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Monday, September 29, 2025

Candidate profile: Josh Matlow runs unapologetically progressive campaign for mayor

By
Noah Jarvis
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Josh Matlow – a long-time Toronto politician – has distinguished himself as an unapologetically progressive candidate in the race to become Toronto’s mayor in the June 26th byelection. 

The Toronto–St. Paul’s councillor has been criss-crossing the city making policy announcements for ambitious social programs meant to relieve the city’s growing unaffordability, fix the underperforming transit system, and reach net-zero climate goals through the imposition of new taxes. 

Matlow’s plan to spend millions of dollars on social programs while championing progressive causes like protecting Ontario’s Greenbelt has gained enough traction to offer a substantive challenge to the other contestants, though has not siphoned off enough support from frontrunner Olivia Chow to remain competitive with her. 

As mayor, Matlow pledges to spend over $400 million more in Toronto’s efforts to build more housing, reduce the cost of living, and help the city’s homeless population. 

He seeks to spend $300 million to establish a financially self-sufficient municipal Crown corporation dedicated to home building called “Public Build Toronto.” This plan would see hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer dollars invested into this new corporation that would build affordable housing for Torontonians on publicly-owned lands.

Matlow says that Public Build Toronto would be self-sufficient and not require additional public funds, as the income generated from tenant rent would be able to operate the owned properties and build new units. 

“To deliver truly affordable housing we need to move forward with Public Build Toronto, which will allow us to provide housing at cost,” says Matlow.

“The City already has the expertise on its payroll to manage housing construction – let’s put them to work for us instead of giving contracts to the private sector.”

Though Matlow’s housing plan costs nearly half a billion dollars, his platform outlines an additional $200 million to be spent on combatting the “climate crisis” in Toronto. 

The money would go towards getting Toronto closer to dropping its greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2040, by retrofitting homes, developing eco-friendly residential and commercial buildings, increasing the TTC’s ridership, electrifying the city’s vehicle fleet, and requiring ridesharing drivers – like Uber drivers and taxi drivers – to drive electric vehicles. 

Matlow’s environmental plan would also see him do everything within his power to protect Ontario’s Greenbelt, which he says is in danger as a result of Premier Doug Ford’s introduction of legislation that would rezone the Greenbelt to build more homes. 

Matlow says that Ford’s plan to build more homes is “directly threatening our food and water here in Toronto.”

“The climate crisis is the greatest existential threat to humanity,” says Matlow.

“I will invest $200 million to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions caused by how we build, move and consume so that we can move forward towards achieving our promised goals.”

To fund his spending programs, Matlow seeks new ways to raise taxes on citizens as the city’s $1.6 billion budget shortfall grows and life becomes increasingly unaffordable for Torontonians. 

To fund his housing plan, Matlow seeks to save $500 million by rebuilding the eastern portion of Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway at ground-level instead of repairing the deteriorating elevated expressway. 

While Matlow estimates that the city will be able to save $500 million by grounding the East Gardiner, he does not provide an estimate for the cost to demolish, rebuild and connect the road to the rest of the Gardiner and the Don Valley Parkway.

To pay for his plan on climate, Matlow seeks to introduce a parking lot tax on business owners who own a parking lot for their customers to park in. The new tax would not only raise revenues for the city, but would also disincentivize citizens from driving their car and would target the parking lots for their negative effect on climate change. 

Other initiatives that Matlow has championed includes the legalization of hard drugs, keeping the Ontario Place publicly-owned, keeping the Ontario Science Centre in the Thorncliffe – Flemingdon Park area, and cracking down on cars illegally stopping during rush hour. 

Matlow’s platform contains a cost breakdown for his policies that he estimates adds up to $938 million in new spending while estimating an additional $1.1 billion in city revenue. 

Former Parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page publicly endorsed Matlow’s campaign for mayor, calling Matlow’s fully-costed plan “comprehensive, transparent, and forward-looking.”

Matlow brands himself as a “pragmatic progressive,” but his nearly $1 billion policy platform has not received comparable support to that of the more popular progressive frontrunner Olivia Chow. 

A recent Forum Research poll shows Matlow’s support sitting at 9%, down from the 15% support Matlow had been getting in Forum’s April poll. 

Matlow has been a Toronto-area politician since the beginning of the century, getting elected as a Toronto District School Board trustee in 2003, serving until he was elected to city council 2010.

Matlow became Toronto–St.Paul’s city councillor after the 2010 election and has served as their representative ever since. 

In 2020, after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, councillor Matlow tabled a motion to city council that would defund the Toronto Police Service’s budget by 10% and reallocate those funds to invest in community programs. The motion was eventually defeated. 

No reports of grave diggers at former Kamloops residential school site: RCMP

By
Lindsay Shepherd
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Despite an explosive claim in a government report that shovel-wielding “denialists” attempted to dig up alleged remains on the grounds of a former residential school, the RCMP says it has received no reports of such.

“Denialists entered the site without permission,” special interlocutor for unmarked graves Kimberly Murray said in her June 2023 interim report, referring to the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.

“Some came in the middle of the night, carrying shovels; they said they wanted to ‘see for themselves’ if children are buried there.”

However, the Kamloops RCMP says it has not intercepted any unauthorized shovel-bearing grave-diggers on the former residential school grounds or received reports of any such trespassers.

“At this time, there is no indication that these events have been reported to the Tk’emlúps Rural RCMP Detachment,” the RCMP told True North on Monday.

True North asked how many calls the Kamloops RCMP has responded to since May 2021 that involve trespassers with shovels on the grounds of the former residential school.

It was in May 2021 that the Tk’emlúps Nation announced it had detected 215 soil anomalies on the former Kamloops Indian Residential School site, which it interpreted as the “remains” of missing children, though no bodies have been exhumed to date.

“Your questions are best directed to the author of the report,” the RCMP spokesperson responded, referring to Murray’s report. 

Murray’s report did not provide any details on the alleged grave-digging incidents, and did not have any footnotes or citations explaining the matter.

Murray and the Tk’emlúps First Nation did not respond to True North’s requests for comment.

“Every time an announcement of anomalies, reflections or recoveries relating to the existence of unmarked burials is made, Indigenous communities are being attacked by denialists challenging these findings,” wrote Murray in her interim report.

“This violence is prolific and takes place via email, telephone, social media, op-eds and, at times, through in-person confrontations.”

Murray is advocating for “residential school denialism” to be outlawed, and Justice Minister David Lametti has said he is open to a “legal solution.”

“Urgent consideration should be given to legal mechanisms to address denialism, including the implementation of both civil and criminal sanctions,” wrote Murray.

“Anti-woke” Ottawa trustee candidates received highest rate of abusive tweets

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
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A research report by the Samara Centre for Democracy says “anti-woke” Ottawa trustee candidates Shannon Boschy and Chanel Pfahl received the greatest proportion of abusive tweets during last fall’s municipal election campaign.

Samara’s Online Abuse in Local Elections report says 33% of the 2221 tweets received by Boschy during the municipal campaign period were abusive, while 32% of the 15938 tweets received by Pfahl were abusive. They had the highest proportion of any Ottawa municipal candidate. 

In third place was left-wing trustee candidate Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth, with 29% of tweets she received being deemed abusive. The number of abusive tweets received by Kaplan-Myrth was however greater, amid her having a larger Twitter following than Boschy and Pfahl combined. 

Samara used five categories to determine if a tweet was abusive; toxicity, insults, threats, sexual explicity and identity attacks. 

Pfahl and Boschy received a great proportion of identity attacks. 16% of the tweets received by Pfahl and 15% of the tweets received by Boschy are considered by Samara to be identity attacks.

SCREENSHOT: Samara Centre for Democracy.

Samara said it assessed a tweet as an identity attack “whether the attack is directed at the candidate or at another individual or group.” It noted that in the case of Pfahl and Boschy, a significant portion of the identity attacks they received weren’t targeting their demographic characteristics, but rather their opposition to gender ideology and Critical Race Theory.

“Tweets that described these candidates as transphobic, racist, or similar terms were evaluated as identity attacks,” notes Samara.

SCREENSHOT: Examples of abusive tweets received by Pfahl and Boschy deemed to be identity attacks by Samara. Profane language was blacked out by True North. Samara Centre for Democracy.

Samara added that “many tweets SAMbot labeled as identity attacks were sent in support of these candidates and their policies. For example, when a candidate was tagged in a tweet containing abusive language towards trans people, SAMbot registered that tweet as an identity attack towards that same candidate.”

“The category of identity attacks, therefore, is a complex one, and doesn’t necessarily imply that a candidates’ specific identity was attacked,” it adds. “Instead it indicates that conversations about identities – their expression and related policies – are manifesting a significant volume of abuse, which is in turn shaping the substance, tone and experience of political conversations online.”

Speaking to True North, Pfahl said, “I think I received a lot of threatening or abusive tweets because I represent a threat to a worldview that many have embraced. I disagree with the notion that white people are ‘privileged’, or that black people are ‘oppressed’ simply due to their skin colour. I also don’t think it is appropriate to teach children that they might have been born into the wrong body, and that it is all about how they ‘feel’ inside.”

“We’re the biggest threat, to be honest,” echoed Boschy. “We knew that the school board elections would be the hottest ticket.”

Boschy also told True North he had to get security for his house during the campaign, amid hate from trans activists. “People posted pictures of my house and of my car and made comments… that was a little frightening. More so for my wife than I”

Pfahl also told True North “I received many hundreds of insults and many threats. In addition, about 40% of my election signs were either vandalized or stolen.” However, she added, “I did my best not to take it personally. Having to face hostile behaviour seems to come with the territory of politics these days, and I knew this going into the election.”

“I think I made a good choice to run,” noted Boschy.

The Samara Centre says its project uses “SAMbot” AI “for civic inquiry in order to better understand technology’s influence on our democratic culture.” The project was done with the collaboration of AI firm Aretolabs.

In Ottawa, Samara tracked 112 accounts and analyzed 257.000 tweets between August 20, 2022 and October 24, 2022. In total, it found 54,000 abusive tweets. Accounts tracked included mayoral, councillor and trustee candidates, but a high proportion of abusive tweets were attributed to trustee candidates. 

Nationally, Samara analyzed municipal elections between August and November 2022; including Vancouver, Surrey, Brampton, Toronto, Winnipeg, Yellowknife, and Charlottetown.

The Samara Centre for Democracy’s full report for the Ottawa municipal election can be found here.

The Daily Brief | RCMP denies reports of Trudeau investigation

By
Rachel Parker
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The RCMP have denied that they are reportedly looking into possible obstruction of justice by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his staff in relation to the SNC-Lavalin case years after he was found to have violated federal ethics laws.

PPC leader Maxime Bernier loses to the Conservative candidate in the Manitoba by-election of Portage-Lisgar after a heated campaign.

Canadians reported an all-time low trust in the legacy media and found that those surveyed viewed publicly-funded outlets such as the CBC, Global News and CTV News as negative.

Tune into The Daily Brief with Rachel Emmanuel and Lindsay Shepherd!

SUBSCRIBE TO THE DAILY BRIEF

BONOKOSKI: New Brunswick premier stands firm against gender ideology in schools.

By
Mark Bonokoski
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While it is a provincial jurisdiction, Independent New Brunswick Senator Rene Cormier has waded into changes to his province’s policy on gender identity in schools, stating it is the duty of all Parliamentarians to ensure Charter rights are protected.

It’s a political hornet’s nest.

As New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs spoke in the legislature Thursday about his conviction that gender dysphoria has become “trendy,” and that increased acceptance of it is hurting kids and excluding parents, cabinet minister Dorothy Shephard got up and left the chamber.

Then she took her nameplate off of her desk, put it in her purse and handed the Progressive Conservative premier a hand-written, two-sentence letter of resignation from her post as social development minister.

She returned to vote with five of her colleagues for an opposition motion against Higgs’s wishes.

Higgs, thus far, is standing his ground, maintaining his support of the changes his government has made to Policy 713, which was designed to protect LGBTQ students, despite rising tensions in the legislature. 

In an interview on CBC’s Rosemary Barton Live, Higgs said he is trying to “find a path forward” in regard to managing the changes, but backpedalled on a statement he made on June 8, when he said he was willing to call an election on the issue.

“I don’t want to go to an election and that isn’t my intent to do that,” he said.

The morning after that drama in the legislature, Shephard told Information Morning Saint John that Higgs said to her, “Well, it’s good to get it in early.”

“That was his response, and I’ll never forget it.”

The premier’s rhetoric about the review of the education policy meant to protect LGBTQ students — an issue she described as “mismanaged” — may have been the last straw for her, but she said it came after years of trying to work under Higgs’s “difficult” leadership.

Shephard is the third minister to resign from cabinet.

Shephard said she’s been struggling with his leadership style since the beginning — Higgs has been premier since 2018 — but especially since October 2021.

That month, she sent a six-page letter to Higgs airing her concerns about his unilateral decision-making. She said they didn’t meet to talk about the letter until January, and even then, she didn’t feel they got anywhere.

“I can’t say that there was anything productive that came out of it,” she said. “But Policy 713 became a beachhead.”

The policy now makes it mandatory to get parental consent to use a child’s chosen name and pronoun even informally in class.

If it is not possible to obtain parental consent, students seeking to have their names or pronouns changed will be directed to a school psychologist, or guidance counsellor to develop a plan to speak with their parents “if and when they are ready to do so.” 

The entire review process and the results have been criticized by many, including the child and youth advocate, the New Brunswick Association of School Psychologists and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

Sen, Cormier, who is currently co-chair of the Pride Caucus, told The Hill Times on June 12 that as Parliamentarians, ensuring that minority rights are protected is “not an option, it’s a duty.” 

Speaking from his own experience grappling with his sexual identity as a young student, Cormier said that it can be a “difficult path” for a young person to understand “who they are and who they want to be,” adding that when a child is not comfortable discussing that identity with their parent, that should be respected.

“Sometimes school is the only place where a student can find comfort talking about it,” Cormier continued, noting that younger Canadians who identify as part of the LGBTQ2S+ minority are already at a disproportionate risk of adverse mental health conditions and suicidal thoughts.

By-election results show Bernier defeat in Portage–Lisgar

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-
Source: Elections Canada

Monday evening’s by-election results show a Conservative victory in the Manitoba riding of Portage–Lisgar.

Follow True North’s coverage of the Jun. 19 by-elections below: 

Portage–Lisgar

Conservative candidate Branden Leslie will be the next MP to represent Portage–Lisgar after defeating People’s Party of Canada (PPC) leader Maxime Bernier.

With the current polls reported, the results of the by-election show that Leslie snagged the Manitoba riding with 64.9% of the vote. 

Although Bernier failed to acquire the necessary support to return to the House of Commons, the PPC has 17.2%. 

In the 2021 federal election, the PPC was able to receive 21.6% of the vote – one of its best results since the party was formed in 2018. 

Portage–Lisgar was the former seat of interim Conservative leader Candice Bergen who stepped down from her role in 2023 after current Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre was elected to lead the party. 

Prior to election day on Monday, Bernier and the Conservatives spent the lead up to the ballot trying to wrestle support from conservative-leaning voters on issues like support for gender ideology and ties with the World Economic Forum. 

Bernier took to social media following his defeat to thank voters for their gain in support. 

Meanwhile, Liberal candidate Kerry Smith won 8.5% of the vote, while the NDP’s Lisa Tessier-Burch with 7.1%. 

Oxford

The Conservatives were also able to hold onto the riding of Oxford with candidate Arpan Khanna coming out with 43% of the vote.

Despite polls showing the Liberals gaining traction prior to the by-election, Liberal candidate David Hilderley received 36.2% on election night. 

During the nomination process, the Conservative Party of Canada’s decision to disqualify Gerrit Van Dorland threw a wrench in what was expected to be a supremely safe election. 

Critics of the move accused the party of ignoring the democratic process and turfing the former candidate for his socially conservative views. 

As for the NDP candidate, Cody Groat, he was able to walk away with 10.5% of the vote.

PPC candidate Wendy Martin only received 3.7% while the Green Party’s Cheryle Baker won 3.3%. 

Winnipeg South Centre

Liberal candidate Ben Carr has won the riding of Winnipeg South Centre.

Carr, who announced his candidacy after his late father and former MP, Jim Carr, passed away. He won with 55.5% of voters picking him on their ballot. 

Conservative candidate Damir Stipanovic received 23.7% of the vote, while the NDP’s Julia Riddell came out with 14.5%. 

Green Party and PPC candidates, Douglas Hemmerling and Tylor Baer, each received 2.7% and 1.3%, respectively. 

Notre–Dame–de–Grâce–Westmount 

Predictably, Liberal candidate Anna Gainey has won the Montreal riding of Notre–Dame–de–Grâce–Westmount.

The long-time Liberal insider came out on top with 50.8% of the vote in the seat of former Liberal MP and cabinet minister Marc Garneau.

Garneau announced in March that he would be resigning from his role and retiring from political life. Garneau held the seat since 2008. 

Gainey was followed by Green Party candidate Jonathan Pedneault who received 13.8%. 

Conservative candidate Matthew Kaminski managed to get 13.5% of the vote. While NDP and Bloc Quebecois candidates, Jean-Francois Filion and Laurence Massey, received 13.3% and 4.5% respectively.

CAMPUS WATCH: University of Guelph says to use “they/them” pronouns for animals

By
Elie Cantin-Nantel
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A Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) style guide from the University of Guelph says that “they/them” pronouns should be used when referring to animals because animals reportedly don’t have a gender.

“Animals have sex, not gender,” reads the style guide. “Use the pronouns they/them/their to refer to an animal.”

It adds that “he/him” or “she/her” pronouns are however appropriate for animals “if used in a quote, if used in the kind of story where it seems appropriate to humanize the animal, or where the sex is known: The queen bee left her hive. The stag charged at his rival.”

Guelph’s woke SOGI style guide, which states that people should “aim to use inclusive language,” also touches on neopronouns and gender-neutral terms. 

It stresses the importance of using a person’s “gender-affirming pronouns,” which could be “they/them,” “ze/zir,” “fae/faer,” or other neopronouns.

The guide also calls for the use of “Gender-Neutral and Gender-Inclusive Language,” which means avoiding words that hint at there being two sexes or genders as well as words that contain the word “man”.

“Binary language implies only two sexes and/or genders. Avoid references to ‘both sexes/genders,’ ‘either sex/gender,’ or ‘opposite sex/gender,'” says the guide. “Instead, use the phrase ‘all sexes/genders.’”

“Avoid addressing a crowd as ‘ladies and gentlemen,'” it adds. “When writing speeches or addressing formal audiences, use inclusive, gender-neutral language such as ‘welcome to all our guests’ or ‘distinguished guests.'”

Guelph says the words “alumni”, “alumnus,” or “alumna” should also be avoided, as they are not gender-neutral. The same goes for the word “fellow.” 

“Consider other gender-neutral words as follows,” adds the guide. “Use chair instead of chairman. Rather than man or mankind, use person, individual, people, human beings, humanity. Rather than man-made, use artificial, constructed, manufactured.”

Additionally, the SOGI style guide says to “avoid gender-specific words related to women.” “Actor” should be used instead of “actress”, “server” should be used instead of “waitress”, “first language” should be used instead of “mother tongue,” and “birth name” should be used instead of “maiden name”. 

Like other Ontario post-secondary institutions, the University of Guelph has embraced gender ideology, as well as “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion” (EDI) policies. 

This is also not the first time that the University of Guelph has made headlines for its wokism.

As previously reported by True North’s Campus Watch series, the university offers “LGBTQ2IA+ Only” swim times to “provide space (that) specifically decenters cisheteronormativity.” People attending can use the change room of their choice and “wear the attire and swimwear they desire” or “try something new if that best suits them.”

The university has also hosted several racially segregated events, including a black-only yoga session and art workshop, as well as a “sensual embodiment” session exclusive to non-white people who identify as “2SLGBTQIA+”. 

True North reached out to the University of Guelph for comment, but it did not respond in time for publication.

RCMP deny reports of obstruction of justice investigation into Trudeau over SNC-Lavalin

By
Cosmin Dzsurdzsa
-

The RCMP have denied that they are reportedly looking into possible obstruction of justice by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his staff in relation to the SNC-Lavalin case. 

This comes years after Trudeau was found to have violated federal ethics laws by attempting to influence then-justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to drop criminal charges against the Montreal-based company.

According to a report by the National Post, the RCMP denied an access to information request by Duff Conacher of Democracy Watch, saying that the records were inquiring about something “currently under investigation.” 

On Monday evening, the RCMP issued a statement in “response to numerous media reports” denying that there was such an investigation.

“In response to numerous media reports, the RCMP can confirm it is not investigating allegations of political interference in the trial of SNC Lavalin,” tweeted the RCMP.

Conacher had requested records concerning any decisions made by the RCMP regarding the examination and prosecution of anyone involved in the SNC-Lavalin affair.

“As it did in February 2021 in a letter to the RCMP, Democracy Watch again requests records with regard into all decisions made concerning the examination and any subsequent investigations that have been undertaken, and all decisions concerning prosecuting anyone involved in the situation of the allegation that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former finance minister Bill Morneau, some members of their staff, and former Clerk of the Privy Council Michael Wernick obstructed justice by pressing then-attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to stop the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin,” Conacher wrote. 

The SNC-Lavalin controversy erupted in 2019, when The Globe and Mail revealed that Trudeau and his PMO staff had pressured Wilson-Raybould to offer SNC-Lavalin a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA), which would let the company skirt criminal proceedings and continue to bid on federal contracts. 

Wilson-Raybould refused to intervene in the prosecution, and was later shuffled out of her cabinet position. She resigned from cabinet shortly after, followed by fellow minister Jane Philpott.

The House of Commons’ Justice Committee held hearings on the matter, where Wilson-Raybould testified that she faced “consistent and sustained” pressure from Trudeau and his staff to interfere in the prosecution. 

“The RCMP should have confirmed long ago that it was investigating the situation given the evidence,” Conacher told the National Post.

“And that more than four years have passed since the situation was made public, and almost four years since the ethics commissioner’s ruling finding that Prime Minister Trudeau violated the federal ethics law pressuring the attorney general.”

Trudeau has to this day denied any wrongdoing, saying that he was only trying to protect jobs and the economy. 

He also expelled Wilson-Raybould and Philpott from the Liberal caucus. The federal ethics commissioner ruled that Trudeau had breached the Conflict of Interest Act by attempting to influence Wilson-Raybould.

Opposition politicians have called on the RCMP to investigate whether Trudeau’s conduct constitutes obstruction of justice. 

“Are the RCMP and prosecutors waiting for a third federal election to pass? Or doing what often happens in Canada when powerful politicians and government officials are involved in alleged illegal activities: delaying with the hope that they can eventually bury the results of the investigation?” said Conacher.

Ratio’d | Thought Crimes to be made ILLEGAL in Canada

By
Harrison Faulkner
-

The latest report from the Independent Special Interlocutor on Unmarked Graves recommends introducing criminal sanctions against those who engage in “residential school denialism”. Attorney General David Lametti stated on the record that he would be in favour of “outlawing denialism”.

We are now entering the territory of making thought crimes illegal in Canada. If the government has their way, it appears their intent is to make it illegal to question the accuracy of claims regarding unmarked graves outside former residential schools despite having literally zero evidence to prove any of the claims are accurate.

The government is making it illegal to question that which there is zero evidence to support. Welcome to Canada in 2023.

Watch the latest episode of Ratio’d with Harrison Faulkner

UCP government extends fuel tax pause until 2024

By
Rachel Parker
-

The United Conservative Party (UCP) government will follow through on its campaign promise to pause the fuel tax till the end of the year.  

Through this measure, Albertans will continue to save the full 13-cent tax on every litre of gas and diesel regardless of oil prices until at least Dec. 31.

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Monday her government is taking action while the cost of living continues to rise. 

“While Albertans continue to be burdened by a rising federal carbon tax increasing the cost of groceries and making it more expensive to drive your vehicles, heat your homes or run your businesses, Alberta’s government will do what it can to help families manage,” she said from Calgary.

To date, Albertans have saved $1.5 billion through the fuel tax pause. The government estimates this extension will result in savings of another $520 million.

Alberta’s government first introduced a pause on fuel taxes in April 2022. It again paused taxes again in January to help combat high inflation. 

Finance Minister Nate Horner said after Jan. 1, 2024, the government will return to the original program in which Albertans have no tax when oil is over $90 and full tax when oil is under $80. Between $80-$85, there’s a nine cents per litre tax. 

Horner said the fuel tax will be reinstated in stages, no matter the price of oil in January.

“We won’t jump right to the 13 cents regardless of the price,” he said. “I believe the way it’s written now the most it could be would be nine cents.”

Smith made the announcement days ahead of her meeting with federal Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkison and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominc LeBlanc. The federal ministers hope to discuss progressing Ottawa’s energy policies, which include plans to impose an emissions cap on Canada’s oil and gas sector and to introduce regulations for a net-zero power grid by 2035.

Smith said she’s “drawn the line” in the sand and Alberta will chart its own pathway to meet a national commitment of being carbon neutral by 2050.

“There is no way we will agree to shutting down our oil and natural gas industry or phasing out our oil and natural gas workers,” she said 

The Premier said she wants the province to come up with a working group to discuss how to tackle that. 

Smith also said the Treasury Board hasn’t yet approved a new $1.22 billion deal between the province, the City of Calgary and Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation, which owns the Flames, to build a new arena. Smith said the parties are still finalizing specific wording, and that the deal is likely to be approved in September. 

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