Alberta nixes booze price hike after Premier Smith, Calgary mayor snipe at each other

EDMONTON – Alberta is lowering the minimum price for booze following a weekend tit-for-tat social media sniping exchange between Premier Danielle Smith and Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas.

Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally said Monday he has directed the provincial liquor regulator to reverse course on recent hikes to the minimum price of alcohol sold in bars and restaurants.

The increase, which took earlier this month, mandated higher minimum prices on everything from spirits and liquors to wine, beer and cider.

The minimum cost for cans and bottles of beer and 28.5-millilitre shots of spirits went up to $4 from $2.75.

The cheapest price that a pint of beer could be sold for was hiked to $5 from $3.20.

Nally said the change is immediate and necessary “to provide businesses and Albertans with greater certainty and consistency.”

He announced the reversal after the price hike was mentioned in a social media feud over the weekend between Smith and Farkas concerning the upcoming Calgary Stampede festival.

Smith and high-level staffers had accused Calgary city council of being the “fun police” for new rules the city is implementing about noise levels and earlier closing times for weeknight Stampede concerts.

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also took Smith’s side, saying “gatekeepers” at city hall are “smothering country music culture.”

Farkas fired back, saying it’s Smith’s government that didn’t support good times — or businesses and workers — by hiking minimum booze prices. 

The mayor also defended the new noise and curfew rules, which had been shared with Stampede venues in February.

Farkas released a memo to council explaining that the changes are intended to reduce the festival’s impact on downtown residents, after 225 late-night noise complaints and numerous calls about public intoxication were received last year.

Nally didn’t address Farkas directly in his statement Monday but he did encourage Calgary leadership to follow the province’s lead by reversing course.

“Alberta’s government is proud to support our hospitality and liquor industry as they create jobs, attract visitors and deliver memorable experiences for Albertans and tourists alike,” Nally said.

“I would encourage the City of Calgary to take the same approach by working with industry and local businesses to find solutions that support jobs, tourism and the Stampede music scene, including repealing its misguided noise bylaw.”

Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis announced earlier Monday that Alberta sheriffs would be assisting Calgary police in patrolling the Stampede grounds.

Ellis said the extra officers would help ensure the festivities remain safe but still fun, and he specifically cited the noise complaints and public disorder last summer mentioned by Farkas.

“This kind of nonsense is unacceptable,” the minister said.

“That’s why we’re expanding our law enforcement presence to protect nearby residents and ensure all Calgarians and visitors have an enjoyable Stampede experience.”

A spokesperson for Ellis said the plan is to deploy a dozen or more sheriffs to start but additional members could be sent if needed.

Smith, on social media, thanked Nally for taking action.

In another post later Monday, she shared a letter to Farkas and the rest of council repeating the government’s opposition to the noise and curfew rules, arguing the economic success of the Stampede and Calgary’s reputation could be harmed.

“Residents deserve to have their concerns heard and addressed. However, meaningful consultation with affected stakeholders should occur before significant operational changes are implemented, particularly when those changes affect one of Alberta’s most important annual events,” the letter reads.

The letter, signed by Smith, Ellis and three other ministers, requests that council respond with a plan on how it intends to address concerns of businesses and event organizers.

“This will allow Alberta’s government to evaluate whether there is a role for the province in assisting the city and stakeholders to resolve this issue ahead of this year’s Calgary Stampede.”

Farkas didn’t immediately offer comment on the alcohol minimum price reversal or the letter.

Karin Campbell, a spokesperson for the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission, said it understands the province’s concerns and had updated its rules accordingly.

Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi, a former Calgary mayor, said if Smith put as much effort into fixing other issues — like health care or fighting against separatism — as she has on Stampede rules, then Alberta would be much better off. 

“The problem is the premier’s priorities,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2026.