Why all eyes should be on Alberta

Plus, the PSAC strikes and the death of Gordon Lightfoot [Get This Offer]( [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. Here’s the latest on the Alberta election, the death of Gordon Lightfoot and the government workers’ strike. DON’T MISS Canadian Press/Colette Derworiz alberta politics [Why you should pay attention to Alberta’s election — even if you don’t live there]( According to polls for Alberta’s May 29 election, United Conservative Party Leader Danielle Smith and former premier and NDP Leader Rachel Notley are neck and neck. With two distinct visions for the province, the result will have major implications for the country — on energy and environmental policy, potential conflict with the prime minister and perhaps a new kind of Canadian conservatism. [Alex Boyd reports on the race and its potential ripple effects](. - The latest: [Smith is promising an income-tax cut and Notley is targeting health care issues]( as the Alberta campaign begins. - Go deeper: [Take a look at the very high stakes]( — political and personal — for Smith and Notley. - Gillian Steward’s take: There are two experienced premiers going up against each other in a close race. [But the differences between their priorities couldn’t be starker](. - Another angle: This election promises to be more intense, more unpleasant and more sharply contested than anything before — [and it could send Canada down a bumpy road](. Canadian Press/Chris Young music [Legendary folk singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot has died at 84]( Gordon Lightfoot died of natural causes at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto on Monday, according to his longtime publicist and a representative for the family. The folk legend — whose music articulated Canadian identity and was heard around the world — had experienced various health issues in recent decades. [From the Yorkville folk club scene in the 1960s to the world of pop, here’s a look at Lightfoot’s life and his legacy](. - Word from the Prime Minister: “We have lost one of our greatest singer-songwriters,” Justin Trudeau tweeted late Monday. “Gordon Lightfoot captured our country’s spirit in his music – and in doing so, he helped shape Canada’s soundscape. May his music continue to inspire future generations, and may his legacy live on forever.” - Go deeper: With stories of the struggles, triumphs and emotions of people from all walks of life, [this is why Lightfoot’s music hit home for one Star reporter and so many Canadians](. Canadian Press/Justin Tang federal politics [Some federal government workers have a deal, but CRA employees are still on strike]( After a historic strike, tens of thousands of Treasury Board workers are back on the job. The Public Service Alliance of Canada reached a tentative agreement with the federal government that, by the union’s calculations, works out to a 12.6 per cent wage increase over four years. The agreement also addresses remote work, seniority rights and job security. However, 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency workers remain on strike. [Stephanie Levitz reports on what comes next](. - Word from PSAC: The fact that a deal was reached is proof the action worked, the union said. “During a period of record-high inflation and soaring corporate profits, workers were told to accept less — but our members came together and fought for better,” union president Chris Aylward wrote in an email circulated to union members. - Context: The federal government previously offered Treasury Board workers a nine per cent wage increase over three years. The union was asking for 13.5 per cent. - Wait, what? [Here is a timeline of the PSAC strikes](. - Watch for: More job actions. [Take a look at the scope and impact strikes have had in recent years](. WHAT ELSE [The Liberals are walking back controversial changes]( to their pledge to ban “assault-style” firearms. Scarborough is about to get another raw deal on transit. [Some mayoral hopefuls should share the blame](. Ontario has appointed the next provincial court chief justice. [The court’s own judges say the process was an “aberration.”]( Toronto’s home prices have likely hit bottom, experts say, and [will increase for the rest of the year](. [The Pride flag is “welcome” at Ontario’s publicly funded schools]( the education minister says amid a growing controversy. Toronto police have updated Canada’s most-wanted fugitives, [offering a $250K reward for information on a referee killed in Toronto](. After 50 years in limbo, [hopes for a Pickering airport soar with a new federal study](. Once a school troublemaker, Charles Pascal [died a visionary for transforming education](. To avoid and evade abuse, [the temporary foreign worker program must have open work permits](. Is age slowing you down? A new study says it [may be an early warning sign for dementia](. Toronto’s summer of traffic torment has begun. [Here’s everything you need to know about where and when to avoid driving downtown](. [Fox says a documentary about Canadian “tyranny” won’t air]( after Tucker Carlson’s exit. ICYMI Toronto Police Services [Toronto police’s “dated” drug lockers opened the door to officer theft, a confidential report says]( CLOSE-UP Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images 2023 MET GALA: Doja Cat pays homage to the [controversial designer Karl Lagerfeld’s]( cat with feline facial prosthetics on Monday night. [Here are more must-see looks from celebrities on the biggest night in fashion](. Thank you for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_179535). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. Get unlimited access to the Star Last chance: only $2/month for a limited time [Get This Offer]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. 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