Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley during a visit to Grande Prairie in March, 2018 (Photo: Curtis Galbraith / EverythingGP staff)

By Liam Verster

Open discussion on economic recovery

Notley to visit Grande Prairie virtually for ‘Alberta’s Future Conversation’

Apr 19, 2021 | 9:35 AM

The leader of Alberta’s official opposition will host a virtual conversation with Grande Prairie and area residents as part of her Alberta’s Future Conversation virtual tour.

Rachel Notley says her Alberta’s Future virtual conversation, hosted by the Grande Prairie and District Chamber of Commerce, will allow chamber members and other guests to give some insight into how to help the economy recover and grow.

“We’re trying to put together an economic recovery strategy, and our view is the best way to do that is to talk to as many Albertans as we can,” says Notley.

“We’re putting out a few ideas of our own as we go along, and we’re happy for people to take them and pick them apart and tell us what’s right and what’s wrong with them. And at the same time we’re inviting people to upload their own ideas or tell us in person their own ideas.”

Some of the ideas already uploaded to the Alberta’s Future website include expanding on the geothermal energy industry, and proposing a fee rate cap for food delivery services.

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The virtual tour will bring Notley to the Swan City on Tuesday, April 27, and during the event she will lay out what her vision is for how an economic recovery could look, which she describes as not solely focuses on gross domestic products, but also on sustainable job creation and finding ways to partner industries more effectively with the public sector.

During the conversation she also wants to gather feedback from the public.

“From Grande Prairie what I’m really hoping to hear is what people are excited about, what new areas are underdeveloped, and where they think there is a strategic role for the government to enhance or enable the development of those economic sectors within the community,” says Notley.

“We know that there is a lot of growth going on in Grande Prairie, we know that there’s a very young and vibrant population there, and we know there’s tremendous potential, not just in oil and gas and natural gas, but in agri-foods and agriculture among other things.

“So there’s a lot to be done there, and we just want to hear about what the government, working as a partner, can do to help accelerate that economic development.”

Notley adds that feedback from the public gathered through this tour is being used to develop reports that outline ways to improve on the economy in different sectors, and some of those concepts have already been written up.

“We have since produced a report on hydrogen, and we know that hydrogen has tremendous opportunities for the future, and then in fact Grande Prairie has the potential to play a key role in that work,” says Notley.

“And then we just produced a report on geothermal (energy), as in building off of some of the things we already have in place like the well sites, the abandoned well sites, and the work force that frankly has the skill set in that area.”

She says the younger generation is also calling for more diversification, and investing in other sectors and industries may help retain the young workforce in the province.

Notley says there needs to be more opportunities for young Albertans, and they need to be able to see their values reflected in the community in which they live. She adds more supports are also needed to encourage young people to stay in the province and start a family.

The Alberta’s Future: a Virtual Conversation with Rachel Notley event runs on Tuesday, April 27 at 12 p.m. The event is free to attend, but registration through the Grande Prairie and District’s Chamber of Commerce’s website is required in order to participate.