The Line: Alberta Podcast

In this episode of The Line: Alberta podcast, a closer look at Alberta's Year of the Referendum. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has set October 19th as referendum day, and she has nine questions to put to Albertans on issues related to immigration and the constitution. That ballot will also include a question on separation, the premier says, if separatists are successful in their petition campaign.The premier has also indicated there could be another question added if a separate petition succeeds: whether to once again restrict coal mining in the eastern slopes of the Rockies. We'll speak with Alberta country music artist Corb Lund who has been active in efforts to protect Alberta waterways from the impact of coal mining. He's spearheading the Water Not Coal petition campaign, which is now officially underway. We'll find out what drove him to take up this cause, how the Alberta government has flip-flopped on coal policy, and the role that grassroots activism has had on this issue.We'll also take a deep dive into Alberta's political landscape and the fascinating backdrop to this new referendum campaign season. We'll be joined by veteran pollster Quito Maggi, who is president and CEO of Mainstreet Research, to discuss their latest numbers that offer a surprising assessment of the current strengths of the main provincial and federal parties, and where public sentiment is at when it comes to Alberta separation and out relationship with the rest of Canada.

It's been three months since the Alberta government controversially legislated an end to a bitter teachers' strike, but have conditions in the classroom - which were key issues in the labour dispute - improved at all?The Alberta Teachers Association has released a comprehensive new survey of its members, showing widespread frustration and pessimism about the state of the province's classrooms. This comes as the Alberta government has announced its plans to try and address issues around classroom complexity.In this episode of The Line Alberta podcast, Rob Breakenridge speaks with Alberta Teachers Association president Jason Schilling about the state of public education in Alberta and whether there's an opportunity now to begin to address the challenges that have been festering and mounting for years around class sizes and the complexity of learning needs. The strike may be in the rear view mirror, but the issues and pressures that led to it are still very much with us.

Between the Alberta-Ottawa pipeline MOU and the growing push to diversify Canada's export markets, 2026 could prove to be a key year for the oil and gas industry. Still, though, there remains some uncertainty on the policy front and questions linger about whether there's enough political will and determination to make progress and really capitalize on this moment.In this episode of the Line Alberta podcast, Rob Breakenridge speaks with Tristan Goodman, president of the Explorers and Producers Association of Canada. We'll look at new numbers showing Canada set record production levels in 2025, and what that tells us about the strength of the industry heading into a year of trade and economic uncertainty.We'll also discuss the determination to find new export markets for Canadian oil and gas and whether that will be enough to get some of these proposed projects - like a new pipeline - over the finish line. Plus, we'll examine some of the lingering policy uncertainty hanging over these big decisions, and what impact that could have on major investment decisions.

The topic of Alberta separation has been thrust into the national spotlight, amid the ongoing petition campaign by separatists to force a referendum, and reports about possible U.S. involvement. We've heard provocative comments from Trump's treasury secretary and other Republican and MAGA figures. We've also had new reports about Alberta separatist delegations to Washington, D.C. to seek out meeting with Trump administration officialsThe group Forever Canadian was launched last year to either head off a referendum or beat the separatists to the punch. However, subsequent legislative tweaks allowed the Alberta government to bypass the duplicate petition rule, and bypass the "no unconstitutional questions" rule to make sure the separatists could proceed with their petition (under the new lower signature threshold, of course).We speak with Forever Canadian founder - and former Alberta MLA and cabinet minister - Thomas Lukaszuk about why Premier Smith went out of her way to accommodate the separatists, what she needs to say and do about possible foreign interference, the concerns about this moment of political uncertainty, and where this is all headed. Forever Canadian is now shifting from a petition-oriented cause to one now focused on defeating separatism at the ballot box.

In this episode of The Line Alberta podcast, host Rob Breakenridge explores two big topics of interest right now in Alberta: why the U.S. is suddenly so interested in a possible Alberta independence referendum, and what it's going to take to meaningfully diversify the export markets for Alberta oil so that we're less reliant on the Americans.First, a conversation with National Observer columnist Max Fawcett on the current state of debate over Alberta separatism and to what extent we should worry about American interference. Last week's Trump's treasury secretary went out of his way to mention a possible Alberta separation vote, and other MAGA and Republican figures have been talking openly about Alberta becoming the 51st state. What do we need to hear from Alberta's premier about this potential meddling and just what the plan is when it comes to a possible referendum?Also, amid the broader conversation around Canada's evolving trade relationship with the United States, we'll take a closer look at how that impacts Alberta's oil exports and how realistic it is to quickly and significantly increase exports to new markets. Much of that revolves around a potential new pipeline to the west coast, but there are still many hurdles to that project. We'll hear from Richard Masson, executive fellow at the University of Calgary's School of Public Policy. He's also a former CEO at the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission - an agency that seems suddenly relevant in the Alberta government's strategy. 

In this episode of The Line: Alberta podcast, host Rob Breakenridge takes a closer look at the growing concern over the state of acute care in Alberta and what many doctors are describing as a crisis in the province's emergency rooms.Calls have been mounting for the Alberta government to declare a state of emergency in acute care, and those calls have grown louder following the high-profile death of a 44-year-old man in an Edmonton ER in lace December. The man's family said he was suffering from chest pains, but died in the ER after waiting eight hours for case. The province has launched a fatality inquiry into the case.Our guest this week is Dr. Warren Thirsk, president of the Alberta Medical Association's emergency section. Dr. Thirsk shares with us his firsthand experience and what he's witnesses on the front lines of emergency care, and get his assessment on what's led to the current pressure on the system and the persistent problem of acute care running at near- or overcapacity. We'll also get his reaction to some of the steps the Alberta government has announced - including a pilot project using so-called triage liaison physicians - and what needs to be done longer term to stabilize and strengthen the system.

In this episode of The Line: Alberta podcast, Rob Breakenridge takes a closer look at the latest water crisis in the city of Calgary following the latest catastrophic failure of a crucial water line. As Calgarians face weeks or months of water use restrictions and costly and lengthy work on the system, an independent panel (established after the last crisis, just 18 months ago) has released its findings, which are quite scathing when it comes to Calgary's oversight and management of the water system. So much of this was preventable, it seems.We'll hear two different perspectives on the situation: Kerry Black is an associate professor and Canada Research Chair at the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary. We'll get her perspective on what caused these problems and what needs to change moving forward, both in terms of how the system operates and how businesses and households use that system.We'll also have a perspective from an expert in the industry: Micheal Montanero is with SmartAqua Technology Solutions, which works with communities and businesses to minimize water loss. One of the findings in the panel's report on Calgary's water system was how serious the issue of water loss was becoming amid an aging and crumbling infrastructure. We'll hear Micheal's thoughts on how Calgary dropped the ball and what the lessons other cities should learns from this crisis.

In this week's episode of The Line Alberta podcast, Rob Breakenridge sits down for a conversation with Airdrie-Cochrane MLA Peter Guthrie, who just recently became leader of the Alberta Party.Guthrie, of course, started the year as a member of Danielle Smith's cabinet, before stepping down over his concerns about how the government was handling the controversy around health care contracts and procurement. His calls for a public inquiry into the matter led to his expulsion from the UCP caucus.Since then, Guthrie has become a sharp critic of the Smith government and has been organizing to present Albertans with a more moderate - and federalist - conservative option. Efforts to revive the Alberta PC Party have been met with lawsuit threats from the UCP and ultimately legislative roadblocks in the form of Bill 14.In this episode, we discuss Guthrie's own political journey and what future holds for the Alberta Party and its possible rebranding. We'll also discuss the referendum question whether the UCP has been co-opted by the separatist movement, and what it all means for the possibility of an early election in 2026.

In this week’s episode of The Line: Alberta Podcast, Rob Breakenridge speaks with Stephen Buffalo, who is president and CEO of the Indian Resource Council, board chair of the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation, and a member of the Samson Cree Nation.The Assembly of First Nations has voted to call on the federal government to withdrawal the Alberta-Ottawa memorandum of understanding (MOU) on a new pipeline deal and to express support for the First Nations on the BC coast who have spoken out against the proposal.Stephen Buffalo, though, maintains that the AFN resolution was pushed through without meaningful debate and that the process excluded the Indigenous voices that support energy development and see the benefit in partnerships and ownership stakes in such projects. The Indian Resource Council, for example, represents more than 150 First Nations.We'll get Buffalo's perspective on how the conversation about First Nations and energy developments needs more balance and how much progress has been made with government and industry on moving projects forward with Indigenous involvement and partnership. He believes that there is tremendous opportunity for communities to generate wealth and employment opportunities and that these First Nations can also help be guardians when it comes to ensuring environmental protections.Certainly the issue of Indigenous consultation and participation will be front and centre as this MOU and the pipeline project move forward. We'll find out what a successful path forward might look like.

Two big topics in this week’s episode of The Line: Alberta podcast, as Rob Breakenridge breaks down the hugely significant Alberta-Ottawa memorandum of understanding (MOU) on energy as well as Alberta’s proposed health reforms that will open the door for physicians to practice in both the public and private systems in the hopes of bringing down wait times.We begin the episode with a conversation with Robert (RJ) Johnston, director of energy and natural resources at the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy. We’ll get his thoughts on the significance of the Alberta-Ottawa MOU and the potential impact of the policy concessions made by both sides. We’ll also look at what still needs to happen to make a new west coast pipeline a reality, including the question of who, exactly, will build and own this project.We’ll also be joined in this episode by Dr. Brian Day, founder of the Cambie Surgical Centre, an award-winning surgeon, a former president of the Canadian Medical Association, and author of the new book “My Fight for Canadian Healthcare: A Thirty-Year Battle to Put Patients First.” We’ll get his reaction and analysis of Alberta’s proposed healthcare changes, and whether he believes this represents the sort of health reform that our system needs.