Drilling rig in northern Alberta

The Alberta Advantage is a phrase coined by the government of the province of Alberta, Canada to describe Alberta's prosperous circumstance at the beginning of the 21st century. It is simultaneously a marketing campaign and a despriction of the province's petroleum-based economic boom. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x800, 337 KB) Summary Oil drilling rig, northern Alberta, Canada Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Canadian Oil Patch ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (600x800, 337 KB) Summary Oil drilling rig, northern Alberta, Canada Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Canadian Oil Patch ... Motto: Fortis et liber(Latin) Strong and free Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Official languages English (see below) Government - Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong - Premier Ed Stelmach (PC) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 28 - Senate seats 6 Confederation September 1, 1905 (split from Northwest Territories) (8th [Province]) Area Ranked... Motto: Fortis et liber(Latin) Strong and free Capital Edmonton Largest city Calgary Official languages English (see below) Government - Lieutenant-Governor Norman Kwong - Premier Ed Stelmach (PC) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 28 - Senate seats 6 Confederation September 1, 1905 (split from Northwest Territories) (8th [Province]) Area Ranked... Marketing is a social and managerial function associated selling of product with the interchange of material and to satisfy the customer. ... Drilling rig in northern Alberta Petroleum production is a major industry in Canada. ... In economics, the term boom and bust refers to the movement of an economy through economic cycles due to changes in aggregate demand. ...

Usage

The phrase was an important part of the rhetoric of former Alberta premier Ralph Klein and his ministers during the second half of his premiership (1992-2006). It was especially featured in the 2006 budget. Ralph Phillip Klein (born November 1, 1942) was the premier of the Canadian province of Alberta and leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives from 1992 until his retirement in 2006. ...

The Alberta Advantage illustrates, using widely accepted performance indicators, that Alberta is leading the way in these areas and is progressing toward its vision by capitalizing on the exciting opportunities that are available…

• a strong and vibrant economy
• a young, skilled and productive workforce
• affordable living costs
• a strong commitment to innovation and knowledge-based progress
• a highly entrepreneurial and competitive business community
• a business-friendly province committed to responsible regulation
• the lowest overall tax load of any province in Canada, including no retail sales tax
• a modern and efficient infrastructure
• an abundance of natural resources
• a beautiful natural environment
• a fiscally responsible provincial government

The Alberta Advantage is organized around the following categories: the economy, people, taxes, operating costs, quality of life and sound financial management. It shows that Alberta is "the place to be."^[1]

In the usage of the Klein government the phrase suggested that Alberta's natural advantages combined with sound policy would guarantee continued prosperity for Albertans.

The phrase then passed into common usage in the province to promote any perceived benefits gained from living and working in the province.

The boom

Tar sands minesite at Syncrude's Mildred Lake plant.

Alberta, a resource-rich province, has been particularly blessed with an abundance of energy resources. Although Alberta's stocks of traditional supplies such as sweet crude are in decline, Alberta has massive oil reserves contained in the Athabasca Oil Sands, the proven and currently economically extractable portion of which is only rivalled in size by Saudi Arabia. Because of the wealth generated by royalties collected on these resources, Alberta has been able to do a number of things no other Canadian province has been able to do. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 135 KB) This is a picture of Syncrudes base mine. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 135 KB) This is a picture of Syncrudes base mine. ... Athabasca Oil Sands Tar sands, also referred to as oil sands, bituminous sands, or (in Venezuela) extra-heavy oil, are a mixture of sand or clay, water, and extremely heavy crude oil. ... Syncrude Canada Ltd. ... Sweet crude oil is crude oil containing small amounts of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. ... The Athabasca Oil Sands in Alberta, Canada. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Canada consists of ten provinces and three territories. ...

Albertans have the lowest provincial headline income tax rate in Canada, though those earning less than $85,000/year would pay less income tax in BC and Ontario, and those earning less than $33,000/year would pay less income tax in PEI, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, BC and Ontario. However, Alberta is alone in Canada in not having a provincial sales tax. Alberta also has the highest levels of overall government services including health care. Alberta is the only province able to declare itself debt-free - it retired its debt in 2004, after privatising many province-owned companies. The state of Alberta's finances gained national attention when it has issued "prosperity cheques" to its citizens (2005). The preceding Premier, Ralph Klein discussed issuing a second round of cheques although the government did not do so prior to Klein leaving office in 2006. It remains to be seen how any future surpluses will be dealt with now that Ed Stelmach has assumed the premiership. A sales tax is a consumption tax charged at the point of purchase for certain goods and services. ... A physician visiting the sick in a hospital. ... The Prosperity Bonus, announced in September 2005, is the name given to a program designed to pay money back to residents of the Canadian province of Alberta as a result of a massive oil-fuelled provincial budget surplus. ... Ralph Klein The Premier of Alberta is the first minister for the Canadian province of Alberta. ... Ralph Phillip Klein (born November 1, 1942) was the premier of the Canadian province of Alberta and leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives from 1992 until his retirement in 2006. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Surplus means the quantity left over, after conducting an activity; the quantity which has not been used up, and can refer to: budget surplus, the opposite of a budget deficit economic surplus Surplus product or surplus value in Marxian economics physical surplus in the economic theory of Piero Sraffa Operating... Edward Stelmach (born ca. ...

The economic wealth generated in the remote rural areas of the province has also helped Alberta's major cities to boom. Calgary, seen here, is the centre of the corporate oil sector.

Alberta also boasts the most highly educated workforce in Canada ^[2], and the fastest-growing economy in Canada. In 2006, its unemployment rate sits at the lowest in Canada, at about 3% ^[3], well below the national average of close to 7%. Alberta's gross domestic product is over $200 billion, which equates to a GDP per capita that is not only the highest of any Canadian province, but is also higher than any U.S. state. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 377 pixelsFull resolution (2500 × 1179 pixel, file size: 258 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Calgary, Alberta at dawn looking south from Crescent Road. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 377 pixelsFull resolution (2500 × 1179 pixel, file size: 258 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Calgary, Alberta at dawn looking south from Crescent Road. ... This article is about the Canadian city. ... Nominal GDP per person (capita) in 2006. ... ISO 4217 Code CAD User(s) Canada Inflation 2% Source The World Factbook, 2006 est. ... Canada consists of ten provinces and three territories. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the...

Along with the wealth of resources comes a resource of natural beauty. Within Alberta's boundaries are two of the largest national parks in Canada: Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. Both offer unparallelled scenic and recreational opportunities for Alberta's residents. Alberta is also home to such world-class attractions as the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, which is home to an impressive range of dinosaur fossils and invertebrate fossils which date back to the Cambrian era. Moraine Lake, and the Valley of the Ten Peaks Banff National Park is Canadas oldest national park, established in 1885, in the Canadian Rockies. ... Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, spanning 10,878 km² (4200 mi²). It is located in the province of Alberta, to the north of Banff National Park and west of the city of Edmonton. ... The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller, Alberta, Canada, 90 minutes drive east of Calgary, is known the world over as an outstanding paleontology museum and research facility. ... The Cambrian is a major division of the geologic timescale that begins about 542 mya (million years ago) at the end of the Proterozoic eon and ended about 488. ...

Critics argue that the Alberta Advantage is not enjoyed by all Albertans. A frequent bone of contention cited by some critics in past years has been the province's historically low minimum wage. Until September 2005, Alberta's minimum, $5.90/hour, was the lowest in Canada. The minimum wage was then increased to $7/hour, tying other provinces for the lowest in Canada. It is worth noting, however that the other provinces' minimum wages were not any more than $1/hour higher at the most, and that in any event the Albertan labour market was such that less than one percent of Albertan wage earners are paid the minimum wage.^[4] Many if not most of the few Albertans who are paid the minimum wage are tip earners, most of whom can, unlike their counterparts in the rest of the country, expect gratuities on par with those received in the U.S. Even in fast food restaurants, starting wages of over $10/hour are no longer uncommon. The province increased the minimum wage again on September 1, 2007 to $8, putting it level with Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia for the highest minimum wage among provinces.[1] The government has also announced that the minimum wage will be automatically raised each April, starting in 2008.[2] Critics say the new wage is still too low. The NDP claims a more suitable minimum wage would be at least $10 an hour because of the increased cost of living in Alberta compared to other provinces.[3] The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. ... ISO 4217 Code CAD User(s) Canada Inflation 2% Source The World Factbook, 2006 est. ... For other uses, see Tip (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see United States (disambiguation) and US (disambiguation). ... Fast food is food prepared and served quickly at a fast-food restaurant or shop at low cost. ... For other uses, see Restaurant (disambiguation). ... is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Motto: Gloriosus et Liber (Latin: Glorious and free) BC AB SK MB ON QC NB PE NS NL YT NT NU Capital Winnipeg Largest city Winnipeg Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor John Harvard - Premier Gary Doer (NDP) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 14 - Senate seats 6 Confederation... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government - Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... , Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Official languages French Government - Lieutenant-Governor Pierre Duchesne - Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 75 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area  Ranked 2nd - Total 1,542,056 km² (595... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour Without Sunset (diminishment)) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo - Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 36 - Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 5th - Total 944,735... 2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Alberta New Democrats or Alberta NDP is a social democratic political party in Canada that was founded as the Alberta section of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation. ... A cost-of-living index measures differences in the price of goods and services over time. ...

Aside from economic prosperity, Albertans enjoy a high quality of life, and regard the natural beauty of their province as second to none. Seen here is Jasper National Park.

The average hourly wage is now over $20/hour.^[5] Although the Alberta Federation of Labour claims wage increases are not keeping pace with inflation, ^[6] studies have shown that the gap between higher- and lower-paying jobs is narrowing.^[7] Finally, controversial provisions that allowed employers to pay lower wages to people under the age of 18 were abolished when Alberta raised its minimum wage to $7/hour, and will not be re-instated. Such exceptions allow employers to pay certain employees wages less than the general mimimum in British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.^[8] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 719 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photographer: Neil Title: Fryatt 098 Description: Fryatt Valley from the top of the head wall Taken on: 2004-08-01 11:19:49 Original source... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (1600 × 1200 pixel, file size: 719 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Photographer: Neil Title: Fryatt 098 Description: Fryatt Valley from the top of the head wall Taken on: 2004-08-01 11:19:49 Original source... Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, spanning 10,878 km² (4200 mi²). It is located in the province of Alberta, to the north of Banff National Park and west of the city of Edmonton. ... The Alberta Federation of Labour is the Alberta provincial trade union federation of the Canadian Labour Congress. ... Motto: Splendor Sine Occasu (Latin: Splendour Without Sunset (diminishment)) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Iona Campagnolo - Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 36 - Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 5th - Total 944,735... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government - Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... , Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Official languages French Government - Lieutenant-Governor Pierre Duchesne - Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 75 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area  Ranked 2nd - Total 1,542,056 km² (595... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit(Latin) One defends and the other conquers Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Regional Municipality Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Mayann E. Francis - Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 11 - Senate seats 10 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area...

Education is funded at lower levels than they are in some other provinces^[9], and programs to address the plight of the very poor are alleged to be insufficient.^[10] While many Albertans enjoy the Alberta Advantage, critics counter that some do not. Teachers in Alberta are on average the highest paid in Canada.

One consequence of the Alberta Advantage is an influx of workers from other provinces seeking employment. Alberta's population is increasing at five times the national average,^[11] and housing costs are skyrocketing. Employers have complained of a labour shortage, and trained medical personnel have been alleged to be in particular demand. Although the government now provides more health care funding per capita than any other province^[12] and has managed to reduce wait times to second shortest in the country after Ontario^[13], critics claim that the health care system is strained. A condition whereby there are not enough qualified candidates (employees) to fill needed jobs. ...

In September 2006, Statistics Canada confirmed Alberta's current economic growth as the strongest such growth by any province in Canadian history, averaging 12.6% per year since 2002 compared to China's 14.8% average.^[14] Current projections are that barring some catastrophic event, the boom will last well into the next decade. Lower energy prices are not believed to be as likely as they were in the latter decades of the 20th century (mainly due to China's growth) and even if prices were to drop significantly the impact of such an event is not expected to be as severe for Alberta - its economy is more diversified now than it was in the 20th century and the energy sector is now dominated by oilsands operations which are much more capital-intensive, and owned by companies that are much more sophisticated and better financed than their predecessors. Statistics Canada (French: Statistique Canada) is the Canadian federal government department commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. ... Canada is a nation of 31 million inhabitants occupying almost all of the northern half of the North American continent. ... The 2010s decade is a period of 10 years that begins on January 1, 2010 and later ends on December 31, 2019 inclusive. ...

See also

• Tiger economy
• Economic miracle

A tiger economy is a name given to a country which undergoes rapid economic growth and usually an accompanying increase in standard of living. ... The term Wirtschaftswunder (German: Wirtschafts [economic] + wunder [miracle]) is used to describe the upturn experienced in the West German and Austrian economies after the Second World War. ...

References