Utah biologists capture, collar and release wolverine for first time

Stephen Smith 

Scientists in Utah have captured, collared and released a wolverine for the first time, in what wildlife officials are calling a "once-in-a-lifetime" event. Officials with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said it was just the eighth confirmed wolverine sighting in Utah since 1979.

"It's amazing to get a chance to see a wolverine in the wild, let alone catch one," said Jim Christensen, DWR northern region wildlife manager. "This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

© Provided by CBS News Scientists in Utah have captured, collared and released a wolverine for the first time. / Credit: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Officials said that on March 10, an aircraft piloted by personnel from USDA-Wildlife Services was flying over Rich County, Utah when they noticed an animal feeding on a dead sheep. They flew a bit closer and confirmed the animal was a wolverine.

The dead sheep was one of 18 sheep the wolverine had killed or wounded in the area that morning, officials said

.

© Provided by CBS News Biologists determined the animal was a male between 3–4 years old. It weighed 28 pounds and was 41 inches long. / Credit: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Three traps were set using parts of a sheep carcass, and on March 11, one of them trapped the first wolverine ever captured by biologists in the state.

Officials said the wolverine was brought back to their Ogden office, where it was sedated and examined. Biologists determined the animal was a male between 3–4 years old. It weighed 28 pounds and was 41 inches long.

"The animal had good, sharp teeth," Christensen said. "It was in really good condition."

A GPS collar was attached to its neck before biologists transferred it to the North Slope of the Uinta Mountains where it was released on the evening of March 11.

Officials said the GPS data will show when and where the animal travels, the size of its home range and the type of habitats it uses at different times of the year.

"Having a collar on this wolverine will teach us things about wolverines in Utah that would be impossible to learn any other way," Christensen said. "Four different wolverine sightings were confirmed in Utah in 2021. Were we seeing the same animal or different animals last year? Having a collar on this animal will help us solve that riddle."

The unprecedented capture comes just days after a tour guide was able to photograph a wolverine in Yellowstone National Park. "With no other vehicles around, we were able to spend 3 full minutes in the presence of this unique and rare animal," he wrote.

According to the National Wildlife Federation, wolverines are the largest land-living species in the weasel family, or mustelids. The group says about 60% of the wolverines' habitat in the lower 48 states will be eradicated in the next seven decades because of climate change.

The federation says the rare animal also has a colorful array of nicknames, including woods devil, Indian devil, nasty cat and skunk bear.

Kidnapped Ukrainian mayor freed in 'special operation,' officials say

The mayor of Melitopol was allegedly abducted by Russian forces on March 11.

ByMeredith Deliso

16 March 2022, 19:06

•

CCTV footage appears to show Russian forces apprehending Ivan Fedorov, mayor of Melitopol, a city in southeastern Ukraine that fell under Russian control during the invasion, at Taras Shevchenko Palace of Culture in Melitopol's Victory Square, in a still image from video released on March 11, 2022.

The mayor of an occupied Ukrainian city allegedly kidnapped by Russian forces last week has been freed, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday.

Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov was freed from captivity in a "special operation," according to Kirilo Timoshenko, an advisor to Ukraine's presidential office. Timoshenko did not provide any further details.

Melitopol has been occupied since the first days of Russia's invasion. Ukrainian officials said Fedorov, who had insisted that the southeastern Ukrainian city remain free and backed daily pro-Ukrainian protests, was kidnapped on March 11 after resisting takeover.

Fedorov disappeared after he was purportedly shown being led away with a bag over his head by a large group of heavily armed Russian soldiers in Melitopol's Victory Square in a CCTV video shared by Timoshenko on Telegram. Russian-controlled separatists then announced they were bringing charges against Fedorov for "aiding terrorism."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy released a video of himself on Telegram Wednesday reportedly talking on the phone with Fedorov. The mayor thanked Zelenskyy and said he needed a couple of days to recover from his ordeal and then would be ready to fulfill any orders.

A smiling Zelenskyy said he was very glad to speak with Fedorov and that "we don’t leave ours behind."

Zelenskyy referenced the call during a national address Wednesday night.

"We have finally managed to release the mayor of Melitopol from captivity," he said. "Ivan Fedorov is free. I talked to him today. The Russian military abducted him on March 11, trying to persuade him to collaborate. But our man withstood. He did not give up. Just as we all endure."

MORE: Russia-Ukraine live updates

The president had demanded the release of Fedorov in several video messages, calling it a "crime against democracy."

"The actions of the Russian invaders will be equated with the actions of ISIS terrorists," he said last week.

Following the alleged kidnapping, a pro-Russian administration appeared to have been installed in Melitopol. A local lawmaker from a pro-Russian party made a television address Saturday, during which she said a "committee of the chosen" is now taking over the running of the city. The lawmaker, Galina Danilchenko, called protesters "extremists" and urged people not to allow activists to "destabilize" the situation.

Russian riot police were also deployed in Melitopol to block protests there.

MORE: Ukraine's Zelenskyy invokes Pearl Harbor, 9/11, calls out Biden in plea to Congress for more US help

Russian forces allegedly kidnapped another mayor in an occupied city in the region. Dniprorudne Mayor Yevgeny Matveyev was kidnapped on Sunday, according to Oleksandr Starukh, head of the regional military administration.

Earlier on Wednesday, Ukrainian officials claimed a third southern Ukrainian mayor -- Oleksandr Yakovlyev of Skadovsk -- and his deputy Yurii Palyukh were "abducted" by Russian forces.

"Russian invaders continue to abduct democratically elected local leaders in Ukraine," Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's minister of foreign affairs, said on Twitter. "States & international organizations must demand Russia to immediately release all abducted Ukrainian officials!"

ABC News' Patrick Reevell contributed to this report.

Italy's Intesa puts $6.3 billion of Russia, Ukraine loans under microscope

By Valentina Za

 New Intesa Sanpaolo skyscraper, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, is seen in Turin

MILAN (Reuters) - Intesa Sanpaolo said on Wednesday that its loans to Russian and Ukrainian clients amounted to 5.1 billion euros net of guarantees from credit export agencies, which is around 1% of the total for Italy's biggest bank.

Intesa added in a statement it was analysing its exposure to Russia and Ukraine to understand how to better handle risks in light of the European Union's decision to phase out Russian fossil fuels by 2027.

Of the overall loan figure, some 4 billion euros are cross-border, with oil and gas firms accounting for half of the total.

Taking into account off-balance sheet items, Intesa's total net exposure to the two countries is 5.7 billion euros ($6.3 billion), Reuters calculations based on Intesa's figures show.

Almost all of the loans expire by 2027, Intesa said, giving it time to work out a solution before the EU-set deadline.

"Over two-thirds of loans to Russian customers refer to top-notch industrial groups," it said, adding these had "long-established commercial relationships with customers that are part of major international value chains, with a significant portion of their proceeds coming from commodities."

Intesa's local subsidiaries in Russia and Ukraine account for just 1.1 billion euros in loans to customers and sums due from banks, it added.

Some 200 million euros are loans to entities that have been hit by international sanctions against Russia since its invasion of Ukraine, it said.

Like other major international banks, including domestic rival UniCredit, Intesa has said it is reviewing its presence in Russia, where it serves corporate clients with a staff of around 980 people across 28 branches.

UniCredit on Tuesday said it was considering pulling out of Russia.

Analysts at broker Autonomous calculated a core capital hit of around 75 basis points, lower than its initial estimate of 90 basis points, assuming a 60% loss on cross border exposures.

Intesa, which used to handle more than half of commercial transactions between Italy and Russia, has financed major investment Russian projects, such as the Blue Stream gas pipeline and the sale of a stake in oil group Rosneft.

It also employs 780 staff in Ukraine, where its Pravex Bank unit has 45 branches.

Intesa has said it was continuing to provide essential banking services at Pravex branches whenever it was safe to do so, while helping to evacuate employees under threat.

The bank said its local subsidiaries' off-balance sheet exposure amounted to 300 million euros.

For the rest of the group exposures deriving, for example, from untapped credit lines were 1.1 billion euros and covered by 800 million euros in guarantees.

($1 = 0.9093 euros)

(Reporting by Valentina Za; Editing by Keith Weir and Alexander Smith)

'Here there is nothing': Yemen's Aden scarred by grinding war

Bullet-riddled homes, buildings turned to rubble and countless pictures of "martyrs": seven years into Yemen's civil war, the interim capital Aden bears the scars of a conflict that shows no signs of abating.

© Saleh Al-OBEIDI The derelict Aden Hotel in Yemeni's southern city on March 3, 2022

© Saleh Al-OBEIDI Yemeni pro-government fighters from the UAE-trained Giants Brigades, drive trhough Ataq city, east of the Red Sea port of Aden, on their way to the frontline facing pro-Iran Huthi fighters, on January 28, 2022

While Aden is now relatively stable, economically the ancient port city has been left on its knees.

© Saleh Al-OBEIDI Yemeni pro-government fighters man a position in Ataq city, the capital of the province of Shabwa, east of the Red Sea port of Aden, on January 18, 2022

Water and electricity are intermittent, serving a population that officials say has tripled to more than three million, as people seek safety from fighting raging elsewhere.

Aden governor Ahmed Lamlas said the outbreak of war in 2015 was a "disaster", leaving the city's infrastructure in ruins.

"We are still suffering from the impacts of war," said Lamlas, who narrowly escaped a deadly car bomb attack in October.

Yemen has a long history of civil war, and was divided into North and South Yemen until 1990.

It descended into brutal conflict again when Iran-backed Huthi rebels launched a military campaign to seize power in 2014, taking large swathes of territory including the capital Sanaa in the north.

- Saudi intervention -

The following year, after a Saudi-led military coalition intervened to support the internationally recognised government, the insurgents were at the gates of Aden.

© MOHAMMED HUWAIS Yemeni supporters of the Iran-backed Huthi movement brandish their weapons as they rally in the capital Sanaa on January 27, 2022

They held sway for a few months before being pushed out by loyalist forces.

Sporadic violence continues to blight the temporary seat of the government, whose troops clashed with southern separatists in 2018-19 before they reached a power-sharing agreement.

© Sophie RAMIS Map of Yemen

Flags of former South Yemen line the streets of Aden, where the separatist Southern Transitional Council has much influence, with checkpoints set up everywhere.

© Saleh Al-OBEIDI Internally displaced people sit by their tents at a camp north of Yemen's southern city of Aden, on March 6, 2022

As if civil war and a struggle for the city were not enough, Aden has also been targeted by a number of bombings claimed by the Islamic State group.

Along the corniche in Aden stands a large portrait of the former governor, Jaafar Saad, who was killed in a car bomb claimed by the jihadist group in 2015.

"Aden will not forget you," its message reads.

- Scars of war -

At the airport, a gaping hole torn into the arrivals terminal reminds visitors of a missile attack on cabinet members in 2020, a memorial of sorts to the at least 26 people killed.

© AHMAD AL-BASHA A malnourished child receives treatment in Yemen's third city of Taez, on March 6, 2022

Across Yemen, hundreds of thousands have been killed, directly or indirectly, and millions displaced by the war, which has left 80 percent of people on food aid.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday warned that Yemen risked "catastrophe", speaking at a donor conference that raised less than a third of the money needed.

The number of people starving in famine conditions is projected to increase five-fold this year to 161,000.

Lamlas said the pressure was exacting a toll on Aden's citizens.

"Living conditions have affected the people psychologically," said Lamlas, but insisted: "Aden remains steadfast and will return to life."

Aden's residents are struggling to afford basic goods amid soaring inflation.

Fish vendor Ammar Mohammed, 52, struggles to make a living, as few in the city can afford his product.

"Only those who have money can buy fish," he said.

"Everything was cheaper before the war."

- 'No internet, phone' -

On a quiet Friday evening, some Yemeni families headed to a seaside resort, one of the city's few recreational areas.

"I have work experience in hotels, makeup and accounting," Abeer, 31, told AFP as she sat with her two friends smoking shisha and electronic cigarettes.

"The salaries are low, the situation is difficult, and I am fighting to lead a dignified life," she said, adding that friends and jokes are what keep her going.

"There is no internet, phone network, there's nothing. We're looking for water, gas and petrol, but we at least still have some laughs."

Many in Aden blame the government for the city's deterioration, and some of them make no secret of their desire to become an independent southern state.

South Yemen was an independent country from 1967 -- when British colonial forces withdrew, paving the way for the creation of a Soviet-backed communist one-party state -- until 1990.

An attempt to break away again in 1994 sparked a brief civil war. That ended with northern troops and their militia allies occupying the south.

But calls for secession are growing louder, as people recall better times and more opportunities for women.

"It's all bad, whether separated or not," said Abeer.

"We don't want to unite with the Huthis in the north... but in (rebel-held) Sanaa there is more security and safety and there is electricity. Here there is nothing."

sy/mah/dm/th/fz/pjm/leg

U.N.: Myanmar's junta engaged in systematic human rights violations


Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, on Tuesday accused Myanmar's junta of committing abuses that may amount to war crimes. File Photo by EPA-EFE

March 16 (UPI) -- Myanmar's junta is engaged in systematic and widespread human rights violations, some of which amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, the United Nations' human rights chief said in a new report that calls on the international community to do more to end the crisis in the Southeast Asian nation.

In the report, published Tuesday to coincide with a meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Council, Michelle Bachelet, the U.N. high commissioner for Human Rights, states the Tatmadaw military forces have shown a disregard for human life since seizing power in a coup on Feb. 1 by bombarding populated areas with airstrikes and heavy weapons as well as targeting civilians, some of whom have been shot in the head and burned to death.

"Myanmar is facing violence on a massive scale," the report states. "Arbitrary detentions, unnecessary and disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters, extrajudicial killings as well as ill-treatment and torture in custody have characterized the Tatmadaw's seizure of power."

The report, based on interviews with more than 155 victims, details the security forces' use of landmines and hidden improvised explosives to maim and kill people throughout the country as well the military's so-called clearance operations where forces comb areas in search of resistance groups to arrest, torture and summarily execute them and in the process loot and destroy property.

Airstrikes and mortar and artillery shelling as well as other explosives were deployed in these ferreting operations, resulting in some 550 deaths.

It also states that there are at least 85 reported instances of the Tatmadaw forcing individuals to perform labor and to act as human shields for advancing troops.

The military, under the pretext of elections irregularities, seized control of the country more than a year ago and arrested several members of its civilian government before putting itself at the helm of the country. It then met the subsequent protests of its coup with a bloody and ongoing crackdown.

According to Myanmar's Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, the junta has killed 1,676 people while the U.N. report states more than 12,500 have been detained with at least 440,000 others having been displaced. Another 14 million, it said, are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

Bachelet said that despite the violence the will of the public to regain control of its country has not been broken.

"They remain committed to seeing a return to democracy and to institutions that reflect their will and aspirations," she said in a statement accompanying the report.

The protesters have the support of the United States and other democratic countries who have repeatedly enforced sanctions against Myanmar, targeting members of the junta as well as state-operated entities in order to cut off revenue to the military.

However, Bachelet in the report called on the international community for further action as it is urgently needed to "stem the pace at which individuals are being stripped of their rights, their lives and their livelihoods."

She said that Myanmar's military has created an environment where negotiations and dialogue cannot occur and where the country's citizens have no voice.

"The breadth and scale of violations of international law suffered by people of Myanmar call urgently for broader measures of justice and accountability that address more comprehensively the full range of violations that have been and continue to be suffered across the country," she said.

"Sustained serious violations of international law demand a firm, unified and resolute international response to effectively protect the human rights of the people of Myanmar," she said.

Nutrien to increase potash production amid Eastern Europe supply worries

(Reuters) - Canada's Nutrien Ltd, the world's biggest fertilizer producer, said on Wednesday it plans to increase potash output by nearly 1 million tonnes this year to about 15 million tonnes in response to the uncertainty of supply from Eastern Europe.

© Reuters/Nayan Sthankiya An interior view of the storage warehouse is seen at Nutrien's Cory potash mine near Saskatoon

Potash is a key input required for producing nitrogen-containing fertilizers, and Russia and Belarus are the world's second- and third-largest producers of the commodity after Canada.

Potash prices have soared since economic sanctions were imposed against Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Belarus, Russia's ally, has also been subject to European and U.S. sanctions that have restricted its potash exports.

Nutrien said the additional volume of potash is expected to be produced in the second half of the year.

Meanwhile, Canadian Pacific Railway, which moves potash fertilizer into the United States, has sent a lock-out notice to its employees after talks with a union on wages and other issues failed, a move that could disrupt the supply of the commodity.

A lockdown at the rail-road company could have "serious implications" for potash transport to ports for shipment to offshore buyers, Natashia Stinka, a spokeswoman for Canpotex Ltd, a company owned by Nutrien and Mosaic Co, had said earlier.

(Reporting by Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Shubham Kalia; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)

Pfizer executive receives University of Alberta 2021 distinguished alumni award

A Pfizer executive is the recipient of the University of Alberta’s distinguished alumni award for his work in clinical pharmacology.

© Provided by Edmonton Journal University of Alberta alumni Brian Corrigan, now global head of clinical pharmacology for Pfizer, spoke to U of A pharmacy and graduate students in Edmonton on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, before he received a distinguished alumni award.

Brian Corrigan earned a PhD in the U of A’s faculty of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences in 1996, and three years later he joined Pfizer. Since then, he has developed models to analyze clinical trials and develop correct doses, and supervises early-stage trials being developed for ailments ranging from neuropathic pain and Alzheimer’s to COVID-19.

In an interview Wednesday morning, Corrigan said it’s very special to be named a distinguished alumnus.

“My wife and I, we grew up in Alberta, went to school, we did a graduate school here and this is where we consider home even though we haven’t lived here for 25 years,” said Corrigan, who now lives in the United States.

“To be recognized by fellow Albertans for some of the work that I’ve been part of for the last 25 years, it really means a lot to us.

One of the reasons Corrigan became interested in pharmaceutical sciences was the role of a pharmacist in the community.

“You’re helping serve patients, both in the hospitals and outside the hospitals, giving care and in the new role, providing medicines, vaccinations, etc.,” he said.

After spending time in Japan teaching with his wife, Corrigan said they realized the importance of medicine development, leading him to work in the field of clinical pharmacology. Over the last 25 years, he has worked on various projects related to neuroscience and Alzheimer’s.

“In my current role, I head up the global clinical pharmacology organization and we oversee sort of early development clinical pharmacology studies across all therapeutic areas for Pfizer and for the medicines that we develop,” he said.

Most recently, Corrigan and his colleagues have been working on COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics for the virus.

“We were very happy that we could play an important part in that in the history of COVID,” he said, adding he never imagined going into the field that he would play a role in a pandemic.

Over the past few decades, Corrigan has seen new technologies and mechanisms in his field, including the mRNA vaccines used for COVID-19, as well as monoclonal antibodies which can be used to help fight the virus.

“We see therapeutic proteins, we see gene therapies emerging now where we can actually go in and treat the underlying cause of a genetic disorder,” he said.

“I think it’s a really exciting time for medicines development and there’s so much happening. And the science has really evolved to allow us to do things that we couldn’t even think (about) when I joined the faculty of pharmacy.”

Before the award ceremony Wednesday evening, Corrigan gave a lunch hour talk to students at the faculty of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences.

Advice Corrigan would give to students is that it’s important to get solid scientific training, be open to change, and learn how to communicate effectively.

“Medicines development is a team sport,” he said. “Really some of those skills that are really important are those scientists’ ability to be able to communicate those very important ideas to people that might not necessarily be as familiar with them.”

The distinguished alumni award is the U of A alumni association’s highest honour, recognizing the outstanding lifetime accomplishments of alumni.

ajunker@postmedia.com

UCP A FRANKENSTEIN PARTY

Fallout from Brian Jean's byelection victory will be messy for Kenney, political scientists say

Wallis Snowdon 

CBC

© Terry Reith/CBC 

Brian Jean, co-founder of the governing United Conservative Party, is coming back to the Alberta legislature, setting up a confrontation with Premier Jason Kenney.

A looming battle between Premier Jason Kenney and newly-elected MLA Brian Jean will sow further divisions within Alberta's deeply divided reigning political party, political scientists say.

Jean's win Tuesday in the Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche byelection is only the first blow to Kenney in what will be an ugly battle for leadership of the United Conservative Party, said Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams.

The former Wildrose Party leader's return to the legislature will deepen existing fault lines with the United Conservative Party and embolden Kenney's opponents, Williams said Wednesday.

With a leadership review set for April 9 in Red Deer, Kenney is playing a losing game, she said.

"The people that oppose Jason Kenney are not going to give up, even if they can't successfully challenge him from within," Williams said.

"For the people that are really strongly opposed — the ones that are angry — they're just going to keep trying either to get Jason Kenney out as leader or split from the party."

Jean easily won the byelection Tuesday. With all polls reporting, 63.6 per cent of voters chose the UCP candidate over his challengers.

Kenney congratulated Jean on Twitter Tuesday but has not made any other comments about his rival's byelection win.

The vote was a lose-lose situation for the premier, said Lisa Young, a political scientist at the University of Calgary.

"There was really no good outcome for Jason Kenney," Young said. "Now his greatest enemy is in his own caucus.

"But if the NDP had won, it would have been seen as a huge sign that his party was in trouble and that would have hurt him in the upcoming leadership review."

For Jean, the campaign was always a means to oust Kenney.

Jean and Kenney founded the UCP together in 2017 as a merger of the Wildrose Party and the Progressive Association of Alberta, but Jean lost the leadership to Kenney in a vote stained by accusations of secret deals, colluding candidates and fraud.

Jean eventually quit as an MLA, but announced in November he was coming out of political retirement.

If Kenney remains as leader, the UCP and its place at the top of Alberta's political ladder will be in jeopardy, Jean said after his win Tuesday night.

"Jason, I hope you see what's coming and I hope you do the right thing," Jean said.

"The right thing is to resign while the party is still together. The party needs to stay together and to unify, we need him to go."

With the byelection over, opposing factions within the UCP are now focused on getting supporters to the ballot box next month for Kenney's leadership review.

Only party members will be eligible to vote at the special general meeting in Red Deer on April 9 but the cutoff to register is Saturday.

As of Tuesday, about 8,000 members had registered but that number is expected to surge.

In an interview Wednesday, Jean urged his supporters to register immediately to ensure a "clear message" is delivered to Kenney about the "bad job" he's been doing.

All Kenney needs to survive is a simple 50 per cent-plus-one majority. He has said he will be content to remain leader if that is all he gets.

Williams said even a winning vote will be a losing scenario for Kenney. Anger within caucus is likely to grow and challenges to his leadership will continue, she said.

"I don't see what win is possible for him," Williams said. "This is the never-ending story."
'One of them is going to go'

The question now becomes what happens when Jean joins the UCP caucus.

Last May, MLAs Drew Barnes and Todd Loewen were kicked out of the UCP caucus after criticizing Kenney and his COVID-19 policies.

In July, Chestermere-Rocky View MLA Leela Aheer was dropped from cabinet after criticizing Kenney for breaking COVID-19 restrictions during a rooftop lunch outside his temporary penthouse office.

"The day after the leadership review, I can't imagine a situation where both Kenney and Jean are in the caucus," said Duane Bratt, a political science professor at Mount Royal University.

"One of them is going to go. It's just unsustainable.

"If Kenney survives the leadership review, I think he's going to take steps to remove Jean from from caucus."

Bratt said he no longer expects Kenney to survive the leadership vote but no matter the outcome, the political fallout will be messy.

Five years after its creation, the party appears split by irreconcilable differences, Bratt said. He said the divisions will continue to plague the caucus and whoever leads the party.

"It's a new party, it was cobbled together because of the NDP, the desire to remove the NDP from power … but that glue didn't last very long.

"Now, there may be glue to remove Jason Kenney, but once he's removed you still have those cleavages and divisions.

"You wonder if the merger was a good idea or whether these are simply two incompatible groups in a forced marriage."

Lethbridge College showcases wind turbine program to prospective Indigenous students

Lethbridge College looked to blow away around 30 prospective students on Wednesday during an experiential learning day.

Eloise Therien

© Courtesy: Lethbridge College Lethbridge College hosts prospective students at its wind turbine facility on Wednesday, March 16, 2022.

Most of those in attendance came from the Piikani First Nation to learn about the school's wind turbine technician program and to tour the campus.

"They're actually in the lab of the wind turbine technician area," said Lowell Yellowhorn, the Indigenous services manager at Lethbridge College.

"They're getting introduced to some of the working components of a wind turbine in the nacelle, (and a virtual reality) experience."

Yellowhorn said the day was made possible through a continuing partnership with Enel Green Power.

Southern Alberta witnessing ‘unprecedented’ surge in renewable energy projects

"Looking at the recruitment of a prospective student from the Piikani Nation, it's important because Enel operates on the traditional territory of the Piikani people and the Blackfoot people."

Otys Potts, a 2006 graduate of the wind turbine technician program, shared some of his experiences.

"I think that's a huge advantage from them to be checking that stuff out, seeing if it's for them or not," Potts said.

Video: Prince Edward County wind turbines coming down

For Braxton Wells, a 17-year-old from Brocket, the thought of working on turbines is both exciting and nerve-wracking.

"I'm kind of scared of heights, so that's one thing -- one of my fears I want to build up," Wells said.

After thinking about his plans after high school for quite some time, he said he plans on applying for the one-year program.

He hopes the experience helps his peers consider their futures as well.

"On our reserve, there's a lot of people that chose the wrong path and they're going down the wrong path," he said. "I kind of just want people my age to go enjoy life and do stuff with their life."

According to the province, there are approximately 3,200 wind turbine technicians employed in Alberta.

Alberta NDP's proposed extension of utility 

cut-off ban rejected by UCP
Ashley Joannou , Lisa Johnson

 

© Provided by Edmonton Journal NDP energy critic Kathleen Ganley.

UCP MLAs rejected an NDP proposal to ban cutting off utilities to Albertans for a full year Wednesday.

Alberta already has regulations that prevent essential utilities from being fully disconnected between Oct. 15 and April 15 but a draft bill offered up by the NDP Opposition, and put forward with a motion Wednesday, would have created a one-time expansion through the spring and summer, preventing utilities from being shut off until next April.

The motion did not receive the unanimous consent it needed in the legislature to move forward.

The Opposition said the protection is required as costs go up and more Albertans fall behind on their soaring energy bills, but electricity and natural gas associate minister Dale Nally called it unnecessary, pointing to support programs for low-income seniors and Albertans.

© Provided by Edmonton Journal Natural gas and electricity associate minister Dale Nally.


“The utilities have made it clear to me that if Albertans are working with them, they will then in return work back with them and they will come out with reasonable programs that will allow them to continue to pay their bill and to keep their lights and their power on,” said Nally in the legislature, encouraging Albertans to contact their utility companies.

At a news conference Tuesday, NDP energy critic Kathleen Ganley said she thought the draft legislation could be passed in a day if it had government support.

“Albertans have already been through so much over the past two years. Between the COVID-19 pandemic and now the rising cost of living, it would be heartless to disconnect Albertans just trying to get by and keep a roof over their heads,” Ganley said.

The UCP government has responded to growing utility bills by promising a $150 rebate as soon as they can get the details worked out with the province’s power companies. Ganley called that plan “insulting,” considering how high bills have become.

The Opposition has called on the government to increase the size of the rebate or reinstate the cap on utility prices that was in place when the NDP was in power.