1.
Alberta
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Alberta is a western province of Canada. With an estimated population of 4,196,457 as of July 1,2015, it is Canadas fourth-most populous province and its area is about 660,000 square kilometres. Alberta and its neighbour Saskatchewan were districts of the Northwest Territories until they were established as provinces on September 1,1905, the premier has been Rachel Notley since May 2015. Alberta is bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U. S. state of Montana to the south. Alberta is one of three Canadian provinces and territories to only a single U. S. state and one of only two landlocked provinces. About 290 km south of the capital is Calgary, the largest city in Alberta, Calgary and Edmonton centre Albertas two census metropolitan areas, both of which have populations exceeding one million, while the province has 16 census agglomerations. Tourist destinations in the province include Banff, Canmore, Drumheller, Jasper, Alberta is named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta, the fourth daughter of Victoria, Queen of Canada, and Albert, Prince Consort. Princess Louise was the wife of John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, Lake Louise and Mount Alberta were also named in her honour. Alberta, with an area of 661,848 km2, is the fourth largest province after Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. To the south, the borders on the 49th parallel north, separating it from the US state of Montana. The province extends 1,223 km north to south and 660 km east to west at its maximum width, with the exception of the semi-arid steppe of the south-eastern section, the province has adequate water resources. There are numerous rivers and lakes used for swimming, fishing, there are three large lakes, Lake Claire in Wood Buffalo National Park, Lesser Slave Lake, and Lake Athabasca which lies in both Alberta and Saskatchewan. The longest river in the province is the Athabasca River which travels 1,538 km from the Columbia Icefield in the Rocky Mountains to Lake Athabasca, the largest river is the Peace River with an average flow of 2161 m3/s. The Peace River originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows through northern Alberta and into the Slave River, Albertas capital city, Edmonton, is located approximately in the geographic centre of the province. It is the most northerly city in Canada, and serves as a gateway. The region, with its proximity to Canadas largest oil fields, has most of western Canadas oil refinery capacity, Calgary is located approximately 280 km south of Edmonton and 240 km north of Montana, surrounded by extensive ranching country. Almost 75% of the population lives in the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. The land grant policy to the served as a means to populate the province in its early years
2.
History of Alberta
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What is today the province of Alberta, Canada has a history and prehistory stretching back thousands of years. Recorded or written history begins with the arrival of Europeans, the rich soil was ideal for growing wheat, and the coming of the railroads in the late 19th century led a to large-scale migration of farmers from Eastern Canada, the United States, and Europe. Wheat remains important, but the farms are larger and the rural population much smaller. Alberta has urbanized and its base has expanded from the export of wheat. The ancestors of todays First Nations in Alberta arrived in the area at least 8,000 years BC, more northerly tribes, like the Woodland Cree and the Chipewyan also hunted, trapped, and fished for other types of game in the aspen parkland and boreal forest regions. Later, the mixture of native peoples with French fur traders created a new cultural group. The Métis established themselves to the east of Alberta, but after being displaced by white settlement, following the arrival of outside European observers it is possible to reconstruct a rough narrative history of the nations of what later became Alberta. Using later-recorded oral histories as well as archaeological and linguistic evidence, in both cases the evidentiary base is thin, however. It is believed that at least some parts of the Great Plains were depopulated by a period of the drought during the Medieval Warm Period. The area was repopulated once the drought subsided, by peoples from a number of language families. The Numic languages are from the Uto-Aztecan language family and came to the Plains from the southwest, algonquian speakers are originally from the northeast. The Siouxan peoples speak a family of different from both of the above, and are from southeast. There are also small offshoots of the Na-Dene languages from the far northwest found on the Plains, the smallest unit of organization for both Plains and Subarctic people was what the European-Canadian explorers called a lodge. A lodge was a family or other close-knit group who slept together in the same teepee or other dwelling. Lodges travelled together in groups which anthropologists call bands, in the case of the Blackfoot during the historic era this would include 10 to 30 lodges, or roughly 80 to 240 persons. The band was the unit of organization on the Plains for both hunting and warfare. Bands were loose associations that could be formed and dissolved depending on circumstances, which gave their member lodges much freedom, but also less certainty. Therefore, people would also be bound to others in variety of other groups, such as common descent, common language and religion
3.
Provinces and territories of Canada
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Canadas geography is divided into administrative divisions known as provinces and territories that are responsible for delivery of sub-national governance. Over its history, Canadas international borders have changed several times, the ten provinces are Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. Several of the provinces were former British colonies, Quebec was originally a French colony, the three territories are Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon, which govern the rest of the area of the former British North America. Together, the provinces and territories make up the worlds second-largest country by area, the powers flowing from the Constitution Act are divided between the federal government and the provincial governments to exercise exclusively. In modern Canadian constitutional theory, the provinces are considered to be co-sovereign divisions, the territories are not sovereign, but simply part of the federal realm, and have a commissioner who represents the federal government. Notes, There are three territories in Canada, unlike the provinces, the territories of Canada have no inherent sovereignty and have only those powers delegated to them by the federal government. They include all of mainland Canada north of latitude 60° north and west of Hudson Bay, the following table lists the territories in order of precedence. Prior to Confederation, Ontario and Quebec were united as the Province of Canada, over the following years, Manitoba, British Columbia, and Prince Edward Island were added as provinces. The Hudsons Bay Company controlled large swathes of western Canada referred to as Ruperts Land and the North-Western Territory until 1870, subsequently, the area was re-organized into the province of Manitoba and the Northwest Territories. The remaining Arctic islands were transferred by Britain to Canada in 1880,1898 saw the Yukon Territory, later renamed simply as Yukon, carved from the parts of the Northwest Territories surrounding the Klondike gold fields. On September 1,1905, a portion of the Northwest Territories south of the 60th parallel north became the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. In 1912, the boundaries of Quebec, Ontario and Manitoba were expanded northward, Manitobas to the 60° parallel, Ontarios to Hudson Bay, in 1907, Newfoundland acquired dominion status. In the middle of the Great Depression in Canada with Newfoundland facing a period of economic crisis. In 2001, it was officially renamed Newfoundland and Labrador, in 1903, the Alaska Panhandle Dispute fixed British Columbias northwestern boundary. This was one of two provinces in Canadian history to have its size reduced. In 1999, Nunavut was created from the portion of the Northwest Territories. Yukon lies in the portion of The North, while Nunavut is in the east. All three territories combined are the most sparsely populated region in Canada, covering 3,921,739 km2 in land area and they are often referred to as a single region, The North, for organisational and economic purposes
4.
Edmonton
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Edmonton /ˈɛdməntən/ is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, the city anchors the north end of what Statistics Canada defines as the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. The city had a population of 932,546 in 2016, making it Albertas second-largest city, also in 2016, Edmonton had a metropolitan population of 1,321,426, making it the sixth-largest census metropolitan area in Canada. Edmonton is North Americas northernmost city with a population over one million. A resident of Edmonton is known as an Edmontonian, Edmontons historic growth has been facilitated through the absorption of five adjacent urban municipalities and a series of annexations ending in 1982. Known as the Gateway to the North, the city is a point for large-scale oil sands projects occurring in northern Alberta. Edmonton is a cultural, governmental and educational centre and it hosts a year-round slate of festivals, reflected in the nickname Canadas Festival City. It is home to North Americas largest mall, West Edmonton Mall, in 1754, Anthony Henday, an explorer for the Hudsons Bay Company, may have been the first European to enter the Edmonton area. By 1795, Fort Edmonton was established on the north bank as a major trading post for the Hudsons Bay Company. The new forts name was suggested by John Peter Pruden after Edmonton, London, the home town of both the HBC deputy governor Sir James Winter Lake, and Pruden. In 1876, Treaty 6, which includes what is now Edmonton, was signed between the Aboriginal peoples in Canada and Queen Victoria as Queen of Canada, as part of the Numbered Treaties of Canada. The agreement includes the Plains and Woods Cree, Assiniboine, and other governments of First Nations at Fort Carlton, Fort Pitt. The area covered by the treaty represents most of the area of the current provinces of Saskatchewan. The arrival of the CPR and the C&E Railway helped bring settlers and entrepreneurs from eastern Canada, Europe, U. S. the Edmonton areas fertile soil and cheap land attracted settlers, further establishing Edmonton as a major regional commercial and agricultural centre. Some people participating in the Klondike Gold Rush passed through South Edmonton/Strathcona in 1897, in November 1905, the Canadian Northern Railway arrived in Edmonton, accelerating growth. During the early 1900s, Edmontons rapid growth led to speculation in real estate, in 1912, Edmonton amalgamated with the City of Strathcona, south of the North Saskatchewan River, as a result, the city extended south of the North Saskatchewan River for the first time. Just prior to World War I, the boom ended, many impoverished families moved to subsistence farms outside the city, while others fled to greener pastures in other provinces. Recruitment to the Canadian army during the war contributed to the drop in population
5.
Westminster system
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The Westminster system is a parliamentary system of government modelled after that which developed in the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the British parliament, the system is a series of procedures for operating a legislature. However, some colonies have since adopted either the presidential system or a hybrid system as their form of government. Examples include Queen Elizabeth II, the governors-general in Commonwealth realms, or the presidents of many countries, exceptions to this are Ireland and Israel, whose presidents are de jure and de facto ceremonial, and the latter possesses no reserve powers whatsoever. A head of government, known as the minister, premier. While the head of state appoints the head of government, constitutional convention suggests that a majority of elected Members of Parliament must support the person appointed. If more than half of elected parliamentarians belong to the political party. An exception to this was Israel, in which direct prime-ministerial elections were made in 1996,1999 and 2001, an independent, non-partisan civil service which advises on, and implements, decisions of those ministers. Civil servants hold permanent appointments and can expect merit-based selection processes, a parliamentary opposition with an official Leader of the Opposition. A legislature, often bicameral, with at least one elected house – although unicameral systems also exist, a lower house of parliament with an ability to dismiss a government by withholding Supply, passing a motion of no confidence, or defeating a confidence motion. The Westminster system enables a government to be defeated or forced into a general election independently, a parliament which can be dissolved and snap elections called at any time. Another parallel system of principles also exists known as equity. Exceptions to this include India, Quebec in Canada, and Scotland in the UK amongst others which mix common law with legal systems. Unlike the uncodified British constitution, most countries use the Westminster system have codified the system, at least in part. The pattern of executive functions within a Westminster System is quite complex, in essence, the head of state, usually a monarch or president, is a ceremonial figurehead who is the theoretical, nominal or de jure source of executive power within the system. In practice, such a figure does not actively exercise executive powers, in the United Kingdom, the sovereign theoretically holds executive authority, even though the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Cabinet effectively implement executive powers. In a parliamentary republic like India, the President is the de jure executive, even though executive powers are essentially instituted by the Prime Minister of India and the Council of Ministers. In Israel, however, executive power is vested de jure and de facto in the cabinet, as an example, the Prime Minister and Cabinet generally must seek the permission of the head of state when carrying out executive functions
6.
World War I
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World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War, or the War to End All Wars, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. More than 70 million military personnel, including 60 million Europeans, were mobilised in one of the largest wars in history and it was one of the deadliest conflicts in history, and paved the way for major political changes, including revolutions in many of the nations involved. The war drew in all the worlds great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances, the Allies versus the Central Powers of Germany and Austria-Hungary. These alliances were reorganised and expanded as more nations entered the war, Italy, Japan, the trigger for the war was the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, by Yugoslav nationalist Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914. This set off a crisis when Austria-Hungary delivered an ultimatum to the Kingdom of Serbia. Within weeks, the powers were at war and the conflict soon spread around the world. On 25 July Russia began mobilisation and on 28 July, the Austro-Hungarians declared war on Serbia, Germany presented an ultimatum to Russia to demobilise, and when this was refused, declared war on Russia on 1 August. Germany then invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg before moving towards France, after the German march on Paris was halted, what became known as the Western Front settled into a battle of attrition, with a trench line that changed little until 1917. On the Eastern Front, the Russian army was successful against the Austro-Hungarians, in November 1914, the Ottoman Empire joined the Central Powers, opening fronts in the Caucasus, Mesopotamia and the Sinai. In 1915, Italy joined the Allies and Bulgaria joined the Central Powers, Romania joined the Allies in 1916, after a stunning German offensive along the Western Front in the spring of 1918, the Allies rallied and drove back the Germans in a series of successful offensives. By the end of the war or soon after, the German Empire, Russian Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire, national borders were redrawn, with several independent nations restored or created, and Germanys colonies were parceled out among the victors. During the Paris Peace Conference of 1919, the Big Four imposed their terms in a series of treaties, the League of Nations was formed with the aim of preventing any repetition of such a conflict. This effort failed, and economic depression, renewed nationalism, weakened successor states, and feelings of humiliation eventually contributed to World War II. From the time of its start until the approach of World War II, at the time, it was also sometimes called the war to end war or the war to end all wars due to its then-unparalleled scale and devastation. In Canada, Macleans magazine in October 1914 wrote, Some wars name themselves, during the interwar period, the war was most often called the World War and the Great War in English-speaking countries. Will become the first world war in the sense of the word. These began in 1815, with the Holy Alliance between Prussia, Russia, and Austria, when Germany was united in 1871, Prussia became part of the new German nation. Soon after, in October 1873, German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck negotiated the League of the Three Emperors between the monarchs of Austria-Hungary, Russia and Germany
7.
Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta
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The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta. The party formed the government, without interruption, from 1971 until the partys defeat in the 2015 provincial election. With seven Premiers and at 44 years, this was the longest unbroken run in government at the provincial or federal level in Canadian history, the party was created from the Northwest Territories Liberal-Conservative Party that existed from 1898 to 1905. Unlike its predecessor party, who formed government during its entire existence, the main policy difference between the Tories and the Alberta Liberal Party was over the Tories belief that the province should control its natural resources, which the province had been denied. However, those concerns fell on deaf ears in the midst of an economic boom, additionally, the Liberals had the advantage of incumbency, they were in office on an interim basis pending the first election. In the 1913 election, the Tories achieved a breakthrough, winning 18 seats, despite this result, and an even better result in the 1917 election, they were still unable to beat the Liberals. The Tories then split into traditional and radical camps, the party collapsed, and was unable to run a full slate of candidates in the 1921 election. Only one Conservative Member of the Legislative Assembly was returned to the Legislative Assembly in this election, in which the new United Farmers of Alberta defeated the Liberals, for the next 45 years, the Tories were unable to elect more than a half dozen MLAs. The party was marginalized after the UFA was able to negotiate the provinces control of its resources from Ottawa, the Social Credit Party of Alberta took power on a populist and Christian conservative platform. Social Credit attracted conservative voters for decades, particularly after the party moved away from its radical social credit economic theories, supporters of both parties ran instead as independents. The failure of the coalition led to the reemergence of separate Liberal. The Tories only nominated five candidates in the 1952 election, only one of whom won election, the Conservatives were led in the general election of 1959 by William J. Cameron Kirby, Member of the Legislature for Red Deer from 1954 to 1959. The Tories became Progressive Conservatives in 1959 in order to conform with the name of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, the party continued to be unable to improve their fortunes, and by 1963 was swept out of the legislature altogether. In March 1965, Peter Lougheed became leader of the party and this approach was in stark contrast to the parochialism and rural agrarianism of Social Credit. In particular, the party started gaining support in Calgary and Edmonton, Social Credit had been very popular in urban areas for decades—indeed, long-serving Premier Ernest Manning represented an Edmonton riding. However, at bottom, it was a party. It was thus was slow to adapt to the changes in Alberta as its two largest cities gained increasing influence, in 1967, the Tories returned to the legislature, electing six MLAs. Lougheed became Leader of the Opposition, in 1968, Manning retired after 25 years, and was replaced by Harry Strom
8.
Alberta New Democratic Party
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From the mid-1980s to 2004, the party abbreviated its name as the New Democrats. The party achieved Official Opposition status in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1986 to 1993 and it was swept out of the legislature in 1993 and spent the next two decades in the political wilderness. While it managed to get back into the legislature in 1997 and its time on the fringe of Alberta politics ended in the 2015 provincial election, when it won 54 of the 87 seats in the legislature to form the government of Alberta for the first time. Until 2015, Alberta had been the province in western Canada—the partys birthplace—where the NDP had never governed at the provincial level. The CCF did not run candidates under its name in the 1935 provincial election because of its ties with the UFA, the UFA lost all its seats in the election and fell into disarray. In 1936, William Irvine, a CCF founder and defeated UFA Member of Parliament, was elected the Alberta CCFs first president, the Alberta wing of the Labour Party federated with the CCF in 1935, but ran its own candidates in the 1935 and 1940 provincial elections. In the next two years party membership soared from 2,500 to over 12,000, roper was joined in the legislature by Aylmer Liesemer, a Calgary schoolteacher. Irvine also advocated an alliance with the communist Labor-Progressive Party under Albertas single transferable vote electoral system, through the 1940s and 1950s, the CCFs vote percentage declined, eventually falling under 10 percent. At any one time, the party never won more than two seats, the party was kept to two MLAs throughout the 1950s. Roper lost his seat in the 1955 election, in the same election, Stanley Ruzycki and Nick Dushenski were elected. Roper was succeeded as party leader by Floyd Albin Johnson, the CCF merged with the Canadian Labour Congress in 1961, becoming the New Democratic Party of Canada. In Alberta, the NDP was founded in 1962 with a new leader, Neil Reimer, with the election of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives in 1971, Social Credit gradually collapsed. The decline of Social Credit and the unpopularity of the Liberals gave the New Democrats an opportunity to become the focus of opposition to the Lougheed-led Conservatives. Popularity of the NDP gradually increased under leader Grant Notley, who led the party from 1968 until his death in a crash in 1984. In 1971, the NDPs popularity surpassed the 10% mark and went on to climb to 19% in the 1982 election, the party became the Official Opposition in 1982, though with only two seats. Notley was leading the NDP to what many thought was to be a breakthrough before his death. In the 1986 election, under Ray Martin, the party, now known as the NDs and this was to be an apex of New Democrat support. Party membership, which had rarely been more than 5,000 in the 1970s, the New Democrats were unable to gain additional seats in the 1989 election
9.
Ed Stelmach
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Edward Michael Ed Stelmach is a Canadian politician and served as the 13th Premier of Alberta, Canada, from 2006 to 2011. The grandson of Ukrainian immigrants, Stelmach was born and raised on a farm near Lamont and he spent his entire pre-political adult life as a farmer, except for some time spent studying at the University of Alberta. His first foray into politics was a 1986 municipal election, when he was elected to Lamont County council, a year into his term, he was appointed reeve. He continued in this position until his entry into provincial politics, in the 1993 provincial election, Stelmach was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Vegreville-Viking. When Klein resigned the leadership in 2006, Stelmach was among the first to present his candidature to replace him. After a third-place finish on the first ballot of the leadership race, Stelmachs premiership was heavily focused on management of the provinces oil reserves, especially those of the Athabasca Oil Sands. He rejected calls from environmentalists to slow the pace of development in the Fort McMurray area and his government also attracted controversy for awarding itself a 30% pay increase shortly after its re-election, and featured strained relations with Calgary, one of Kleins former strongholds. Despite this, Stelmach increased the Progressive Conservatives already substantial majority in the 2008 election, with the advent of the late-2000s recession, Stelmach had to cope with a deteriorating economic situation and the Alberta governments first budget deficit in 16 years. Stelmach was succeeded as Premier by Alison Redford on October 7,2011, Edward Michael Stelmach was born on a farm near Lamont, Alberta, the grandson of immigrants from Zavyche, Ukraine. His grandparents settled near Andrew, Alberta in 1898, after bypassing Saskatchewan because they did not care for the terrain and his parents, Nancy and Michael N. Stelmach, had five children, of whom Edward was the youngest, ten years younger than his closest sibling. He was raised a Ukrainian Catholic, and continues to church regularly, sing in the church choir. Through high school, he worked as a well-digger and a Fuller Brush salesman, after graduating high school—his grade 12 yearbook called him a future Prime Minister of Canada—he attended the University of Alberta, intending to become a lawyer. He continued there, working as an assistant manager at Woodwards, until 1973 and he continues to farm the land today. As a teenager, he met Marie Warshawski at the wedding of a mutual friend and they married in 1973, and have three sons and a daughter. Stelmach ran for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta as a Progressive Conservative in the 1993 provincial election, during his first term, Stelmach served as Deputy Whip and, later, Chief Government Whip for the P. C. caucus. As a backbencher, he sponsored the Lloydminster Hospital Act Repeal Act, Lloydminster sits on the border of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and the hospital, although built and operated by the Alberta government, sits on the Saskatchewan side. It passed the legislature with little debate, Stelmach said that he had only stepped in to help the riding after its MLA, Nicholas Taylor, had been appointed to the Senate. After the 1997 provincial election, Klein appointed Stelmach Minister of Agriculture, Food, while he held this office, his department encouraged the establishment of feedlots
10.
Alberta general election, 2012
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The 2012 Alberta general election, formally the 28th general election of Alberta, Canada, took place April 23,2012, to elect members of the 28th Legislative Assembly of Alberta. A Senate nominee election was called for the same day, after taking office, her government introduced a bill relating to the timing of elections, which was passed on December 6,2011. Unlike other fixed election date legislation in Canada, the 2011 Election Amendment Act fixes the election to a three-month period, however, like other legislation, this does not affect the powers of the Lieutenant Governor to dissolve the Legislature before this period. The writs of elections were dropped March 26,2012, the victory made Redford the third woman elected in her own right as a provincial premier in Canada, and the first woman elected premier in a province outside Atlantic Canada. On September 4,2014, the Alberta PC Party became the provincial government in Canadian history. The 27th Alberta Legislature saw a significant decline in the polls for the governing Progressive Conservatives, on January 4,2010, the Wildrose caucus became the third party, displacing the New Democrats, when PC MLAs Rob Anderson and Heather Forsyth joined the Wildrose. Later in 2010, former PC cabinet minister Guy Boutilier joined the Wildrose, however, their support has waned in the past year, as have polling fortunes for the Liberal Party. Albertas NDP has doubled their results in recent polls compared to their percentage in the last election, however, the Liberals gained one in selecting Raj Sherman as their leader in September 2011, who had been ejected from the PC caucus in November 2010. On January 25,2011, Ed Stelmach abruptly announced that he would not seek re-election, Alison Redford was chosen as Stelmachs successor on October 1,2011, and her election has improved the fortunes of her party in opinion polls. Her new government presented six pieces of legislation, the most notable of which regarded fixed election dates, an investigation into health care, all six bills were passed in the fall 2011 sitting of the 27th Legislature. The law does not affect the ability of Albertas Lieutenant-Governor to dissolve the assembly, however, that is not likely to occur during majority governments. The legislature was dissolved and the writs were dropped on March 26,2012, a year after the previous general election the Alberta Greens became mired in an internal dispute that resulted in the collapse of the party, and its de-registration by Elections Alberta. Some of the former Green party executive, including deputy leader Edwin Erickson, eventually joined the Alberta Party. As indicated on the maps, the vote split largely on regional lines. Wildrose support was concentrated largely in Southern Alberta while the party won one seat north of the 53rd parallel. The Liberals were confined to the two largest cities, winning three seats in Calgary and two in Edmonton, the New Democrats won all four of their seats in Edmonton. The PCs polled about 44 percent of the vote. The Wildrose won 17 seats to become the Official Opposition for the first time and it was a net increase of thirteen seats for the party, although two of the four Wildrose incumbents were defeated by their PC challengers
11.
Alberta general election, 2015
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This election elected members to the 29th Alberta Legislature. The provincial Election Act fixed the date to a three-month period between March 1 and May 31 in the fourth calendar year after the preceding election day - in this case. However, the Act does not affect the powers of the Lieutenant Governor to dissolve the Legislature before this period, the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta had a majority in the outgoing Assembly. As a result of the election, the Alberta New Democratic Party were elected to a majority government under leader Rachel Notley, the NDP formed Government for the first time in its history, ousting the PCs, who were reduced to third place in seats. Prentice resigned as PC leader and MLA for Calgary-Foothills on election night, the Progressive Conservatives had won every provincial election since the 1971 election, making them the longest-serving provincial government in Canadian history. This was only the change of government in Alberta since Alberta became a province in 1905. It also marked the first time a political party had formed government in Alberta since the United Farmers of Alberta in 1935. The Alberta Liberal Party and Alberta Party each won a single seat, the Alberta Liberal Party lost four seats, only returning interim leader David Swann to the Legislative Assembly. Following the election, Notley and her cabinet were sworn in on May 24,2015, in the 2012 general election the PCs lost a portion of their caucus, but were able to continue as majority government, despite their share of the popular vote decreasing to under 50%. On September 4,2014, the PCs became the longest serving political dynasty in Canadian history, Prentice, who succeeded former premier and interim leader of the Progressive Conservatives Dave Hancock in September 2014, was not obligated to call an election until 2016. However, seeking a new mandate to pass his budget, he asked Lieutenant Governor Donald Ethell to dissolve the legislature on April 7, in accordance with Canadian constitutional practice, Ethell granted the request, beginning a month long campaign. * The total popular vote includes votes from voided Calgary-Foothills election, ** The candidate elected for Calgary-Foothills, Jim Prentice, disclaimed his victory. The election resulted in a majority government led by the New Democratic Party, on May 15, the recount determined NDP candidate Anam Kazim won the riding by six votes. The Alberta NDP had been leading in most polls since late April and they had been expected to do well in Edmonton, which historically had been more favourable to centre-left parties and candidates than Alberta in general. However, in a result that even the most optimistic projections for the NDP. The NDP took every seat in the city, all by large margins. The NDP also won 15 of the 25 seats in Calgary, the NDP also swept the provinces third and fourth-largest cities, Lethbridge and Red Deer. NDP support remained relatively lower in rural Alberta, where only won a handful of ridings in the north of the province
12.
Parliament of Canada
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The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa, Ontario. The body consists of the Canadian monarch, represented by a viceroy, the general, an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house. Each element has its own officers and organization, by constitutional convention, the House of Commons is the dominant branch of parliament, the Senate and Crown rarely opposing its will. The Senate reviews legislation from a less partisan standpoint and the monarch or viceroy provides the necessary Royal Assent to make bills into law. The governor general also summons parliament, while either the viceroy or monarch can prorogue or dissolve parliament, either will read the Throne Speech. The most recent parliament, summoned by Governor General David Johnston in 2015, is the 42nd since Confederation in 1867, the Parliament of Canada is composed of three parts, the monarch, the Senate, and the House of Commons. Each has a role, but work in conjunction within the legislative process. Only those who sit in the House of Commons are called members of parliament, though legislatively less powerful, senators take higher positions in the national order of precedence. No individual may serve in more than one chamber of parliament at the same time, the sovereigns place in the legislature, formally called the Queen-in-Parliament, is defined by the Constitution Act,1867, and various conventions. All federal bills begin with the phrase Now, therefore, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada. And, as such, the Crown is immune from acts of parliament unless expressed otherwise in the act itself. As both the monarch and his or her representatives are traditionally barred from the House of Commons, any parliamentary ceremonies in which they are involved take place in the Senate chamber. The upper and lower houses do, however, each contain a mace, which indicate the authority of the Queen-in-Parliament, following the burning of the Centre Block on 3 February 1916, the City of London, England, donated a replacement, which is still used today. The temporary mace, made of wood, and used until the new one arrived from the United Kingdom in 1917, is carried into the Senate each 3 February. The Senates 1. 6-metre-long mace comprises brass and gold, senators served for life until 1965, when a constitutional amendment imposed a mandatory retirement age of 75. Senators may, however, resign their seats prior to that mark, the Senate is divided equally amongst four geographic regions,24 for Ontario,24 for Quebec,24 for the Maritimes, and 24 for the Western provinces. Newfoundland and Labrador, which became a Canadian province in 1949, is represented by six senators, further, Canadas three territories—the Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut—are allocated one senator each. The elected component of the Canadian parliament is the House of Commons, with each member chosen by a plurality of voters in each of the countrys federal electoral districts
