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• Alberta Labour Crunch Expected to Worsen - Edmonton Journal
• “Alberta labour crunch expected to worsen Eric Beauchesne, Can West News Service Published: Tuesday, June 20, 2008.
• OTTAWA — Alberta faces a growing and unsustainable labour shortage that poses a threat to the province’s development, according to a Conference Board of Canada report.

The report from the board warned the existing shortage is just the "tip of the iceberg," forecasting the province’s annual shortage of workers could reach 332,000 by 2025 if current job market and labour force trends continue.

The shortage, if not addressed, will likely result in a rapid increase in wages, driving companies to substitute machinery and equipment for labour and to increase labour productivity, the report said. The higher wages could also make some projects so expensive that they would not take place, delaying capital investment, and reducing potential economic growth.

Earnings in Alberta are already outpacing those in the rest of the country and are rising at a pace at which they pose an inflationary threat, it said, noting that earnings in the province are increasing at an annual pace of nearly eight per cent, more than double the 3.5 per cent national average.

Potential solutions to the worsening labour shortage include attracting more workers to Alberta, improving training and apprenticeship programs, implementing more labour mobility agreements, and encouraging aboriginal Canadians and older workers to enter or remain in the workforce."

• Labour Crisis Seen as Threat to Oil Projects  Alberta may miss 'growth potential' if jobs can't be filled: think-tank ...."

Ron Chalmers, The Edmonton Journal Published: Wednesday, June 21, 2006
EDMONTON - Investments in Alberta’s energy and infrastructure could be cut back by labour shortages, a Conference Board of Canada report warned Tuesday.

"If faster growth in labour productivity does not make up for the shortage of workers, the province will be unable to achieve its economic growth potential," says Glen Hodgson, chief economist with the Ottawa think-tank. ....."

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Alberta is the only place in North America where the Prairie, Boreal Forest and Mountain Ecosystems collide. As a result, Alberta has 300 species of birds, 90 mammals, 18 types of reptiles and amphibians, 50 species of fish and 1,700 flowering plants.

There are a growing number of organizations that will lead visitors into the wilds and beyond, no matter what their budget is. In the Rocky Mountain parks, dozens of qualified guides, as well as staff at Parks Canada, many hotels, and educational institutes, offer courses and excursions. From basic nature hikes to workshops on grizzly bears and cougars, to bird watching and banding to wildlife ecology and nature photography — the list keeps growing.

In other parts of the province, enjoy nature with aboriginal leaders who add a cultural and historical perspective to any adventure. A three-day canoe trip might involve sleeping in a teepee, foraging natural foods and sessions of Native cooking.

But a nature-based holiday doesn’t always require a high level of fitness or wanderlust. Take a Snocoach Tour on the Athabasca Glacier (at the Columbia Icefield Centre) and stand on a tongue of ice, thousands of years old. While in this neck of the woods, take a stroll behind the Icefield Centre where there’s a small patch of tiny Engelman Spruce, over 700 years old. This area has been granted Zone One — the highest level of protection available in Alberta.

In the north, on the shores of Kimiwan Lake, is the ‘Bird Capital of Canada’. The Lake is at the confluence of three major bird migration paths — the Mississippi , Pacific, and Central. An estimated 27,000 shorebirds and 250,000 waterfowl reside or pass through here.

An excellent Interpretive Center overlooks the Lake and has information on many of the 200 different species sighted here. Other Northern Bird Centers, which include banding, guided walks and interpretive trails, are Hilliards Bay in Wingami Provincial Park, the Lesser Slave Lake Bird Observatory, in Slave Lake and High Prairie. In the South, birders should visit the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre in Coaldale. Here, you can hold a live, specially trained falcon, owl, hawk or eagle and experience a behind-the-scenes tour of this unique facility — famous for its captive breeding and rehabilitation program.

In the far north, take a bushplane over Wood Buffalo National Park, and see the largest herd of wood bison in the world. You will also hear about a remarkable conservation story, a symbol of the extremes Albertans take to protect endangered species. In the '40s, the population of whooping cranes in North America almost vanished. The numbers dipped as low as 21 — the exact count taken in 1954 when a helicopter pilot spotted some ‘whoopers’ nesting in Wood Buffalo. Ever since, a concerted effort has been made to increase their population including an intensive captive-breeding program — which worked, today’s population count of whoopers is 183. In Alberta we make it our business to ensure that sustainable development and tourism co-exist.
Capital of Alberta - Edmonton
Area of Alberta - 661 185 sq. km (255 303 sq. miles); Alberta is the fourth largest province.

 

Coordinates - Between 49 and 60 degrees North latitude and between 110 and 120 degrees west of longitude.
Width & Length - North to South - 1223 km (764 mi.), East to West - 660km (412 mi.)

Terrain - Land accounts for 97% of the area with the remainder made up of numerous lakes, rivers and streams. The general geographical areas are prairies, parkland (mixed forests and plains), forests and mountain regions.

Climate - The province is characterized by low humidity and considerable contrasts between areas and seasons. Average temperatures range from 15C to 23C (60F to 73F) in July and -8C to -25C (18F to -13F) in January. Alberta receives more days of sunshine than any other province in.
Population of Alberta - 2 907 882 (official 2001 population). Just over 9% of’s population resides in Alberta.

Alberta Resources/Industries - Alberta’s major industries are Energy, Business and Commercial Services, Transportation and Utilities, Finance and Real Estate, Retail and Wholesale Trade, and Manufacturing. Over the past decade, the economy has experienced rapid growth in such industries as Petrochemicals, Forest Products, Food Processing, Machinery, Electronics and Telecommunications, Tourism, and Business Services. Tourism generates over $4 billion in revenues each year.

Highest Mountain in Alberta - Mt. Columbia 3747 m (12,294 ft)
Lowest Point in Alberta - Where the Salt River enters the Northwest Territories in Northeast Alberta 183.0m (600.0 feet)

FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT ALBERTA

• Canada's largest mountain National Park - Jasper National Park
• Canada's first/oldest National Park - Banff National Park
• World's largest shopping and entertainment complex - West Edmonton Mall

• World's first International “Peace Park” - Waterton Lakes/Glacier National Park
• World's second largest/'s largest National Park - Wood Buffalo National Park
• Largest ski area in - Lake Louise
• World's largest Ukrainian Easter Egg (Pysanka) - Vegreville
• Second largest glacier fed lake in the world - Maligne Lake (Jasper National Park
•  One of the world's most photographed lakes - Moraine Lake (Banff National Park)
• North America’s largest outdoor music festival - Big Valley Jamboree (Camrose)
•  World's largest Tyrannosaurus Rex - Drumheller
• One of the most scenic highways in the world - Ice fields Parkway
• World's largest herd of free roaming bison - Wood Buffalo National Park
• North America’s largest, oldest and best preserved buffalo jump site - Head-Smashed
• Only city in found within two provinces - Loydminster
• Largest museum in Western Canada - Glenbow Museum (Calgary)
•  Bird capital of - McLennan
•  North America's largest theatre festival - Fringe Festival (Edmonton)
• Second largest zoo in - Calgary Zoo (Calgary)
• One of the richest dinosaurs finds in the world - Dinosaur Provincial Park
• Home of Iceland's greatest poet - Stephansson House (Markerville)
• World's largest Olympic museum - Olympic Hall of Fame (Calgary)
• North America 's first covered speed skating oval - Olympic Speed Skating Oval

 

• The richest show jumping contest in the world - The Masters (Calgary)

One of North America 's largest collections of antique and classic cars and trucks

• Greatest outdoor show on earth - Calgary Stampede (Calgary)
• World's first and only U.F.O. landing pad - St. Paul
• More park land per capita than any other North American city - Edmonton
• World's first Indoor bungee jump - West Edmonton Mall (Edmonton)
• World's tallest teepee - Medicine Hat
• North America's largest collection of horse drawn vehicles - Remington Alberta

ALBERTA 'S POSITIVE BUSINESS CLIMATE Includes:

• The lowest overall taxes in Canada
• No provincial sales tax (the only province in without one)
• No general capital or payroll taxes prevalent in other provinces and US states
• A highly skilled, educated, and motivated workforce
• A highly entrepreneurial and competitive business community
• A government committed to less regulation to enhance business competitiveness
• A fiscally responsible government that has eliminated its net debt
• A strong science and technology culture
• World-class infrastructure to support business, including transportation, telecommunications, and utilities, as well as excellent hospitals, schools, and post-secondary institutions.
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