From the personal perspective of Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock MLA Maureen Kubinec, growing Alberta’s tourism industry and dealing with a drop in oil prices are among the biggest challenges for the year ahead.
Looking back on 2014, Kubinec noted one of the highlights of the year was Barrhead’s participation in the Kraft Celebration Tour, followed by the Barrhead Curling Club receiving the big $100,000 prize.
She was also glad to see construction begin on the new Neerlandia Public Christian School, as well as seeing the modular classrooms arrive at the new Pembina North Community School in Dapp.
Kubinec said 2014 was a good year for agriculture, noting that Alberta may be experiencing challenges in the energy industry, but the province is “more than that.”
Among Kubinec’s proudest accomplishments from 2014 was bringing forward a private member’s bill to amend the Agricultural Pests Act to slightly relax a zero-tolerance rule against fusarium graminearum. Bill 201 would alter the act so that fusarium would not be considered a pest when found in concentrations of less than 0.5 per cent in any plant or crop.
Shortly after putting forward Bill 201, Kubinec said she was approached by agriculture minister Verlyn Olson, who told her he couldn’t necessarily support the bill but he appreciated her effort and noted it would raise the profile of an important issue in agriculture.
The bill passed first and second reading, receiving 90 minutes of debate in the Legislature. It was then sent on to an all-party committee for further research.
Kubinec said she brought several experts to speak, as did opponents. It was ultimately decided not to advance Bill 201, though the recommendations were tabled in the house.
Kubinec said she did hear from some very vocal opponents of relaxing the zero tolerance against fusarium, but as she points out, the disease is airborne and now very widespread throughout the province.
“We just need to learn how to deal with it using science, rather than just burying or heads in the sand,” she said.
She said Alberta Agriculture is now looking at the legislation, knowing they have to deal with this issue sooner or later.
“I didn’t exactly get a full win on it, but I raised the issue and I was pleased with that,” she said.
Of course, Kubinec’s appointment as minister of culture and tourism in September was another major highlight of 2014; she said her department is all about the quality of life in Alberta.
“We have so much to be thankful for and we celebrate in culture and tourism,” she said. “I now have the opportunity to enhance it and grow it, particularly the tourism piece.”
Kubinec said the tourism industry in Alberta is worth approximately $7.4 billion in visitor expenditures, which equals approximately $3.4 billion in taxable revenues.
She also noted there are 33.1 million visits to tourism operators in Alberta yearly, with 28.3 million of those visits the result of Albertans traveling in the province.
Kubinec said her task for the next several years is to grow that industry to $10.3 billion by 2020, which will help make the province less reliant on the energy industry.
“It’s a big challenge, but I think it’s an excellent way to diversify our economy,” she said.
But how to meet that challenge? Part of it is developing new attractions, using the new Skywalk in Jasper as an example.
However, the province also needs to increase the number of visitor days by travelers coming to Alberta to see the Rocky Mountains, so that a seven-day vacation in the mountains becomes a 10-day vacation that includes stops in the Badlands or perhaps watching a major sporting event.
Another industry that is prime for more economic development is Alberta’s “really vibrant” film industry. Approximately $390 million is spent on film production in the province, she said, and it employs over 3,000 people.
That industry can only grow with the addition of a new film studio in Calgary, set to open in 2015, which will allow year-round production and more “final work” like editing to be done in Alberta.
When asked about putting more money towards Alberta’s film industry, Kubinec said that’s unlikely to happen considering the drop in oil prices.
However, she dismissed the notion that spending on entertainment is a “frill” when you see how many people it employs.
In terms of challenges coming in 2015, coping with the collapse in oil prices will be the biggest hurdle. Some estimate the Alberta government could face a loss of up to $7 billion in revenue.
“It’s a lot of money to try and make up,” she said.
Still, it’s a task she says they’re up to dealing with, repeating the point that the Alberta government does want to establish more stable streams of revenue.
And while it will mean tightening the government’s belt, Kubinec said they are up to the task of dealing with this sudden shortfall in revenue.
“I think Albertans are a very resilient lot,” she said. “We might have to tighten our belts, but we’ll get through it.”
