Hundreds gather in Red Deer to protest against provincial government

“[The main goal of the protest is] to stand up to Danielle Smith and her government because they’re not listening,” she said. “They are shutting out our neighbourhoods, our families, who are waiting for months on lists to get help, to get care, to get aid,” she said. “We are going to stand up and show we are not going to sit quietly anymore.”

(Image Credit: rdnewsNOW/Ian Gustafson)

Ramsey was blown away by the turnout in Red Deer and said around 280 people RSVP’d to attend the protest.

“I hope it gets [the government’s] attention to show that there are more of us and they need to listen to us. They work for us, and we’re here to say we need to be heard,” she said.

The Fight Back Campaign, she says, opposes the province’s two-tier healthcare system, the decision to transition those on AISH to ADAP, the affordability crisis, the lack of public school funding, Alberta separation, and more.

“There are so many concerns that affect all of us,” she added. “I hope everyone takes this as it’s okay to speak up, it’s okay to say I don’t agree with what others are saying.”

(Image Credit: rdnewsNOW/Ian Gustafson)

rdnewsNOW reached out to Premier Smith’s press secretary, Sam Blackett, for comment but they deferred to a statement from the press secretary of the Ministry of Jobs, Economy, Trade, and Immigration, Hunter Baril.

“Our government is continually responding to the issues on the minds of Albertans. Health care, education, affordability, creating jobs, and growing the economy are all priorities for us, and we have demonstrated that with tangible action. Today, we are investing more in health care than ever before in Alberta’s history. We are putting a historic $8.6 billion to build and modernize schools across the province, helping reduce class sizes and pressure on teachers and other educational staff. We are leading the country in job creation and have the most resilient economy across Canada in the face of global economic uncertainty.

“Let’s remember, the failed NDP leadership candidate, Gil McGowan, first attempted to launch a general strike, and it was a failure. Then he moved on to Plan B, launching recalls against our UCP MLAs to topple this government; he again failed miserably. Now, Gil is on Plan C, a province-wide protest. While Gil is focused on political stunts, our government will continue its work to keep Alberta the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”

We also reached out to Minister LaGrange’s press secretary, Maddison McKee, who provided the following statement:

“The public health system is our priority, and it has always been our priority. We remain committed to upholding Alberta’s Public Health Care Guarantee — no Albertan will ever have to pay out of pocket for medically necessary care.

“Expanding access through dual practice and elective testing does not take away from that — it adds to it. This is not an either/or debate. It is about giving Albertans more choice.

“Our commitment to building a stronger public system is unwavering. Through the Acute Care Action Plan, we are investing $525 million to deliver 50,000 additional surgical procedures in the public system over the next three years. We are investing a further $284 million in capital funding to open new operating rooms and modernize surgical suites, and $330 million to upgrade medical device reprocessing departments across the province. These investments are already delivering results — Alberta completed a record 332,847 surgeries last fiscal year, exceeding its target of 321,000 and the 318,920 performed the year prior, including a record 24,676 surgeries in March 2026 and the highest quarterly cancer surgery volume on record.

“We are also building the workforce to match. Alberta has a record 6,706 family physicians, a record 1,167 nurse practitioners, and a record 72,924 nurses. Since 2019, we have added 2,200 doctors, 12,000 RNs, 3,300 LPNs, and 1,300 paramedics. We are expanding our Faculties of Medicine to train 100 more doctors and increasing the number of physicians completing residency by nearly 30 per cent over five years.

“We are focused on results, not ideology — and that means using every available tool to get Albertans the care they need.”

by Ian Gustafson

Hundreds gather in Red Deer to protest against provincial government

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