OTTAWA -- Alberta’s health minister is defending the province’s reopening plan against criticism that it’s too aggressive.

“The first step is a moderate step -- is looking at outdoor activities,” Minister Tyler Shandro told CTV News Channel’s Power Play on Wednesday.

The plan sparked concern from Alberta’s former chief medical officer of health, Dr. James Talbot. In an earlier interview on CTV News Channel, Talbot called the plan “senselessly aggressive in terms of the timing and its reckless in terms of reopening that are being discussed.”

Alberta’s three-phase reopening plan could see the province fully reopened by July if 70 per cent of the eligible population has received their first COVID-19 dose.

Shandro explains Alberta’s reopening plan in the video at the top of this article.