Canadian Crossing

2024 Civic Holiday notebook: Jasper is the latest Canadian city to suffer from wildfires

#JasperStrong #JPLHeart pic.twitter.com/3lr4QYiz1F

— Jasper Park Lodge (@FairmontJPL) July 30, 2024

Hi. Welcome to the first Monday in August, otherwise know as a Civic Holiday on some level throughout the country. Details are at the end of this story. No holidays in August in the United States while Canada gets one.

Our output has been less than normal. We are only human and we know there is more than just the CFL to cover. Next week, we should have a full list of Canadian films coming to the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.

We traditionally run a few sample stories of interest from around Canada. The Olympics in Paris. The Canadian soccer drone scandal. Summer McIntosh winning 3 gold medals for swimming. This time, I want to focus on one topic: the wildfires that hit Jasper, Alberta.

Your humble narrator has been to all 10 Canadian provinces, a mark few Canadians know. I haven't traveled as much lately, which is terribly unfortunate. Even with being to all 10 Canadian provinces, there are a few places where I have not been and would love to go. Saskatoon and Jasper are at the top of that list.

I imagined getting a car in Calgary and then driving upon the Icefields Parkway and spending time in Jasper. I have been to Banff and Lake Louise, a glorious trip.

The trip between Jasper and Banff is 288 km (179 miles) with lots of distracting scenery. You can take either the Icefields Parkway (AB-93) or the TransCanada Highway (AB-1), yet every guide says to take the Icefields Parkway.

30 percent of the town of Jasper, Alberta in Canada has burned down due to wildfires in Jasper National Park. Parks Canada says it's the worst recorded wildfire in 100 years.

As climate change accelerates, it's about to get worse. Here's why: https://t.co/ajoVh70iYa pic.twitter.com/CW1dlDHnP0

— WIRED (@WIRED) July 29, 2024

Fort McMurray, Alberta. Lytton, British Columbia. Countless other Western Canadian destinations have been affected by wildfires stemming from the climate crisis.

There have been growing concerns over preparedness in Alberta for wildfires. The Guardian reported that "This year, (Alberta Premier Danielle) Smith’s government significantly increased funding for the province’s wildfire response unit, reversing years of cuts under both her United Conservative party, and the leftwing New Democratic party. Critics say austerity measures, which included scrapping Alberta’s elite aerial fire service team and cutting the number of fire watch towers in 2019, have left the province with a 'skeleton crew'."

There are critics that noted Smith's denial of the climate crisis as well as her reluctance to call in federal help to fight the wildfires that affected Jasper.

I wish this story had been my memories of Jasper and how I was grateful I had been before the wildfires did their damage. Unfortunately, this story is about wanting what was and still wanting to see what is there.

Yes, this is a reminder to travel to Western Canada to see some of these places as they are now and build good memories.

High-speed rail brings people closer together, even in wide open spaces such as Alberta

CanadianCrossing.com Alberta coverage

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

I have traveled by ViaRail from Montréal to Quebec City. I have contemplated a Toronto-Windsor trip but the times and expense were more than I could handle. Now that Greyhound doesn't have any inter-Canada routes, the train may be necessary if not convenient.

The exception might be a Winnipeg-Saskatoon-Jasper trip where I would spend some time in Saskatoon and then get on another train. This route is highly infrequent and train travel is rather expensive in Canada, yet this may be better than local buses.

If ViaRail could match Amtrak in timetables and expenses, train travel in Canada would be more viable. Perhaps this train trip and then take a sightseeing bus down the Icefields Parkway toward Banff and later Calgary.

2023 Civic Holiday notebook: Justin Trudeau and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau get a separation

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian society coverage

[This copy is the same as we ran in the 2023 Civic Holiday notebook.]

"Americans" complain that there are no holidays in August. Canada, well, most of Canada, celebrates a civic holiday on the first Monday in August. The name depends on where you are: Civic Holiday in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. British Columbia Day, New Brunswick Day, and Saskatchewan Day are obvious.

The holiday is also Heritage Day (Alberta), Natal Day (Nova Scotia), and Terry Fox Day (Manitoba). There are different names in some Ontario cities, such as Simcoe Day (Toronto), John Galt Day (Guelph), and Colonel By Day (Ottawa).

Enjoy the holiday wherever you are in Canada. Canadian summers are too short.

Twitter captures: @FairmontJPL; @Wired
map credit: Google
photo credit: ViaRail

Edmonton Oilers fell short of the dream of winning the Stanley Cup

No one ever asks whether Charlie Brown will kick the football, other than Charlie Brown. Everyone but him assumes Lucy will lift the football and Charlie Brown will fall flat on his face. We are supposed to be encouraged by Charlie Brown's resilience.

Such are the fanbases of Canadian teams that have come close to winning the Stanley Cup. Calgary with the stolen goal. Edmonton with the injured goalie. Ottawa with questionable officiating. Vancouver with borderline criminally bad officiating. Montréal with not enough gas left in the tank. Edmonton had the valiant comeback but Gary Bettman's will is stronger than even the Edmonton Oilers.

Connor McDavid had 34 assists, the most assists of any postseason in NHL history. 8 goals with that for 42 points in the playoffs, the 4th most in any postseason in the league. McDavid had 8 points over 2 straight Stanley Cup final games. He also won the playoff MVP.

Wayne Gretzky had the precious record for assists in 1988.

Leon Draisaitl. Zach Hyman. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Stuart Skinner in goal. Trade deadline acquisition Adam Henrique. Evander Kane.

Warren Foegele. Ryan McLeod. Mattias Janmark. Connor Brown. Dylan Holloway. 

Darnell Nurse. Vincent Desharnais. Cody Ceci. Philip Broberg. Mattias Ekholm. 

Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch, who came in to rescue the team after Jay Woodcroft got fired early in the season.

These are most of the names (sorry for not mentioned everyone) whose names should be on the Stanley Cup. 

Thanks for all the mentions of the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs in the last 2 weeks.

Uh, pic.twitter.com/iAKm8hVpun

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 11, 2024

2024 Stanley Cup notebook: Edmonton plays Florida for the Stanley Cup

2024 Stanley Cup notebook: Edmonton defeats Vancouver in Game 7

That DOES impress us much. 💃 @ShaniaTwain rocked the @Rogers Festival at the Final ahead of Game 4 in Edmonton! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/TQMJrNkRQq

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 15, 2024

The Edmonton Oilers had concerts before the home games outside Rogers Place in the Stanley Cup final. Our Lady of Peace, who played for the Montréal Alouettes 2023 home opener in, had a pregame concert before Game 3 in Edmonton. Shania Twain had a concert before Game 4 on Saturday.

Canadian music and sports and even American acts with Canadian sports prove quite popular. Just ask the BC Lions of the CFL. As "liberal" as Edmonton is compared to the rest of Alberta, Edmonton loves its country music.

Snoop Dogg filled that role before Game 6.

Canadian singing icon Alanis Morissette sang both anthems before Game 7 last night.

2024 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs scoreboard

A special thank you to Kate. She is an Oilers fan who got drunk (her words) and showed her bosom at an Edmonton Oilers game. The video is out there. Kate posted a follow up video responding to those critical of what she did. Life is too short to give much to small-minded critics. Kate harmed no one and brought a lot of joy. 

Sarah Nurse was lovin' that Darnell got on the scoresheet! 😁 #StanleyCup https://t.co/jR2TsbON0Y pic.twitter.com/8jTQN6TsaZ

— NHL (@NHL) June 16, 2024

Her brother took a lot of grief in this playoff run. Glad to see family love and support.

Connor McDavid has once again proven he is in a league of his own. 🤯🍎 #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/BD1yGB9EDX

— NHL (@NHL) June 16, 2024

Canadian rap star Drake placed a $500,000 bet on the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup. Drake posted a screenshot of the bet on Instagram: "Oilers are self-explanatory."

In a league that allows active players to do ads for gambling, even if Drake won his gigantic bet, the U.S. audience hasn't been as inundated with gambling ads as much as the Canadian audience. Thanks, Sportsnet.

Drake places $500K bet on Edmonton Oilers to win Stanley Cup Final https://t.co/PMhKCNl3OD

— CTV Edmonton (@ctvedmonton) June 6, 2024

Awful Announcing has a nice analysis on the uproar over the CBC not carrying Games 5 and 6 of the Edmonton-Dallas series (feels so long ago). The Sundays weren't too much of an issue until Game 6 of the Oilers conference final.

The timing was also bad because of the Rogers Sportsnet decision to not allow CBC Gem to stream the NHL playoffs.

Your humble narrator envisions chaos when Canadians try to figure out where Monday Night Hockey (Amazon Prime Video) is in Canada.

Citytv simulcasted the ABC feed during the Stanley Cup finals. Rogers covers the bases for the Canadians who somehow prefer the ABC feed (and Ray Ferraro) over the Sportsnet feed. For those who aren't familiar with simsubbing: the Citytv feed with Canadian commercials overrides the ABC feed on cable and satellite.

KABC in Los Angeles was getting viewers ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and -- Carolina Panthers? pic.twitter.com/asevhg8ZmC

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 9, 2024

Every time people think that the NHL is finally making a foothold in the U.S. market, we get this. Canadian TV doesn't make mistakes such as this one. At least they didn't put in the Houston Oilers instead of the team from Edmonton. The NFL Network had way worse mistakes in the time where the channel carried the CFL in the United States.

Loser gets vaccinated. https://t.co/UA6p1fUWxK

— Dave (@darthvanderlaan) June 5, 2024

We didn't report too much on government officials betting on the Stanley Cup playoffs. We did see British Columbia Premier David Eby wearing an Edmonton Oilers sweater after the Oilers defeated the Vancouver Canucks in the division final series.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis probably have a lot in common. Whatever I might think o Smith politically, she is way smarter than DeSantis (low bar). Their Stanley Cup final wager was Alberta-made whisky versus Florida rum. DeSantis also threw in key lime pie, the official state pie.

Can't go wrong wagering with alcohol, though elk (Alberta) vs. alligator (Florida) would have been a more interesting wager.

2024 Stanley Cup notebook: Vancouver plays Edmonton in the second round

2024 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs preview for Canadian teams

Lotta games. Lotta miles. Lotta laughs. Here’s to one of THE best. It’s been a privilege, Rick.

Best of luck in Chicago my friend. Gonna miss ya more than you know. #TheMusicalGuest ⁦pic.twitter.com/ivufPyW0RO

— Ryan Leslie (@ryanlesliemedia) June 6, 2024

The Calgary Flames will have a new TV play-by-play person this fall. Rick Ball will call NHL games for the Chicago team with Darren Pang, Ball replaces Chris Vosters. who was the replacement for Pat Foley.

Shades of Dave Randorf, who left Canada to call games for the Tampa Bay team, though Rogers laid off Randorf before he took the job.

Rick Ball worked Vancouver Canucks games on radio and BC Lions as well before coming to Calgary at the start of the Rogers national contract in 2014. Ball was a gigantic step up from Rob Kerr on Flames TV games.

Ball started on Hockey Night in Canada in the CBC days in 2011 and became the lead Western play-by-play announcer in 2013.

Ball gives up national games in Canada for Rogers Sportsnet, though IMHO Sportsnet didn't use him too often on national games.

Ball had a single TBS appearance during the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. On Saturday, April 22, Ball, Jennifer Botterill, and Aly Lozoff called Game 3 of the opening round series in Winnipeg.  Turner could use Ball in the regular season and playoffs, maybe even sending him back to Canada.

Ball and Darren Pang (most games) will call the Chicago team on the new Chicago Sports Network, replacing NBC Sports Chicago for the White Sox, Bulls, and NHL team. [Our editorial policy prohibits us from mentioning sports team nicknames that are offensive to the Indigenous community. The Ryan Leslie tweet has been altered to meet our editorial policy.]

Harnarayan Singh could be a solid replacement for Ball in Calgary, maybe with a local backup during national telecasts. Derek Wills, the long-time Flames radio voice, could get the job or be that backup. Winnipeg made a bold move with Dan Robertson taking over for Dennis Beyak. Ball was somewhat known when Calgary got him to call the Flames games.

Calgary's loss is Chicago's gain. Some Chicago sports fans like a "homer" guy on the call. Ball is enthusiastic but definitely not a "homer."

Ball may have picked good timing to leave calling the Flames games given the state of the franchise.

Speaking of the Flames, the team traded goalie Jacob Markstrom to New Jersey for defenseman Kevin Bahl and a (top 10 protected) 1st-round pick in 2025. Calgary is retaining 30% of Markstrom's salary through 2025-2026 and avoided a signing bonus.

The Flames had talked with Toronto and Ottawa. The Maple Leafs would have made sense with Brad Treliving as GM. This is sad if, as the Flames claim, this was the best deal. Ouch. 

New Jersey gets Markstrom for 2 seasons (at least). Ottawa traded a lot more to get goaltender Linus Ullmark from Boston for what will likely be 1 year. The Senators got a good goaltender for forward Mark Kastelic, goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, and a 2024 first-round draft pick. The Sens also retain 25% of Korpisalo's salary in the deal. 

📣 Sportsnet and Edmonton Oilers Announce 11-Year Broadcast Partnership Extension@Sportsnet remains Canada's home of the @EdmontonOilers through 2035 📺🤩

Details 👇 https://t.co/v8uKiO1Z6q

— Sportsnet PR (@SportsnetPR) June 7, 2024

Rogers Sportsnet added a long-term deal to keep the Edmonton Oilers rights to 2035. The outlet announced a similar deal with the Calgary Flames not too long ago.

The 2026 NHL rights deal in Canada will change the national rights but Rogers Sportsnet definitely wants to stay in the local rights business.

On the U.S. side, Kevin Weekes will be a free agent from ESPN and the NHL Network. Weekes has come a long way from working on CBC, including the late Hockey Night in Canada game with Mark Lee.

My memory (not guaranteed) says ESPN had Weekes call a game on play by play and the Calgary Flames job is open. Not likely but an interesting thought if Weekes want to stretch himself.

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

We say every year that we have had enough of covering this league. No hasty decisions but your humble narrator is so tired.

photo credit: Rogers Sportsnet/NHL
Twitter captures: @Sportsnet (x2); @NHL (x2); @ctvedmonton; @awfulannouncing; @darthvanderlaan; @ryanlesliemedia; @SportsnetPR

High-speed rail brings people closer together, even in wide open spaces such as Alberta

We don't often agree with Danielle Smith, the premier of Alberta. Smith cited population growth in the province in the throne speech.

The speech referred to 2 rail projects: a train from Banff to Calgary's downtown and airport as well as a high-speed link between Calgary and Edmonton.

"And yes, we need to start planning for the inevitable need for high-speed rail through the Calgary-Red Deer-Edmonton corridor when six to seven million Albertans eventually call that corridor their home," the speech stated.

For those not familiar, the throne speech is given each year by the premier about the state of the province. Tradition says the premier does not actually deliver the speech so the lieutenant governor of the province actually delivers the speech. The lieutenant governor of a province is the representative of, well, now it is King Charles III, similar to the governor general on the federal level.

Back in the Greyhound days, I took the bus from Calgary to Edmonton and then eventually back to Calgary. A lovely, reasonable trip that also stops off in Red Deer. There are buses that go between the cities. I've also been on Greyhound from Calgary to Lake Louise with a local shuttle between Lake Louise and Banff. A high speed rail would be a wonderful addition.

CanadianCrossing.com travel coverage

Smith is correct in that if travel was easier in that corridor, people will travel and spend money in those areas. The only Via Rail train in Canada where Alberta is affected is Edmonton-Jasper. Rocky Mountaineer runs trains during the daytime only that start in Vancouver and covers Whistler and Kamloops in British Columbia as well as Jasper, Lake Louise, and Banff in Alberta. Calgary is not a stop on that train.

Via Rail does a better job at serving Ontario and Quebec than those in the west in Canada.

We have noted the transportation dilemmas in previous stories with the loss of Greyhound and the difficulties at serving remote communities where people often take buses to get better health care.

It’s the obvious choice to bring the @NHL to #Edmonton.

We look forward to welcoming the league and players here to Alberta to take in the beautiful province we have to offer. pic.twitter.com/kp0iN86vCP

— Jason Kenney 🇺🇦🇨🇦 (@jkenney) June 22, 2020

Jason Kenney, then Alberta premier, pitched the ridiculous idea of areas of the province not remotely close to Edmonton as a way to get the NHL to have a bubble in the Alberta capital. If you forget everything about 2020, the video makes a nice incentive to travel to and within Alberta. Just not to Edmonton.

CanadianCrossing.com Alberta coverage

Calgary to Edmonton. Regina to Saskatoon. Winnipeg to Regina. Winnipeg to Calgary. Buses or cars are the only 2 options.

A train would be a better option in winter, which can be significant in western Canada. I've taken buses in Canada in the summer but not during the winter.

Canada is a country where its residents don't often travel within their own country. So many Canadians have told me they don't know the rest of the country. A high speed train, a regular train: this would be meaningful in Alberta. The trains would also serve as inspiration for the rest of the country.

As you might have guessed, western Canada had better train travel at some point. Winnipeg to Regina to Calgary to Edmonton. Vancouver to Calgary and Regina. Not between Regina and Saskatoon but you could get there via Edmonton. Sudbury to Montréal is intriguing since Sudbury has a significant French speaking population.

Brian Mulroney was the prime minister at the time when Via Rail cut back on routes in western Canada. That isn't to signal out Mulroney, just to show how far back the time was when western Canada had better train options. The intercity infrastructure has been a concern blown off by many prime ministers, including the current incumbent, Justin Trudeau.

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian society coverage

CanadianCrossing.com trade coverage

This map is what Canada should look like. Buses need to be strengthened to serve these routes and remote communities. The needed infrastructure would mean good jobs. Travel in between cities in Canada will strengthen those places and bring Canadians from different parts closer to each other.

Even Danielle Smith agrees and again, we say on this topic, we definitely agree with Danielle Smith.

Like Amtrak in the United States, Via Rail has to stop trains due to freight trains, which have the right of way. Some of that infrastructure needs to be independent of freight trains to improve speed and viability.

When we talk about travel infrastructure, this also applies within cities, such as the woes with the light rail in Ottawa.

Pharmacare is more important than these projects. Canada can do both and make that work.

photo credits: Via Rail; Via/timetableworld.com
Twitter capture: @jkenney

2023 Heritage Classic wrapup: Battle of Alberta goes outdoors

One crucial element missing from the vast majority of Heritage Classic games is rivalry. Sure Montréal played Ottawa in 2017 and there have been a couple of Toronto-Detroit games. Finally, the Battle of Alberta got to be a NHL outdoor game.

True, the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers were a combined 3-10-2 going into the Heritage Classic. Connor McDavid had been injured yet was healthy enough to play in the game.

Edmonton had a 3-1 lead after the 1st period to ride a 5-2 win over Calgary at the 2023 Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton on October 29.

Brett Kulak, from Stony Plain, Alberta, scored the first goal for the Oilers. Evander Kane (goal, 2 assists), Zach Hyman, Evan Bouchard, and Vincent Desharnais also had goals for the Oilers. A.J. Greer and Nazem Kadri scored goals for the Flames.

The loss extended the Calgary losing streak to 5 games. Edmonton snapped a 4-game losing streak.

Leon Draisaitl had 2 assists for Edmonton while Connor McDavid had an assist. Reminiscent of playing in a football stadium, Draisaitl had a solid kick of the puck after he used his broken stick, leading to a penalty.

The Oilers (left) and Flames (right) had some fun with their arrival at Commonwealth Stadium. This is part of the charm with these outdoor games.

An oddity in that both starting goalies for the game — Stuart Skinner (Edmonton) and Jacob Markstrom (Calgary) — had never started a NHL outdoor game.

Game time temperature was a reasonably comfortable 3° Celsius at puck drop.

The #Flames and Oilers will bring a combined 3-10-2 record into the Heritage Classic.

— Ryan Pike (@RyanNPike) October 27, 2023

We figured the U.S. coverage would be embarrassingly bad but Turner exceeded our low expectations. As we noted, the Heritage Classic originally didn't show up on either the TNT or ESPN schedule. Turner never sent out a release for the game. The game aired on TBS, never used for a regular season game in the current contract.

John Forslund and Eddie Olczyk called the game but weren't in Canada. Anson Carter and Jackie Redmond, who are Canadian, were on site. The studio crew wasn't used except for host Liam McHugh and somehow Brian Boucher.

There was a pregame of sorts. The best part was Wayne Gretzky explaining the history of the Battle of Alberta, like from the 1980s when he played. TBS did air the pregame ceremonies and O Canada. Of course, TBS aired no postgame for the Heritage Classic though the channel did air Nickelback. Sorry.

The NHL Network did offer the Rogers Sportsnet feed the next day but only the 90-minute version. Rogers Sportsnet was also there for Hockey Night in Canada the day before the game. They know how to cover the Heritage Classic.

2023 Heritage Classic preview: Battle of Alberta at Commonwealth Stadium

2022 Heritage Classic wrapup

2022 Heritage Classic preview

The purpose of having an outdoor game in Edmonton in 2023 was the 20th anniversary of the 2023 Heritage Classic, the NHL's first regular-season outdoor game in the modern era. The game was on Hockey Night in Canada with Chris Cuthbert on the call with Greg Millen with 57,167 fans on a very cold night at Commonwealth Stadium. The wind chill temperatures reached -30° Celsius as the Montréal Canadiens defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-3.

CanadianCrossing.com Alberta coverage

Other than 2021, the Battle of Alberta has been banned from U.S. national television during the regular season. We saw promos for future U.S. outdoor games during the Heritage Classic. Turner did everything possible to not get people to watch the Battle of Alberta in the United States.

This is one of the best NHL rivalries and the NHL management doesn't care. Even Major League Soccer isn't that inept.

For those who watched, the temperatures and ice were good and made for a wonderful evening. The 2023 Heritage Classic drew 55,411 fans.

As we noted, the Canadian outdoor games don't usually get heated rivalries. Toronto and Montréal could have a rivalry game at Stade Saputo or Percival Molson Stadium but the NHL does not seem interested in an outdoor game in La Belle Province.

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

If you missed the NHL Network rebroadcast, we have a condensed video of highlights from the 2023 Heritage Classic in Edmonton at the top of the page.

Canadian NHL teams in outdoor games

Year	Date	Stadium	Result
2003	November 22	Commonwealth Stadium	Montréal 4, Edmonton 3
2011	February 20	McMahon Stadium	Calgary 4, Montréal 0
2014	January 1	Michigan Stadium	Toronto 3, Detroit 2 (SO)
2014	March 2	BC Place	Ottawa 4, Vancouver 2
2016	January 1	Gillette Stadium	Montréal 5, Boston 1
2016	October 23	Investors Group Field	Edmonton 3, Winnipeg 0
2017	January 1	BMO Field	Toronto 5, Detroit 4 (SO)
2017	December 16	TD Place	Ottawa 3, Montréal 0
2018	March 3	Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium	Washington 5, Toronto 2
2019	October 26	Mosaic Stadium	Winnipeg 2, Calgary 1 (OT)
2022	March 13	Tim Hortons Field	Buffalo 5, Toronto 2
2023	October 29	Commonwealth Stadium	Edmonton 5, Calgary 2

video credit: Rogers Sportsnet/NHL
photo credit: NHL
Twitter capture: @RyanNPike

2023 Heritage Classic preview: Battle of Alberta at Commonwealth Stadium

The Battle of Alberta on outdoor ice will finally be an event. The 2023 Heritage Classic won't be at Lake Louise, which would have been an awesome experience. The site is Commonwealth Stadium, home of the CFL Edmonton Elks, the original place for the first outdoor NHL game in the modern era. The NHL stole this idea and allow American-based teams to dominate the outdoor schedule.

The Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers meet on Sunday at 7 pm Eastern/5 pm Mountain in the 2023 Heritage Classic.

Gary Bettman and the NHL have gone out of their way in recent times to reduce the significance of any Canadian outdoor game by placing them so early in the schedule, when even Edmonton isn't that cold.

The embarrassment continues on the U.S. side because TBS, a channel that has never carried a regular season NHL game, will carry the game. Rogers Sportsnet, with announcers who understand the Battle of Alberta, will have the game in Canada.

We will update the TBS announcers when the release comes out this week. You can also check for yourself. Ugh.

Chris Cuthbert, who called the 2003 game in Edmonton, will also call the 2023 version. Of course, Cuthbert had called many events at Commonwealth Stadium, mostly CFL games for CBC and later for TSN.

We will also update this entry with Sportsnet info. Ron MacLean has said the HNIC crew will be in Edmonton the night before the 2023 Heritage Classic.

NHL the month in preview October 2023

INJURY UPDATE ⬇️

Connor McDavid suffered an upper body injury during last night’s game vs. the Jets & is expected to be out of the #Oilers lineup for one to two weeks. pic.twitter.com/qU5dNKuUcC

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 22, 2023

The one element the NHL and yes, even Bettman wanted in the 2023 Heritage Classic was a healthy Connor McDavid. His recent upper body injury will likely keep him out of the game.

2022 Heritage Classic wrapup

2022 Heritage Classic preview

Edmonton and Calgary played Les Habs in previous Heritage Classic games. The Oilers lost 4-3 in 2003 to Montréal at Commonwealth Stadium in 2003. Calgary shut out Montréal 4-0 at McMahon Stadium in 2011.

Each team has also played the Winnipeg Jets in the Heritage Classic. Edmonton won 3-0 over the Jets at Investors Group Field in 2016. The Flames lost 2-1 in overtime at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan in 2019.

The #NHL ice truck has arrived and they have begun setting up for the 2023 Tim Hortons Heritage Classic. #Oilers #Flames pic.twitter.com/jd1DC3Ep5c

— Derek Van Diest (@DerekVanDiest) October 17, 2023

The Edmonton Elks announced that the team will close the upper bowl in 2024. The 2023 Heritage Classic should be the last time for awhile where we see fans in the upper bowl.

This is how we remind you Nickelback is playing the 2023 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic between the @EdmontonOilers
and @NHLFlames. ⤵️ https://t.co/cQrUcP0EwT

— NHL.com (@NHLdotcom) October 13, 2023

The U.S. outlets don't usually cover too much of the in between period action. This might be a good thing for the 2023 Heritage Classic since Nickelback is playing. Nickleback is Canadian but the band is still … Nickleback. First, a documentary (Hate to Love: Nickelback) and now this.

CanadianCrossing.com Alberta coverage

The NHL Network offers a rebroadcast in the hopes of carrying the Rogers Sportsnet feed. The only rebroadcast is in a 90-minute block so the whole game won't be shown in the rebroadcast. The NHL Network would never do that to the U.S.-based outdoor games. That rebroadcast runs at 2 pm Eastern on October 30.

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

We will report back on this game in November since we have other priorities. This is way too early in the season to play this significant of a game.

Canadian NHL teams in outdoor games

Year	Date	Stadium	Result
2003	November 22	Commonwealth Stadium	Montréal 4, Edmonton 3
2011	February 20	McMahon Stadium	Calgary 4, Montréal 0
2014	January 1	Michigan Stadium	Toronto 3, Detroit 2 (SO)
2014	March 2	BC Place	Ottawa 4, Vancouver 2
2016	January 1	Gillette Stadium	Montréal 5, Boston 1
2016	October 23	Investors Group Field	Edmonton 3, Winnipeg 0
2017	January 1	BMO Field	Toronto 5, Detroit 4 (SO)
2017	December 16	TD Place	Ottawa 3, Montréal 0
2018	March 3	Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium	Washington 5, Toronto 2
2019	October 26	Mosaic Stadium	Winnipeg 2, Calgary 1 (OT)
2022	March 13	Tim Hortons Field	Buffalo 5, Toronto 2
2023	October 29	Commonwealth Stadium	Calgary vs. Edmonton

photo credit: NHL
Twitter captures: @EdmontonOilers; @DerekVanDiest; @NHLdotcom

Danielle Smith gets a smaller majority government for the UCP in Alberta

Alberta voters did a lot in the 2023 provincial election. They finally elected Danielle Smith as a premier, something she couldn't pull off in 2012. They gave Rachel Notley and the New Democratic Party the strongest opposition in the history of Alberta.

Maybe those Alberta voters gave the Calgary Flames a new arena. Voters might have been more scared of the "boogieman" Justin Trudeau in Ottawa than a conflict of interest charge against its own premier.

Smith talked in her victory speech about wanting the best in education and health care in Alberta, which isn't likely given its track record in both areas. Smith's attacks on Trudeau got more time than what she would do for Albertans.

The strategy for the winning United Conservative Party was "forward," which felt like code for "ignore what I have done."

We refuse on principle to make political predictions but feel confident that the UCP government will last longer than Danielle Smith, based on the pattern of the many conservative premiers in the last decade.

The unofficial count was 51 seats for the UCP and 36 seats for the NDP. There were no serious contenders from other parties in the province.

The NDP improved its lot with about +11 gain in the Alberta legislature. The NDP needed a lot of gains in Calgary as well as more rural areas. The party dominates in the capital city of Edmonton.

The UCP likely won because conservatives were reluctant to abandon the party, even if they disagree with the leader. Perceptions of the economy also played their part.

Usually on election night, there is rising support for the loser to resign. Alberta is not that place. The province now has its 3rd elected female premier and the only province with a female as premier and opposition leader. No other Canadian province has had 3 female premiers much less 3 elected ones.

The NDP went negative on Danielle Smith's leadership, which is like shooting fish in a barrel in a province not afraid of long guns. The NDP had bad luck in terms of the province financially when Notley and the party was in charge between 2015-2019. Albertans care about the perceptions of the economy more than in other Canadian provinces.

Alberta turned to the NDP in 2015 because things were bad enough to look for an alternative. Things to outsiders looked sufficiently bad in Alberta but the mirrors in Alberta don't work the way others think they should.

2023 Victoria Day notebook: Alberta wildfires starting early

The Alberta wildfires, which spread to other western provinces, were thought to be a concern for advance polling for the election. Elections Alberta reported 758,550 advance votes, up from 700,476 in 2019. The office also noted that 21.9% of those who voted early did so outside of their electoral division.

This isn't to say that some Albertans were severely affected by the wildfires in the voting process.

The unofficial turnout was 61.7% in 2023, down from about 64% in 2019. The unofficial vote total was 1,610,947.

Unofficially, the NDP gained 10 seats for women while the UCP lost 3 seats for women, a gain of +7 in the Alberta legislature.

2023 Alberta election preview

We hope the UCP will keep its promise to increase tax credits for films, making filmmaking — Canadian or otherwise — more viable in Alberta.

The NDP supplied tax credits for video games while in power. The UCP took those away when elected in 2019. The NDP promised to bring those back if elected in 2023.

CanadianCrossing.com Alberta coverage

The Washington Post editorial board weighed in on the Calgary downtown revitalization plan as being one of the best. Nice when Canada gets such good praise. A little suspicious given that Calgary was the bullseye of the 2023 Alberta election.

A potential new replacement for the Saddledome is needed on multiple levels. A new football stadium, which likely wouldn't be downtown, is also needed. The 2026 Winter Olympics, which could have easily been in Calgary, would have given that economic boost the city needed. 

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

The results came in a lot slower than normal from Elections Alberta.

photos credit: CBC News

2023 Victoria Day notebook: Alberta wildfires starting early

Welcome to Victoria Day 2023, the unofficial start of summer in Canada. We gathered a few recent items of note and reflect on where Canada is at the moment. You don't have to be at the cabin or cottage to enjoy this notebook. Having a Caesar (or a virgin Caesar) and perhaps a bag of all-dressed or ketchup chips wouldn't hurt.

2023 Alberta election preview

CanadianCrossing.com Alberta coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

This should be a serious concern in upcoming #AbElection2023. Will be curious to see what voters think. #abpoli https://t.co/ytS52WQRpW

— Chad Rubel (@canadian_xing) May 19, 2023

The Alberta election is a week today. Glad we got the decision that Alberta premier Danielle Smith breached the conflict of interest act. Smith's thought process sadly reminded us of the old Steve Martin joke about how he forgot armed robbery was against the law.

The primary story in the province this month is still the devastating wildfires, even with the election. The conditions are unfortunately ripe for wildfires. We've seen them spread beyond the province in Western Canada.

Can't wait for summer, except when wildfires are involved. Difficult to think about voting for Rachel Notley or Danielle Smith (not directly) when you might have to leave your home or already have evacuated.

We will have more on the Alberta election after we find out the results.

2022 Victoria Day notebook: Alberta in the spotlight

2021 Victoria Day notebook

Victoria Day 2020 notebook: Summer of uncertainty in Canada

Canadian notebook: Celebrating Victoria Day 2019

You likely have read about U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas receiving luxury gifts from billionaire Harlan Crow. Sadly, this will likely not results in charges or removal from the bench.

Canada Supreme Court Justice Russell Brown has been on leave since February 1 over allegations in Arizona that involve a physical altercation and allegations of unwanted touching of women.

Action was swift in that the incident happened on January 28-29.

We haven't seen updates of late as to how long the leave will last or whether action can be taken against Brown.

The incidents are different in nature but you do get the sense that the Canada Supreme Court cares about appearances on the court while the same is not true in the United States.

Russell Brown and Clarence Thomas do have one intriguing element in common: both were highly conservative judges at a really young age with little judicial experience. Thomas had not been a judge while Brown was only a judge for 2½ years in Alberta.

Brown is 57. If he stays on the court, he can be there until September 15, 2040, his 75th birthday.

Canadian TV notebook: A much longer wait for Season 3 of Transplant on NBC

There are a lot of Canadian TV shows coming this summer and fall to the CW. One of those "old" shows is Transplant, where Season 3 will be further delayed, as in 2024. Some of that is the writers strike in the United States. That strike may open the flood gates for more Canadian TV.

CanadianCrossing.com film reviews

CanadianCrossing.com film coverage

There is a new Canadian film with a following in the United States. Blackberry is about the Canadian phenomena with a phone with a keyboard.

Matt Johnson directed the film from a screenplay from Johnson and Matthew Miller about the rise and fall of Canadian tech company Research in Motion. American actor Glenn Howerton plays Jim Balsillie while Canadian icon Jay Baruchel plays Mike Lazaridis.

Canadians have great stories that should be told by Canadians. Let's hope for more opportunities like Blackberry and fewer like Argo.

Your humble narrator has not seen the film. Just odd that a lot of Americans can easily see this film in theatres.

The End of Sex played in U.S. theatres for a week. The film played in a couple of Chicago suburbs but not in the actual city, where more likely filmgoers would see this film.

Monia Chokri's new film The Nature of Love | Simple comme Sylvain is the lone Canadian film in competition at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. This film follows a wealthy woman who has an affair with a working class man.

The film is in the Un Certain Regard section, the same place as A Brother's Love in 2019. You might recall that Chokri directed and starred in Babysitter (2022). Chokri wrote and directed the 2019 and 2023 films.

CBC News has a nice wrapup of the overall Canadian presence at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.

2023 CFL preseason schedule

The CFL preseason starts today at 4 pm Eastern/2 pm Mountain with the Battle of Alberta as the Elks of Edmonton travel to Calgary to play the Stampeders.

The new CFL Preseason Live means all the preseason games are available online in the U.S. (online for 6, TV for 3 in Canada) though there is no on-demand option.

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

Gary Bettman's pet project has been a colossal failure in the greater Phoenix area. The latest is a sound rejection of a new arena in Tempe last week.

The argument in Glendale was that fans couldn't get to the arena. The local TV ratings are anemic, barely ahead of what a test pattern (ask your grandparents) would get.

The Arizona Coyotes need a new home and not in the desert. Salt Lake City, Houston, and Kansas City have been mentioned as possible relocation destinations.

The obvious choice is Quebec City and the Quebec Nordiques 2.0. Beautiful new arena, hockey history, fans who like and will support hockey. TSN's Pierre LeBrun, among many others, mentions that Quebec City doesn't have enough corporate money. The idea that the arena would be filled, lots more merchandise would be sold, and a great rivalry in La Belle Province isn't as valuable as corporate money in Salt Lake City is highly frustrating.

The potential ownership has been vetted when Quebec City put up a bid for an expansion team, a setup that was rigged for another desert city and away from an actual hockey city. Time to right a wrong and bring back the Quebec Nordiques.

Canada has a bit of copycat with corporate names for stadiums and arenas. Rogers has the MLB stadium in Toronto and hockey arenas in Edmonton and Vancouver. Scotiabank has the NBA and NHL arena in Toronto and the NHL arena in Calgary.

There is a satisfaction of referring to the large stadium in Toronto as SkyDome, the original name for the stadium. Exhibition Stadium was the home of the Blue Jays (MLB) and Argonauts (CFL). Its replacement has a corporate name (BMO Field).

Taylor Field in Regina, the long-time home of the CFL Saskatchewan Roughriders, was named for Neil J. "Piffles" Taylor, a World War I fighter pilot who served as president of the Regina Roughriders, the Canadian Rugby Union, and the Western Interprovincial Football Union.

Ivor Wynne, as in Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton, was athletic director and dean of students at McMaster University.

Mosaic Stadium was also the last name given to Taylor Field. The new Mosaic Stadium is likely to be called that since that field only had that name.

The CFL has corporate names in Regina, Winnipeg, Edmonton (field only), Toronto, Hamilton, and Ottawa.

Vancouver has BC Place and the old Empire Stadium, though one of the Rogers arenas is in Vancouver.

You can find out more about that shirt.

photo credits: Baroness Von Sketch/CBC; uni-watch.com
Twitter capture: @canadian_xing
video credit: YouTube/IFC Films

2023 Alberta election preview

The Alberta election has a very different dynamic than what we've seen in recent provincial elections in Canada. This is a 2-party race: United Conservative Party and New Democratic Party. The race is between 2 women to be premier, though not the first time Alberta has had 2 women running to be premier. The current premier has never been elected to be premier while the other woman was elected premier 4 years ago.

Danielle Smith, then in charge of the Wildrose Party, ran in the 2012 election against Alison Redford, who was then the unelected premier of Alberta and head of the Progressive Conservatives. Smith should have coasted to a win but that didn't happen.

Now Smith is the unelected incumbent against Rachel Notley, who was premier from 2015-2019, snapping the Progressive Conservatives streak.

Welcome to the real Battle of Alberta.

There are 87 seats in the Alberta legislative assembly. The United Conservative Party has 60 seats at the dissolution of the assembly, down from 63 seats in the 2019 election. The New Democratic Party have 23 seats, down from 24 in the 2019 election.

There is an Alberta Party, Wildrose Independence, and the Liberal Party. They may disrupt a close race in some ridings but are not likely to break through. The Liberals had 1 MLA in 2015 and 5 MLAs in 2012.

The NDP will do well in Edmonton. Many rural ridings will stay UCP despite the last 4 years. The parties will do a lot of campaigning for Calgary area ridings.

2023 Stanley Cup notebook: NHL news not related to the playoffs

Calgary voters say no to 2026 Winter Olympics

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

Edmonton didn't get provincial help for Rogers Place. Danielle Smith and the UCP made a tentative deal to help give provincial help to a Saddledome replacement in Calgary. The catch: the UCP has to be re-elected into power.

The NDP says the issue need study. The funding fell in great part due to increased costs in building the new arena and surrounding area.

The NDP only had 3 of 26 seats in Calgary going into the election. The party dominates (19 of 20) seats in Edmonton.

There are differing opinions about whether funding for a new Calgary arena will be crucial in the election or may not amount to much in the election.

Being right isn't as important isn't as significant as being popular enough to win Calgary ridings on May 29.

Quite frankly, there should be a mature approach for all levels to get a new arena and football stadium in Calgary. The 2026 Winter Olympics would have been a good push for both but voters (the ones that voted) crushed that dream.

Let’s keep moving forward! 💙#ableg #abvotehttps://t.co/yOvTvDNUyt

— UCP War Room (@UCPWarRoom) April 30, 2023

The Canadian politics strategy in an election loss is to give consternation to whether the party leader should stay. The NDP in Alberta smartly went: "We have a great leader in Rachel Notley. We should hang on to her."

The circumstances were different. The union of the Progressive Conservatives and the Wildrose Party was a dominant force. No matter how well the NDP did in Alberta in 4 years, the momentum was to go back to where things were.

Jason Kenney spent taxpayer money on a propaganda machine. Kenney picked fights with doctors during a pandemic. Countless violations of pandemic protocols by the government. The steamrolling of the original UCP leadership race.

Smith running for UCP leadership on the Alberta Sovereignty Act, yet the teeth on that legislation aren't as sharp as feared.

Smith is being investigated by the province’s ethics commissioner, a definite campaign issue. She also pulled a page from the Stephen Harper 2015 playbook and limited questions from journalists, especially follow-up questions of any kind.

Danielle Smith completes her political comeback to be Alberta's premier-designate

Alberta Wildrose Party comes up smaller than expected

Danielle Smith, Alberta Wildrose Party gain attention for big 'wheels,' not big ideas

"Let me begin by saying to every girl and every young woman watching tonight: I believe in you and never stop believing in yourself. I hope that we have shown you that in your life, anything is possible. Sometimes it can feel like you take two steps forward and then one step back. But may you never ever stop taking those steps forward." — Alberta Premier Rachel Notley in her concession speech on Tuesday.

2019 brought an end to the final of 5 then premiers in Canada for parts of 2013 and 2014. Canada currently has 2 female premiers, though neither of them elected: Smith and Heather Stefanson (Manitoba). That province is scheduled for an October 2023 election. After this Alberta election, one of the 2 female premiers will be elected.

The Alberta NDP has a plan to take pressure off overburdened family doctors and make sure Albertans can get the care they need.

Learn more here: https://t.co/p0uVcfenoY

— Alberta's NDP (@albertaNDP) May 1, 2023

Health care will be a significant issue. The Kenney Government seemed intent on running doctors out of Alberta during the height of the pandemic.

The curiosity in 2015 was whether the NDP could get voters on the fence to vote orange. The idea of that 8 years later seems less surprising.

As Edmonton radio anchor and reporter David Boles noted, Smith is Alberta's 8th premier since 2006. The only one to serve a full term was Rachel Notley.

Jason Kenney to step down as UCP leader and Alberta premier

Alberta notebook: The legacy of outgoing Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi

Alberta dials back COVID-19 tracking to dangerous levels

The Edmonton Oilers, not the Calgary Flames, are the Alberta team in the chase for the Stanley Cup. Voters might want to get their votes in early in case an Oilers playoff game is scheduled for May 29.

The rhetoric of division in Canada reveals a lack of understanding

Jason Kenney, Alberta United Conservative Party launch Canadian Energy Centre propaganda site

Democracy itself is on the ballot in Alberta's upcoming election.#ableg #abpoli #yyc https://t.co/xz4VctOrtU

— Thomas A. Lukaszuk (@LukaszukAB) May 1, 2023

Alberta goes back to its conservative ways by electing the UCP

CanadianCrossing.com Alberta coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

Alberta Election callout for writers

CBC is accepting pitches for a special opinion project leading up to the spring election. This is a paid writing opportunity open to all Albertans.

Know someone who'd be perfect? Share this with them.

Details at https://t.co/yQB8xzVMic pic.twitter.com/xS6k4ehPnP

— CBC Edmonton (@CBCEdmonton) January 17, 2023

We reserve the right to write more about this election between now and May 29, like we did for the Ontario election in 2022. That depends on what happens and our anxieties. Will be curious how this CBC News project turns out for Albertans.

Those in Alberta can get information on how to vote in the May 29 election via Elections Alberta.

video and photo credit: About That/CBC News Explore
Twitter captures: @UCPWarRoom; @albertaNDP; @LukaszukAB; @CBCEdmonton

2023 Stanley Cup notebook: NHL news not related to the playoffs

The #NHLGlobalSeries returns to Stockholm this November with the @MapleLeafs, @DetroitRedWings, @Senators, and @mnwild! 🇸🇪

Stay tuned for the latest updates and ticket info! pic.twitter.com/tI36FZHGgr

— NHL (@NHL) April 26, 2023

This is a bit early to discuss but the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators will do their part to grow the NHL game in Stockholm, Sweden in November. Their opponents will be the Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild. No Battle of Ontario in Stockholm.

The games will run November 16-19 at the Avicii Arena with plenty of time off in and around those games.

Brad Treliving jumped when maybe he would have been pushed or not after 9 years as the Calgary Flames general manager. Don Maloney went from assistant GM to the new president of hockey operations and will serve as the interim GM.

Craig Conroy is the name we keep hearing who would be a good fit for the post.

We don't know what any of this means for coach Darryl Sutter. There were definitely grumbles over how Sutter handled certain players.

The Calgary Flames last spring looked like a really strong team. A lot happened in that offseason that the team didn't recover well enough in 2022-2023.

Calgary voters say no to 2026 Winter Olympics

Calgary NHL fans might think they need a new arena. The battle over that arena has been exhausting.

The announced deal has a gigantic asterisk: the provincial help is contingent on Danielle Smith and the UCP being elected into power. Calgary is a key battleground over seats in the election where the writ will drop shortly before the May 29 provincial election.

The NDP is looking into a deal and isn't as likely to make a cheap promise either way if Rachel Notley and the party regains power.

We are of the mindset that the NHL Flames AND CFL Stampeders need new facilities. If the city had been behind the 2026 bid for the Winter Olympics, both places would need an updated version.

We will have more on this when the writ drops early next week for the Alberta election.

CanadianCrossing.com NHL coverage

Only 2 Canadian teams are eligible to move up to the top pick of the 2023 NHL draft, aka the Connor Bedard watch. The Montréal Canadiens are at #5 and Vancouver Canucks at #11. The Habs have a 8.5% chance in the first lottery while the Canucks have a 3% chance in the first lottery (2 lotteries in all).

Bedard's WHL career almost certainly came to an end when the Saskatoon Blades defeated the Regina Pats in 7 games in the playoffs. Connor Bedard had 20 points with 11 goals in the 7-game series (and they lost). Bedard finished with 71 goals and 143 points in the regular season.

NHL teams can only move up 10 spots in the lottery. Ottawa and Calgary were "too good" to move up to reach the top spot. Those teams could move up 10 spots, but can't pick Bedard.

The NHL draft lottery will be on May 8.

Canadian film review: Offside: The Harold Ballard Story

When I attended my first Toronto Maple Leafs game at the Maple Leafs Gardens in 1988, the fans told me of their horrible owner. Some of them wanted Harold Ballard to die as soon as possible.

You think you know how bad the owner was. This documentary will show you how little you know. Even Habs fans will feel sorry for the Maple Leafs fans.

Time to bring needed limits on gambling ads during sports programming

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is off to a good start on a proposal to ban the use of athletes and celebrities, who might appeal to kids, in internet gambling advertisements. We take things further, especially with TV ads. Even if gambling was something we liked, we would be sick of the plethora of ads, especially in content.

2023 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs scoreboard

2023 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs preview for Canadian teams

The Toronto Maple Leafs are up 3-1 in their series. Edmonton is up 3-2 in that series. Winnipeg is down 3-1 in its series.

Toronto can clinch a playoff series tonight. Winnipeg needs a win to stay alive tonight.

All potential Games 6 are on Saturday. All potential Games 7 are on Monday.

We are updating our playoffs preview for CBC telecasts and U.S. announcers for games involving Canadian NHL teams.

Our playoff notebook will have extensive analysis when the first round is over.

Twitter capture and photo credit: NHL

Danielle Smith completes her political comeback to be Alberta's premier-designate

Those who have followed Alberta politics or read our past coverage would have difficulty imagining that Danielle Smith would ever be the premier of Alberta. Smith was in a great position to win in 2012 as leader of the Wildrose Party but lost to Alison Redford of the Progressive Conservatives.

As leader of the opposition in 2014, after she stated "there'll be no more floor crossings," Smith was one of 9 MLAs who crossed over to join the Progressive Conservatives.

So how did Danielle Smith win the leadership of the United Conservative Party in 2022, succeeding Jason Kenney as the new premier of Alberta?

In a relatively weak group of candidates, Smith finally got a majority — 53.3% — on the 6th ballot. The difference maker was the proposal for the Alberta Sovereignty Act, which essentially calls on Alberta, well, the government anyway to determine which federal laws will be recognised by the province.

Former Wildrose leader and current MLA Brian Jean was the other major contender. The other leadership candidates were independent MLA and former UCP caucus chair Todd Loewen along with 3 Kenney cabinet members and current MLAs Rajan Sawhney, Rebecca Schulz, and Travis Toews.

Smith will be the 3rd female premier in Alberta history behind Redford and former premier and current opposition leader Rachel Notley (NDP). The 2023 election will be the second time in Alberta history where women run the 2 primary parties.

Smith is not a MLA. You can still be premier and not be a MLA. Christy Clark did so for awhile in British Columbia in 2013.

Smith has a relatively short period of time to make an impact since the next provincial election will be on or before May 29, 2023. Smith said recently that if she won the UCP leadership race, she would not call an early election.

Alberta Wildrose Party comes up smaller than expected

Danielle Smith, Alberta Wildrose Party gain attention for big 'wheels,' not big ideas

Danielle Smith might consider mentioning this part of her history to be not so kind. This is part of why there was a political comeback. This was the introduction to Smith for many people inside Canada and outside the country.

She is a very different politician than Jason Kenney. Smith doesn't mind being the centre of attention. Her efforts since this incident have not gone back to this theme.

Jason Kenney to step down as UCP leader and Alberta premier

Alberta notebook: The legacy of outgoing Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi

Alberta dials back COVID-19 tracking to dangerous levels

The rhetoric of division in Canada reveals a lack of understanding

Jason Kenney, Alberta United Conservative Party launch Canadian Energy Centre propaganda site

Jason Kenney came out aggressively against a potential Alberta Sovereignty Act during the campaign. The concept of the UCP was to unite the right-wing Progressive Conservatives and the very right-wing Wildrose Party. As we've seen, this is easier said than accomplished.

Alberta goes back to its conservative ways by electing the UCP

CanadianCrossing.com Alberta coverage

CanadianCrossing.com Canadian politics coverage

Following tonight's vote (and swearing-in ceremony), Alberta will be on its 8th premier since 2006.

Only one of them has served a full term: Rachel Notley.#YEG #YYC #ableg #abpoli

— David Boles (@DavidJBoles) October 6, 2022

Smith will be the second female premier of a Canadian province along with Heather Stefanson of Manitoba, who has been in office for almost a year. Neither Stefanson or Smith were elected.

photos credits: Calgary Herald; CanadianCrossing.com
video credit: CBC News
Twitter capture: @DavidJBoles