Funny how the loudest “Canada is broken” voices keep coming from the provinces with the worst premiers running the show.
Here’s the part people skip: your daily life is run by your province, not Ottawa. Healthcare, schools, hospitals, highways, policing, housing approvals, electricity rates. All provincial jurisdiction. The premier you voted for controls almost everything that actually touches your day to day.
Alberta’s economy gets mismanaged by Smith, healthcare gets gutted, and somehow it’s Ottawa’s fault. Saskatchewan posts some of the worst outcomes on healthcare wait times and education funding in the country, then blames “the Laurentian elite.”
These are the same people who vote for cuts, then complain when the cuts hurt. Vote for underfunded hospitals, then post about ER wait times like it’s a national betrayal. Vote against federal transfers and equalization fixes, then act shocked when their own province can’t deliver services.
If your premier controls your hospital wait time, your kid’s classroom size, and your power bill, and all three are getting worse, that’s not a “Canada is broken” problem. That’s a “you elected this” problem.
The data is right there. Most of the “Canada is failing” energy isn’t coming from a place of national decline. It’s coming from provincial governance failures, dressed up as a federal crisis.
We’re gonna go ahead and call BS.
There have been no changes in the last 48 hours that would have negatively affected their performance, and the stage was set up.
This ain’t about city hall, they were good to go up until today.
#abpoli#ableg#cdnpoli
We are judged based on how we treat the most vulnerable of society. The UCP will be judged as the most inhumane & callous government in our history. Shame on you @ABDanielleSmith
I wonder if Minister Lagrange has read this? (She has openly professed being a devout Catholic)
She and her govt are going to commodify HC by privatizing it.
(Also they are holding a referendum asking about denying access to HC for immigrants in AB…)
It's time to cut through the bullshit about the Cowboys tent. Stampede succeeds because Calgarians welcome millions of people into our city. That goodwill matters. A few operators do not get to treat neighbours like garbage and damage the reputation of an event that belongs to all of us.
By now you've seen the coordinated smear campaign from out-of-town politicians. They think you're stupid and want you to believe that we're somehow cancelling Stampede by asking the big tents to use the same rules in place at Coachella, Lollapooloza and all the other world class festivals.
That's the first piece of bullshit. We're not talking about Stampede at all. We're talking about a few off-site tents that have been treating their neighbors like garbage.
Here's the truth. In the last few years, the tents were given a special exemption way above and beyond what was in place up until about 2019. People living near these tents were told to call 311 and wait. Their windows shook and broke. Their shelves rattled. Music ran on weeknights until 2 or 3 a.m. They dealt with property damage, public disorder, and excessive intoxication outside their homes.
Thousands of Calgarians raised their concerns. And just like when we repealed blanket rezoning, the city chose to listen to the people rather than answer to the money.
The second piece of bullshit is that Calgary's rules suck compared to everywhere else. In fact, the changes are modest. There's no change on weekends. But on weeknights, concerts now need to wrap up by 1230am. Even with this change, it means that Calgary still allows outdoor music later than anywhere else in North America.
The third piece of bullshit is that this was done last minute. This wasn't a last minute change. The big tents knew in February that their exemption was under review. Cowboys was told again in May. Their exemption depended on managing noise, safety, and impacts on nearby residents. They did not meet that standard.
But what isn't bullshit is that as your mayor I'm fighting for you. I want you to know that a permit is not a licence to bully a neighbourhood. It is not a profit guarantee. I was elected to stand up for Calgarians, not to take orders from wealthy donors, lobbyists, or politicians protecting their friends.
I am more than happy to seek compromise and work with operators who respect Calgarians. But I answer to the nurse on an early shift, the parent getting kids ready for school, and the worker who needs sleep.
So no. We are not cancelling Stampede. We are protecting it. Stampede succeeds because Calgarians welcome millions of people into our city. That goodwill matters. A few operators do not get to damage the reputation of an event that belongs to all of us.
If you want to do business in Calgary, respect the people who live next door.
@ABDanielleSmith The same way you and your separatist cronies had proper consultations with Indigenous Peoples before you rammed an unconstitutional separatist question onto a referendum that nobody asked for?
It would be a good time to remind ALL Albertans that this Premier and this government does NOT have a mandate for what they are doing to fair and equitable HC Access.
They ran on a Public Health Guarantee.
The Premier lied, and simply cannot be trusted.
The speed and ferocity of the conservative response to Cowboy’s having to lower the volume at midnight on a Tuesday is truly something to behold.
Now imagine if the UCP cared that much about wait times in Emergency Rooms. #ableg
We need to hear this more. Loud and clear. From *all* our political leaders. We are Canadian.
I'm tired of hearing that I can only get timely care with a Visa/MC card.
Looks like the fun police have struck again in Alberta, this time targeting people trying to enjoy a pint.
This last-minute hike before Stampede will raise the minimum price of a beer from $3.20 to $5, a 60% increase. The provincial government will negatively affect thousands of workers and create additional problems for bars and restaurants already facing higher costs.
Many major provinces successfully support thriving brewing and hospitality industries without raising minimum drink prices by this much. Alberta’s brewing industry is one of our signature success stories. It supports local jobs, attracts visitors, and gives communities something to be proud of.
The Premier and AGLC should reconsider these changes and work with operators to find a solution that balances responsible service with the economic and cultural benefits these businesses bring to our province.
@ABDanielleSmith Maybe you should make a petition so that you can have a referendum about it? But because your results won’t be in by June 1st, you will have to wait until 2027 to hold the referendum. Don’t worry about verified signatures though. I have it on good authority you don’t need those.