county of Vermilion River in the town of [The Speaker in the chair] Vermilion, these fine folks are visiting us here today to take part in the Alberta Legislature’s celebrations for Seniors’ Week 2007. head: Prayers Alberta’s seniors have contributed much to our province. Their vision, their personal sacrifice, and unfaltering resourcefulness The Speaker: Good afternoon and welcome. shaped our province and laid the foundation for our current prosper- Let us pray. As Canadians and as Albertans we give thanks for ity. They continue to remain active and viable in our communities. the precious gifts of freedom and peace which we enjoy. As The theme of this year’s Seniors’ Week, Celebrate Seniors’ Present Members of this Legislative Assembly we rededicate ourselves to and Future Contributions, accurately reflects the important role of the valued traditions of parliamentary democracy as a means of our most experienced citizens. serving our province and our country. Amen. I would now ask these very special guests of ours to rise and Hon. members and ladies and gentlemen, I’m now going to ask please accept the warm traditional welcome of this Assembly. Mr. Paul Lorieau to lead us in the singing of our national anthem, and I would invite all to participate in the language of their choice. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Highlands- Norwood. Hon. Members: O Canada, our home and native land! Mr. Mason: Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure True patriot love in all thy sons command. With glowing hearts we see thee rise, to introduce to you and through you to this Assembly 19 bright and The True North strong and free! very well-behaved students from Eastwood school along with their From far and wide, O Canada, teacher, Khery Wallace. I would ask that they now please rise and We stand on guard for thee. receive the warm traditional welcome of this Assembly. God keep our land glorious and free! O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview. O Canada, we stand on guard for thee. Mr. Martin: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. It’s my The Speaker: Please be seated. great honour and pleasure to introduce to you and Members of the Legislative Assembly some 60 energetic students from the Edmon- head: Introduction of Visitors ton Christian school northeast campus. They are accompanied by The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Tourism, Parks, Recreation and two teachers, Elaine Junk and Mr. Greg Gurnett. I might point out Culture. again that his brother Jim Gurnett served in this Legislature with me many years ago. They’re also accompanied by parents Angela Mr. Goudreau: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It is a great pleasure to VanKooten, Mr. Mark Hennig, Mrs. Linda Ryks, Mrs. Edith introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly Sinclair, Mrs. Rose VandenBoogard, Mrs. Fran Wolthius. I would the ambassador of Belgium to Canada, His Excellency Mr. Jean now ask them to stand – I think they’re in both sections – and Lint. This is the first time His Excellency has travelled to Alberta. receive the traditional warm welcome of the Assembly. I’m pleased to say that Belgium and Alberta have always been strong trading partners. Since 2001 annual exports have increased The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Sustainable Resource Develop- from $118 million to over $213 million, including nickel, wheat, ment. wood pulp, and cobalt. Between 2001 and 2005 Alberta imports from Belgium were worth approximately $134 million a year, Dr. Morton: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to introduce including diamonds, medications, blood products, and chocolate. to you and through you to all the members of the Assembly a group Mr. Speaker, Belgium has been at the forefront of international of 17 industrious, hard-working employees from the Department of trade and diplomacy. It is one of the six founding countries of the Sustainable Resource Development finance branch seated in the European Union, and the headquarters of the EU as well as NATO members’ gallery. They’re here on a public service orientation tour. headquarters are located in Belgium’s capital city, Brussels. Not I’d like them to rise and receive the warm welcome of this Assem- only do we share a strong trade relationship with Belgium; there are bly. about 15,000 Albertans of Belgian descent who call our province Thank you. home. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to welcome His Excellency to The Speaker: The hon. Minister of Environment. our province. May I ask that he please rise and receive the tradi- tional warm welcome of this Assembly. Mr. Renner: Well, thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s my pleasure to introduce to you and through you to members of the Assembly head: Introduction of Guests representative students from the grade 9 class at Allendale school here in Edmonton. They are Maggie Boeske, Kira Dlusskaya, and The Speaker: The hon. President of the Treasury Board. Nikolai Semenenko along with their teacher, Robin Knight. They’ll be joined by 22 of their peers at about 1:30, when room is opening Mr. Snelgrove: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I rise today to introduce up for them in the galleries. to you and through you to members of the Assembly some very Mr. Speaker, you may remember that a few weeks ago Dr. special guests who are with us in the House this afternoon. I am Richard Leakey was in Edmonton. One of the things that Dr. honoured to welcome 47 ladies and gentlemen from my constituency Leakey did was make a presentation to school students here in 1476 Alberta Hansard June 4, 2007 Edmonton at the science centre. This particular class of students, as The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Lougheed. a class project, wrote individual letters to me, the Environment minister, about their impressions of what Dr. Leakey had to tell Mr. Rodney: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. I’ve been them. I was so impressed with the quality of those letters that I looking forward to this day for some time to introduce to you, to all asked that those students come and join me here at the Legislature members, and to all Albertans two of Alberta’s brightest shining so that I could meet them face to face and answer their questions and young stars. First, I’m very proud to announce that our STEP deal with their concerns. We just had lunch in room 512. I’m here student for Calgary-Lougheed for the summer is Sandra Watson, to say that this is an outstanding group of young Albertans that, I’m who has spent time personally and professionally in Harbin, China, proud to say, will become, I’m sure, the leaders of our province in and speaks Mandarin Chinese. She has many, many other gifts and years to come. talents. She has two young boys, Austin and Zachary, and currently I would ask that they stand and be recognized and receive the is in her final year of her bachelor of applied policy studies degree traditional warm welcome of all members of the House. at Mount Royal College. She really enjoys dealing with people, does a great job of that, and she really loves politics. The Speaker: The hon. Member for Calgary-Fish Creek. Second, I’m proud to present a born and raised Calgarian named David Rothwell, who’s always had a passion for public service. I Mrs. Forsyth: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure today to can relate to him in a couple of other ways: an outdoor enthusiast introduce to you and through you to all members of the Assembly who loves hiking and spending time in the mountains. This year Heather Massel, a public affairs officer in the Department of Justice David graduated with a bachelor of applied policy studies degree at and Attorney General. Heather is a fellow member of the Crime Mount Royal College and recently completed a sport development Reduction and Safe Communities Task Force. We affectionately policy framework on behalf of Sport Alberta. call her Princess. I’ll ask her to rise and receive the warm welcome So, Mr. Speaker, in the future if Alberta is in the hands of young from the Assembly. people like this, we’ll be just fine. I’d like to ask Sandra and David, who are behind me every step of the way, including today in the The Speaker: The hon. Member for Livingstone-Macleod. members’ gallery, to please stand to accept the warm wishes of everyone in the Assembly. Mr. Coutts: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It gives me a great deal of pleasure today to introduce to you and through you to members of The Speaker: The hon. Member for St. Albert. the Assembly two individuals from southern Alberta. The first is Gerard Gibbs, the executive director of the Empress Theatre Society. Mr. Flaherty: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It’s a pleasure to introduce The Empress Theatre is that jewel on Main Street Fort Macleod. to you and through you to members of the Assembly a group from the St. Albert Catholic teachers’ local 23: Ms Viviane Pezer, An Hon. Member: Indeed. president of the Greater St.