2006-07 Quarterly Budget Report: Second Quarter Activity Report Released:  November 15, 2006 Table of Contents Download this document as pdf Updating Albertans Unleashing Innovation Leading in Learning Competing in a Global Marketplace Making Alberta the Best Place to Live, Work, and Visit Promoting Health and Wellness Supporting Families and Children Building Stronger and Safer Communities Protecting Alberta's Natural and Cultural Heritage Go to Second Quarter Fiscal Update Go to Second Quarter Fact Card (pdf)

In Budget 2006, the government reinforced its 20-year strategic plan to build on the province's strong fiscal and economic environment and, create more opportunities for Albertans and Alberta businesses to succeed. Today's Opportunities, Tomorrow's Promise is the action plan that will help the government achieve its vision of: "A vibrant and prosperous province where Albertans enjoy a superior quality of life and are confident about the future for themselves and their children." The strategic plan is based on four pillars:

• Unleashing innovation focuses on becoming a world leader in innovation, research, development, and commercialization of new ideas.
  
  
• Leading in learning requires making sure Albertans have the opportunities they need to learn, adapt, and develop new knowledge and new skills.
  
  
• Competing in a global marketplace is about creating a business and investment environment that is recognized around the world as an excellent place to do business.
  
  
• Making Alberta the best place to live, work, and visit means providing services and opportunities to people in an environment in which they can contribute their talents and create a quality of life that meets their dreams.

The purpose of this quarterly activity report is to show Albertans what activities the government undertook over the past three months in support of this vision. The following pages include some of those activities from each of the government departments.

Albertans are pioneers - known for innovative thinking and a "can do" attitude. It's this spirit that makes Alberta a leader on so many fronts. Focusing on research, technology, and innovation allows Albertans to develop and produce new knowledge-based products, maximize traditional industries, and broaden Alberta's economy. In the second quarter, the government:

• Sponsored The Banff Venture Forum. More than 300 local and international investors and government officials attended and learned about the hottest hi-tech companies in western Canada. The Forum provided insight into key industry issues, premium networking opportunities, as well as the chance to learn from world-class investment professionals.
  (Innovation and Science)
  
  
• Established cross-sector IP videoconferencing service standards for the Alberta SuperNet, which will allow integrated videoconferencing for the Alberta government. As of the end of quarter, six ministries, seven regional health authorities, three libraries, and over 40 education facilities are connected to videoconferencing services over Alberta SuperNet.
  (Restructuring and Government Efficiency; Education; Health and Wellness)
  
  
• Showcased nine of Alberta's biotechnology and medical device investment opportunities to 90 local and international venture capital and angel investors, government officials, and executives from Alberta life science companies at the second Alberta Life Technologies Investor Forum.
  (Innovation and Science)
  
  
• Introduced new state-of-the-art technology to link 53 Provincial Court locations with correctional facilities around the province, reducing the number of prisoner transfers and increasing the efficiency of court processes. Videoconferencing technology uses video cameras and television screens to provide two-way communication between correctional facilities and courtrooms.
  (Solicitor General and Public Security; Justice)
  
  
• Announced $100 million to implement a new Information Technology strategy to better support law enforcement. The development of a new central crime database will improve the ability of law enforcement agencies to share important criminal intelligence information. The project will develop comprehensive computer systems for police, sheriffs, corrections and other law enforcement partners.
  (Solicitor General and Public Security)
  
  
• Completed the installation of the Regional Shared Health Information Program (RSHIP). RSHIP will contain the electronic health records of 1.2 million Albertans living in seven of the nine health regions and is a significant step forward in the development of Alberta Netcare, our provincial electronic health record.
  (Health and Wellness)
  
  
• Worked with local stakeholders, community partners and Alberta's Innovation program to support the development of alternative energy sources at a West Central Airshed monitoring site and to consider options for alternative energy at a Buffalo Lake (pumphouse) water management facility.
  (Environment; Innovation and Science)
  
  
• Awarded to the EUB (Energy Utilities Board) the Institute of Public Administration of Canada's (IPAC) prestigious Award for Innovative Management, which acknowledges Innovative Managerial Initiatives in the Public Administration of Canada. IPAC recognized the EUB for its role in developing Synergy Alberta, a concept arising out of the need for a centralized resource for synergy groups in the province.
  (AEUB - Energy)
  
  
• Assisted in hosting the 2006 Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) Annual Summit in Edmonton, July 16-20, 2006. Private sector representatives and governments from eight states, provinces, and territories came together to share best practices and discuss issues of mutual concern. The summit featured high profile political speakers from both countries and recorded the largest turnout of delegates in the history of PNWER.
  (Economic Development)
  
  
• Launched an enhanced Materials Resource Unit Online catalogue with new searching and online ordering for alternate format (braille, large print, audio) learning resources and specialized student equipment. The catalogue can be accessed at the Learning Resources Centre website: www.lrc.education.gov.ab.ca.
  (Education)
  
  
• Established a cross-ministry Energy Innovation Fund to support energy development and environmental protection by dedicating $200 million over the next three years towards research, advanced technologies, market development and innovative projects focusing on energy supply and protection of the environment.
  (Energy)
  
  
• Launched the new Alberta School Council Resource Manual with Alberta Home and School Councils' Association. The manual is a resource that will help parents and schools develop school councils.
  (Education)
  
  
• Launched the "myAFSC" website that allows Alberta producers day-and-night access to their Canadian Agricultural Income Stabilization (CAIS) program account information. The program, developed by Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), makes the CAIS program more accessible for Alberta producers.
  (AFSC - Agriculture, Food and Rural Development)
  
  
• Initiated a new strategy to enhance support to Aboriginal arts and build relationships with Aboriginal communities in the province. The strategy includes information sessions for Aboriginal artists, grant writing workshops and $100,000 in grants for Aboriginal organizations.
  (Community Development)
  
  
• Implemented the revised Home Education Regulation to support parents who choose to home educate their children.
  (Education)
  
  
• Implemented changes to Employment Pension Plans Act regulations, allowing Albertans greater flexibility in managing their retirement savings. Effective November 1st, 2006, eligible Albertans will have a one-time option to unlock up to 50 per cent of their locked-in pension contributions after exiting an eligible pension plan.
  (Finance)
  
  
• Completed construction of the external structure of Calgary's new courthouse complex, scheduled to open in summer 2007. The $340-million, one-millionsquare- foot facility will house both the Court of Queen's Bench and the Provincial Court of Alberta in 73 courtrooms under one roof. The Calgary Court Centre will be an environmentally friendly facility, designed to meet or exceed the internationally recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver standard.
  (Infrastructure and Transportation)
  
  
• Initiated a study together with the Alberta Forest Products Association to examine competitiveness challenges facing the province's forest industry. In the meantime, several immediate measures were announced to help the forest industry deal with competitiveness pressures over the short term, including attention to trucking and transportation issues.
  (Sustainable Resource Development)
  
  
• Introduced electronic driver knowledge tests to replace written tests for new drivers and people applying for other licence classes. The Driver Knowledge Test System effectively uses technology to randomly select test questions from a large pool. This eliminates the potential for cheating and, as a result, increases safety on our roads. Government covered the full $650,000 cost of implementing the new system, including cabling and workstations at each registry.
  (Infrastructure and Transportation)

Albertans know a solid education builds the foundation for a strong and prosperous society. Alberta's education system continues to be among the best in the world and staying at the forefront means providing students with the tools they need to achieve their potential. Investments in universities, colleges, and technical institutes are increasing, so they can provide high quality, affordable post-secondary education. This, in turn, creates opportunities for life-long learners to adapt their skills and develop new ones. A well-educated workforce is key to Alberta's continued economic success. In the second quarter, the government:

• Funded $1.5 million for NAIT's Shell Manufacturing Centre, which will provide high-tech manufacturing services, and train technical operators and a wide variety of trades in areas that support Alberta's petroleum and other manufacturing industries, such as plant design and layout and project simulation.
  (Innovation and Science)
  
  
• Received a Canada Award for Excellence from the National Quality Institute for wildfire education and preparedness training at the Hinton Training Centre. This award from Canada's leading authority on workplace excellence recognizes commitments to innovation, productivity, healthy workplaces and ethics.
  (Sustainable Resource Development)
  
  
• Provided $1 million to the Aero Space Museum Association of Calgary from the Alberta Lottery Fund to assist with construction cost of a new museum facility.
  (Gaming)
  
  
• Developed and delivered the Southern Watersheds Workshop, which was attended by partners engaged in watershed planning in Red Deer and Southern Alberta.
  (Environment)
  
  
• Launched the High School Completion Initiative and Symposium. The September 2006 province-wide Symposium brought together approximately 600 youth, parents, educators, business leaders and community organizations to discuss issues associated with high school completion and allowed for discussion on community actions to address this issue. A provincial action plan will be developed in followup to help encourage community involvement in improving high school completion.
  (Education)
  
  
• Launched the new Careers in Motion mobile career centre. The high-tech RV gives Albertans, especially those in rural areas, the latest technology to help them investigate jobs, contact a career counselor, or get resumé writing help. Free services include laptops, internet, a printer, fax, phones and resource materials.
  (Human Resources and Employment)
  
  
• Invested another $250 million into the Access to the Future endowment, bringing the total value to $1 billion. Also announced the creation of a ninemember council to oversee the fund. Income from the endowment will provide seed money for innovative and collaborative post-secondary projects as well as matching grants for donations to universities, colleges, technical institutes and other post-secondary providers to improve access and quality.
  (Advanced Education)
  
  
• Awarded 62 Aboriginal post-secondary students with the Aboriginal Health Careers Bursary. The bursaries provide financial assistance for students in health-related career fields and also work towards ensuring that Aboriginal communities will have greater access to Aboriginal health care practitioners and culturally-sensitive health services.
  (Advanced Education)
  
  
• Launched the Royal Tyrrell Museum's distance learning program suite by offering schools the opportunity to select from three videoconferencing programs.
  (Community Development)
  
  
• Supported Leading Change: A Conference on Aboriginal Economic and Community Development, held in Fort McMurray. Aboriginal, industry, and government stakeholders came together to examine the challenges and opportunities associated with grassroots Aboriginal community and economic development.
  (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development)
  
  
• Launched The Youth in Transition program, a new pilot program through NorQuest College that will assist immigrant youth in strengthening their literacy skills. The 10-month pilot project will accommodate up to 25 students and help strengthen each student's reading, writing, numeracy, oral language and computer skills. This program will increase their chance of success both in the post secondary system and in Alberta's growing workforce.
  (Advanced Education)

Alberta has made great strides in encouraging a broader economic base. Low taxes and the availability of untapped markets to export and promote our goods, services, knowledge, and technology, play a vital role in achieving recognition as an excellent place to do business. Making Alberta's infrastructure the best in the world is also important, so citizens and businesses have the foundation they need to compete in a global marketplace. In the second quarter, the government:

• Worked in consultation with the forest industry to protect Alberta's interests in the softwood lumber trade agreement negotiations between Canada and the United States. The agreement was signed on September 26, 2006.
  (International and Intergovernmental Relations; Sustainable Resource Development)
  
  
• Set a new direction for Alberta's energy sector through release of Alberta's new Integrated Energy Vision, which identifies the potential long-term benefits of Alberta-based energy resource product upgrading and refining by transforming hydrocarbons into a vast array of value-added end-products.
  (Energy)
  
  
• Enhanced the province's dividend tax credit and boosted the small business income threshold. Eliminating the double taxation of corporate dividends and increasing the income threshold for small business helps encourage investment and business growth in the province, and helps ensure that Alberta remains the place to do business.
  (Finance)
  
  
• Announced the elimination of the Alberta Royalty Tax Credit Program as of January 1, 2007 following a review and consultation with industry and stakeholders. This change better reflects today's business climate, market and prices, and will provide additional royalty revenue to the province.
  (Energy)
  
  
• Increased marketing efforts for the Alberta film industry by collaborating with a broad range of industry stakeholders in hosting and sponsoring activities at major events, including the Toronto Film Festival and the Atlantic Film Festival.
  (Economic Development)
  
  
• Initiated public oil sands consultations, with a series of seven open information meetings held throughout the province to give Albertans an opportunity to add their voice into the development of the province's oil sands.
  (Energy)
  
  
• Co-hosted more than 200 industry, education, labour and government representatives at a one-day Ministers' symposium in September to share tactics and approaches to resolving labour and skills shortages. The symposium was a follow-up commitment to the government's July announcement of its 10-year labour strategy, Building and Educating Tomorrow's Workforce, and included the release of a strategy to address labour shortages within the retail sector, created in partnership with key stakeholders in the retail sector.
  (Human Resources and Employment; Advanced Education)
  
  
• Hosted delegates from across Canada, Mexico and the United States at the 2006 Tri-National Agricultural Accord in Banff, Alberta. The event provided the opportunity to meet and work with our North American partners to solidify and enhance our international agricultural relationships.
  (Agriculture, Food and Rural Development)
  
  
• Announced further premium reductions for mandatory auto insurance. Effective November 1st, 2006, the latest reduction comes as part of the annual review of compulsory auto insurance by the Automobile Insurance Rate Board (AIRB) and brings total reductions since reforms were introduced to 18 per cent.
  (AIRB - Finance)
  
  
• Facilitated high-level visits to Alberta's oilsands, including U.S. energy secretary Samuel Bodman, a Congressional delegation, the Chairman of the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and a group of 28 foreign Ambassadors.
  (International and Intergovernmental Relations)
  
  
• Promoted the groundbreaking B.C.-Alberta Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement as the "gold standard" in breaking down internal trade barriers and increasing Canada's international competitiveness.
  (International and Intergovernmental Relations)
  
  
• Launched the Bioindustrial loan program, aimed at encouraging growth of a biofuels industry in the province that will use feedstock from Alberta-based processing facilities.
  (AFSC - Agriculture, Food and Rural Development)
  
  
• Concluded Alberta's participation in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C that attracted over 900,000 visitors. Survey results show that 73 per cent of festival attendees said they knew something or a lot after visiting the Alberta displays, and 86 per cent answered yes or maybe when asked whether they plan to visit Alberta in the future. The festival took place from June 30 to July 11.
  (Community Development; Economic Development)

Albertans' vision is one in which the province remains debt-free, with accessible quality health care and education, safe and caring communities, and an environment that is preserved and protected. Alberta is a place that has something for everyone. The province is known for its spectacular scenery, rich cultural heritage, and exciting history. Those attractions draw visitors from around the world and keep them coming back year after year. In the second quarter, the government:

PROMOTING HEALTH AND WELLNESS

• Implemented a three-year pilot project - through the Alberta Aids to Daily Living program - to provide Speech Generating Communication Devices (SGCD). Funding is available to residents of Alberta with severe communication impairments that results in them unable to speak.
  (Seniors and Community Supports)
  
  
• Provided an additional $262 million to health authorities to address operating cost pressures and purchase diagnostic and other medical equipment.
  (Health and Wellness)
  
  
• Hosted the "TryHealthy Forum" in Banff to promote the business of natural and organic products across North America. The event featured more than 90 Canadian, American, and Mexican producers, processors, and distributors of organic and wellnessrelated products, which is representative of an agricultural market that is predicted to see doubledigit growth by 2010.
  (Agriculture, Food and Rural Development)
  
  
• Reviewed 20 lodges to determine if the facilities are meeting the Supportive Living Accommodation Standards. These standards, developed in response to the MLA Task Force on Continuing Care Health Service and Accommodation Standards, promote a safe and comfortable environment for lodge residents.
  (Seniors and Community Supports)
  
  
• Provided over $400,000 to support the 2006 Alberta Summer Games in Red Deer, which attracted approximately 3,000 young Alberta athletes, coaches and officials.
  (Community Development)
  
  
• Announced $24 million for the third round of the Rural Affordable Supportive Living program, which promotes the development of supportive living facilities for low- to moderate-income seniors and those with high health and personal care needs in rural communities.
  (Seniors and Community Supports)

SUPPORTING FAMILIES AND CHILDREN

• Removed the income eligibility cap and eligibility restriction of the Supports for Permanency program to help more children in government care find permanent homes. The program assists with some of the financial costs for families who adopt or obtain private guardianship of children in care.
  (Children's Services)
  
  
• Granted $2.3 million to programs that assist victims of crime. The money is used for programs that help support victims of crime throughout the criminal justice process and for other initiatives that benefit victims of crime, such as crisis intervention and referrals to support agencies.
  (Solicitor General and Public Security)
  
  
• Announced $2 million for the province's rent supplement program, which will provide an additional 600 low-income households with much needed assistance in covering their monthly rent. The increase brings total spending on the rent supplement program to $19 million this year, an increase of $4 million or 27 per cent over last year.
  (Seniors and Community Supports)
  
  
• Announced over $11.7 million in funding under the Canada/Alberta Affordable Housing Program to help construct four housing projects that will provide 150 affordable housing units.
  (Seniors and Community Supports)
  
  
• Announced $39 million in children's mental health initiatives to be implemented over the next three years, including suicide prevention and building mental health capacity for children, youth and families at the local level.
  (Health and Wellness)
  
  
• Provided mediation for 610 Albertans on issues such as energy contracts and billing and information to an additional 3,800 Albertans on various utility matters.
  (Utilities Consumer Advocate - Government Services)
  
  
• Launched the www.UCAhelps.gov.ab.ca website to help Albertans make competent decisions on the use and purchase of energy. Page requests climbed from an average of 8,000 per month in the first quarter to an average of over 55,000 per month in the second quarter.
  (Utilities Consumer Advocate - Government Services)
  
  
• Pledged $261 million to assist Alberta agriculture producers whose operations have been impacted by rising input costs and falling commodity prices.
  (Agriculture, Food and Rural Development)
  
  
• Completed the Alberta's Future Leaders summer sport, recreation, arts and leadership programs in 11 aboriginal communities. Participants took part in activities to build confidence, self-esteem and social skills.
  (Community Development)
  
  
• Released the findings of an ethnographic study for the Aboriginal Mentoring Pilot Project, a provincial strategy designed to increase the number of Aboriginal mentors in the province and learn more about how mentoring works in Aboriginal communities.
  (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development)
  
  
• Consulted with more than 600 employers, child care operators and parents to find out where more child care spaces are needed in Alberta and how they could be created. The consultation, prompted by the federal government's plan to work with businesses to create child care spaces, indicated that qualified staff, affordable child care and facility space must all be in place to create more child care spaces, and that Alberta's Five-Point Child Care Investment Plan responds to the needs of Albertans.
  (Children's Services)

BUILDING STRONGER AND SAFER COMMUNITIES

• Awarded $3.6 million in Community Incentive Fund grants for projects aimed at preventing, and raising awareness of, family violence and bullying. The fund supported 95 community projects throughout the province. These projects help communities take a collaborative, coordinated response to end family violence and bullying.
  (Children's Services)
  
  
• Launched the Stand Up and Stop Bullying contest, as part of the government's provincewide bullying prevention campaign. Youth were invited to create two-minute videos expressing their personal experiences and positive solutions to bullying prevention and intervention.
  (Children's Services; Education)
  
  
• Approved construction of a new, larger remand facility to replace the existing 27-year-old Edmonton Remand Centre. The new building will house up to 2,000 inmates and will cost an estimated $308 million. Construction of the new facility could begin in 2007 and take five years to build.
  (Solicitor General and Public Security; Infrastructure and Transportation)
  
  
• Launched the Alberta Sheriff Traffic Enforcement program. Twenty-one Sheriffs took to the road as part of a new program to target speeders and aggressive drivers. Sheriffs work out of seven offices provincewide and patrol roadways identified by law enforcement as problem areas. This includes highways 8, 11, 21, 22, 43, 63 and others.
  (Solicitor General and Public Security)
  
  
• Introduced the Work Safe Passport for students. High school students can complete health and safety training on topics such as emergency response plans and hazard identification. Their training passports are recognized by employers and make them more marketable when looking for jobs.
  (Human Resources and Employment)
  
  
• Implemented the $2.5 million 2006 Southern Alberta Disaster Recovery Program and the $1 million 2006 City of Edmonton Disaster Recovery Program to assist residents, small businesses and municipal governments in the City of Edmonton, the Town of Taber, the Town of Bow Island, the Village of Longview, the Bragg Creek area of the Municipal District of Rockyview, and the community of Redwood Meadows with the cost of uninsurable overland flood damage caused by storms in June 2006.
  (Municipal Affairs)
  
  
• Provided $1.3 million in interest-free loans to nine municipalities through the Municipal Energy Efficiency Assistance Program (MEfirst!). The MEfirst! Program supports initiatives that incorporate energy efficiencies into municipal operations and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  (Municipal Affairs)
  
  
• Announced the continuation of the Municipal Sponsorship Program for 2006 with a budget of $13.7 million and the introduction of significant changes to improve program delivery. This program provides support to municipalities for projects designed to improve the delivery of municipal governance or services and to enhance intermunicipal cooperation.
  (Municipal Affairs)
  
  
• Released the Municipal Financial Assistance Handbook, which contains basic information on approximately 70 municipal grant and cost sharing programs.
  (Municipal Affairs)
  
  
• Announced a provincewide gun amnesty for the month of October. This voluntary program gave Albertans the opportunity to safely turn over unwanted or illegal weapons without facing charges.
  (Justice; Solicitor General and Public Security)
  
  
• Reduced the number of residential tenancy cases in Edmonton's provincial court, from twice a week to once per month, through the Residential Tenancy Dispute Resolution Service pilot project, affording judges and staff more time to deal with other and more serious matters.
  (Government Services)
  
  
• Released a report summarizing discussions at the Alberta Roundtables on Violence In and Around Licensed Premises. The report provides numerous suggestions and recommendations, including the fact that further research and consultation is needed to identify best practices and determine impacts of any change on the industry and the public.
  (Gaming; Solicitor General and Public Security)
  
  
• Completed the sixth Under 25 awareness campaign and audit to help keep alcohol out of the hands of minors. In 2006, 1,502 premises were visited and over 87 per cent of licensees complied with the Under 25 policy. This initiative reinforces the need for liquor licensees to ask for proof of age from anyone who appears under the age of 25 and attempts to purchase liquor.
  (Gaming)
  
  
• Issued over 400 Community Facility Enhancement Program and Community Initiatives Program grants through the Alberta Lottery Fund. These grants support various projects throughout the province, including funding for a facility upgrade to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind - Edmonton Chapter ($25,444); a centre relocation and update for the Children's Centre Non Profit Society of Fort McMurray ($50,000) and a new program for the Alberta Water Polo Association in Calgary ($38,500).
  (Gaming)
  
  
• Continued implementation of Alberta's enhanced emergency management system under the leadership of the Alberta Environment Support and Emergency Response Team. Situations related to drinking water safety and oil spill management are among the first incidents to be addressed by the new team.
  (Environment)
  
  
• Established an independent panel of scientists to evaluate standards for testing water wells near coalbed methane development areas. Under the standard, which came into effect May 1, 2006, companies wanting to drill shallow coalbed methane wells must offer and complete tests and collect baseline information on any active water well within a minimum 600-metre radius of new or recompleted coalbed methane wells.
  (Environment)
  
  
• Supported Alberta Agriculture, Food and Rural Development in establishing the Rural Alberta Development Fund Board of Directors. The new board will develop a comprehensive business plan that will guide the distribution of $100 million to support projects benefiting rural communities across the province.
  (Economic Development; Agriculture, Food and Rural Development)
  
  
• Launched a summer public awareness campaign to promote Alberta's employment standards at a time when Alberta's workforce grew by 65,000. Albertans were informed of their rights as workers and business owners were made aware of the importance of following employment standards.
  (Human Resources and Employment)
  
  
• Recognized 420 Alberta employers for their exceptional workplace safety records and innovative practices with Best Safety Performer Awards and Innovation in Health and Safety Awards.
  (Human Resources and Employment)
  
  
• Started construction to twin eight kilometres of Highway 2 in the Sexsmith area, from its junction with Highway 672 north to its junction with Highway 59. The total cost of this project is $28 million. The newly divided road will open to traffic in October 2007. Between 7,500 and 10,500 vehicles use Highway 2 in this area each day, depending on location.
  (Infrastructure and Transportation)
  
  
• Announced the twinning of Highway 21 near Sherwood Park. The initial 9.5 kilometres of grading will be completed from Highway 628 to south of Highway 16 at a cost of more than $9 million. The twinning of Highway 21 will significantly improve the traffic flow in the area and relieve the growing congestion. The twinning project will take a minimum of three years to complete.
  (Infrastructure and Transportation)
  
  
• Consulted with approximately 260 municipal representatives from various communities on the development of a Land Use Framework for the province.
  (Municipal Affairs)
  
  
• Responded to the needs of Albertans in Lebanon during renewed violence in the Middle East. Alberta helped coordinate the return of more than 700 Canadian citizens to Alberta, working with the Government of Quebec, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada, the Red Cross, the Cities of Edmonton and Calgary, and the Lebanese communities of the two cities.
  (International and Intergovernmental Relations; Municipal Affairs)
  
  
• Opened a $23-million interchange to give quicker and safer access to the Foothills Medical Centre and new Alberta Children's Hospital on 16th Avenue NW in Calgary. The new interchange provides safe, effective access to these two important health care facilities.
  (Infrastructure and Transportation)
  
  
• Announced Fort Macleod as the preferred community to become home to the proposed Alberta Police and Peace Officer Training Centre. The community was chosen following an exhaustive selection process. Twenty-nine other Alberta communities had also been in the running to host the training centre. The next step in the process will be to explore a public-private partnership (P3) funding option.
  (Solicitor General and Public Security)

PROTECTING ALBERTA'S NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE:

• Finalized a new policy and manual for integrating grazing and timber activities in forests. The manual outlines integration requirements, including planning and communications, and dispute resolution processes between grazing and timber operators.
  (Sustainable Resource Development)
  
  
• Established a Mountain Pine Beetle advisory committee that includes representatives from federal, provincial, and municipal governments, members of the public, First Nations, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers and environmental groups.
  (Sustainable Resource Development)
  
  
• Released the approved South Saskatchewan River Basin Water Management Plan to the public. The plan provides a long-term vision for the water supply for Southern Alberta, and seeks a balance between the needs of the environment and the economy.
  (Environment)
  
  
• Awarded $180,000 over three years to support a joint initiative between the Association Canadienne française de l'Alberta and Canadian Parents for French. The initiative supports French cultural activities intended to promote a better understanding of francophone communities in Alberta, their rich history, their contributions to the province's development, their traditions and their community services.
  (Education)
  
  
• Acquired more than 1,300 hectares of ranch land from the Harvie family to be designated as the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park. As part of the designation, the Harvie family will establish the Harvie Conservancy Fund to provide for enhancement of Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park and Lois Hole Centennial Provincial Park.
  (Community Development)
  
  
• Completed several major capital projects, including the refurbishment of the Mt. Lorrette, Elbow Falls and Heart Creek day-use areas, campsites at Saskatoon Island Provincial Park; water treatment system upgrades at Rochon Sands, Gooseberry, Dillberry, Writing-on-Stone, Police Lake and Thunder Lake provincial parks; a new sewer system at Wyndham-Carseland Provincial Park; a water reservoir at Cypress Hills Provincial Park; and paving of the access road at Long Lake Provincial Park.
  (Community Development)
  
  
• Initiated construction of the containment and groundwater treatment systems at the Turner Valley Gas Plant to prevent hydrocarbons from entering the Sheep River and groundwater.
  (Community Development)
  
  
• Reviewed approximately 200 Historical Resources Impact Assessments regarding development activity to help ensure that the proposed actions will not result in the alteration, damage or destruction of an historic resource.
  (Community Development)
  
  
• Opened the Lois Hole Memorial Garden on the grounds of the Alberta Legislature. Government announced its intention to create the garden in the 2005 Throne Speech as a tribute to Mrs. Hole, the late Lieutenant Governor who passed away in January 2005 while still in office. In addition to serving as Lieutenant Governor, Mrs. Hole was a successful businesswoman, author, university chancellor and champion of many community projects.
  (Infrastructure and Transportation)
  
  
• Completed the First Nation Consultation Guidelines on Land Management and Resource Development, a collaborative work between First Nations, industry, and government.
  (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development)
  
  
• Initiated a public consultation process for revising and renewing the Fish Conservation Strategy for 2006-2010 that will help Albertans secure recreational, commercial and domestic (Aboriginal) uses and ensure the sustainability of the province's fish resources.
  (Sustainable Resource Development)
  
  
• Partnered with CrimeStoppers and Global television to encourage Albertans to report actions in forested areas that may have led to a wildfire. These public service announcements also help educate the public that these actions are offences under the Forest and Prairie Protection Act.
  (Sustainable Resource Development)
  
  
• Brought Western Canadian Aboriginal artifacts home to Alberta. The items purchased from the 9th Earl of Southesk's collection in a Sotheby's auction earlier in the year will be on display at the Royal Alberta Museum. The artifacts help fill in significant gaps in the museum's Western Canadian History and Ethnology collections.
  (Community Development)