Tag: Calgary
The Cracked Crystal Ball II: On "Toll Lanes" In Calgary
I see that the geniuses at the Manning Foundation have put on their thinking caps and burned some extra wood to come up with this idea. The Manning Foundation is recommending tolls on some Calgary roads, such as Glenmore Trail, Crowchild Trail and Deerfoot Trail. “Folks are spending more time in
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Linda McQuaig responds to the CCCE’s tax spin by pointing out what’s likely motivating the false attempt to be seen to contribute to society at large: Seemingly out of the blue this week, the head honchos of Canada’s biggest companies, the Canadian Council
Continue readingThe Disaffected Lib: You’ll Pay For Climate Change One Way or The Other.
One thing climate change will probably bring you is higher insurance premiums. Last year Canadian insurers forked over $3.2-billion in payouts, a record. For the first time, flooding-related claims exceeded fire losses. Calgary flooding losses hit $1.7-billion. Toronto’s flooding set an Ontario record of $940-million. Insurance companies aren’t in the
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Ted Cruz: For God (& country’s) sake, talk to Conrad Black before you shred your Canadian passport!
Canada or USA? USA or Canada? Texas Senator Ted Cruz, visible between the signs, ponders what he should do. Actual Tea Party favourites may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Mr. Cruz waves bye-bye to his fellow Canadians … maybe; Lord Black of Crossharbour. It’s said here that Calgary native
Continue readingCalgarians are happy campers
If you were looking for a living definition of the expression “happy campers,” you might cast an eye on Calgary. According to an Ipsos Reid poll, almost ninety per cent of Calgarians believe their city has a good quality of life and is on the right track to become a
Continue readingSaskboy's Abandoned Stuff: Conservatives Win Friends and Improve Policy…
…Or that might be what the usually compliant and forgiving media would say if they hadn’t been pissed off about being locked out of policy meetings at the Conservative Convention last weekend in Calgary. the weird, unsettling vibe that hung over the whole event. (We’ve grown used to seeing prime
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Stephen Harper to Canada: ‘It’s not my fault! Now shut up and vote for me’
Trying to change the channel: Unfortunately for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the remote seems to have disappeared under a pillow and the movie stuck on the TV screen stars Mike Duffy, shown above moving toward the Telus Convention Centre in Calgary Friday night. Actual Canadian Senators may not appear exactly
Continue readingAlberta Diary: Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Halloween 2013: a meditation on power
Prime Minister Stephen Harper just one year ago. Actual Canadian prime ministers may not appear exactly as illustrated. Below: Senator Mike Duffy and former Harper cabinet member Jim Prentice. Last Halloween, when Prime Minister Stephen Harper went trick ’n’ treating, he was monarch of all he surveyed. This year, he’s
Continue readingTrashy's World: How not to show your appreciation of and trust in your “base”…
Dear fellow Conservative: We really, really want your money and support. But please, please, just STFU. If you are approached by anyone resembling a reporter, blogger, Liberal, New Democrat, Green, environmentalist, Public Servant, First Nation member, telecom industry employee or Maude Barlow, please run away screaming, hands over ears, and
Continue readingCalgary—sprawl or planning?
During the recent Calgary election campaign, two visions of the city’s future development vied for attention. One, presented by Calgary’s mayor, Naheed Nenshi, was about planning growth to ensure a sustainable city. The other, presented by a group of home builders and their hired gun, Preston Manning of the Manning
Continue readingSusan on the Soapbox: Congratulations Mayor Nenshi!
John Macfarlane, editor of The Walrus,* asks the question: When did society turn against its best and brightest and more importantly, why? He was bemoaning the fact that Torontonians had elected Rob Ford—a man he described as wearing “his ignorance like a badge of honour”—to be their mayor. Mayor Rob
Continue readingProgressive Alberta
Seemingly in defiance of Alberta’s reputation as a very conservative province, voters in Calgary and Edmonton both elected young, progressive mayors yesterday. Calgary elected the 41-year old Naheed Nenshi for a second term and Edmonton chose the 34-year old former city councillor Don Iveson. Nenshi supports a more compact city
Continue readingTerahertz: Albertans choose progressive mayors
After a surprise victory in the 2010 purple wave, Naheed Nenshi became one of Canada’s most popular mayors during his handling of severe floods in Calgary earlier this year. Few predicted any chance of him losing his position in yesterday’s election and perhaps the only shock was the size of
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Pay to Go Politics in YYC
So, yesterday there was an “all candidates forum” sponsored by The Calgary Chamber of Commerce, the Urban Development Institute – Calgary and The Canadian Homebuilders Association – Calgary Region. I did not attend this forum – for several reasons. We already know that the developer community (or at least notable
Continue readingdjkelly.ca: What the heck is CivicCamp?
Who’s behind these pencils? Where do pencils get their funding from? Pencils are nothing but a left-wing propaganda machine. One pencil wrote in cursive once so all pencils obviously can only be used the same way! I’m sorry, but I can’t help but play this game whenever I hear some
Continue readingBuying Calgay’s civic election with a little help from Preston Manning
Alberta’s election funding rules are notoriously weak. Those applying to municipal elections are no exception. The essentials can easily be summarized: no spending limits, contributions limited to $5,000 a year (the candidate may contribute up to $10,000 of his own funds), and the candidate must file a disclosure statement of
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Canada’s Far Right Next Attack On Nenshi
It’s no big secret that the Conservative power base in Calgary was profoundly pissed off when Naheed Nenshi won the Mayoral race in 2010. The amount of vitriol seen in the Sun’s pages after election day was astonishing, and since then, they have taken every opportunity to snipe at Nenshi.
Continue readingIs flood amnesia setting in?
Immediately after the big water in June, two truisms were out and about in Calgary. One stated the flood had been so catastrophic that finally Albertans would take significant measures to mitigate damage from future floods. The other said that it wouldn’t be long before the disaster was put out
Continue readingBigCityLib Strikes Back: Dear Tim Hortons: It’s Not Your Lids That Are The Problem
…but what’s in the cup. Your coffee is too patriotic, and not near gay enough. I refuse to drink it. Every double-double is as though I am casting a vote for a regressive, far-right government. It is also on the markedly bitter side. Your Mr. Hansen will discover all this
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