After government pledge of 'best summer ever,' COVID swamps Alberta hospitals, premier

FILE PHOTO: Alberta Premier Jason Kenney meets with Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (not pictured), in Calgary, Alberta, Canada July 7, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Sturk/File Photo

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Premier Jason Kenney promised Albertans the "best summer ever" when he lifted most COVID-19 public health restrictions on July 1, but a surge in infections has overwhelmed the province's hospitals and left him fighting to save his political career.

The western Canadian province is often called "the Texas of the North" for its oil and gas wealth, cowboy culture and conservative, independent mindset.