We might be back from Alberta, but there's always more to do about Alberta politics. We received complaints after the show aired last week because we didn't include the official opposition - the Alberta Liberal Party. There were a few reasons for that. We were trying to give our listeners an idea of what's happening now in the province, and whether or not there's a political shift happening. The people we spoke to on the ground, from experts to regular voters, didn't seem to consider the Liberal Party to be a significant player. But point taken, if we had had more time on the show, it would have been interesting to include what the party has to say about Alberta's future. So I did end up talking to Liberal leader David Swann while he was on the road between Calgary and Edmonton.

Here is Nick Gamache's interview with David Swann:

The first person Nick Gamache interviewed in Edmonton was Alberta's lone non-Coservative MP:!).

A painting here, a photograph there... Linda Duncan clearly likes to display the work of local artists. They're everywhere on the walls of her constituency office. But the one poster I noticed right away when I walked in was the one of a show at the Palais Montcalm in Quebec City (always looking out for signs of my hometown!).

Duncan is unique in Alberta's federal political landscape. The NDP MP for Edmonton-Strathcona is the only non-COnservative Member of Parliament in the province. She's also only the second NDP MP to ever come out of Alberta. Just for those reasons I thought it would be worth talking to her when we got to Edmonton.

We started out by talking about the preconceived notion in the rest of the country that Alberta voters tend to be right-of-centre. I asked her if that was the case, of if she would consider Albertans left-of-centre, or even in the centre of the political spectrum.

Here is Nick's interview with Linda Duncan:

The Manning name pulls a lot of weight in Alberta. So when we heard the Manning Centre for Building Democracy was having a conference on the future of the province we just had to make our way out here. It's a two-day affair that kicks off tomorrow night. One of the presenters is a Political Scientist by the name of Peter McCormick. He teaches at the University of Lethbridge. Professor McCormick takes a keen interest in voter engagement. Of late, he's been shaking his head a lot. The subject of his presentation on Saturday is democratic participation.

Here is Max Paris' interview with Peter McCormick:

Ted Menzies commands a pretty impressive piece real estate in downtown Claresholm, Alberta. The MP for Macleod's constituency office is right on one of the corners of the only traffic light in town.

Here is Max Paris' visit and interview with the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance in his home riding:

This is Tom Flanagan in his office at the University of Calgary.

Every time you turn a corner in Calgary you come face to face with a construction site, or so it seems. There are cranes everywhere. At some points during the day, the sound of construction boots hitting the sidewalk could be the soundtrack of the city. So I wasn't really surprised when we got to the University of Calgary and managed to find a parking spot right across the street from yet another building under construction. We went to U of C to meet Tom Flanagan. The political science professor is a former close advisor to Stephen Harper. He's also been plugged into Alberta's political scene for a long time. We sat down in his 7th floor office, surrounded by shelves of books, to talk about provincial politics. I asked Tom Flanagan to provide some historical context for our listeners.

I hope you enjoy it.

Listen to Nick Gamache's interview with Tom Flanagan:

To say that Monte Solberg knows his way around Alberta's federal political scene would be an under statement. He was involved with the Reform Party, the Canadian Alliance and the Conservative Party. He was even a minister in Stephen Harper's cabinet. So who better to talk about Alberta politics from a federal perspective than Monte Solberg. We sat down in his office in downtown Calgary for a chat.

The House crew split up today. Three-quarters went north to Edmonton and a date with the Premier. The last quarter headed south to Lethbridge and many points between.

Here is the tale of Nick, Kathleen and Paul:

The Alberta legislature building in Edmonton is stunning.

The office of the Premier is on the second floor. His communications staff showed us to a small conference room just steps away from where Ed Stelmach works. That's where we set up our equipment for the interview.

It's a really different feeling to go talk to a political official in his environment. When we talk to them on the phone or in one of our studios, we're in our element. Today, we were in Premier Stelmach's. Frankly at first, that's a bit intimidating. But there are a number of advantages to doing that. The most important one if you ask me, is that the interviewee feels more comfortable right from the start and it's easier to have a conversation. That was true again today. The interview went well. You can look forward to hearing what Premier Stelmach thinks of the Wildrose Alliance, why he thinks stability in government is what businesses are looking for, and how he plans to win back Albertans.

Tune in on Saturday morning for the full interview.

And here begins the southern saga of Max:

The morning began with a fog-shrouded missile shot along Highway 2 to Lethbridge and the University. One of the most beautiful drives in the country and I can only see 50 metres on either side of the road. Oh well. It's probably for the better. I more than likely would have driven the car into a ditch gawking at the view.

At the University of Lethbridge, I meet up with Political Scientist Peter McCormick. He's working on a presentation about voter engagement and why it has been so pathetic of late.

And from there begins the slow wind back to Calgary. A stop in historic Fort Macleod yields a photo of the the Northwest Mounted Police garrison that gave the town its name. Follow that up with a jaunt down the Blue Trail west of town in search of a filed full of 80 metre-high windmills... not as easy as you would think in the fog.

Then my favourite stop of the day: the Claresholm Beef Producers feed lot. My job: make cows moo. Mission accomplished.

That part of the mission never would have happened without the help of Macleod Member of Parliament, Ted Menzies. So its off to downtown Claresholm and a friendly chat with the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance

I'd like say the day was over but I got lost driving back into Calgary... not badly... but enough to add 20 minutes to my journey back to the CBC.

Stay tuned to this website. Tomorrow, I'll be posting my conversations with Peter McCormick and Ted Menzies.

Now for those of you who think we're just here for the sights: think again. That was yesterday. Today was packed with interviews and work. We spoke with former Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed. That interview can be heard on our Saturday, February 6 show. But coming up in just a moment are web feature interviews. We've got Stephen Harper's former chief of staff, Tom Flanagan. And then former Minister of Citizenship and immigration, Monte Solberg shares his views on Alberta's shifting political landscape.

Stay tuned. They're coming right up.

PS - The Flames-Flyers game... AWFUL!

So here we are in Alberta. There is a sniff of change in the air and we figured we should investigate. Our February 6 episode is going to be devoted to Alberta politics... a subject near and dear to Kathleen Petty's heart. The Alberta Progressive Conservative Party of Ed Stelmach is hurting. And the pain delivery system is the Wildrose Alliance of Danielle Smith. Alberta voters have a curious habit of voting in dynasties. They're not fans of the opposition. They just want something new.

The PCs have had 38 years at the helm. Before them it was 36 years of Social Credit. The House crew wonders if the Wildrose Alliance will rule the next four decades and that's why we're here.

Of course, before we orient ourselves politically, we have to orient ourselves to the geography. And that would entail getting to know our first stop in this province: the great and sprawling city of Calgary. This is Kathleen's hometown so she played navigator and tour guide. And man, did we get the scenic treatment. Kathleen popped the whole crew into her sub-compact rental and off we went. First stop her old house in the Rutland Park neighborhood of Cow-town. Then it was off to the old Canadian Forces Base Calgary, which has transformed itself into a lovely little neighborhood of brick row-houses and shops. Next up: the Tsuu T'ina Reserve for a drive through and then a brief pit-stop in Bragg Creek.

Bragg Creek is a Hamlet on the edge of Kananaskis Country, the awesome provincial park west of the city. Kathleen and Paul MacInnis, our technician, went to use the facilities at the local saloon (for the record: the Husky gas station was shut down and they couldn't use those ones). In the process, Kathleen struck up a conversation with the publican who was a transplant from Ontario. He loves his new home. He thought it was going to be all rednecks and guns... and yes, there is plenty of that but there was and is so much more. He found a community of artists, lesbians, lesbian artists and rednecks all living and letting live in perfect harmony.

The helpful barkeep also pointed us in the direction of Elbow Falls, smack-dab in the middle of (well maybe not the middle, but definitely a couple of clicks in from Bragg Creek) Kananaskis Country. Take a look at the pictures to the left of this entry. Producer Nick Gamache took them with his Blackberry camera. You can also listen to the sound of the falls at the bottom of this entry.

Once we found our way out of the park, Kathleen took us to Cochrane and forced us into MacKay's Ice Cream parlour. From there, we wandered back to the CBC building on Westmount Boulevard NW.

Listen to the soothing sounds of Elbow Creek Falls: