Debbie W

I like good food & good government. I'm a firm believer of human rights, reconciliation & climate science. Facts & words matter. She/her.

[Debbie W @debs_wolf]

If you are able to donate even a little please consider supporting Mark in his work he does for Edmonton's most vulnerable. When people have no where to turn they can turn to Mark and get the support and respect they deserve. A monthly donation to him goes a long way. #yeg

[Mark Cherrington @MarkCherrington]

I am trying to raise monthly donations up a few dollars. Any support you can provide is greatly appreciated. $15/$10/$5 or even $3.50 per month is a great investment in helping our community. My goal is not to make money but break even and be sustainable. https://t.co/B39v2gCQyW

[𝕐o̴g̴ @Yoda4ever]

Golden retriever puppy heals rescued kitten in just three days..🐕🐾🐈😊

[Jen The Feisty Librarian @Feisty_Waters]

Local woman wakes up, releases the contact info of David Parker and the separatist fucko buckos just in case 2.9 million Albertan voters want to send them thank you notes or whatever, makes oatmeal.

[Debbie W @debs_wolf]

@Gerry_Tschetter @CraigBaird Really? You don't realize that banned means in many libraries but that it can still be purchased?

[Team Servicerottie🇨🇦🐕‍🦺🦽 @servicerotties]

"We can bring a menu outside to you, and you can wait and we'll bring your meal out to you." That's what a taco place in a trendy shopping district told me on a chilly fall day. Other people were going inside where it was warm and enjoying their meal there. My only option was to wait outside and eat my tacos in the cold. I declined. Nobody wants to sit out on the sidewalk in the cold eating their taco.

It's not that I was dressed inappropriately or smelled bad. I wasn't drunk or unruly. It wasn't even the service dog quietly sitting beside me. The reason I couldn't go in was that there was a single small step in front of the door and no way my power wheelchair could get up it. A portable ramp would have easily mitigated the situation, but the restaurant wasn't required to have one so they didn't. If any member of another marginalized community was told they needed to stay outside, there would be protests and people would be up in arms. But here it's seen as completely acceptable when it comes to people with disabilities.

There's hundreds, maybe thousands, of buildings like this in our city that are off limits to people like me. This week our Alberta government voted on accessibility legislation that coulda have changed that by making reasonable attempts to remove barriers a requirement, like in this case, having a portable ramp. The entire UCP party voted no. Instead of voting yes to making our province more accessible, they voted to continue segregating people with disabilities when there are reasonable alternatives to include them.

This legislation wouldn't have meant small businesses needed to spend mass amounts of money to completely rebuild their locations. Not every place can become completely barrier free. Legislation would have meant making efforts to do feasible things to remove barriers and have staff trained on how to provide accommodations. Things like a portable ramp, or a large print paper menu at the coffee shop whose menu is written on a chalkboard that could be difficult for some people to see. It might mean the next time the lines in a parking lot are repainted, the accessible stalls need to be brought up to current standard. Most people have no idea how inaccessible many things are until one day they become disabled and suddenly even accessing essentials becomes a huge challenge. It would have taken decades, but this legislation would have started the ball rolling to address a lot of these issues.

This isn't just about not being able to get tacos though, it also means job opportunities. Up to 70% of the built environment has major barriers. In these places you will find accountants, insurance agents, small retail shops, and a variety of other businesses and services. Sure, the Human Rights Act says there is a duty to accommodate to the point of undue hardship, but that means instead of having a plan in place and offering accomodations, people with disabilities are left to ask, plead, or beg. When told no, the only recourse is a Human Rights Complaint which can take over a year before they even advise if they accept your complaint, and likely another year or so before it's addressed. Because of this, most times it's easier to just go without than trying to negotiate for that accommodation.

At some point everyone becomes disabled, even temporarily. That shouldn't mean that you suddenly become a second class citizen. But this week our government re-iterated that it's more acceptable to have a disabled person left outside than it is to require a business to get an inexpensive threshold ramp. I really try hard to be independent and be productive, but it's really freaking hard. I suspect the majority of those that voted against this bill wouldn't have the resiliency to cope with a significant disability if it hit them.

But enough said. This second class citizen has dogs to train and obedience trials to get ready for because despite being disabled, I'm dedicated, talented and good at this.

-Admin

[Debbie W @debs_wolf]

@tommysantos14 The world will not progress as though he never existed. Your tourism industry and relationship with allies will take decades to recover and America's reputation on the world stage may never recover.
Day to day life in America may go back to normal, the world will not forget.

[Jen The Feisty Librarian @Feisty_Waters]

It’s Friday March 13 again just like it was in 2020 but that’s not spooky when compared to the fact that we’ve been living in the twilight zone for 4+ years as most of the world past tenses a pandemic that is still disabling and killing people. Your constant denial is spooky.

[Mark Cherrington @MarkCherrington]

This quiet Sunday morning, I am hoping to touch a few of you over morning tea, as you scan the headlines. Please consider the work that I and the @coalition4jhr do. The only way we can continue is with a healthy base of monthly donors. $50/$25/$15/$5 . SEE PINNED POST.

[𝙰𝚟𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚗 🇨🇦 🇺🇦 @AvalonResists]

Rachel Notley is not mincing her words. We need more of this.

#daniellesmithIsUnfit

[Charles Adler @charlesadler]

Your choice, Albertans: You can believe Premier Danielle Smith or the Data "In 1992, Alberta had approximately 11,700 hospital beds. Today, with nearly double the population and a much older demographic, we have roughly 8,800. This is not an Ottawa or immigration problem."

[Debbie W @debs_wolf]

This thread is worth reading.

[Rachel Aiello @rachaiello]

I’m up in the House of Commons viewing gallery. A very full Chamber just observed a moment of silence for the victims in Tumbler Ridge, B.C. Now, hearing statements from all leaders, starting with PM Mark Carney, who is wearing a black suit and tie today.

[Debbie W @debs_wolf]

💕

[CryptoPlayground @CryptoPlaygrnd]

@ClintonDesveaux US builds walls - Canada builds bridges, who would have thunk it.......

[Dimitris Soudas 🇨🇦⚜️🇬🇷☦️ 13.12.1943 @DimitrisSoudas]

I worked on this file.

From one former spokesperson to another. With affection. And a red pen.

Fact check time.

Canada does not control what crosses the bridge. Customs and border enforcement are exercised by each country on its own side. Like every other border crossing on Earth. This is not a novelty. It is the border.

Canada does not own the land on both sides. Canada owns the Canadian side. The State of Michigan owns the U.S. side. That is literally the definition of a border.

The bridge was built with American labor. Thousands of American workers. Billions added to Michigan’s GDP. American steel was used. This is not a hypothetical. It is documented. Repeatedly.

Ownership. There is no single owner of “the bridge” in the way this is being framed. Each country owns and controls its side. Again. Border. That was the deal. Signed. Ratified. Applauded.

Economic benefits. The U.S. already gets them. Jobs. GDP. Trade flow. Regional growth. That is what a functioning border crossing does.

And just for the record. The President himself praised the project in 2017 and called for its expeditious completion. On paper. In a joint statement. With Canada.

You can change your mind. You can change your politics. You can even change your story.

But you cannot polish a turd.

[George Stroumboulopoulos 🐺 @strombo]

Of all the things I’ve seen said about the [other] halftime show. This seems to be the [most] accurate.…

the people who want “their own” halftime show are the same people who wanted their own drinking fountains.

[Mark Cherrington @MarkCherrington]

Urgent: Kilee The Dog Needs a Safe Foster by Sunday

Kilee is safe until Sunday, but her temporary placement is ending. A calm, house-trained dog with dog reactivity needs an experienced foster or short-term solution immediately. #yeg

https://t.co/DjynzOrOt5

[Brian Allen @allenanalysis]

The Daily Show just put MAGA in a body bag.

The same crowd that worships the 2nd Amendment for Kyle Rittenhouse and January 6 suddenly decided Alex Pretti’s legal gun was the problem?

That’s not principle. That’s selective outrage in a red hat.

They don’t care about the Constitution.
They care about who gets to have rights.

[Barney Panofsky's Best Intentions @mynamesnotgordy]

Trump announces he will not increase tariffs on Canadian products if Mark Carney gives him Carney's standing ovation from Davos.

[Debbie W @debs_wolf]

I think this is the first AI generated video that I've actually enjoyed.

[Fun Tom 🇨🇦 💂 @funtomvids]

🟥 WOW ... 🇬🇱 🇩🇰

This defiance and solidarity video for Greenland is EPIC. 👌🏼

[Debbie W @debs_wolf]

@Mubarak_mubious Answer the door when someone knocks.

[The Nobel Prize @NobelPrize]

Statement from the Nobel Foundation

One of the core missions of the Nobel Foundation is to safeguard the dignity of the Nobel Prizes and their administration. The Foundation upholds Alfred Nobel’s will and its stipulations. It states that the prizes shall be awarded to those who "have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind," and it specifies who has the right to award each respective prize. A prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed.

For additional information, please refer to the Norwegian Nobel Committee: https://t.co/HqL1ZR8Bos