Josephine Whynot was one of about 40 people who took part in a demonstration during the annual UCP Leader’s Dinner at the Pomeroy Inn Aug. 26. (Submitted photo)

As warm as the reception for Premier Danielle Smith was in Grande Prairie last week, there were also those with grievances to be heard.

As the premier wrapped up her time in the Peace Aug. 26 with a $300 per plate UCP Leader’s Dinner at the Pomeroy Inn, about 40 people gathered across the street with signs to express some of their biggest concerns with the current direction of the provincial government.

Protest organizer Casey Klein says she took it upon herself to organize the demonstration after hearing the premier would be in town for the annual UCP fundraiser. Via social media, she put out the call, to all Albertans — students, teachers, parents, seniors, nurses, doctors, Indigenous communities and any public service user — to attend.

“If you’ve had enough, show up!” her poster urged.

“I’m a university student and a mom with a phone, a computer, social media and an inability to stay quite when the government forgets who it’s supposed to be working for,” Klein told the News afterwards.

Taking place during the afternoon rush at one of the city’s busiest intersections, honks of support could be heard from passing drivers, including many big rigs. It was a mixed crowd with many issues to talk about including healthcare, education, treaty rights and separation.

“Smith will always show up for money, but never the public she is supposed to serve,” said Klein. “I wanted there to be a visible reminder outside of her pay-to-play party room that Grande Prairie isn’t politically owned by the UCP. There are people here who are being harmed by their policies and who expect their premier to answer to the public, not just the people who can afford access to her.”

Data centre development was top of mind for many protestors and recently it is one of the topics the premier is most questioned about, including during a national press conference regarding U.S. tariffs earlier in the day.

As the government is in the middle of conducting town halls regarding its data centre strategy, Smith said they are heeding concerns about water and energy use.

“There are a few things that we we’ve heard on the town halls. I’m sure that we’ll hear a few

more but we’re doing them so that we can make adjustments if we need to … And I think we’ll get some good feedback from all of that,” Smith told reporters just before the event.

Klein said she’s not convinced they will be developed responsibly, with people in mind.

“If this deal is as extraordinary as Smith, Greenview and O’Leary keep telling us it is, then open the books. Release the agreements. Show us what was promised before the public knew Wonder Valley existed,” she said. “Smith’s government is acting more like investment brokers than custodians of the public interest. I’m getting pretty tired of governments socializing the risk and privatizing the reward.”

Inside, a panel of UCP MLAs including Nolan Dyck, Ron Wiebe, Todd Loewen, Dan Williams, Scott Sinclair, Jennifer Johnson, Justin Wright, Myles McDougall and Grant Hunter, joined the premier for a Q&A session which included discussions about U.S. trade relations, forestry tariffs, equalization, pipelines, faith connections and compassionate care.

Again, the premier was asked how the government is going to make sure the long-term benefits of building a data centre like Wonder Valley are going to stay in the region, considering the energy, water and other resources used in its operation.

According to one guest, Smith said part of the reason for the town halls was to uncover any gaps. She added it will be crucial that the latest and best technology is used in these facilities. She also mentioned the potential need for a “digital bill of rights” as the town halls have brought forward many concerns about the creation of a surveillance state.

Klein said the power imbalance is astonishing to witness.

“There is something profoundly wrong with a political system where concentrated wealth gets private access to government and the people who actually live with the consequences are treated like an inconvenience to be managed,” she said.

“The hardest part of organizing here isn’t convincing people that something is wrong; people already know something is wrong. The difficult part is convincing them that they’re allowed to say it out loud and that their voice makes a difference in this fight.”

By Chris Zwick, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Original Published on Sep 04, 2026 at 10:27

 

This item reprinted with permission from   Town & Country News   Beaverlodge, Alberta

Comments are Welcome - Use the 'Join the Discussion' above any replies, - Posts are moderated so there may be a delay of a few hours to a day before a comment will appear. Emails are verified on some posts. If you use a fake address, your post will not appear and of course, we cannot tell you why your post did not appear. In other cases, we MAY correct spelling or grammar.