Jason Stephan

Alberta has the highest per capita GDP in Canada and among the highest in North America. Overall though, the average per capita GDP in Canada is materially lower than the average per capita of the US states. Thank you to The Hub Canada for this informative graphic.

The Crypt Lake hike in Waterton Alberta involves a boat trip across Waterton Lake, a beautiful trail with waterfalls, a rock tunnel, and steel ladders and chains, all of which ends at a high mountain lake sharing a border with the US. A gem of a hike in Alberta!

Today Prime Minister Mark Carney was in Red Deer with Premier Danielle Smith to make an announcement about federal tax dollars coming to Alberta for water infrastructure needs. It has been a long time since a Prime Minister has made a visit to Red Deer. With the upcoming October referendum vote on having a future referendum vote on independence, Alberta has seen this Prime Minister much more than Justin Trudeau, including this third time in July.

Last night Jen and I went on a date to Westerner Days. It was fun! There were shows, including diving, and of course rides, including the "Himalayan". It is a great date ride, fun music, and cosy, due to centrifugal forces, whomever is on the outside is joined by whomever is on the inside :)

It was fun to be in the Westerner Days parade and then joining Premier Danielle Smith and my colleague Adriana LaGrange at many events, ending with a wonderful BBQ at Sunnybrook Farm with over 1,500 indivduals and family members. What a great day! Thank you to all of the volunteers who served our neighbors on a beautiful night!

Join Premier Danielle Smith at a FREE COMMUNITY BBQ at Sunnybrook Farm Museum on Wednesday, July 15!

Come and enjoy an evening with family and friends at the Farm with great food, music, face painting and mini train rides for the kids. All are invited!

Today at The Market at Red Deer we were inviting all to a FREE Westerner BBQ this Wednesday - 5 PM to 7 PM at Sunnybrook Farm Museum hosted by your City of Red Deer MLAs and joined by ... Premier Danielle Smith! Come eat out, and enjoy the evening at the farm with friends and families!

Today was a great day. Adriana LaGrange and I, Red Deer's MLAs, were part of a tour of the transformative $1.8 BILLION Red Deer Regional Hospital expansion. We look forward to seeing this expansion bless families and individuals throughout Central Alberta with more health services and, in the result, better health outcomes.

Today was a beautiful day at the Stampede breakfast with Premier Danielle Smith. It was great to serve families breakfast with caucus colleagues, hand out beautiful Alberta flags, and greet many Albertans that I respect and like, including Keith Wilson.

Thank you to the volunteers with the Red Deer Cultural Heritage Society for organizing the Canada Day event at Red Deer's Bower Ponds.

The Canada many of us were born into, and grew up in, is not the same Canada of today. What Canada is, and what it is becoming, is more important than what it was.

“O Canada” was written by Robert Weir in 1908. He wrote 4 verses in the anthem. The last and most important verse, recognizes the true source of hope for the future:

"Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer;
Hold our Dominion within thy loving care;
Help us to find, O God, in thee, a lasting, rich reward;
As waiting for the better Day; We ever stand on guard."