menu_open Columnists

Calgary Herald

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

Bell: There's unrest in Danielle Smith's UCP as referendum brawl hits final round

Bell: There's unrest in Danielle Smith's UCP as referendum brawl hits final round

Premier Danielle Smith wasn’t skating around the issue when she took to the CBC radio airwaves Thursday. She wasn’t stickhandling around possible...

yesterday 10

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Varcoe: High oil prices leave producers with epic cash flow levels, some 'approaching debt-free status'

Varcoe: High oil prices leave producers with epic cash flow levels, some 'approaching debt-free status'

Canadian oil producers are set to unleash “epic” third-quarter financial results in the coming weeks, powered by supercharged energy prices,...

yesterday 10

Calgary Herald

Chris Varcoe

Brookman: You cannot put a dollar value on patriotism

Brookman: You cannot put a dollar value on patriotism

Seriously, which one of us could ever say, “I don’t want to be a Canadian.” Who among us would truly like to see our Canadian flag removed from...

yesterday 10

Calgary Herald

George Brookman

Opinion: Alberta voters have right to clarity on proposed changes to immigration in referendum

Opinion: Alberta voters have right to clarity on proposed changes to immigration in referendum

On Monday, Albertans will vote on 10 referendum questions. Not surprisingly, much of the attention remains focused on the question of separation.

yesterday 10

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Braid: Former chief electoral officer turned away by his former agency in bid to vote in referendum

Braid: Former chief electoral officer turned away by his former agency in bid to vote in referendum

'We do agree with Mr. Resler that the legislative changes with Bill 54 are a setback,' Elections Alberta said in a statement

previous day 0

Calgary Herald

Don Braid

Canada has a history of discrimination; don't fall for it in Alberta

Canada has a history of discrimination; don't fall for it in Alberta

Separation has been front and centre in Alberta. But the provincial referendum is about more than separation. Half of the questions focus on...

previous day 10

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Dinning and Toews: Separation would be 'reckless' and 'self-defeating'

Dinning and Toews: Separation would be 'reckless' and 'self-defeating'

Alberta has always played a significant role in Canada’s economy. Even before becoming an energy powerhouse, fur trading, agriculture and ranching...

previous day 8

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Bell: UCP members try to save Danielle Smith and the party from the separatists

Bell: UCP members try to save Danielle Smith and the party from the separatists

There is a note. I have it right here. It’s from a guy who has deep roots in the politics of this province. Nobody could ever accuse the man of...

previous day 20

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Nelson: Mayhem awaits as Albertans get swamped by referendum silliness

Nelson: Mayhem awaits as Albertans get swamped by referendum silliness

It’s a shambles. The most important question ever asked of Albertans has been turned into an excruciating blend of petty point-scoring and fatuous...

previous day 10

Calgary Herald

Chris Nelson

Ford: Food may be a universal experience, but not so the actual foodstuffs around the world

Ford: Food may be a universal experience, but not so the actual foodstuffs around the world

What Canada, and particularly Alberta, eats is heavily influenced by America

previous day 10

Calgary Herald

Catherine Ford

Varcoe: Alberta business survey finds separation debate trumps tariffs, inflation as top issue fuelling uncertainty

Varcoe: Alberta business survey finds separation debate trumps tariffs, inflation as top issue fuelling uncertainty

'There's so much opportunity in the province right now, but the excitement around those opportunities seems fairly muted'

wednesday 1

Calgary Herald

Chris Varcoe

Opinion: Alberta is asking the wrong question

Opinion: Alberta is asking the wrong question

Bradley called at half past 12. He talks slowly. He says a thing, then explains the thing, then checks your face to see whether the explaining...

wednesday 10

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Bell: What Danielle Smith told Alberta separatists behind closed doors

Bell: What Danielle Smith told Alberta separatists behind closed doors

I appeared to the only newshound in the room on a cold Saturday at a hotel in east Calgary. Some prominent supporters of Alberta independence were in...

wednesday 30

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Stay open for growth: Former premiers urge 'No' on the immigration questions

Stay open for growth: Former premiers urge 'No' on the immigration questions

Alberta’s continued prosperity depends on immigration. Our province’s remarkable journey from frontier trading post to global energy power is...

wednesday 10

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Braid: Don't be duped into flipping yes-to-Canada vote to future referendum

Braid: Don't be duped into flipping yes-to-Canada vote to future referendum

This menace could hang over the province for two years or more

13.10.2026 2

Calgary Herald

Don Braid

Breakenridge: Self-serving double standard at work in Alberta government

Breakenridge: Self-serving double standard at work in Alberta government

It was interesting timing last week as Alberta scored a major victory against federal overreach just as it announced plans to engage in some major...

13.10.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Leong: The Alberta referendum is a highly cynical exercise. Voters need to take part anyway

Leong: The Alberta referendum is a highly cynical exercise. Voters need to take part anyway

What's a citizen to do when asked to participate in a ballot they didn't ask for, with a big ballot option they mostly don't want? Vote, of course

13.10.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Ricky Leong

Opinion: Alberta's economic voice is being heard; don't silence it

Opinion: Alberta's economic voice is being heard; don't silence it

There is nothing better to remind Albertans about the importance of staying in Canada than the blockbuster deal announced this week between...

10.10.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Morton: A vote for change

Morton: A vote for change

In the past two weeks, I have participated in two referendum-related events — the Manning Centre’s Alberta and the West virtual assembly and the...

10.10.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Ted Morton

Varcoe: Conflicting currents across oil and gas sector as Canadian energy projects prepare to set sail

Varcoe: Conflicting currents across oil and gas sector as Canadian energy projects prepare to set sail

"There's still good evidence in the survey that people want to see action and aren't fully convinced yet" says ATB analyst

10.10.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Chris Varcoe

Bell: Calgary Mayor Farkas goes nuclear, trashes Danielle Smith big-time

Bell: Calgary Mayor Farkas goes nuclear, trashes Danielle Smith big-time

Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas rakes Premier Smith over the coals, it won't be their last battle

09.10.2026 40

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Opinion: Even when we're thankful, there's negotiation

Opinion: Even when we're thankful, there's negotiation

Years ago, at a friend’s family Thanksgiving, four of us stood around the kitchen counter folding dumplings. The turkey was already in the oven, and...

09.10.2026 5

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Opinion: Don’t let denialism distract from truth and reconciliation progress

Opinion: Don’t let denialism distract from truth and reconciliation progress

Millions of Canadians participated in “Orange Shirt Day” activities last week to observe the 6th National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on...

09.10.2026 4

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Opinion: A Tory’s torment over the loss of moderate government

Opinion: A Tory’s torment over the loss of moderate government

On Aug. 30, 1971, I was eligible to vote in an Alberta provincial election for the first time. I voted for Peter Lougheed and the Progressive...

09.10.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Opinion: Let's consider all of our history

Opinion: Let's consider all of our history

Let’s consider our past as we decide our future.

09.10.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Bell: Alberta separatists stumble and stagger and Elon Musk won't help

Bell: Alberta separatists stumble and stagger and Elon Musk won't help

Alberta separatists have to play defence and should be on offence in the last days of the referendum fight

08.10.2026 9

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Braid: Separatist leaders' bumbling in U.S. at least warned us of American threat

Braid: Separatist leaders' bumbling in U.S. at least warned us of American threat

The separatist leaders may be bit players in their own comic-opera, but American officials and politicians like the tune

08.10.2026 7

Calgary Herald

Don Braid

Bell: Danielle Smith is upbeat, for Alberta separatists is it all over but the crying?

Bell: Danielle Smith is upbeat, for Alberta separatists is it all over but the crying?

The painfully long fight over Alberta’s future heads into the homestretch. Advance voting on the referendum to decide whether to go down the route...

08.10.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Opinion: When everything is essential, what do you go without?

Opinion: When everything is essential, what do you go without?

Autumn has arrived. For many Calgarians, that means planning a Thanksgiving meal around the kitchen table. Now picture a different kitchen table in...

08.10.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Opinion: The Canada we want and need

Opinion: The Canada we want and need

Several months ago, the Canada West Foundation set out to examine a difficult question: What would Alberta leaving Canada actually mean?

08.10.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Gary Mar

Braid: Alberta and Quebec separatism — wildly different, equally insidious

Braid: Alberta and Quebec separatism — wildly different, equally insidious

Without fail, separatism divides society, pits people against each other and disrupts economies

08.10.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Don Braid

Varcoe: As vote on separation approaches, Alberta business leaders tout 'what a unified Canada can still do'

Varcoe: As vote on separation approaches, Alberta business leaders tout 'what a unified Canada can still do'

'We really cannot afford to squander what just might be one of the biggest economic opportunities of our lifetime,' said Calgary Economic Development...

07.10.2026 7

Calgary Herald

Chris Varcoe

Bell: Pow! Bam! Farkas and Smith government duke it out over bike lanes

Bell: Pow! Bam! Farkas and Smith government duke it out over bike lanes

He’s throwing the punches now. In the past, Mayor Jeromy Farkas hasn’t actually dropped the gloves on the subject of bike lanes even though the...

07.10.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Farkas: It's time to intensify the battle against hate-motivated crime and antisemitism

Farkas: It's time to intensify the battle against hate-motivated crime and antisemitism

We live in the most dangerous time to be a Jew since the Holocaust. We should be horrified that this is true in Canada. On Sept. 20, Jewish Canadians...

07.10.2026 9

Calgary Herald

Jeromy Farkas

Opinion: What if ER docs joined the province's private-pay plan?

Opinion: What if ER docs joined the province's private-pay plan?

I’ll admit I have been strongly opposed to the Alberta government’s dual-billing legislation: the Canadian experiment where anesthesiologists are...

07.10.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Breakenridge: Two federal leaders cause headaches for Alberta counterparts while PM firm on pipeline

Breakenridge: Two federal leaders cause headaches for Alberta counterparts while PM firm on pipeline

It’s strange and ironic that it's fallen to a Liberal prime minister to be the one to advance Alberta’s interests

06.10.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Bell: Alberta separatist leader says fight isn't over with Oct. 19 referendum vote

Bell: Alberta separatist leader says fight isn't over with Oct. 19 referendum vote

The Alberta separatist fight doesn't end after the Oct. 19 referendum vote. 'Far from it,' says independence leader Mitch Sylvestre

05.10.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Varcoe: 'A lot of road yet to travel' — past West Coast pipeline projects highlight challenges and solutions for Pacific Link

Al Monaco knows a thing or two about trying to build a new oil pipeline to Canada’s West Coast. The former CEO of Enbridge, the Calgary-based...

03.10.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Chris Varcoe

Opinion: When does an immigrant become an Albertan?

I recently met an 85-year-old woman who made me think about Alberta’s past and present. Mrs. Sukhdev Kaur Hari, known as Gick Harry, is a descendant...

03.10.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Opinion: Set the expectations for your friends and family to show up and vote to remain

We might have a problem. Most Albertans, like me, are both proud Albertans and Canadians who want Alberta to remain in Canada. At the same time, many...

03.10.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Alberta doesn't just need more physicians, it needs more time for them be doctors

Alberta is working hard to recruit more physicians. But imagine hiring a new doctor and then requiring them to spend more than a full working day...

03.10.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Opinion: Compute needs a community, not just a campus

The debate has been about what data centres take. The better question is what they can build.

03.10.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Bell: If Smith won't cave on UCP insurance plan, lawyers will back Alberta separatists

Premier Smith, disgruntled Alberta separatists, peeved-off lawyers, all ingredients to cook up some fireworks

02.10.2026 40

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Stephen Harper: Separatism poses 'significant risk' for Alberta

'Most voting for it will do so just to “send a message” … I believe that approach is mistaken'

02.10.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Brookman: Unbridled optimism over Canada's economic potential tempered by a word of caution

Is Canada in a moment of unrealistic fantasy and false optimism, or on the brink of the biggest economic boom we have ever seen?

02.10.2026 10

Calgary Herald

George Brookman

Bell: 'Slimy, sleazy' — Danielle Smith slams those attacking her on immigration

For those wanting to duke it out with Premier Danielle Smith over immigration it takes no time at all before we hear the same old tired routine, the...

02.10.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Opinion: Bill 25 misrepresents what is happening in the classroom

With the recent implementation of Bill 25, titled “An Act to Remove Politics and Ideology from Classrooms,” one must wonder where this policy...

02.10.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Varcoe: Odds improve for Pacific Link pipeline, with proposed project on accelerated path

"I think it's going be a new era for the country," said Danielle Smith

01.10.2026 40

Calgary Herald

Chris Varcoe

Opinion: The 'friendliest city in the world' cannot be divided by separatism

As CEO of Tourism Calgary, I get to meet people from around the world and show them how special our city is. I get to tell them it’s not really that...

01.10.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Opinion: Protecting our sovereignty means protecting our public health care

If you ask Canadians what makes us different from our American neighbours, the vast majority will say that it’s our public health care; that in...

01.10.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald