Just when you thought Alberta's economy might be starting to recover, this happens:

U.S. bans Canadian beef imports because of mad cow

OTTAWA (Reuters) — The United States has temporarily banned imports of cattle, beef, beef-based products and animal feed from Canada after Ottawa reported a case of mad cow disease Tuesday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman said.

Veneman said the United States would not accept any "ruminant products" from Canada until further notice.

Canadian officials said they found a case of mad cow disease in the western province of Alberta...

Now all we need is for the oil sands to dry up.