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Central Alberta to be first stop on Alberta government ‘Alberta Next’ panels

Rocky Mountain House, AB, Canada / 94.5 Rewind Radio
Jordan Rein
Jun 25, 2025 | 12:14 PM
Central Alberta to be first stop on Alberta government 'Alberta Next' panels

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announces the 'Alberta Next' initiative, panel, June 24, 2025. (The Canadian Press/YouTube)



The Alberta government is looking to chart its “path forward,” and residents in central Alberta will have the first chance to provide their input.

Red Deer will be the first stop in a series of town halls on July 15, which will ultimately see the panel travel to nine other Alberta communities.

The province announced the members of its Alberta Next Panel on Tuesday, and that they will soon tour Alberta to hear from the people.

READ MORE: Alberta Next panel announced with legislature members, academics and business leaders

Registration, including location and time, will be unveiled two weeks prior to the event.

The full list of town halls is as follows:

  • Red Deer – July 15
  • Sherwood Park – July 16
  • Edmonton – August 14
  • Fort McMurray – August 26
  • Lloydminster – August 27
  • Medicine Hat – September 2
  • Lethbridge – September 11
  • Airdrie – September 15
  • Grande Prairie – September 17
  • Calgary – September 29

There will also be online town halls on October 1 and 22.

The Panel will discuss matters like establishing an Alberta Pension Plan, transitioning from the RCMP to an Alberta Provincial Police Service, whether Albertans should consider pursuing constitutional changes, altering the equalization system, immigration reform, how Alberta collects personal income tax, and more.

Smith says the Alberta Next panel will include fellow legislature members, academics and business leaders.

  • Honourable Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas of Alberta
  • Brandon Lunty, MLA for Leduc-Beaumont
  • Glenn van Dijken, MLA for Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock
  • Tara Sawyer, MLA-elect for Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills
  • Bruce McDonald, former justice, Court of Appeal of Alberta
  • Trevor Tombe, director of fiscal and economic policy, the University of Calgary School of Public Policy
  • Adam Legge, president, Business Council of Alberta
  • Andrew Judson, vice chairman (prairies), Fraser Institute
  • Sumita Anand, vice president, Above and Beyond Care Services
  • Melody Garner-Skiba, business and agricultural advocate
  • Grant Fagerheim, president and CEO, Whitecap Resources Inc.
  • Dr. Akin Osakuade, physician and section chief, Didsbury Hospital
  • Dr. Benny Xu, community health expert
  • Michael Binnion, president, Questerre Energy

The website for the panel states that Alberta Next will not be exploring the possibility of separating from Canada. Instead, it is about “exploring the ideas and policies to assert our sovereignty and constitutional rights within a united Canada.”

To learn more about the panel and to take the online survey, go to AlbertaNextPanel.ca

The website for the panel states that Alberta Next will not be exploring the possibility of separating from Canada. Instead, is it about “exploring the ideas and policies to assert our sovereignty and constitutional rights within a united Canada.”

To learn more about the panel and to take the online survey, go to AlbertaNextPanel.ca

~ with files from The Canadian Press

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