Author: AllanHardingM

Premier Danielle Smith presents her government’s version of a release valve for the separation sentiment roiling Alberta.

Release the hounds!

Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday they’re eyeing a fall 2027 start date for construction of a new bitumen pipeline to the West Coast. It’s part of a plan to accomplish the remaining steps of the landmark energy deal they signed last fall. There is to be a new scheme for carbon emissions pricing in Alberta, and a commitment from Carney to declare the pipeline as being in the national interest by October of this year.

Meanwhile behind the optics…

Canada’s Asian pipeline strategy faces significant criticism, focusing on the accelerating energy transition in Asia toward electrification, which threatens long-term demand for Canadian oil. Concerns include reliance on outdated demand projections, massive capital investment risks in a shifting market, intense environmental opposition, and the rapid rise of renewables/EVs.

 [1, 2, 3, 4] Click numbers to view Energi Media videos and relevant articles.

Court Painter has called upon a manual phoropter to decipher the optics of the announcement.

A special treat! Court Painter is not only a virtuoso with the brush but a steady hand with the camera. During his recent Beijing visit he was invited to attend and video President Trump and President Xi at the height of their dining experience together.Key moments of the delightful interaction and minimal monologue is captured in Court Painter’s signature easy on the eye & ear style .

The Shawinigan Handshake in Canadian folklore is considered a chokehold at a chokepoint. Former PM Chretien demonstrates the manoeuvre on a southern neighbour.

Definition: A chokepoint is a narrow, strategic passage—such as a strait, valley, or bridge—that restricts movement and forces traffic (military or commercial) to pass through a single, congested area. It serves as a bottleneck that, if controlled or blocked, can halt flow, create hazards, or provide significant tactical advantages in warfare and geopolitics.

International sea route choke points of the world

Approximately 80% of global trade by volume moves by ship, much of it passing through narrow, high-traffic waterways known as maritime chokepoints. Disruption at any of these locations—whether from conflict, accidents, or environmental factors—can cause immediate spikes in energy prices and massive delays in global supply chains. Source:Al Jazeera +4

The Most Critical Chokepoints (2026 Status)

Chokepoint	Primary Significance	Current Status (April 2026)
Strait of Hormuz	World’s most vital energy artery; ~20%–30% of global oil flows here.	Highly Volatile: Traffic collapsed in early April due to conflict. Iran has issued warnings against passage; US naval presence is active.
Strait of Malacca	Asia’s “trade superhighway”; handles ~40% of world trade and 80% of China’s energy imports.	Operational but Congested: Still the world’s busiest natural strait. Subject to piracy risks and regional geopolitical tension.
Suez Canal	Artificial shortcut connecting Asia and Europe, shaving ~8,900 km off the trip around Africa.	Strained: Vulnerable to spillover from regional Middle East conflict. Significant container shipping has shifted to alternative routes.
Bab el-Mandeb	Gateway to the Red Sea and Suez Canal; crucial for trade between Europe and the Indian Ocean.	High Risk: Frequent drone and missile attacks by Houthi forces have forced major shipping lines to reroute.
Panama Canal	Critical link between the Atlantic and Pacific, handling 40% of all US container traffic.	Operational: Managing environmental challenges like drought, which periodically restricts transit slots and increases costs

Court Painter captured all these chokepoints as monochromatic landscapes.

EDMONTON — Alberta’s elections agency said Thursday,May 7/26 it believes 568 people accessed a voter list at the heart of a massive privacy breach involving a separatist group.

The group, called the Centurion Project, had made a publicly accessible database featuring the names and addresses of nearly three million Alberta voters.

A call for an independent public inquiry into the management and use of Alberta’s voters list

Click Link for post

https://open.substack.com/pub/drjaredwesley/p/momentum-toward-a-public-inquiry?r=1sx7vz&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

• SOURCE:
  Jared Wesley is professor of political science and associate dean (Graduate) in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Alberta.
• May 7th 2026

Thirty-eight (38) academics from across the province joined me in publishing this open letter earlier this morning. I invite you to read and share it widely.

As we argue:

The integrity of the voters list must be beyond reproach. In a healthy democracy, Albertans have confidence that their personal information is protected. They have assurance that elections and referendums are conducted on a level playing field. They have institutions that are, and are seen to be, independent and trustworthy.

An independent public inquiry is the most effective way to restore those conditions.

As I argued earlier, police and Elections Alberta investigations are underway. They are necessary. But they are not enough.

Court Painter & Portrait of Jared Wesley

Premier Danielle Smith seen contemplating her next move as the political fallout turns up the heat for a public inquiry into the voter database privacy.breach

Prime Minister Mark Carney has named former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour as Canada’s next governor general, picking a francophone with a long legal resumé which includes stints prosecuting war crimes in Rwanda and Yugoslavia and serving as the UN human rights commissioner.

Arbour, 79, is one of the most celebrated jurists of her time. She has received 42 honorary doctorates and is already a Companion of the Order of Canada — the country’s highest honour — in recognition of her pioneering legal work here and around the world.

Court Painter & Newly Appointed Governor General Louise Arbour

Court Painter was on hand to capture dramatic portrait opportunities during a truncated Washington dinner.

Court Painter is very hopeful these paintings will find a home in a Washington ballroom someday!