Hello Chestermere-Strathmore!
Can you believe the winds this week? Wow! I have grown up in this community, and I have had my share of trampolines and sheds come flying through my back yard during the many storms we have had in our prairie home. It is a part of having the privilege of living with chinooks and all the accompanying weather.
I wanted to start by thanking everyone who has been shopping locally. Even in this horrible situation, businesses are opening and in typical Alberta style, folks are resilient and are willing to take a chance to be entrepreneurial and understand the markets in their communities. I also want to thank all of you who reached out to me about businesses that needed to open, and about other issues surrounding the shut down of sports and other activities. We need to work together because each one of us is responsible in stopping the spread of the virus; especially with new more infectious strains making their way to our province. To our friends and families who have lost loved ones, our love and deepest condolences to you. Please know that your community is here for you.
I want to talk about a great project that is happening just outside of Strathmore. You may have heard that Capital Power recently purchased Strathmore Solar. They are in the midst of completing their engineering designs and will start construction in April of 2021. That means they could be operating as soon as 2022. We are so proud that this company has decided to become part of the Strathmore community. As well, Capital Power has “executed a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement for all the energy and renewable energy credits that are generated by Strathmore Solar” (Capital Power). Capital Power is responsible for nearly 2,600 megawatts of power across the province.
To understand how much that is, 1 megawatt is equal to 1 million watts. One megawatt of power can supply power to hundreds of family-sized homes. A large city like New York will use up to 11 billion watt-hours per day. It is wonderful to see companies like Capital Power developing incredible renewable resources right alongside their resource stewardship in their conventional power plants. This combination of thermal and renewable energy will include 1240 megawatts of renewable energy. Capital Power’s goal is to be net carbon neutral before 2050 and move its Genesee facility to utilize 100% natural gas in 2023.
You may have heard of carbon capture as well. The Genesee Carbon Conversion Centre plans to capture carbon emissions and transform them into carbon nanotubes which have many applications, including replacing energy intensive products in manufacturing of cement, steel, and aluminum that will increase the strength of these materials, and reduce pollutants and emissions. I am very excited about this project, and I look forward to seeing our community benefit. Alberta’s government has been a major proponent of energy in our province, and I am thrilled to see progress in this sector. Thank you again, Capital Power, for choosing our community for this project, the Town of Strathmore, and all the proponents for working together to make life better for our constituents.
Many of you have written to us about teachers’ benefits and the recent Ministerial Order that is a temporary solution to the investment management agreement until the two parties – Alberta Teacher’s Retirement Fund (ATRF) and AIMCo – can reach an agreement. As you may know, in November 2019, Bill 22 passed and made AIMCo the investment fund manager for the ATRF. To be absolutely clear, this Ministerial Order will not impact the teachers member’s pension benefits. It is secure and the ATRF still manages the pension plan. There has not been an agreement reached and the deadline for that agreement is months overdue. This Ministerial Order is to make sure that the pension plan remains appropriately managed until the ATRF and AIMCo (Alberta Investment Management Corporation) can come to an agreement, and would no longer be in effect once that is reached. I hope this relieves some of the concerns that have been relayed to our office. We are honoured you have taken the time to reach out.
Lastly, I would like to update you on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in our province. As of January 16, 2021, Alberta has administered 81,561 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. That means Alberta leads all major provinces in Canada, with approximately 97% of the vaccines we have received having been delivered, and 1,841 per 100,000 people vaccinated. I would like to extend a big thank you to all the staff helping get these vaccines to every health care worker and vulnerable Albertan who wants one.
As always, I love to hear from you!”
