Several businesses in Lethbridge’s downtown and the surrounding area have closed their doors in the last several months. Other business owners say they are feeling the pinch as well, and attribute much of the struggles to what they say are pervasive negative perceptions of the downtown area. Concerns over everything from the opioid/drug crisis and taxation to parking, are the main issues. Those business owners and employees are feeling the pressure of that, but today’s speaker will explain how she, along with other business owners, are fighting back and meeting with with city officials to address the issues
Alberta’s conventional oil and gas liabilities have been growing for decades with reported estimates ranging from $58 to $130 billion involving 450,000 oil and gas wells, 400,000 Km of pipelines, 1.4 trillion litres of fluid waste, Only $1.5 billion is held in securities to protect Albertan taxpayers from the risk of being left on the hook for costs. Oil sands liabilities are estimated at another (largely unsecured) $130 billion. If the issue of backlogged and unsecured oil and gas liabilities is allowed to stay quiet, the problem will simply continue to grow, with no true transparency around its scale and scope.
Arguably, governments have a mandate to keep our most vulnerable citizens safe, including young children. Recently, the Province of Alberta and the City of Lethbridge have initiated significant realignments of their prevention and early intervention services for families. The speaker will explore these changes from the perspective of an agency that provides preventive services on behalf of governments. The goal is to continue a wholesome and productive discussion about how we protect children in our community.
Alberta SouthWest Regional Economic Development (AlbertaSW) is a partnership of 16 towns, villages and rural municipal districts bordering on BC and MT. Key sectors of the economy in the region are agriculture, renewable energy and tourism. All these industries require consideration of the natural resources and landscapes, creating a natural focus on sustainability, In 2007, in collaboration with National Geographic, AlbertaSW was a founding partner of the transboundary Crown of the Continent Geotourism Council, which highlights sustainable tourism business development.
The early years of human development needs to be an essential priority for the whole community and by creating awareness of the importance of the early years in children’s development, communities can help create and implement an action plan specific to enhancing healthy childhood development. One essential element for children’s development is play. Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength. It is through play that children at a very early age learn to engage and interact with the world around them.
Liberal Education is rooted in an approach to learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change. It provides students with broad knowledge of the wider world (e.g. science, culture, and society) as well as in-depth study in a specific area of interest. The philosophy of Liberal Education traces back to the Classical Era of the ancient Greeks and Romans, who developed a logical and systematic approach to looking at the world around us, and an education system to produce informed leaders who would engage in the running of their city-states.
Our drinking water comes from the Oldman River, but where does this river start? The tributaries that feed a river are collectively called headwaters, the source or ‘birthplace’ of our river. Located along the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains, the headwaters of the Oldman River flow from an increasingly busy landscape - one that includes mining, logging, grazing, and recreation. This unique area offers important habitat for threatened species, as well as ecological services beyond providing most of the water used by over 210,000 people living, working, and playing in our watershed.
Canada has joined many other national and regional jurisdictions in declaring a climate emergency. Recent reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warn of increasingly deterioriating conditions across the globe in the face of unchecked global heating. While human generated emissions of CO2 and other greenhouses gases are accepted as the major cause, efforts to bend the emissions trajectory are still not sufficient. The world’s economies must rapidly decarbonize over this decade to avoid lock-in to a future of climate extremes and damaging impacts to society.
Five years ago, in 2015, the governments of the United Nations agreed on a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that we would need to attain by 2030 to make life better and more sustainable for future generations. Our governments had come to accept that we were rapidly overpopulating the planet, depleting our natural resources and destroying our environment. These goals cover the full range of socio-economic and environmental factors that our governments agreed were essential for our peace, wellbeing and prosperity.
The Official Opposition’s 2019 Alternative Budget lays out a path for Alberta to create jobs, diversify the economy, protect vital public services, and bring the provincial budget to balance. This path is based on economic data in the government’s budget, and more crucially, on widespread consultation with Albertans. Last fall, the NDP Caucus held town hall meetings in communities across Alberta, and the people that spoke up, provided a tremendous amount of information about what values and priorities they wanted to see reflected in the provincial budget.
The September 3, 2019 release of the Report and Recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Alberta’s Finances (the MacKinnon report) argues that both the size and compensation of Alberta’s public sector are higher than comparator provinces, and suggests that the government could reduce the size of the public sector (through employee attrition), consider alternative delivery of government programs and services (through the private and non-for-profit sectors), and recommends that the government establishes a legislative mandate that sets the salary levels for all public sector employees.
In 2016, students at the U of L established a local chapter of the World University Service of Canada (WUSC). It is a Canadian international development non-profit organization dedicated to improving education, employment and empowerment opportunities for youth, women and refugees in more than 25 countries around the world. WUSC’s Student Refugee Program (SRP) combines refugee resettlement with opportunities for higher education. The U of L WUSC program changes the lives of young people here and around the world.
Is it MS, Lupus or immune system dysfunction? Doctors were left puzzled by Audrey Skoog’s rapidly deteriorating health. This led to specialist after specialist as well as referrals out of country and out of province. When diagnosis came, she found herself with late stage Lyme disease otherwise known as disseminated Lyme disease; this stage occurs months or even years after a tick bite, when the infection is not appropriately treated in the first or second stages.
The average Canadian households wastes $1,760 every year in squishy cucumbers, spoiled yogurt and moldy bread. Not only does food waste have a negative impact on our pocketbooks, it’s bad for the environment as resources are wasted producing food that is never eaten. Wasted food is responsible for 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, making the reduction of food waste a key strategy in fighting climate change. Households are the second largest contributors to food waste, with 21% of food waste occurring in the home.
Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party retained power in a close-run federal election. The Liberals won 157 seats and 33% of the popular vote, enough to retain power in a minority parliament. Opposition leader Andrew Scheer’s Conservative Party won more votes, but far fewer seats. This was the first time since 1979 that the winner of the most seats wasn’t also the winner of the most votes. The NDP did far better than the polls suggested at the beginning of the campaign, but worse than in 2015 and catastrophically worse than their record high in 2011.
Budget 2019 reflects a commitment to responsible fiscal management and a promise to balance the budget in 4 years. It’s focused on creating jobs and delivering public services and infrastructure to support private sector investment and a vibrant society. Alberta’s many successive provincial deficits have created a serious financial situation and a debt burden that has reached $62.7 billion. Government spent almost $2 billion on interest (debt servicing) last year – more than what was spent on 17 out of 21 ministries.
As the largest irrigation district by irrigated acres in Canada, St Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID) has licenses to divert water from the St. Mary, Waterton and Belly rivers. The total volume of SMRID’s allowable diversion is 722,000 ac/ft. or about 890 million cubic meters of water. On average however, the SMRID diverts only around 50 per cent of its total license. One of its licenses now allows for not only water for irrigation as originally conceived, but for other uses such as municipal, industrial, recreational and environmental.
The video game industry generated appox. $135 billion US globally in 2018 and is forecasted to be worth $300 billion by 2025. The global market value of board games, alternatively known as tabletop games, was nearly 8 billion U.S. dollars in 2018 and is estimated to reach a value of $15 billion in 2025. The comic book industry is steadily worth around $1 billion yearly, but over the past decade, superhero movies, most of which are based on superhero comics, have been growing.
The new Canada Food Guide was recently released and includes an online suite of resources that better meets the needs of different users including the general public, policy makers, health professionals, healthcare centres, childcare centres, and schools. The Canada Food Guide has a long history of being used and is promoted by health professionals when supporting Canadians to eat well. The Food Guide can help influence the foods served and sold in Canada’s public institutions like workplaces, healthcare centres, recreation centres, and schools.
Now that Lethbridge is a city of more than 100,000 inhabitants, there are some perceived “big city” problems that go along with it. Actually, we have had many of them all along, but with a larger population they become more visible. With the Federal election looming in less than a week and a Provincial budget to be unveiled shortly after, the intergovernmental effects on Lethbridge could be substantial and will need unpacking.
Many people think that successful work with poverty-stricken street people and people living with drug & alcohol addiction/mental health issues will result in a “normal” life for them. That is however, largely a myth. It’s also true people generally assume that successful work with and help for the impoverished and homeless, should be measured by how close clients get to society’s “norm”, meaning money, a house, a job, a family, living a stereotypical happy and “normal” life as a result of that help.
The deregulation of Alberta’s electricity system is now 19-years old, and in the last five years three successive Alberta governments have passed on an opportunity to mitigate the shortcomings of an Alberta “energy only market.” This has resulted in Albertans paying more for their energy utilities. Climate change and the climate change debate have significantly impacted retail utility costs in Alberta. The speaker will examine these impacts from a regulatory perspective, and how contemporaneous political influences have caused utility rates to rise for the average ratepayer.
The ARCHES Indigenous Recovery Coach Program is a recovery-oriented, community-based and culturally informed recovery coach program, supporting adults undergoing opioid agonist therapy (OAT), also known as medically assisted therapy (MAT), for opioid addiction in Lethbridge. The program is intended to combine one-on-one community-based transition / navigator services with peer support services and culturally-focused healing. From a strength-based and person-centered approach, the Indigenous Recovery Coaches focus on working with participants to apply their newly acquired recovery skills in their living environment and help them resolve any issues or problems that can impact their recovery.
The majority of residents in Lethbridge believe in the importance of recycling and keeping waste out of the landfill. The City’s Waste Diversion Policy has led to specific targets for reducing waste in both households and businesses with the goal of cutting the overall community waste in half by 2030. The Residential Waste Diversion Strategy is targeted to reduce the amount of waste residents send to the landfill with a 50% waste diversion rate by 2021 and a 65% waste diversion rate by 2030.
The agriculture sector in Lethbridge is supported by the surrounding region, which includes more than 900 farms generating farm receipts of $1.1 Billion per year, building on assets of $3.2 Billion. Primary crops in this region include canola, corn, potatoes, sugar beets and pulses in addition to significant livestock and dairy production. There are more than 120 established agri-food processing businesses in the Lethbridge region producing food and/or feed for local consumption and export.
The Blackfoot people is made up of four nations. These nations include the Piegan Blackfeet, Siksika, Piikani Nation, and Kainai. The four nations come together to make up what is known as the Blackfoot Confederacy, meaning that they have banded together to help one another. The nations have their own separate governments ruled by a head chief, but regularly come together for religious and social celebrations. Historically, the member peoples of the Confederacy were nomadic bison hunters and trout fishermen, who ranged across large areas of the northern Great Plains of western North America.
Approval of Agenda and appointment of Secretary Adoption and discussion of Minutes – June 28, 2018 Annual Reports: Chairperson Finance Committee & Treasurer’s Report and Budget for 2019-2020 Program Committee Break for lunch from approx. 12:30 - 1 pm followed by more reports SACPA on Campus Program Committee Policy and Bylaw Committee Administrative Manager Personnel Committee Nomination Committee Appointment of Auditors and free discussion on new ideas and SACPA’s future direction.
In response to calls for action from Indigenous families, communities and organizations, as well as non-governmental and international organizations, the Government of Canada launched an entirely independent National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) in September 2016. The National Inquiry’s Final MMIWG Report released June 3, reveals that persistent and deliberate human and Indigenous rights violations and abuses are the root cause behind Canada’s staggering rates of violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people.
In 2004 Dale Thacker got involved as a 1/3 owner in Rangeland Helicopters with Larry Elford and Ian McLeod. Their wish was to bring effective helicopter EMS to the southeastern part of Alberta. They recognized that STARS Air Ambulance was available, but from a trauma perspective considering the “golden hour”, it wasn’t sufficient, and wanted better coverage for the people who call this southern region home. The Southern Alberta MedicAir Society had also come to similar conclusions about STARS coverage.
Southern Alberta, including the MD of Pincher Creek, is one of Canada’s windiest regions and the area’s rich wind resources are extremely attractive to developers. This renewable potential, however, is having an unexpected negative environmental impact – wind farms and associated transmission infrastructure are threatening one of the last remaining areas in Alberta with large tracts of native grassland and unique ecosystems of critical importance to preserving the unique bioversity of the plains.
The crisis of the global political-economy continues to sharpen. Trade wars—the precursors of military wars—involving the United States, the European Union, China, India, Mexico and Canada are intensifying. The United States has unilaterally abrograted the Trans Pacific Partnership, Intermediate Nucler Forces Agreement and North America Free Trade Agreement. Social inequality and wealth concentration are at record levels. The major central banks are realizing even more “ultra-accommodative” monetary policy for stock markets and more austerity for workers.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is Canada’s leading national land conservation organization. A private, non-profit organization, partnering with individuals, corporations, other non-profit organizations and governments at all levels to protect our most important natural treasures — the natural areas that sustain Canada’s plants and wildlife. NCC secures properties (through donation, purchase, conservation agreement and the relinquishment of other legal interests in land) and manages them for the long term.
With the UCP gaining power in Alberta’s recent provincial election, Jason Kenney became premier of Alberta and for the first time since 2008, no women preside over a Canadian provincial or territorial legislature. And that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Until 1991, when Rita Johnston became British Columbia premier, because of a scandal involving then Premier Bill Vander Zalm, Canadian provinces had been ruled by male premiers. Since then, 11 women has held that position, but not one of those premiers, even those who led their government to a majority mandate, has had the support required to stay in office for more than a full term after being elected.
It is estimated that 1 in 3 women/girls and 1 in 6 men/boys in their lifetime will experience some form of sexual violence either in childhood or in their adult life. Young adults are generally most at risk, but it can happen at any age, and it’s been going on for many, many years. A new facility, the Chinook Sexual Assault Centre (CSAC) in Lethbridge at 740-4 Avenue South is now open.
As a rule, Aboriginal Rights are the rights of Indigenous people to carry on with their traditional and ancestral customs of hunting, fishing, trapping, feasting and holding religious ceremonies. They stem in part from Indigenous occupation of lands prior to European contact and assertions of sovereignty. Aboriginal rights also flow from the many treaties that Indigenous leaders signed with the Crown over the last few centuries, which are matters of contract law—sacred contract law.
In the 2015 provincial election, the New Democratic Party, led by Rachel Notley, won an unprecedented victory in Alberta. Unseating the Progressive Conservatives – who had won every provincial election since 1971 – they formed an NDP government for the first time in the history of the province. Unfortunately for Premier Rachel Notley and her NDP government, revenues from Alberta’s energy sector tanked in 2015 and still hasn’t fully recovered. Nevertheless, the NDP government pressed on with their plans to rectify Alberta’s massive infrastructure deficit in support of public institutions, but in the process, they’ve amassed hefty budgetary deficits, despite implementing progressive tax changes and a carbon levy
For many people, a net-zero home conjures up visions of houses beyond their reach. But supplying energy for your own home is no longer confined to the future. For many homes, a well-designed solar power system can meet 100% of their energy needs on a yearly basis. Lethbridge and the entirety of Southern Alberta get more sunlight than almost anywhere else in Canada, making solar panels the perfect solution for powering your home on green energy.
The global energy system is being transformed by new technologies that will revolutionize oil and gas markets — whether Alberta is ready for it or not. In his new book, energy journalist Markham Hislop examines how visionary oil sands executives like Suncor CEO Steve Williams are preparing their companies – which produce two-thirds of Alberta’s oil – for the onrushing low-carbon future. An integral part of the oil sands’ savvy business strategy is the energy and climate policies of Premier Rachel Notley’s government.
Each year, in mid-December, the federal government releases its calculation for what each province is entitled to receive as equalization. The numbers show Alberta’s recession lowered its ability to raise revenues. They show Ontario has graduated to “have” status, but (interestingly) will still receive equalization payments. They also set the stage for the upcoming Federal-Provincial-Territorial discussions over the soon-to-expire formula. And on top of all this, budget challenges in oil rich provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador put equalization payments front and centre in provincial political debates, where misleading claims are unfortunately all too common.
SACPA presents the 2019 Alberta Provincial all candidates Election Forum for the Lethbridge East constituency Date: Wednesday, March 27, 2019 Time: 6:30 – 9 pm Venue: Royal Canadian Legion hall, 324 Mayor Magrath Drive South The April 16, 2019 Alberta Provincial Election promises to be an interesting contest and ought to attract more attention than normally would be expected of such. The SACPA forum will be conducted using both formulated and audience questions.
US President Trump recently declared a national emergency in a bid to fund his promised wall on the US – Mexico border without the approval of Congress on the heels of signing a bipartisan government spending bill that would prevent another partial government services closure following a historic 35-day shutdown in December and January. That shutdown was caused by Trump’s demand that Congress provide him with $5.7 billion in wall funding as part of legislation to fund certain government agencies.
Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are often used interchangeably as many people believe that one means the other. In fact, the distinction between the two diseases often causes confusion for the persons living with dementia, their families and caregivers. Alzheimer’s and some types of dementias remain a mystery in many ways. Therefore, the similar changes in the brain are often mixed up in every day conversation and understanding. According to National Institute on Aging, Dementia is a brain disorder that affects communication and performance of daily activities and Alzheimer’s disease is a form of dementia that specifically affects parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language.
Inspired by, or at least imitating, the protests of France’s Gilets Jaunes, a Yellow Vest movement has similarly made headlines the past few months, especially in Alberta. In what ways does this movement echo the one in France – or even past movement in Canada? How, more broadly, should we understand the Yellow Vest protests? On the surface, the concerns seem clear enough: stalled pipeline projects and fury over a federal and provincial the carbon tax.
“If, instead of building the automobile, had I asked folks what they wanted, the answer would have been… [just] a faster horse.” (Henry Ford) EVs are touted as the next world-wide disruption, yet unlike the transition from the horse and buggy, physically owning and driving one is hardly disruptive at all. EVs are a timely and much-better version of what we already own and drive – a faster and better horse – so where are they all, and why?
Alberta’s Partisan Politics and Ideology: Would Independent MLA’s with No Party Affiliation be a better Option? Canada’s NorthWest Territories has a consensus government, in which all members are Independent and do not belong to a political party caucus. This form of government has been in place for over 40 years. The direct democratic governance model used in the North West Territories has allowed their Legislative Members the innate ability to put their constituents’ needs singularly ahead of all else.
In today’s world, matchmaking tends to refer to apps and internet sites that we use to do the dirty work of sorting out good candidates for relationships, but for much of human history, the matchmaker was a person. Choosing a life partner was often viewed as far too complicated a decision for young people on their own, and from the Aztec civilization to ancient Greece and China, their elders (often women) intervened to make sure they had the “right” kind of suitor.
On September 17, 2018, City Council was asked to consider a one year pilot project for the keeping of up to 4 egg-laying hens on urban properties with suitable yard space. Council voted to investigate further and to have public consultations, with a decision to follow in late March 2019. Bylaw 3383 prohibits the raising of poultry within the City of Lethbridge and it has not been amended since 1983. Is the Bylaws out of date?
Who owns Outer Space? Could Elon Musk become President of Mars? How would one negotiate a treaty with aliens? Space is becoming a very busy place, with 90 orbital launches occurring in 2017 alone. Many of the governance challenges that currently exist on Earth will soon exist in Space. Yet the unique conditions of Space, including extremes of danger, distance and time, will necessarily require fundamental changes to the conduct of international relations and the content of international law.
Of all the developed countries with universal, single-payer health care systems, Canada is the only one that does not include coverage for prescription drugs. There are currently 23 different public drug and supplementary plans within Alberta alone, but they provide benefits for just 20% of Albertans. Within Canada we have a patchwork of drug coverage, with more than 100,000 different drug and supplementary plans, yet, 1 in 10 Canadians cannot afford their prescription drugs.
In May 2015 the people of Alberta were faced with a choice at the ballot box and they surprised the pundits by choosing an NDP government, despite all the predictions that the Progressive Conservatives would add to their 44 year term in office. Now, almost four years later, the Premier has indicated that she will hold the election in the Spring of 2019 and again ask the people of Alberta for their vote.
Canadian churches have made a huge impact on key justice issues over the past 50 years on education, economics, refugee sponsorship, the environment, domestic violence, public health care, women’s rights, and the cancellation of the debts of Global South countries. A new book from Citizens for Public Justice’s Joe Gunn features interviews with ten key people who have been active in social justice struggles across Canada for many years. How did Christians from varied ecumenical backgrounds work together to help end apartheid, admit refugees from Chile and Indochina, defend Indigenous Peoples’ rights, promote economic justice, and more?
The Canine Unit is an integral part of the Lethbridge Police Service. Agility, obedience, tracking, building searches, compound/area searches, evidence searches, criminal apprehension and drug detection are the main components of training a PSD (Police Service Dog) for the Lethbridge Police Service. They provide an element to police work that you can’t get anywhere else and in some cases, the PSD’s have the first interaction with subjects engaging in criminal activity, taking on a dangerous role for their human partners.
Since 1982 the Lethbridge Food Bank has been operated in the community of Lethbridge and serving the surrounding area with a “food share” program. Lethbridge, is home to nearly 100,000 people and growing, making the Lethbridge Food Bank an important part of a vibrant community to ensure a food security resource for families in need. As a non-profit organization, donations from individuals and businesses are essential. During the fall of 2017, The Lethbridge Food Bank, in partnership with My City Care, began the Mindful Munchies program, providing students in need, nutritional food items to help them succeed in the classroom.
The City of Lethbridge use the council-manager form of city government i.e. city council makes laws and broad policy decisions for a city manager and staff to carry out. In other words, under the council-manager form of government a city manager fills the role of chief executive officer (CEO) of the government organization. Like a private sector CEO does for a private company, a city manager oversees the day-to-day operations of a city and serves as the chief advisor to city council.
Many Albertan worry about public spending, deficits and a growing debt. Does balancing the books in Alberta hinge on building pipelines to tidewater or are there other ways to achieve that goal? Are the present provincial Government’s budget predictions unrealistic? The speaker will articulate his and the Alberta Liberal Party views on deficits, pipelines, economic development, opioids and Alberta politics. David Kahn will further talk about his vision for the Alberta Liberals and argue that corporate and union donations to PACs should be barred, restrictions on out-of-province donations and setting donation limits for individuals.
Grieving the loss or change of a cherished natural space has not always been recognized as a true form of grieving. For example, the grief First Nations Peoples in USA and Canada experienced after losing their way of life in the wake of colonization, was generally not recognized as ecological grief. Wildfires and summers filled with smoke, devastating floods and subtle changes in the seasons seems to be the new normal and following recent IPCC reports, ecological grief is now starting to become recognized as a legitimate form of mourning and anxiety.
In March 2018, the City of Lethbridge Community Social Development (CSD) Business Unit launched a Strategic Planning Initiative that will provide the comprehensive research-based social assessment required to identify Lethbridge’s priority social issues, identify Lethbridge’s range of social supports and services, bring this information to community, and inform the revisions of the City’s CSD’s 5 Year strategic plan. Project completion is targeted for early 2019, and will support the development of the City of Lethbridge 2019-20 CBO Service Delivery Plan.
It can be argued there are Polite Crimes versus Impolite Crimes, Visible Crimes versus Invisible Crimes, and Crimes we can openly discuss, versus Crimes that cannot be discussed. Some crimes we intentionally ignore and instead blame the victims. Twice recently, the speaker heard the quote, “We cannot arrest our way out of the addiction problems in Southern Alberta”, once by the Chief of Police and recently repeated by an emergency room physician speaking to SACPA.
Conversion therapy, sometimes referred to as reparative therapy or the ex-gay movement, is the pseudoscientific practice of trying to change an individual’s sexual orientation from queer (used here as an umbrella term for members of the LGBTQ+ rainbow) to heterosexual using psychological, physical, and/or spiritual interventions. Examples of this range from ‘talk therapy,’ to, on the extreme end, rape. Historically, lobotomies and electroshock treatments were utilized, among others. To date, only the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba—by legal statute and health regulation, respectively—have made any effort to ban conversion therapy in Canada.
The last minute new trade agreement among Mexico, Canada and the United States, the so-called USMCA, made headlines in late September. But beneath those headlines, the difference the agreement could mean for those countries are likely to be minimal. The difficult negotiating issues – Canada’s dairy market/supply management, intellectual property, and the dispute settlement mechanism between member countries as well as investors - have been controversial since the inception of NAFTA in 1994 and even earlier
With 260 km/h maximum sustained wind speeds, Category 5 Hurricane Maria tore through Dominica on September 18, 2017, causing mass destruction and directly affecting some 73,000 people (the entire population). Sixty-five deaths in Dominica were attributed to Hurricane Maria. Critical infrastructure - including schools, hospitals, electrical lines, houses, public buildings and government offices, and private structures key to the economy and people’s livelihoods - was significantly damaged. Beyond the immediate impact in Dominica, the 2017 hurricane season highlighted existing gaps in the overall disaster preparedness and resilience levels - as well as forcing queries on north/south responsibilities.
What will it take to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? Why did the peace negotiations fail? Is the Palestine-Israel conflict beyond a negotiated solution? Is it time for a new approach? In this talk, Mark Ayyash will give the history of the conflict and Fuad Abboud will talk about Israeli law and how it has impacted the Palestinians. During more than twenty years of peace negotiations, not much have been accomplished. Through it all, Israeli settlements has escalated on occupied land and many Palestinian political adversaries are held behind bars.
As our city continues to grapple with a growing crisis of drug abuse and seeks solutions to address addiction and its associated negative effects on the community, it may be helpful to take a step back and review some of the root causes of addiction and why this insidious disease is so challenging to treat. From the perspective of someone who has worked in the local emergency department during the onset and evolution of the current opioid crisis, we look at some of the challenges experienced and insights gained in working with this high-risk population.
Divorce is hard. It just is. Even an amicable divorce is a traumatic experience – and where conflict exists, that trauma is magnified. What “was” no longer “is”, and what tomorrow brings is uncertain and frightening – for both parties. So, then, what to do? Well, keeping in mind that no divorce is easy, there are a few tips than can help you move from a difficult past and present to a less difficult and frightening tomorrow.
Alberta’s budget documents show that our tax system is grossly inferior to that of every other province in the country at raising revenue. Applying the tax system of any other province to Alberta would raise us a minimum of $11.2 billion in additional annual revenue, more than covering the projected $8.8-billion deficit in this year’s budget. Protecting our public services from cuts is perhaps the most important reason to fix our tax system, but there are also other good reasons to do so.
While most will agree the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympic Games was an overall success and good for the City, Alberta and Canada, the bidding cost alone for the 2026 Games will be at least $30 million and the expenses for hosting the Games if Calgary is chosen, could top $8 billion, including interest, considering all three levels of Government are running deficits – hosting the 1988 Games cost less than $1 billion and turned a profit.
Elder abuse is any action or inaction by self or others that jeopardizes the health or well –being of an older adult. Elder abuse can take several forms including financial, emotional, physical, sexual, medication and neglect, with more than one type of abuse often occurring at the same time. Elder abuse can include the infliction of physical injury, restraint, financial exploitation, threats, ridicule, insult or humiliation, withholding medication, unwanted touching or sexual contact, forced isolation (physical or social), or forced change in living arrangements.
Approval of Agenda and appointment of Secretary Adoption and discussion of Minutes – June 29, 2017 Annual Reports: Chairperson Finance Committee and Treasurer’s Report and Budget for 2018-2019 Program Committee Break for lunch at approx.12:30 - 1 pm followed by more reports SACPA on Campus Program Committee Policy and Bylaw Committee Administrative Manager Personnel Committee Nomination Committee Appointment of Auditors and discussion on new ideas and SACPA’s future direction. Adjournment at 1:30 pm
Alcohol abuse and addiction are two of the most complex and costly challenges facing Canadian society. According to the Washington Post, alcohol kills more people than HIV, AIDS, TB and violence combined. Heavy or even regular alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, breast, colon and rectum. In 2013, alcohol-related health care, law enforcement and lost productivity cost Canadians $14.6 billion. Globally, more than 3 million people die yearly from causes related to alcohol consumption.
Presently Canada is engaged in a highly conflictual national struggle over pipelines, to build or not to build. Ricardo Acuna of the Parkland Institute argues that a proper debate on the merits and pitfalls of pipelines would be a good thing for Albertans to engage in. Such a debate should include the impact on the provincial economy and our climate change targets. The problem is that the elevated rhetoric from both sides of the debate, along with a constant barrage of inflated, unsourced and questionable stats and data from both sides makes a healthy debate next to impossible.
Ambulance service in Alberta is a borderless system designed to respond as needed, with urban areas using rural ambulances during shortages, and in turn helping those communities when shortages occur. However, that system is problematic as rural areas potentially can go for hours without proper emergency services. One of the primary reasons for lack of ambulance services in rural areas are inter-facility transfers or appointments that draw ambulances out of those communities and sometimes causing long waits for ambulance service during emergencies.
Hutterites are taxed under section 143 of the Income Tax Act. Colonies are taxed as if they were a trust so the collective income of the community gets allocated to colony members who are 18 years of age and older Section 143 does not allow Hutterite colonies to allocate income to community members under the age of 18 while other farmers are allowed to do so. For example, a regular farmer can pay his child who is under the age of 18 up to $ 10,000 tax free, while Hutterites cannot.
The Alberta Party is a political movement dedicated to transforming government through citizen engagement. Instead of representing a particular segment of the traditional political spectrum, the Alberta Party seeks out the best ideas regardless of whether they are perceived to be from the left or the right. As a result, they are attracting thousands of Albertans from all regions, urban and rural, of all ideological backgrounds including those who have never been involved in a political party.
Seventy years after Israel’s establishment as an independent state, its accomplishments in high tech, medical research and innovation has far exceeded expectations of a country its size. Some might be surprised to learn that Israel consistently ranks in the top 15 countries on the “Happiness Index.” All this despite the fact that Israel has been at war with its neighbours since its inception – and the threats to its security are as real today as they were in 1948.
The United States has repeatedly indicated that a key tension in NAFTA renegotiations is Canada’s continued protection of dairy, poultry and egg producers. These protectionist policies, known as supply management, were also an irritant in the Trans-Pacific free trade negotiations. The question for Canadians is why broad trade agreements, which benefit almost all Canadians, are being jeopardized to continue to protect a small subset of farmers in Canada—estimated at 13,500 nationwide.
Basic income in Canada has been debated since at least the 1930s during the Social Credit movement, but as in other parts of the western world, the discussion has increased during the last decades. Different models can be considered such as a Guaranteed Annual Income (GAI), Social Dividend or Basic Income. William Aberhart, Premier of Alberta, was inspired by Major C. H. Douglas Social Credit theory and tried to implement a basic income for Albertans during the 1930s but was thwarted in his attempts by the Federal Government.
In 1994, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into effect, creating one of the world’s largest free trade zones at that time and arguably laying the foundations for strong economic growth and rising prosperity for Canada, the United States, and Mexico. However, since Donald Trump became US President last year, renegotiating NAFTA along with other trade deals, has been high on his agenda The original NAFTA took 14 months to negotiate and just as long to ratify.
The FASD Adult Justice Program was developed as a partnership under the umbrella of the South Alberta FASD Service Network and the 10-year strategic plan, in response to a need identified by the Alberta Government. The Program works collaboratively with a number of service providers, community agencies and professionals committed to effecting change within the Justice System for individuals and families affected by FASD. The FASD Justice Program operation model is based, in part on the FASD Youth Justice Project which has been operating successfully in South Western Alberta since 2000.
The terrestrial biosphere is under increasing pressure as a result of climatic changes, human disturbance, and secondary effects of these, including fire and pathogen/insect outbreaks. In many regions, land surface changes may be occurring more rapidly than expected. The Advanced Resolution Terradynamics Monitoring System Laboratory (ARTeMiS) is dedicated to the characterization of process feedbacks through the 3D environment in both space and time, and from plant to region. The fusion of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) research, spectral and active remote sensing tools, in situ measurements, and long-term environmental monitoring of ecosystems provides process-based understanding at scales that are relevant for making decisions.
One of Bryan Kolb’s most memorable talks was a public lecture in Lac La Biche, AB, attended by many First Nations elders. Kolb spoke about how stress and abuse during childhood can cause certain genes in the brain to be turned on or off, and how these changes can be passed from one generation to another — altering the behaviour of the offspring. Through this explanation, the elders began to see the problem of residential schools in an entirely new light.
Please note that this is a special Tuesday session at the Royal Canadian Legion The Alberta Cannabis Framework has outlined what Albertans can expect when cannabis becomes legal in Canada on July 1, 2018. After months of engagement with Albertans, stakeholders and partners, extensive research of other jurisdictions, and consideration of existing liquor and tobacco laws, the framework sets the stage for the responsible use of cannabis in Alberta . Aspects of this framework will be implemented through various pieces of legislation introduced during the fall of 2017 and spring of 2018, including substantive changes to the Gaming and Liquor Act that will address oversight, distribution and licensing for non-medical cannabis.
Canada’s justice system is working poorly for Indigenous peoples. Not-guilty verdicts arrived at recently in two separate murder cases involving First Nations victims, Tina Fontaine and Colten Boushie, have arguably yet again exposed Canada’s justice system as failing Indigenous peoples. Indigenous people have been murdered or gone missing for a long time without due diligence from law enforcement and only now are we starting to expose these patterns of neglect in a meaningful way.