Latest news with #DevinDreeshen
Calgary Herald
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Calgary Herald
Bell: 'It's lunacy' — Alberta pushes Carney to drop Liberal electric vehicle fantasy
'It's lunacy. Straight-up lunacy.' Article content The words come from Devin Dreeshen, the Alberta government's point man on transportation. Article content Article content He has nothing against electric vehicles, EVs for short. You want one, buy one. Article content He just doesn't think the government in Ottawa should be ramming the purchase of them down people's throats. Article content Article content Oh, the Liberals. Oh, how they like to tell us how to live. Article content Article content Within ten years, all new vehicles must be electric. Article content Dreeshen has plenty to say. On Friday, he fired off a letter to Chrystia Freeland, Prime Minister Mark Carney's minister of transport. Article content Freeland was in Calgary this week and, as my last column pointed out, she said the Carney Liberals love Alberta. Article content We will see how that works out and we will get to that letter in a minute. Article content 'The reason why the Liberals don't reverse this policy is unfathomable. I just don't understand it.' says Dreeshen. Article content 'For ridiculous things like this, where's there is no obvious logic behind it, I think it would have to be just pure partisan Liberal politics where they think this somehow appeals to their base, where they can score political points with their base. Article content Article content 'But it damages and it hurts Canadians and that's where the Liberals, I hope, would be able to look past their partisanship to do what's right for the country.' Article content The Smith government transportation minister speaks of freedom of choice for people 'to buy a vehicle they actually want versus the government forcing them to buy a vehicle they don't want.' Article content Article content 'It's a little unnerving they haven't reversed this policy,' he says. Article content What's the problem? Article content Dumping the policy is easy. Just announce it. Article content Low-hanging fruit, no heavy-lifting, a gift from the political gods.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Edmonton to pull photo radar from school and playground zones this summer
The City of Edmonton is planning to scrap mobile photo radar in all school and playground zones because it's not generating enough revenue. The city said it will instead redirect resources into upgrades like more crosswalks and speed bumps. The province announced in December it would be banning photo radar on all provincial highways and connectors, restricting photo radar use to school, playground and construction zones. It would also no longer allow speed-on-green cameras at intersections. The change came into effect in April. According to Edmonton's director of safe mobility, Jessica Lamarre, the photo radar in school and playground zones was subsidized by revenue from photo radar on arterial roads, such as Anthony Henday Drive and Yellowhead Trail. "Playground zones have become some of the most safest spots on our street," she said at a news conference Wednesday. "They have high speed compliance, and they have low crash volumes and severities." Since 2019, the city has invested more than $6 million into playground zone upgrades, according to Lamarre. "Rather than scaling back our efforts, we're choosing to adapt by stepping forward with a new approach that prioritizes long-term visible safety improvements in these important spaces," said Lamarre. In a statement, Minister of Transportation Devin Dreeshen says he's encouraged to see municipalities taking a new approach to improve traffic safety. Debbie Hammond, the executive director of the Safer Roads Alliance, a non-profit organization in Edmonton, doesn't support the move. "I think this is a double whammy because I didn't expect Edmonton of all places, all cities, to pull this technology," she said. "They were the city in this province and probably in Canada that were really at the forefront of road safety and leveraging data to keep our roads safe. So it's a sad day for Edmontonians and Albertans to know that this technology is actually being removed." While she notes that collisions in school and playground zones are low, she said much of that work is because of the presence of photo radar. WATCH | EPS warning drivers to slow down: "We wouldn't have that technology there in those neighbourhoods if it wasn't needed," Hammond said. "There are drivers, I see it in my neighbourhood all the time. They don't slow down and with little people running on and off the roads, I think it's probably not the best decision to be doing that." The city said the decision would bring Edmonton closer to its Vision Zero goal, to achieve a road system with zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Edmonton was one of the first cities in Canada to implement such a plan. For Brandon Kwong, board chair of the advocacy group Paths for People, the goal is to get to a place where fewer photo radar sites are needed. However, that requires sufficient infrastructure and road designs that ensure drivers won't speed. Kwong said the city isn't quite there yet. "Ultimately, I think we see safer infrastructure and roadway designs as being the best ultimate solution to encouraging better driver and roadway behaviour," he said. "But we know that that will take a long time to roll out … and in the meantime, we're seeing a lot … in terms of traffic violence." Lamarre said the city will continue to prioritize road safety in playground zones. "We've heard loud and clear from families and from school communities that the challenges they're facing in playground zones go far beyond speeding," she said "People are worried about unsafe crossings, aggressive driving, illegal parking and U-turns and chaotic drop-offs and pick-ups that can sometimes put kids at risk." Photo radar will be pulled from all school and playground zones in the city starting July 1.
CBC
4 days ago
- Automotive
- CBC
Edmonton to pull photo radar from school and playground zones this summer
The City of Edmonton is planning to scrap mobile photo radar in all school and playground zones because it's not generating enough revenue. The city said it will instead redirect resources into upgrades like more crosswalks and speed bumps. The province announced in December it would be banning photo radar on all provincial highways and connectors, restricting photo radar use to school, playground and construction zones. It would also no longer allow speed-on-green cameras at intersections. The change came into effect in April. According to Edmonton's director of safe mobility, Jessica Lamarre, the photo radar in school and playground zones was subsidized by revenue from photo radar on arterial roads, such as Anthony Henday Drive and Yellowhead Trail. "Playground zones have become some of the most safest spots on our street," she said at a news conference Wednesday. "They have high speed compliance, and they have low crash volumes and severities." Since 2019, the city has invested more than $6 million into playground zone upgrades, according to Lamarre. "Rather than scaling back our efforts, we're choosing to adapt by stepping forward with a new approach that prioritizes long-term visible safety improvements in these important spaces," said Lamarre. In a statement, Minister of Transportation Devin Dreeshen says he's encouraged to see municipalities taking a new approach to improve traffic safety. 'Double whammy' Debbie Hammond, the executive director of the Safer Roads Alliance, a non-profit organization in Edmonton, doesn't support the move. "I think this is a double whammy because I didn't expect Edmonton of all places, all cities, to pull this technology," she said. "They were the city in this province and probably in Canada that were really at the forefront of road safety and leveraging data to keep our roads safe. So it's a sad day for Edmontonians and Albertans to know that this technology is actually being removed." While she notes that collisions in school and playground zones are low, she said much of that work is because of the presence of photo radar. WATCH | EPS warning drivers to slow down: How EPS is managing traffic safety after the province cut photo radar 21 days ago Duration 1:45 "We wouldn't have that technology there in those neighbourhoods if it wasn't needed," Hammond said. "There are drivers, I see it in my neighbourhood all the time. They don't slow down and with little people running on and off the roads, I think it's probably not the best decision to be doing that." Vision Zero The city said the decision would bring Edmonton closer to its Vision Zero goal, to achieve a road system with zero traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Edmonton was one of the first cities in Canada to implement such a plan. For Brandon Kwong, board chair of the advocacy group Paths for People, the goal is to get to a place where fewer photo radar sites are needed. However, that requires sufficient infrastructure and road designs that ensure drivers won't speed. Kwong said the city isn't quite there yet. "Ultimately, I think we see safer infrastructure and roadway designs as being the best ultimate solution to encouraging better driver and roadway behaviour," he said. "But we know that that will take a long time to roll out … and in the meantime, we're seeing a lot … in terms of traffic violence." Lamarre said the city will continue to prioritize road safety in playground zones. "We've heard loud and clear from families and from school communities that the challenges they're facing in playground zones go far beyond speeding," she said "People are worried about unsafe crossings, aggressive driving, illegal parking and U-turns and chaotic drop-offs and pick-ups that can sometimes put kids at risk." Photo radar will be pulled from all school and playground zones in the city starting July 1.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Alberta hosts virtual sessions on passenger rail master plan
The Alberta government is planning three virtual information sessions to engage with residents in Calgary, Edmonton and the rest of Alberta about its high-speed rail plan. (File) The Alberta government is hosting virtual sessions to provide an update on the development of its passenger rail master plan. The master plan will assess the feasibility of passenger rail in Alberta, including regional, commuter and high-speed services. The government's vision is to build a high-speed rail line between Edmonton and Calgary, a line from both downtown Calgary and Edmonton to each airport, rail to Banff and Jasper, and eventually lines to communities such as Fort Mcmurray, Lethbridge and Grande Prairie. It also includes a province-led Crown corporation with a mandate to develop the infrastructure and oversee daily operations. The project would cost billions of dollars with no timeline on when the entire network would be complete. Premier Danielle Smith and Alberta's Minister of Transportation Devin Dreeshen, first announced the plan back in April 2024. Since then, the province has hosted open houses, Indigenous roundtables, as well as a forum in Calgary that brought together industry experts from around the world. Now, the government is hosting three virtual sessions to share an update on the development of the plan. Calgary and surrounding area residents can register for the session online. It starts at 7 p.m. There will be a session held for Edmonton-area residents on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and a province-wide session will be held on Thursday at 7 p.m. The master plan and delivery plan are expected to be completed this summer, with the goal of informing cabinet in the fall in time for Alberta's 2026 budget and future budgets.
National Post
18-06-2025
- Business
- National Post
Alberta minister 'cautiously optimistic' about tanker ban reversal after northern B.C. visit
OTTAWA — Alberta's point man on a massive western corridor project says he's 'cautiously optimistic' about getting rid of a major roadblock to the construction of a new West Coast oil and gas pipeline after visiting British Columbia's northern coast. Article content Devin Dreeshen, the province's minister of transportation and economic corridors, told the National Post that he was stuck by the level of opposition among locals to the federal moratorium on northern B.C. oil tanker traffic, with several pointing out that the ban does nothing to stop tankers coming and going from nearby Alaska. Article content 'When you go out there and you look at (the coastline), there's almost an oil tanker a day going down from Alaska,' said Dreeshen. Article content 'So, when you look at American tankers going north and south along the coastline, but us not allowing our Canadian tankers to go straight west, away from the coastline… The hypocrisy (of the situation) was pointed out by a lot of folks,' he noted. Article content '(People are) saying that we should be able to compete the same way the U.S. and other counties do, by being able to ship our oil out to our tankers.' Article content Dreeshen was in the northern port city of Prince Rupert, B.C., last week to strengthen Alberta's ties to the critical Pacific trade outpost, joined by Alberta Indigenous Relations Minister Rajan Sawhney and members of Alberta's Industrial Heartland Association. Article content Alberta already moves nearly $4 billion of merchandise through the Port of Prince Rupert annually — including propane, agricultural products and wood pulp — but both Dreeshen and his boss, Premier Danielle Smith, think that this number could be much bigger. Article content Smith said in a May letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney that Prince Rupert would make the ideal endpoint for a new pipeline carrying Alberta oil to non-U.S. markets. Article content 'As (one of) North America's closest ports to Asia… the Port of Prince Rupert offer(s) year-round deep-water ports and existing terminal infrastructure,' wrote Smith. Article content The letter called for Carney to repeal the tanker ban to enable oil exports from the Port of Prince Rupert. Article content Smith called for a 'grand bargain' at this month's first ministers' meeting in Saskatoon where some of the revenue from a new northwest coast pipeline would be used to finance the multibillion-dollar Pathways oilsands decarbonization project. Article content Dreeshen said that his work in building out a rail and transit network from central Alberta's industrial heartland to northern B.C. and the premier's pipeline advocacy are 'two sides of the same coin.'
