Alberta MLA urges industry and environmental priorities can coexist

George Lee,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The legislature spotlight stopped on Livingstone-Macleod during a week that saw the UCP repeatedly celebrate its support of Alberta’s rural and remote communities.

Livingstone-Macleod MLA Chelsae Petrovic emphasized industrial diversification in her constituency as an example of a government dedicated to balancing environmental concerns with building economies that benefit all Albertans.

Petrovic called industry “not only vital to the communities of Livingstone-Macleod but also to Alberta’s broader economy, providing essential jobs, driving local growth and ensuring long-term prosperity.”

Livingstone-Macleod has “immense potential for a diverse range of industries,” she said last week, adding that reliable and affordable energy are “essential to supporting industries and attracting investment.”

Responded Brian Jean, the minister of energy and minerals: “It’s true. You can celebrate industry at the same time that you celebrate the environment. We can balance the two.”

Petrovic’s riding is steeped in Alberta’s controversial approach to coal mining in recent years. Although the government has announced plans to ban mountaintop removals and open-pit coal mining in the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains, new regulations expected in late 2025 won’t affect so-called advanced projects like Grassy Mountain.

Grassy Mountain proponent Northback Holdings currently has applications before the Alberta Energy Regulator related to a possible reactivation of the abandoned mine site in the Municipal District of Ranchland, north of Blairmore.

Those opposed to the mine cite water contamination, air pollution, and threats to flora and fauna as reasons for rejection. But those in favour say modern preventive and mitigation technology would protect the environment.

Calling Livingstone-Macleod “a hub of economic opportunity built on sectors that have sustained families and businesses for generations,” Petrovic asked questions to draw out details about government initiatives in her sprawling and diverse southern Alberta riding.

Resource development, manufacturing, farming and ranching are among sectors that Livingstone-Macleod’s “hard-working families. . . rely on to sustain their livelihoods,” Petrovic said in the aftermath of one rural MLA losing his position in the UCP caucus over his criticisms of spending in the 2025 budget.

Scott Sinclair said the party favours urban centres over smaller ones. Now an Independent MLA, the Lesser Slave Lake representative had turned to social media on March 1 to voice his frustration.

“I’m furious at the amount of money being funneled into Edmonton and Calgary (as usual) while Northern Alberta and our riding are largely ignored,” his post reads. “The continuous flow of our GDP to urban centers while rural Alberta— the backbone of this province— gets left behind is appalling.”

The post said he found most of the budget “at best, disappointing and, at worst, unacceptable for me, my family and my constituents.”

Petrovic’s comments, meanwhile, weren’t aimed specifically at the budget tabled Feb. 27. But they were among many made last week by UCP backbenchers and cabinet members who praised their party for its spending beyond the glare of the big cities.

Matt Jones, the minister of jobs, the economy and trade, highlighted spending worth $150,000 in Livingstone-Macleod under northern and regional economic development, including $50,000 to help Claresholm plan commercial and residential developments.

And a strategic investment and growth fund has secured a $28.5-million investment from Structural Truss Systems in Fort Macleod, Jones said.

Also on Jones’s list was $44 million of economic investment attracted to the area through six film and TV productions, thanks to a tax credit program. In-demand sectors like agriculture and oil and gas are supported though a workforce training program in the Crowsnest Pass that provides eight weeks of training with industry-recognized certification.

He pointed to transitional funding for regional economic development alliances in the region worth $235,000 in one year. That money is a part of a controversial shift away from blanket operational money to competitive project-by-project funding.

“Livingstone-Macleod is a region rich in opportunity, and our government is making significant investments to ensure it prospers now and into the future,” Jones said.

George Lee,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
The Macleod Gazette