Well, it’s nice to know someone’s happy about the global coronavirus pandemic!

Canadians got a rare glimpse into Alberta Energy Minister Sonya Savage’s thinking yesterday thanks to a friendly podcaster at the Canadian Association of Oilwell Drilling Contractors.

COVID-19 has already killed 103 residents of continuing care facilities across Alberta, and hundreds of workers and residents have tested positive for the virus. In response Dr. Deena Hinshaw, the chief medical officer of health, issued a number of orders meant to protect workers and residents from the spread of the virus--but some employers are apparently choosing to ignore them.

As the investigation by outsiders into the Alberta Investment Management Corporation or AIMCo’s $2.1 billion loss on an exotic volatility-based strategy continues other details are trickling out. Notably that AIMCo’s biggest client, the Local Authorities Pension Plan or LAPP had a downside protection plan independent of AIMCo that actually made money while its pension fund manager was losing it. 

More than a month has passed since Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro promised the government would pay the province’s health care aides a $2-per-hour coronavirus-crisis top-up — and there’s still no sign of the money.

If you’re having trouble paying your rent, you’re not alone. COVID-19 has stuck Alberta with the highest unemployment rate highest of any province in Canada. Alberta is very slowly re-opening its economy and coming out of lockdown but that doesn’t mean that you have a job or that it’s any easier to pay your rent. 

Government announces long-term-care bailout--but will workers get any of it?

The UCP government has announced $14.2 million in additional monthly funding for long-term and senior care until the end of the pandemic. But will that money go to paying for workers, or just lining private operators’ pockets?

We have friend of the pod Jeremy Appel on to talk about how his latest story for the Progress Report, The Manitok Manoeuvre, as well as the Sprawl getting shutout of the media bailout, the Herald caring more about "big beef days" than dead meatpacking workers and the Progress Report's transition to a full-time media organization. 

A May 13 decision by the Alberta Energy Regulator has blocked the $190 million sale of Shell Canada's sour gas wells, pipelines and processing facilities to Pieridae Energy due to environmental liability reasons. 

The case of Manitok Energy shows just how easy the Alberta Energy Regulator makes it for oil and gas executives to dump their environmental liabilities onto the Alberta public.

Management at the Cargill meat packing plant in High River violated the Occupational Health and Safety Act by shutting workers out of the investigation into the plant's coronavirus outbreak, according to documents provided to Progress Alberta.