Omnibus Alberta Thread
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DrCaleb @ Thu Apr 22, 2021 7:27 am
$1:
Alberta MLAs who spoke out against COVID-19 restrictions spark debate over whose views are being heard
The 16 Alberta MLAs who argued against tighter COVID-19 restrictions in an open letter recently have sparked debate and frustration in some of the communities they represent.
They said their constituents have told them the restrictions the province has imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus have gone on for too long and have caused too much hardship.
"We have heard from our constituents, and they want us to defend their livelihoods and freedoms as Albertans," the letter read in part.
It's been two weeks since the United Conservative Party backbenchers, who represent dozens of small towns, mountain resorts and farming communities across Alberta, signed the letter against their own government's decision earlier this month to return to Step 1 of Alberta's public health orders. Step 1 includes, among other measures, an end to indoor service at restaurants, bars and cafés and limited customer capacity in stores.
Since then, the mayors of two communities have spoken out, raising questions about whom the MLAs are listening to: Is it the proverbial squeaky wheel they're hearing from — a vocal minority representing a small group — or the broader views of the communities they represent?
. . .
The mayors of Banff and Canmore — two communities in MLA Miranda Rosin's riding of Banff-Kananaskis — fired off their own letters claiming they were not consulted before their region's representative signed the letter. Both communities have seen an uptick in active cases and want tighter controls.
The 16 Alberta MLAs who argued against tighter COVID-19 restrictions in an open letter recently have sparked debate and frustration in some of the communities they represent.
They said their constituents have told them the restrictions the province has imposed to contain the spread of the coronavirus have gone on for too long and have caused too much hardship.
"We have heard from our constituents, and they want us to defend their livelihoods and freedoms as Albertans," the letter read in part.
It's been two weeks since the United Conservative Party backbenchers, who represent dozens of small towns, mountain resorts and farming communities across Alberta, signed the letter against their own government's decision earlier this month to return to Step 1 of Alberta's public health orders. Step 1 includes, among other measures, an end to indoor service at restaurants, bars and cafés and limited customer capacity in stores.
Since then, the mayors of two communities have spoken out, raising questions about whom the MLAs are listening to: Is it the proverbial squeaky wheel they're hearing from — a vocal minority representing a small group — or the broader views of the communities they represent?
. . .
The mayors of Banff and Canmore — two communities in MLA Miranda Rosin's riding of Banff-Kananaskis — fired off their own letters claiming they were not consulted before their region's representative signed the letter. Both communities have seen an uptick in active cases and want tighter controls.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/ ... -1.5993173
DrCaleb @ Sat Apr 24, 2021 12:50 pm
Letter by UCP members calls on Jason Kenney to resign as premier and party leader
DrCaleb @ Sat Apr 24, 2021 12:52 pm
bootlegga @ Wed Apr 28, 2021 4:17 pm
Hope nobody here likes visiting K-Country, which after June 1, will set you back $90.
https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID= ... D070DB4482
But that fee is only for ONE provincial park, not all of them - the rest are free.
Strangely enough, the one part of K-Country not included is MacLean Creek, where UCP supporters ride their ATVS, is still free. 
Thanos @ Wed Apr 28, 2021 4:52 pm
I suppose one could try to argue that a small sales tax, harmonized with the feds, would provide all the revenue needed to cover things like park maintenance and about a thousand other important items. And that it could be used to either vastly reduce if not outright eliminate most of the fees the province charges on just about every service they provide. After all a fee is just a tax with a different name.
Now try to explain that to a population where half of them think that COVID is fake and that the vaccines are just Bill Gates trying to kill us all, and see how far you get with attempting to be rational and reasonable with them on an issue like taxes vs fees. We're damned. 
raydan @ Wed Apr 28, 2021 4:56 pm
bootlegga bootlegga:
Hope nobody here likes visiting K-Country, which after June 1, will set you back $90.
https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID= ... D070DB4482
But that fee is only for ONE provincial park, not all of them - the rest are free.
Strangely enough, the one part of K-Country not included is MacLean Creek, where UCP supporters ride their ATVS, is still free.
https://www.alberta.ca/release.cfm?xID= ... D070DB4482
But that fee is only for ONE provincial park, not all of them - the rest are free.
Strangely enough, the one part of K-Country not included is MacLean Creek, where UCP supporters ride their ATVS, is still free.
$90 per year (per vehicle) isn't that bad, I guess.
Thanos @ Sun May 02, 2021 1:27 pm
Meet the unofficial new boss, exponentially worse than the old boss. Redneck Alberta effectively in charge of the provincial government, cities targeted by new COVID restrictions (which aren't being enforced anyway especially for nutcase churches), while rural areas are basically scot-free to do what they want:
https://albertapolitics.ca/2021/05/drew ... althy/#top
$1:
It looks like Drew Barnes calling the shots for Alberta!
By any measure, Jason Kenney is a pretty bad premier. But he’s not the worst we could have in the midst of a deadly global pandemic that just won’t quit. No, that would be someone like Mr. Barnes, the COVID-denying, separatist leaning MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat.
So why is Mr. Barnes, along with the other 16 members of the United Conservative Party’s unchecked COVID Denial Caucus, now setting the province’s coronavirus-mitigation policy?
When Premier Kenney announced Thursday that the province would respond to the surging third wave of the virus by reimposing “targeted regional measures to bend the curve” until enough Albertans have been vaccinated, it was immediately apparent the measures were really targeted regional exceptions.
Almost three quarters of the province’s people, including residents of Calgary and Edmonton, were subject to the supposedly exceptional measures announced by Mr. Kenney. The remaining quarter, however, were mostly found in the UCP’s rural power base.
So it seemed obvious that while the measures were presented by the premier as an effort to target communities with more serious COVID-19 infection rates, the true intention was to target rural and suburban communities with UCP MLAs skeptical of COVID mitigation to spare them from unpopular restrictions. At Thursday’s news conference, Mr. Kenney claimed this was “to prevent rural areas with small populations from being unfairly impacted.”
Never mind that it turns out more than 20 towns, counties and municipal districts in the areas being given special treatment by the premier have levels of infection per 100,000 population far higher than in Calgary and Edmonton, which are subject to the stricter rules.
Alberta reported 2,433 new cases yesterday. That is the highest daily count since the start of the pandemic. The provincial positivity rate is now north of 12 per cent, also for the first time. There are now 22,504 active cases in Alberta, another record. The province continues to lead all other Canadian provinces and territories for the rate of infections over the previous seven days. Indeed, it now leads all U.S. states as well!
By any measure, Jason Kenney is a pretty bad premier. But he’s not the worst we could have in the midst of a deadly global pandemic that just won’t quit. No, that would be someone like Mr. Barnes, the COVID-denying, separatist leaning MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat.
So why is Mr. Barnes, along with the other 16 members of the United Conservative Party’s unchecked COVID Denial Caucus, now setting the province’s coronavirus-mitigation policy?
When Premier Kenney announced Thursday that the province would respond to the surging third wave of the virus by reimposing “targeted regional measures to bend the curve” until enough Albertans have been vaccinated, it was immediately apparent the measures were really targeted regional exceptions.
Almost three quarters of the province’s people, including residents of Calgary and Edmonton, were subject to the supposedly exceptional measures announced by Mr. Kenney. The remaining quarter, however, were mostly found in the UCP’s rural power base.
So it seemed obvious that while the measures were presented by the premier as an effort to target communities with more serious COVID-19 infection rates, the true intention was to target rural and suburban communities with UCP MLAs skeptical of COVID mitigation to spare them from unpopular restrictions. At Thursday’s news conference, Mr. Kenney claimed this was “to prevent rural areas with small populations from being unfairly impacted.”
Never mind that it turns out more than 20 towns, counties and municipal districts in the areas being given special treatment by the premier have levels of infection per 100,000 population far higher than in Calgary and Edmonton, which are subject to the stricter rules.
Alberta reported 2,433 new cases yesterday. That is the highest daily count since the start of the pandemic. The provincial positivity rate is now north of 12 per cent, also for the first time. There are now 22,504 active cases in Alberta, another record. The province continues to lead all other Canadian provinces and territories for the rate of infections over the previous seven days. Indeed, it now leads all U.S. states as well!
- the illegal rodeo in Bowden AB is into it's second day, and there's no indication at all that the province or RCMP have any intention at all to try to shut it down
- the AB legislature just suspended it's spring sitting for two weeks due to "concerns over COVID", K-6 schools will still be open and teachers still haven't been prioritized for vaccinations
Alberta is a leaderless and rudderless ship aimed full speed at an iceberg. There is effectively no government in this province anymore, and those favoured by the current ruling political party can do what they want when they want because there is no law-and-order apparent anymore either.
This is the worst and most shameful day in the history of Alberta. MAGA's come to Canada and full-force taken over the place that I live in.
rickc @ Sun May 02, 2021 1:49 pm
How is the vaccine rollout going in Alberta? I see several people on here from Alberta have received their first dose. What is the age range for getting the vaccine in Alberta? Can anyone that wants the vaccine get it?
llama66 @ Sun May 02, 2021 2:32 pm
The UCP should be held liable for negligence for how they've handled this. They should be sued. The anti-mask fools who spread COVID should charged and sued.
The Feds need to step in, but they won't.
Thanos @ Sun May 02, 2021 2:43 pm
Pretty sure that every UCP MLA that attended the rodeo got a free beef-on-a-bun though.
llama66 @ Mon May 03, 2021 1:08 pm
I really hope enough Albertans see these bozos for what they are and toss them out on their asses next election.
Thanos @ Mon May 03, 2021 3:00 pm
Good rage filled podcast from earlier today if you've got a couple of hours to spare. For the record Ryan Jespersen got fired from 630 CHED in Edmonton last year for being too critical of the UCP government:
Scape @ Mon May 03, 2021 3:01 pm
Cliff notes version?
Thanos @ Mon May 03, 2021 3:04 pm
Haven't looked for it TBH.
bootlegga @ Mon May 03, 2021 5:32 pm
He often tweets out clips of his podcast:
https://twitter.com/ryanjespersen
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