CALGARY — Alberta, a province that’s most often in the headlines for setting firewalls around its own jurisdiction, finds itself an unlikely leader in setting the national agenda on addictions and recovery policy.

Any lingering doubts surrounding the momentum behind the fledgling Alberta model of recovery-oriented addictions care were put to rest this week as over 1,900 Canadians congregated in Calgary for the eighth annual Recovery Capital Conference. Among those in attendance were elected officials from across Canada, including the respective ministers in charge of addictions services in Ontario and Saskatchewan.