In a speech to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce Tuesday, Jonathan Wilkinson touted the massive potential to create new jobs as Alberta transitions away from fossil fuels, but said it could be a challenge to find the necessary workers. “My greatest fear is not that we will have excess labour but rather the opposite—that we will have a shortage of labour to address all of the big opportunities that present themselves,” he said. (The Logic) 

Talking point: Alberta is pushing to attract skilled workers from other Canadian provinces amid a persistent labour shortage across the country. Those efforts come amid broader doubts about Canada’s ability to ensure a so-called “just transition”—that is, to find jobs for displaced oil and gas workers as the industry is gradually phased out. On Tuesday, Wilkinson said “there will continue to be a role for some level of hydrocarbons post 2050,” but specified that demand would be strictly for lubricants, waxes, petrochemicals and other products that aren’t burned.