Newly minted Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney showed his passion for hockey Thursday, hitting the ice for the Edmonton Oilers morning skate.
The Prime Minister could be seen on the ice as the Oilers began practice, wearing goalie skates. While he attended Harvard, Carney was the backup goalie for the varsity hockey team and was also a roommate with former Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli. The Oilers are set to host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.
Carney's trip was not all fun and games, as he was in Edmonton Thursday to announce a $187 million investment for Jasper after that summer's wildfire.
The funding, provided to Parks Canada over two years, will support the reconstruction of roads, campgrounds, trails, and permanent staff housing, and help provide interim housing options for staff and residents during rebuilding.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney taking part in #Oilers morning skate today. pic.twitter.com/wdvDMlZrK1
鈥� Derek Van Diest (@DerekVanDiest) March 20, 2025
鈥淒uring last summer鈥檚 devastating Jasper wildfire, Canadians came together to protect and support this incredible town. Our new investment will help restore Canada鈥檚 crown jewel and help the people of Jasper rebuild their park, their economy, and their lives,鈥� Carney said in a press release.
Carney also met with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Thursday.
In a statement about the meeting, Smith said she provided Carney with a list of specific demands.
"We had a very frank discussion in which I made it clear that Albertans will no longer tolerate the way we've been treated by the federal Liberals over the past 10 years. I provided a specific list of demands the next Prime Minister, regardless of who that is, must address within the first six months of their term to avoid an unprecedented national unity crisis," she said.
Those demands included:
-Guaranteeing Alberta full access to unfettered oil and gas corridors to the north, east, and west
-Repealing Bill C-69 (aka. 鈥渘o new pipelines act鈥�)
-Lifting the tanker ban off the B.C. coast
-Eliminating the oil and gas emissions cap, which is a production cap
-Scrapping the so-called Clean Electricity Regulations
-Ending the prohibition on single-use plastics
-Abandoning the net-zero car mandate
-Returning oversight of the industrial carbon tax to the provinces
-Halting the federal censorship of energy companies
"I also made it clear that Alberta, as owner of the resource, will not accept an export tax or restriction of Alberta鈥檚 oil and gas to the United States, and that our province is no longer agreeable to subsidizing other large provinces who are fully capable of funding themselves. Lastly, I made it clear that federal mismanagement of Jasper and Banff national parks resulted in last year鈥檚 tragic wildfire in Jasper and is endangering Banff, and the situation must be rectified immediately," Smith said in her statement.
鈥淲ith the federal election about to be called, I encourage all Albertans to get involved in what is likely one of the most pivotal and important elections in our nation鈥檚 history, and to support the party and candidates that have consistently advocated for freeing Alberta from federal overreach and the repeated economic attacks our province has faced from Ottawa over the past 10 years.鈥�
Early Thursday, it was also reported that Carney is expected to call a snap election on Sunday. Carney was elected as Liberal leader nearly a week ago and was sworn in as Prime Minister on March 14.
