menu_open Columnists

Calgary Herald

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

Varcoe: 'Growth is possible' — a long-term economic aim amid chaotic upheaval today

Varcoe: 'Growth is possible' — a long-term economic aim amid chaotic upheaval today

'A future world that's going to be abundant for everybody has to have a massively bigger economy,' Chris Bradley, co-author of the book A Century of...

yesterday 1

Calgary Herald

Chris Varcoe

Varcoe: Canada-U.S. trade war intensifies, but a 'new equilibrium in our relationship' will be found, says former ambassador

Varcoe: Canada-U.S. trade war intensifies, but a 'new equilibrium in our relationship' will be found, says former ambassador

The Canada-U.S. trade war keeps bubbling like a pot of hot water on a stove, with President Donald Trump taking another swipe at his northern...

yesterday 10

Calgary Herald

Chris Varcoe

Opinion: Referendum question 2 would have kept this successful immigrant away

Opinion: Referendum question 2 would have kept this successful immigrant away

I came to Alberta in 1994. I was a 30-year-old computer programmer. I’ve had a moderately successful career here, ending up in the ‘C’ suite of...

yesterday 10

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Nelson: Bet on Danielle Smith in Alberta's biggest ever political lottery

Nelson: Bet on Danielle Smith in Alberta's biggest ever political lottery

It’s the machinations within her own party that threaten to derail Smith as premier

yesterday 10

Calgary Herald

Chris Nelson

Braid: B.C. NDP's cynical, dangerous election plays into Trump's hands

Braid: B.C. NDP's cynical, dangerous election plays into Trump's hands

British Columbia Premier David Eby’s reckless election call is a danger not just to his province, but to the whole country. In his kickoff speech...

previous day 3

Calgary Herald

Don Braid

Bell: Lefties chill out! Smith is no racist for wanting immigration changes in Alberta

Bell: Lefties chill out! Smith is no racist for wanting immigration changes in Alberta

Premier Danielle Smith isn't backing down on immigration

previous day 7

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Opinion: The free door in youth sport closed without a vote; Calgary can reopen it.

Opinion: The free door in youth sport closed without a vote; Calgary can reopen it.

On Nov. 13, 2018, I was in a Calgary pub watching the city vote on whether to bid for the Winter Olympics — 56 per cent said no. The room did not...

previous day 6

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Braid: Special ballots now landing smack of planned confusion

Braid: Special ballots now landing smack of planned confusion

After finally laying my hands on a referendum special ballot, the package reminded me of something in the distant past. It was the scandal over my Tom...

tuesday 3

Calgary Herald

Don Braid

Varcoe: As Oct. 1 deadline nears, premier expects West Coast pipeline to be deemed a nation-building project

Varcoe: As Oct. 1 deadline nears, premier expects West Coast pipeline to be deemed a nation-building project

Premier Danielle Smith remains confident the West Coast pipeline will get a pivotal decision by Oct. 1 from the federal Major Projects Office, one...

tuesday 6

Calgary Herald

Chris Varcoe

Bell: 'Don't vote angry' — Danielle Smith's message to Albertans on separatism

Bell: 'Don't vote angry' — Danielle Smith's message to Albertans on separatism

Premier Smith tells Albertans to not let the fact they're mad drive them out of Canada

tuesday 7

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Alberta Voices - Brad Tomlinson: Separatism comes down to difference in values

Alberta Voices - Brad Tomlinson: Separatism comes down to difference in values

I have been quite involved with the Forever Canadian movement and I am very opposed to separation. Lots of Albertans are arguing about why we should...

tuesday 2

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Opinion: New Grassy Mountain mine design will benefit Alberta

Opinion: New Grassy Mountain mine design will benefit Alberta

A recent opinion piece from the Alberta Wilderness Association stated it would take a “technical miracle” for the proposed Grassy Mountain...

tuesday 10

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Breakenridge: There's much Alberta can do to boost investment

The 'strong and sovereign Alberta' the government so frequently touts means there’s much we can do ourselves to strengthen Alberta’s hand

tuesday 10

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Bell: Attention separatists — Danielle Smith doubles down on Alberta in Canada

Bell: Attention separatists — Danielle Smith doubles down on Alberta in Canada

The separatists won't like it but Premier Smith makes clear where she stands on Alberta staying in Canada

21.09.2026 7

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Opinion: Small businesses are the missing piece in Canada’s investment and trade strategy

Opinion: Small businesses are the missing piece in Canada’s investment and trade strategy

This week, Ottawa made its biggest-ever pitch to global investors, aiming to catalyze $1 trillion into the Canadian economy over the next five years....

21.09.2026 8

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Leong: Calgary's infrastructure bills are coming due. What are we going to do about it?

Leong: Calgary's infrastructure bills are coming due. What are we going to do about it?

Despite what we've believed for decades, the city will not be able to geographically grow its way into fiscal sustainability

21.09.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Ricky Leong

Alberta Voices — Keith F. Pope: Grandparents believed in Alberta's prosperity. We should, too

Alberta Voices — Keith F. Pope: Grandparents believed in Alberta's prosperity. We should, too

On my desk is a stack of paper that predates me by almost 40 years. It belonged to my grandparents, Fred and Edna Pope, who homesteaded near Oyen from...

19.09.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Opinion: The separation report's faulty assumption: financial discipline in Alberta

Opinion: The separation report's faulty assumption: financial discipline in Alberta

The Alberta government’s newly released separation report, commissioned from the University of Calgary’s School of Public Policy, runs to hundreds...

19.09.2026 7

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Opinion: Why we’re all responsible for preventing Calgary’s domestic violence

Opinion: Why we’re all responsible for preventing Calgary’s domestic violence

For decades, women and girls have carried much of the responsibility for keeping themselves safe from gender-based violence. Learn the warning signs....

19.09.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Opinion: Alberta could score big in global investment, if it doesn't self-sabatoge

Opinion: Alberta could score big in global investment, if it doesn't self-sabatoge

Canada — and Alberta — were on the global financial stage earlier this week as investors representing $120 trillion in capital gathered in Toronto...

19.09.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Varcoe: 'Significant uncertainty': Independent Alberta would still have oil and gas, but how would separation affect market access?

Varcoe: 'Significant uncertainty': Independent Alberta would still have oil and gas, but how would separation affect market access?

A changed relationship between an independent Alberta and the rest of the country could present challenges for the oil and gas industry

19.09.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Chris Varcoe

Bell: Angry Alberta separatists now on the warpath against Danielle Smith

Bell: Angry Alberta separatists now on the warpath against Danielle Smith

Separatists take on Premier Danielle Smith. Read on to find out why.

18.09.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Brookman: Reforms needed for Canada to capitalize on its opportunities

Brookman: Reforms needed for Canada to capitalize on its opportunities

As Canadians face an economic trade war with the United States, and Alberta faces its own group of insurrectionists, we cannot believe that things...

18.09.2026 8

Calgary Herald

George Brookman

Opinion: Canada’s energy leadership shines far beyond our borders

Opinion: Canada’s energy leadership shines far beyond our borders

When Canadians talk about energy leadership, the conversation often begins and ends with oil and gas. Alberta’s energy sector has helped power our...

18.09.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Braid: Agency that can't count straight will soon face millions of referendum votes

Braid: Agency that can't count straight will soon face millions of referendum votes

Two senior officials at Elections Alberta were fired because they didn’t like what was happening to Corb Lund’s anti-coal petition. Three more...

17.09.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Don Braid

Varcoe: U of C report on separation questions whether head offices will stay if Alberta goes

Varcoe: U of C report on separation questions whether head offices will stay if Alberta goes

Would an independent Alberta see corporate head offices leave Wild Rose Country? It’s one of many provocative issues that a new report commissioned...

17.09.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Chris Varcoe

Bell: 'Huge risk' — Smith's budget boss warns Albertans of perils of separatism

Bell: 'Huge risk' — Smith's budget boss warns Albertans of perils of separatism

Start your engines, the latest eye-opening report on the big-time costs of Alberta leaving Canada heats up the referendum debate

17.09.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

When 'leverage' isn’t leverage: Why the separatists’ push for bargaining power is an empty bluff

When 'leverage' isn’t leverage: Why the separatists’ push for bargaining power is an empty bluff

As someone who has practised and studied intergovernmental relations in Canada for more than two decades, I find the Alberta separatists’ latest ad...

17.09.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Nelson: Premier needs to shower Calgary with care (and cash) to address discontent

Nelson: Premier needs to shower Calgary with care (and cash) to address discontent

The premier needs to stop lecturing our city and instead shower it with love and money

17.09.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Chris Nelson

Ford: Smith and supporters are the outliers while the rest of us stand together

Ford: Smith and supporters are the outliers while the rest of us stand together

If David had married Goliath instead of killing him, that might have reached the level of astonishment for many watching two former Alberta premiers...

16.09.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Catherine Ford

Opinion: Separatism is an oversimplification of the Calgary-Shaw byelection result

Opinion: Separatism is an oversimplification of the Calgary-Shaw byelection result

After the 2015 election, when I won the Calgary-Shaw riding for the NDP, a narrative began, suggesting that the result was largely due to a...

16.09.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Varcoe: 'The stars are aligning' — Ottawa's new tax incentive another significant step for Canadian oilsands growth

Varcoe: 'The stars are aligning' — Ottawa's new tax incentive another significant step for Canadian oilsands growth

The oilsands is an industry marked by mega-projects. The federal government has just rolled out a new “productivity mega deduction.” And Alberta...

16.09.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Chris Varcoe

Bell: Here it is! Bombshell report on the costs of Alberta separating from Canada

Bell: Here it is! Bombshell report on the costs of Alberta separating from Canada

Boom! The explosive report on Alberta separatism we've been waiting for.

16.09.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Braid: Byelection signals trouble for UCP, as a conservative rival gears up

Braid: Byelection signals trouble for UCP, as a conservative rival gears up

NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi called his party’s victory in Calgary-Shaw an “earthquake.” He was hyper-excited by the unexpected win. Braid:...

15.09.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Don Braid

Bell: Smith UCP — it's wakey-wakey time from those Calgary byelection blues

Bell: Smith UCP — it's wakey-wakey time from those Calgary byelection blues

The UCP lose in south Calgary. They cannot afford losses like that

15.09.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Opinion: Question 8 in referendum could gut the Canada Health Act

Opinion: Question 8 in referendum could gut the Canada Health Act

While the separation question is understandably taking up most of Alberta’s bandwidth, the other nine ballot questions could also drastically change...

15.09.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Breakenridge: Overeager government cagey on date centre costs

Breakenridge: Overeager government cagey on date centre costs

Electricity use has emerged as one of the major questions around data centres

15.09.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Rob Breakenridge

Braid: Unlike Quebec's PQ, the UCP has no democratic right to hold a vote on separation

Braid: Unlike Quebec's PQ, the UCP has no democratic right to hold a vote on separation

Premier Danielle Smith’s separation referendum is important, no doubt of that. But is it legitimate? The premier and her UCP didn’t mention such a...

14.09.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Don Braid

Varcoe: 'Do no harm': Should Alberta step in to fix gas system constraints, given past energy interventions?

Varcoe: 'Do no harm': Should Alberta step in to fix gas system constraints, given past energy interventions?

Alberta has a long history of trying to fix what it sees as problems vexing the province’s oil and gas system through government intervention. Think...

14.09.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Chris Varcoe

Bell: Alberta auto insurers, drivers wait for Danielle Smith UCP's next move

Bell: Alberta auto insurers, drivers wait for Danielle Smith UCP's next move

How much will savings on Alberta auto insurance premiums evaporate? No one knows — yet

14.09.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Opinion: Calgary is the city I mistakenly vowed never to call home

How do you end up loving a city you once vowed never to live in? For me, the answer lies in the unlikely journey that eventually brought me to...

12.09.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Bell: Alberta separatist leader takes on Smith, says pro-Canada side is stalling

The Alberta independence movement believes they are gaining ground in Oct. 19 referendum fight

11.09.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Braid: Carney steps up as pro-Canada champion in face of Smith's muddled federalism

With Smith in the background Mark Carney is suddenly more active as a federalist campaigner

11.09.2026 10

Calgary Herald

Don Braid

Opinion: We're fast-tracking projects, but slow-walking engineers

Alberta is undergoing an economic transformation, evolving from an energy powerhouse into a global hub for infrastructure, mega-energy projects and...

11.09.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald

Varcoe: 'Wind at their backs': As oil jumps above $100, public support grows for Canada exporting more oil and gas

As oil prices top US$100 a barrel, two new reports hammer home one powerful point — Canadian oil production is primed for growth over the next...

11.09.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Chris Varcoe

Bell: Albertans to pay less for auto insurance — now there's a twist to the story

There's more to this story than meets the eye

11.09.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Braid: Carney gives big boost to Ukraine, links Canada's sovereignty fight with theirs

The prime minister plans to quickly boost Canada into an important drone power

10.09.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Don Braid

Nelson: City council's Blue Sky thinking will cost Calgarians big time

In the end Calgarians will indeed face a lower hike. Let’s say nine per cent

10.09.2026 30

Calgary Herald

Chris Nelson

Bell: Big savings on auto insurance for Alberta drivers — the numbers

Your auto insurance premium is likely coming down come January. Read on

09.09.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Rick Bell

Opinion: It's time to end the annual property tax charade

Every fall, Calgary taxpayers are treated to the same theatrics.

09.09.2026 20

Calgary Herald

Calgary Herald