Canadians will be checking their bank accounts over the next few weeks hoping for a tax refund, but the spring bump is no longer just a bonus for many — it’s a financial lifeline, data shows.

Canada’s tax filing season is officially underway, with the tax filing deadline set at April 30.

An EQ Bank survey released last week shows more than one-third (36 per cent) of Canadians say they are relying on their tax refund more this year than last year, with the figure jumping to more than four in 10 (42 per cent) among younger Canadians aged 18-34.

Women (41 per cent) are more likely than men (32 per cent) to say they are relying on their refund for expenses.

“Canadians are using their refunds to reduce debt, build savings, and cover essential costs, with very little appetite for discretionary spending, like travel or dining,” said Dan Broten, senior vice-president and head of EQ Bank.

0:52
Tax season is here

The data shows that younger Canadians are more sensitive to the cost of living crisis than the general population, Broten added.

“This is generally a life stage where many are taking on new financial obligations — from housing costs to daycare expenses — often without the same financial cushion as older cohorts,” he said.

“To us, it shows just how much every dollar matters right now,” Borten said.

Younger Canadians are facing an uphill battle when it comes to building wealth, said Justin Leon, financial adviser at Wealthsimple.

“When a once-a-year tax refund becomes the moment you finally catch your breath, that’s a signal that the gap between income and expenses has become structural, not temporary,” Leon said.

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Around 28 per cent of respondents said they used their tax refunds to pay down their debt, with 22 per cent saying they used it to cover weekly expenses. Another 28 per cent said they contributed to a registered savings plan, like an RRSP or a TFSA.

Only nine per cent said they plan to use their tax refund on non-essential purchases such as travel, dining out or entertainment.

“A lot Canadians rely on that tax refund as a way to kind of buoy up their finances and just get a bit more breathing room. The problem is it doesn’t last,” said Stacy Yanchuk Oleksy, CEO of not-for-profit credit counselling agency Money Mentors.

5:33
Time to get ready for 2026 tax season

It’s helpful to think ahead of time how you’re going to spend your tax refund, some financial advisors say.

“There’s no single formula that works for everyone, but a good starting framework is to think in thirds,” Leon said.

He recommends splitting your tax refund into three piles — one for paying down high interest debt, like credit cards, another for an emergency fund, and a third for a longer-term goal like putting it in a TFSA or RRSP.

“The order matters, though — high-interest debt almost always wins first, because the interest you’re paying is likely higher than any return you’d earn investing,” he added.

Oleksy recommends something called the “40-40-20” rule.

“Let’s say your refund is $1,000. We take 40 per cent, so $400, and we put it automatically into savings. You’ve got to pay yourself first. Take another 40 per cent, another $400, and put it onto debt and give yourself a bit of breathing room,” she said.

“And then, because we still have to live, take that last 20 per cent, or $200, and go have fun,” she added.

6:26
Don’t let scammers fool you this tax season

It may seem like a few hundred dollars from your tax fund may not go very far when it comes to building financial stability, but it goes “further than most people think,” Leon said.

“The earlier you start, the more compounding does the heavy lifting for you,” he said.

Financial advisers can often give you advice on how you can invest the money in your TFSA or RRSP, compounding it over time instead of just letting it sit idle.

“To put it concretely, $500 invested today in a diversified portfolio at a modest average return, left alone for 30 years, could grow substantially — without you ever adding another cent. Add regular contributions on top of that, and the picture changes dramatically,” he said.

He also recommends setting up automatic payments, even if it’s one as small as $25 a month.

“When investing happens automatically, you stop seeing it as a decision and it just becomes part of your financial rhythm,” he said.

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A property tax expert is warning about the B.C. government’s recent changes to its property tax deferral program and its impact on seniors.

The provincial government allows eligible homeowners to defer their annual property taxes, essentially taking out a loan that is repaid when the home is sold.

However, in the latest budget, the BC NDP government overhauled the program with significant consequences.

“What I fear is folks such as our seniors in our communities won’t understand the math,” Paul Sullivan with Ryan Tax Firm said.

The interest rate was hiked from prime minus two per cent to prime plus two per cent.

However, the biggest change is how that interest is calculated. Instead of simple interest, it now compounds like a mortgage and the impact can be dramatic.

Under the old system, a homeowner would lose about seven per cent of their equity after deferring taxes for 17 years.

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Under the new program, that number is roughly 10 times higher. The same homeowner could now lose up to 70 per cent of their equity.

According to Sullivan, seniors, who make up the majority of those using the deferral program, haven’t been clearly informed about what these changes mean.

“I think a lot of people in the program are there because they need it,” he said. “And they need to go in with their eyes open and understand the position they’re putting themselves into.

“The tax debt and the interest cost will take you to the point where you must sell your home, or at least you cannot qualify for any more debt at year 17.”

4:33
Long-term care facility building pause

At the time, Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said the changes were meant to prevent people from gaming the system.

B.C.’s Seniors Advocate said the change in the recent budget is enough for them to draw attention to the issue.

“Most of us don’t want to accumulate any more debt, certainly when we’ve paid off most or all of a mortgage,” Dan Levitt said.

“We are concerned that we will see less people using the property tax deferral program than we have in the past, based on these changes that were made.”

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A day after U.S. President Donald Trump made a televised address to the nation about the war in Iran, the price of oil took another jump with the American benchmark West Texas Crude (WTI) nearing US$114 per barrel.

And with no end to the Middle East conflict in sight, the price of gasoline also continued its recent increase, selling at many Edmonton stations for about $1.74 per litre on Thursday — even higher in Calgary at $1.75 per litre.

Its a tough pill for many Albertans to swallow in such an oil-rich province.

“A buck 74 — crazy price,” said Paul Marsh as he filled up his vehicle in Calgary on Thursday. “I can’t afford to drive every day. I can’t wait to get back on my motorbike because it burns a lot less gas.”

“I do appreciate the supply chain is such that its affects everything from food prices, Amazon, everybody is going to be paying higher prices,” added Mike Shymka. “It’s regrettable for many people who rely on gas. It’s terrible.”

He agrees with recent suggestions that governments should consider providing some relief by cutting gas taxes.

“Economic policy is, during rough recessionary times, the government is to add more to help people and when things are good then, you know, take a little bit more tax,” said Shymka.

1:40
Alberta government taking its time considering relief options amid oil volatility

Asked if and when the provincial government will be offering any relief to Albertans, Finance Minister Nate Horner, on his way into the legislature on Thursday, offered no promises.

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“There’s a lot of days left in the year. I did table a $9.4 billion deficit. And I will also remind people that even if that situation improves, we’ll update you through the quarters,” said Horner.

“We’re still bound by our spending rules within the fiscal framework.”

Alberta’s fuel tax is 13 cents per litre for regular gas, and four cents per litre for marked gasoline and marked diesel which is only available to authorized use is equipment like tractors and generators instead of personal vehicles.

Under Alberta’s gas tax relief program, quarterly reductions to the provincial fuel tax are introduced when WTI averages at least US$80 per barrel over a review period of 20 trading days.

Between $80 and $89.99 per barrel of oil, the province provides tax relief of between 4.5 cents and 9 cents per litre of gas.

When oil hits $90 per barrel the fuel tax is suspended. But when the price falls again to below $80 per barrel, there is no fuel tax relief.

Despite oil selling Thursday for well over $100 per barrel, the provincial finance minister indicated that Albertans will need to wait up to three months for the province to make a decision on whether it will cut fuel taxes.

“So there’s kind of 20 monitoring days, trading days, business days in the middle of the quarter. So for the next quarter it would be from May 18th to June 15th where it would be monitored and then July 1st would be the trigger,” said Horner.

“I think it makes a ton of sense that you have a longer monitoring period because once it does come off at any level it remains off for the next three months. So imagine a situation where July 1 our tax comes off completely — oil can plummet the next day (and) it will still remain off for next three months. So a little bit of delayed gratification there, but I think the rationale is strong.”

Despite Horner’s insistence that the province needs to wait before deciding on a gas tax cut, he supports the idea of the federal government suspending its fuel taxes until the end of the year, as suggested this week by federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.

Poilievre said Australia cut its excise tax by 26 cents per litre and Spain cut its sales tax by 30 cents per litre, saying he thinks Ottawa should do the same.

0:43
Poilievre calls on Carney to suspend fuel excise tax, clean fuel standard

“Maybe that’s something the feds want to consider,” said Horner.  “The fuel taxes from the feds — I think it’s about 25 cents a liter, about 10 cents in excise, maybe seven in clean fuel and eight in GST. So I think they should look for something that’s long-term as opposed to these ad hoc reactionary changes that everyone’s looking for,” added Horner.

The head of Petroleum Analyis at GasBuddy, Patrick De Haan, expects the price of gas and diesel to continue to increase until the Strait of Hormuz is reopened — through which about 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply flowed before it was shut down during the Iran war.

Diesel, he said, could hit a record-high price within the next few days.

For the supply of oil to be cut off heading into the busy summer driving season is especially problematic, said De Haan, because it could contribute to an even bigger price increase.

And cuts to government gas taxes, he claims, could make it even worse.

“While there have been conversations about gas tax holidays and waivers and temporary temporarily reducing prices, those types of measures, though terrific for the wallet, would likely further imbalance and cause prices to go up, by increasing demand and removing disincentives from Canadians driving,” said De Haan.

“Anything that can push demand up, whether it’s seasonal increases or reduction in taxes are likely problematic that could increase prices even more.”

1:44
Premier Danielle Smith says scrapping the fuel tax wouldn’t fully help with high gas prices

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A year ago today, President Donald Trump announced a sweeping new round of global tariffs, escalating trade tensions with key allies and adversaries alike, raising fresh concerns about the outlook for the U.S. and global economy.

The “Liberation Day” tariffs were introduced as a broad set of import taxes that Trump said would correct long-standing trade imbalances and reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods.

In the months that followed, markets experienced bouts of volatility as businesses and investors adjusted to the shifting trade landscape. Policymakers and economists, meanwhile, debated the longer-term impact on growth, inflation and global trade flows.

Many economists warned of potential consequences, including higher prices, slower growth and rising uncertainty for businesses and investors. 

TRUMP SAYS US WOULD BE ‘DESTROYED’ WITHOUT TARIFF REVENUE

President Donald Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs on April 2, 2025, at the White House. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

But not everyone agreed.

“Trump proved 12 Nobel Prize economists wrong,” economist Stephen Moore told Fox News Digital.

“Inflation didn’t rise. Why? Because the tax cuts, deregulation and ‘drill, baby, drill’ policies lowered prices and offset the tariffs,” added Moore, a former Trump adviser and co-founder of the free-market advocacy group Unleash Prosperity.

But Moore’s view was not widely shared. Here’s a look back at what other economists said at the time.

Larry Summers

Lawrence Summers, former president emeritus and professor at Harvard University, called the tariff policy “masochistic.” (Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers called the ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs “masochistic,” saying they were the worst levy the U.S. had imposed in decades.

“Never before has an hour of Presidential rhetoric cost so many people so much,” Summers wrote on X. “The best estimate of the loss from tariff policy is now closer to $30 trillion or $300,000 per family of four.”

Paul Krugman

Paul Krugman, a Nobel laureate, said Trump had “gone full-on crazy” after the ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs were announced. (Gene Medi/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Paul Krugman, a Nobel Prize–winning economist, said Trump had “gone full-on crazy” in the hours after the “Liberation Day” tariffs were announced.

“If you had any hopes that Trump would step back from the brink, this announcement, between the very high tariff rates and the complete falsehoods about what other countries do, should kill them,” Krugman, a former MIT and Princeton University professor, wrote in his Substack newsletter.

Christine Lagarde

Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank (ECB), at a rates decision news conference in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany, on Thursday, March 19, 2026.  (Alex Kraus/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Christine Lagarde, president of the European Central Bank, warned that the tariffs would be “negative the world over,” in an interview with Ireland’s Newstalk.

She said Trump’s trade policy would weigh on global growth and carry broad consequences.

“It will not be good for the global economy, and it will not be good for those who impose the tariffs or those who retaliate,” Lagarde said.

Joseph Stiglitz

Joseph Stiglitz said the Trump administration’s tariffs would “crater the economy.” (Alessandro Bremec/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Economist Joseph Stiglitz said Trump’s tariff threats have made the U.S. “a scary place to invest” and could unleash stagflation. Stagflation refers to a combination of slow economic growth and rising prices. Stiglitz, a Columbia University professor and former World Bank economist, warned in an interview with The Guardian that he does not see a strong economic outlook ahead.

“I cannot see a really robust economy,” said Joseph Stiglitz, former chair of President Bill Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisers. “I see the global economy suffering greatly from the uncertainty that Trump poses.”

He also said the inflation triggered by the tariffs is moving in the wrong direction and that the only thing the Trump administration will succeed in doing is “to crater the economy.”

Jared Bernstein

Jared Bernstein, chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, said the Trump administration may reverse course on tariffs if economic pressures intensify. (Samuel Corum/Sipa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Jared Bernstein, the former White House chief economist under President Joe Biden, said the U.S. is a “large, dominant economy” that is relatively closed, meaning it relies less on trade than most countries.

“That means, as Trump has argued, we can hurt other countries more than they can hurt us,” Bernstein said. “But he hasn’t offered a clear rationale for why we should start a trade war with traditionally reliable partners like Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Europe.”

Bernstein said Trump may reverse course if mounting economic pressures—such as higher inflation, slower growth, falling stock prices and rising recession risks—intensify from the tariffs.

“So far, that may have been the approach in Trump’s first term; it doesn’t appear to be the approach this time around,” he said.

Mohamed El-Erian

Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic advisor for Allianz, said the U.S.  (Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Allianz chief economic adviser Mohamed El-Erian called for clarity from the White House. “If we get clarity on this, this is an economy that can adjust,” he told FOX Business.

El-Erian, the former CEO of bond giant PIMCO, wrote on X that “the price action in global financial markets in the immediate aftermath of the U.S. tariff announcement points to major worries about global economic growth.”

Bill Gross

Bill Gross, co-founder of PIMCO, said he did not believe Trump would reverse course on tariffs, even if there was economic pressure. (Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Bill Gross, the co-founder of Pacific Investment Management Co., known as Pimco, said the latest round of tariffs is “similar to going off the gold standard in 1971″—an “epic” shift that markets won’t quickly recover from.

“It’s not something where you can time a market bottom quickly,” Gross told CNBC. “It’s something we’re going to have to live with as long as President Trump maintains this stance.”

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Gross, dubbed the “Bond King,” added that he does not expect Trump to reverse course. “To be very blunt, President Trump is a macho male, and this macho male is not going to back down tomorrow simply because the Nasdaq is down 5%,” he said.

The post-graduation job hunt is beginning for hundreds of thousands of students across Canada.

For many, it’s a frustrating cycle of looking for jobs without having experience yet — when that’s a minimum requirement.

“Employers now have a higher bar because they expect students to show up ready to work, but university is not necessarily preparing them to show up ready with both the AI skills and the human interpersonal skills,” said Venture For Canada CEO Steven Wang.

“There’s a disconnect and I call that an ‘experience gap’ that we need to bridge.”

Non-profit Venture For Canada works to bridge the gap between employers and students heading into the workforce.

According to Wang, one in five small businesses are closing entry-level roles — limiting opportunities for recent grads.

“We are seeing 14 per cent unemployment among youth, that’s double the national average,” said Wang. “In some ways, that could be a bigger impact in the longer term. This might be the beginning; we’re seeing the anticipatory impact of AI and other disruptions.”

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For recent University of Toronto graduate Serina Woo, the job search has been ongoing since she graduated in 2025.

Woo has taken on several part-time jobs while looking for her 9 to 5, but says competing with graduates of master’s programs for the same roles is challenging.

“A lot of the times I hear from employers saying, ‘You’re perfect, you’re such a great candidate, I know you’d be a really good fit for the team, but there’s someone else with several more years of experience,’” said Woo.

She is grateful for this period of time without a 9 to 5, as she gets to explore her other interests and options while still young.

However, finding jobs that provide the necessary income while being unable to work on a subject you’re passionate about is difficult.

“I would love to work in psychology and that environment, but I have decided to work in restaurants because it’s good money and often I can get jobs very easily without necessarily having decades of experience,” said Isabelle Malavoy Mundle.

The June 2025 post-secondary graduate has been working mostly part-time jobs since leaving school and said it’s hard to find good-paying, stable jobs without a master’s degree.

“So, I have come to the realization that it is going to be important for me to specialize and go back to school in order to find stable income that I am passionate about,” Malavoy Mundle said. “Making sure I can pay the bills.”

Wang wants all sectors, government, businesses and universities to work together to ensure the next generation is given its fair shake.

“They just want a chance,” Wang said. “I think they’ve done all the right things, they’ve gotten the good grades and jumped through all the hoops and now they feel like there’s no opportunities.

“What we need is to provide concrete, realistic pathways for them.”

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With the fiscal year ending, Atlantic provinces and federally-regulated employers will be implementing new minimum wages. Meanwhile, most other provinces across Canada are preparing for their annual increases.

Advocates and minimum wage workers, however, say none of these new rates are sufficient, due to the rising cost of living.

“When we talk about affordability, it’s obviously the cost that a consumer pays when they’re filling their tank full of gas or buying food, paying rent, and so on,” said Andrew Stevens, an associate professor at the University of Regina’s faculty of business administration.

“But the other side of that is that the wages and incomes are not catching up or meeting what it takes to actually get up in the morning, go to work, have a life, pay your bills, and afford accommodation,” Stevens explained.

Minimum wage workers in Nova Scotia will earn a quarter more per hour when the rate increases to $16.75 on Wednesday. It will increase again to $17 this October.

“This increase means more money in the pockets of hard-working Nova Scotians to help pay for groceries, rent, and everyday expenses,” said the province’s Minister of Labour, Skills, and Immigration, Nolan Young.

However, critics from the province disagree. In a news release, the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour said workers are not approaching a livable wage, which was said to be $27.60 an hour in a 2025 report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

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Nova Scotia’s livable wage was the highest of the eastern provinces, according to the centre’s report. In Newfoundland and Labrador, it was reported to be $25.31 and Prince Edward Island’s was $22.77.

Both provinces will see increases to their minimum wages on Wednesday. Newfoundland’s hourly rate will reach $16.35, and the island’s will be $17.

2:10
Business Matters: Ontario hiking minimum wage to $17.95 on Oct. 1

New Brunswick’s livable wage, as calculated by the Human Development Council, is almost $10 more than the newly implemented $15.90.

Alberta’s minimum wage will remain stagnant at $15, as it has since 2018.

“Hopefully things get better so we can provide more for our families,” said Edward Esbirdu, a housekeeping attendant who works for minimum wage in Calgary.

He said that he relies on overtime during tourist seasons, but the quieter periods of fall and winter can be difficult.

“Right now, because of all the price hikes — for example, the groceries and the (gas) — I think that it’s important to somehow balance the amount of people’s salaries so we can meet ends and make life a little bit better,” Esbirdu explained.

In neighbouring Saskatchewan, the minimum wage will increase to $15.35 this October. That month will also see Manitoba’s rise to $16.40.

“It’s clear that Manitoba has a working poor problem,” said Kevin Rebeck, the president of the Manitoba Federation of Labour.

According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ report from December 2025, a livable wage for residents of Winnipeg was calculated at $19.77.

“It’s looking really hard for (minimum wage workers). I mean we’re all seeing the price of groceries go up every time we go to the store. We’re all seeing the price of gas go up when we go to the pumps. We’re all seeing rent go up or mortgages,” Rebeck explained.

Quebec’s minimum wage is set to increase to $16.60 in May. Then, the following month, British Columbia’s annual increase is scheduled to hit $18.25.

This wage is only beaten in the territories. In Nunavut, workers are paid $19.75, and Yukon’s minimum wage will also surpass B.C., reaching $18.51 on Wednesday.

Queen’s Park announced Ontario’s 35-cent increase to its rate, bringing it to $17.95 this October.

Across Canada, the minimum wage for federally managed workers will become $18.15 on Wednesday. This change will apply to those who work in sectors that are managed federally, such as interprovincial transportation and banking.

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Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that there will likely be no deal between Alberta and Ottawa by Wednesday’s deadline on several outstanding climate change policies outlined in last year’s memorandum of understanding between the two levels of government.

The MOU, which was signed by Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on Nov. 27, set April 1 as the target date for Alberta to agree to a carbon price on emissions.

While the centrepiece of the MOU was an agreement to work towards the construction of a new pipeline to the B.C. coast, it also exempts Alberta from Canada’s Clean Electricity Regulations while the two governments work out a new industrial carbon pricing agreement that aims for Alberta to “achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.”

The new clean energy regulations, which are to come into effect in 2035, would set limits on emissions from power generation using fossil fuels, but Alberta has long criticized the regulations because the province’s electricity grid is predominantly powered by natural gas.

Speaking to the media at an appearance in Wakefield, Que. on Tuesday, Carney admitted it’s unlikely the negotiations will meet Wednesday’s deadline.

“Premier Smith and I had with colleagues a very constructive conversation yesterday afternoon, so we’re continuing to move forward. I’d note that we have made a series of progress. We’re continuing to move forward, so there’s a lot of momentum,” said Carney.

“But will we perfectly meet the first? Not necessarily, but are we making progress? We’ll get the right agreement at the right time.”

“It’s very complex, very important set of negotiations. Do I think we’re going to announce an agreement tomorrow? No, I don’t think we’re going to have an agreement tomorrow, but I feel very good about the progress and the state of the discussions,” added Carney.

Carney pointed to an agreement-in-principle between the two governments, announced on March 25, that would commit the province to reducing emissions of methane from the oil and gas section by 75 per cent from 2014 levels by 2035 as an example of the progress he said is being made.

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The two governments have also signed an agreement-in-principle to streamline the environmental impact assessment process by creating a single process for major projects in Alberta, recognizing the province as best suited to lead the assessments for projects within its jurisdiction.

The aim of the new single-track process is to reduce duplication, save time and help approved projects move forward more quickly.

Speaking at an event in Edmonton on Tuesday, Smith appeared to share Carney’s optimism that a deal can be reached.

“We want to move quickly, we want to create the certainty so private capital can come into this market, and that doesn’t get helped with any further delays. So I think we all have a sense of urgency,” said Smith.

“I think that looking at where the world is right now, with Europe talking about suspending their industrial pricing, Americans not having it at all, industry telling us that here are more attractive environments to invest in because they don’t have carbon taxes, I mean, I think all of that has to be brought into context for this,” Smith added.

1:56
Pathways Alliance oilsands group pledges to spend $16.5B on carbon capture project

In addition to an agreement on carbon pricing, the provincial and federal governments are also working to finalize details of The Pathways Project, billed as the world’s largest carbon capture, utilization and storage project to be built in northern Alberta to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the oilsands.

The project would capture CO2 from more than 20 oilsands sites and transport it through a 400-plus kilometre pipeline to underground storage facilities in the Cold Lake region.

But according to Smith, the absence of agreement on carbon pricing is also preventing the finalization of the agreement between industry (Oilsands Alliance) and the governments on the carbon capture project.

Smith said Tuesday she was hoping to have the carbon pricing deal complete in the next few days, and that the agreement with the Alliance will in turn be finished before the end of April.

The Oilsands Alliance is made up of five major oil and gas companies and for years has been planning a major carbon capture and storage project.

Carney has said the project is a “necessary condition” of any new bitumen pipeline.

However, First Nations and local land owners are also calling for the project, which they describe as “massive and unprecedented,” to be reviewed under the federal Impact Assessment Act.

According to a new study released by the Pembina Institute, a non-profit industry think tank, there’s a lot riding on negotiations between the two governments to finalize the agreements outlined in the MOU.

“We did the number crunching and we found out there’s $40 billion worth of investments in low-carbon projects in Alberta that are at stake in this MOU,” said Jan Gorski, director of government relations for the Pembina Institute.

“The quicker that we can actually get these policies finalized, the faster we can provide certainty so that these projects can actually move forward.”

With files from The Canadian Press.

4:59
Carney and Smith sign pipeline MOU

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Alberta is aiming to regulate who can slap an Alberta whisky stamp on spirits produced in the province.

In tabling the bill Tuesday, it said it may be the first government in Canada to use artificial intelligence to help draft legislation.

Premier Danielle Smith said distillers told her government that they’re making high-quality whisky but face challenges differentiating their products from other Canadian whisky on the market.

“We think there’s an obvious solution to this challenge: define what Alberta whisky is and protect it in legislation,” the premier said.

She later tipped back a glass of the liquor with industry representatives.

Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally said the bill, if passed, would set out rules requiring whisky to be mashed, fermented, distilled, aged, proofed and bottled in the province to use the Alberta label.

It must source Alberta water, and at least two-thirds of grain used in making it must be grown in the province.

Alberta distillers could continue making other whisky products that don’t meet the label’s standards.

1:57
Alberta distillers, government blazing a new ‘whisky trail’

Nally said he doesn’t anticipate allowing AI to write legislation unfettered, but the government used it to analyze data and come up with the “building blocks” for writing this bill.

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“The final product is a combination of all the tools that we used at our disposal, including human eyes, as well as the AI program.”

Nally said branding Alberta whisky is about “building pride” in the product and helping boost its reputation on the world stage.

“Just like Kentucky is known for bourbon and Scotland is known for scotch, we want Alberta to be known for great whisky,” he said.

He added that he anticipates the proposed legislation to be a significant economic driver.

“Kentucky is a smaller jurisdiction than Alberta, and we have better whisky.”

The government says there are 45 distillers producing whisky in the province, most of which are small craft distillers.

Bryce Parsons, president of the Alberta Craft Distillers Association, called it a defining moment for the province and every craft distiller.

“We’re not just creating whisky. We’re building a circular economy here. Alberta’s growing grain distilled and aged here, driving tourism, supporting farmers and bringing communities together,” he said.

Provincial agency Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis would be responsible for enforcement and inspection to ensure manufacturers using the Alberta Whisky label are following the rules.

1:59
Alberta ‘Whisky Act’ excites provincial distillers

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