August 19 Edmonton Headlines
Look at the difference in road top. Smooth!
Welcome to the end of the week, Edmonton.
Since the daily news media loves talking about crime, building it up to levels not actually seen here (or in most cities, for that matter) the Edmonton Police Service is hitting YouTube with new videos to talk about crime officers are seeing on a regular basis. This is great. Not that it won’t come with a little bias from the EPS, but that it helps force the crime debate to get real.
The City of Edmonton is changing things up for snow removal this winter. Neighbourhoods will continue to be bladed with 5cm of snowpack (down from 10cm in previous winters), there will be parking bans on bus route (and elsewhere if it really snows), and you’ll be able to see when your neighbourhood will be cleared on a new website.
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Now, this could just be like the last provincial election when news media were predicting a breakthrough for the Alberta Liberals, but I’m getting the sense from coverage of the Progressive Conservative leadership race that Gary Mar and Alison Redford are the frontrunners. Ted Morton didn’t even get a mention in this story from Medicine Hat’s debate. Sounds like the Mothership really is down.
While some may say Mar’s idea of private healthcare gets shot down on principle alone and won’t get a fair discussion, I say talk about how many more doctors and medical staff you’ll hire before you create two levels of care. If you don’t hire more staff, buy more diagnostic machines, and open more clinics, you aren’t creating more healthcare space, you’re simply splitting it in two.
If you can’t make it out to the leadership debates, you can hit up videos on the Edmonton Journal’s website which will answer some frequently asked questions.
Meanwhile…outgoing PC leader and premier Ed Stelmach seems determined to find a way to throw in $100-million for Edmonton’s downtown arena. This, after PC leadership candidates asked him to stop announcing projects that are going to cost them money, or have to be pulled back off the table by them.
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The Alberta government is worried about environmentalists. Oh, did I say Alberta government? I mean oil and energy executives.
Do any of these designs for the new Royal Alberta Museum (to be built behind City Hall, beside the CN Tower) float your boat? I don’t mind the first one from EllisDon, but none are blowing me away.
Alberta won’t be getting its own police force for at least 20 years. The RCMP’s getting a contract renewal.
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Excellent commentary from Vue Weekly on suicide. Too often mental illness is hushed up, but we need more mental health and mental illness awareness, not less. It gets extra points for going after the news media and police policies of not reporting openly on suicides. If there’s a fear of others copying that, why do murders and violent crimes not get the same silence?
Spinning off that, PC leadership candidate Rick Orman wants to have more treatment of mental illness and addiction in our jail system.
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A dentist is offering free treatments to people without dental insurance.
We are falling very much in love with our smartphones and tablets. I wonder if the CRTC can stay relevant in the digital age.
June 16 Edmonton Headlines
Good morning to you, Edmonton.
When you’re driving around the city, do you find those new(ish) electronic billboards annoying, too bright, distracting?
Poverty is still hitting Edmonton’s kids, especially during the recent recession.
A new team is hitting the streets to help homeless individuals with addictions.
You can now fly from Edmonton to Cranbrook, British Columbia. Cranbrook party, anyone? Speaking of flying…the Edmonton International Airport’s new hotel will open next year…
There is a milk revolution happening at one Edmonton school.
St. Albert is losing one of its two newspapers. (The remaining paper is the twice-weekly St. Albert Gazette.)
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Alberta’s wildfire fighting budget is going to be high. And this prediction comes before summer even officially starts.
Our province has a new Chief Medical Examiner. I wonder if shows like CSI and Bones have made it easier to publish a profile like this.
The RCMP are going to look into allegations of people jumping the healthcare line. Meanwhile…the Alberta Health Services CEO can make a little extra money if he reduces some medical wait times.
An Alberta company is now facing charges in importing foreign workers, in a case that’s already seen a lawsuit and counter-suit filed.
It seems the dating website Plenty of Fish isn’t too happy about the government of Alberta’s new website aimed at increasing awareness of sexually transmitted infections; Plenty of Syph.
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That Air Canada strike appears to be over before it really got going.
Canada Post, on the other hand, isn’t going to be delivering your jams of the month anytime soon. (Unless the federal government steps in.) The Alberta government’s launched its backup mail plan!
Haha…the Conservative government might have trouble reforming the Senate because of…Conservative senators.
Opinion: Don’t give money to the homeless
The givers not knowing where their money’s going
Is as sinful as throwing away
- Cold War Kids, “Passing the hat”
By: Janine Edwards
We’ve established already that I’m an uncaring human being. If you are unaware of this, perhaps you should pay closer attention to my Letters to the Editors. If you’ve previously been offended by my point of view… you really aren’t going to like this.
Homeless people are ruining our city.
‘But Janine! They can’t help it. They’re addicts, they’ve had a bum deal, they are victims of an uncaring society.’ Bah.
There are places out there to help them. Lots of places. Okay, now we’re all recessionary… But there were tons of homeless even when we had staff shortages.
Now, in the style of our soon to be ruler of Colberta, I’m putting the Homeless on notice. (more…)
