Anyone who has paid attention to letters to the editor and Internet comments published by the Red Deer Advocate in recent days knows what the latest controversy in this community is all about: snow removal.
The adage says: “If you’re in a hole, stop digging.” That would apply to local political organizers who think that an elected representative’s first obligation is to the party rather than the electorate, or even their own conscience, but it also applies to the government in general.
Now that the orgy of entitlement that we call Christmas has passed, hopefully we will be relieved of Christmas commercials showing unhappy people being given gifts by loved ones — and rejecting them as not being “good enough.” The poverty of affluence afflicts many of us at this time of the year.
The Vancouver Winter Olympic Games countdown has officially begun.
Never mind the celebratory parade called the torch run that is slowly gaining momentum as it plows through a Canadian winter toward the West Coast.
When opinion polls in December showed that public confidence in the RCMP had dropped by a third nationally — and by almost two-thirds in B.C. — in the last two years, the reason was clear.
It is the duty of all public officials to “do something” whenever a new threat appears, even if there is nothing sensible to be done.
Recent responses to “Climategate” — the leaked emails from Britain’s University of East Anglia and its Climatic Research Unit (CRU) — remind me of the line “Are your feet wet? Can you see the Pyramids? That’s because you’re in denial.”
Whether one recognizes it or not, the average hard-working person in this country owes a huge debt of gratitude to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.
The western world now lives under threat of terrorism in our daily life.
The reporter’s voice on CBC Radio in Calgary sounded on the verge of tears, while breaking the news of the death of Calgary reporter Michelle Lang in a bombing in Kandahar province of Afghanistan on Thursday.
With multiple flights cancelled in Europe recently due to a nasty cold spell, this may not be the ideal time to praise European airline travel. But momentary troubles aside, Europe not only has better architecture than much of North America, it also has cheaper plane fares to get you to Europe’s sights.
To the idiotic, speedy motorists travelling Hwy 2 the past couple of weeks who seem blind to the fact that the roads have turned into skating rinks.
Optimism has long been a cornerstone of economic planning in Alberta, from government offices to corporate boardrooms to the kitchen tables of Albertan families.
When you have an abundance of resources and a resourceful attitude, can a resurgence ever be far away?
In the TV business, they say that a long running show has “jumped the shark” when it has featured an episode in which the plot line has strayed way beyond the basic premise of the show simply because it appears the writers have just run out of ideas to keep the show fresh.
Recently a British church minister made headlines by suggesting that it is OK for the poor to steal, but only from big stores.
When we publish a story like that of baby Carter Pusey, who celebrated Christmas with his family in Sundre after receiving a heart transplant, it gets a lot of attention. Two days after publication, the story remained among the best-read items on our online service at www.reddeeradvocate.com
“I’m going to have several drinks, then get in my vehicle and see if I can kill someone.”
Every day, there are drivers in Alberta who, if they don’t actually speak the words, say it in their actions. Almost one in four fatal crashes in Alberta involves drinking and driving.
In many respects, Canada is a nation of watchdogs.
We have watchdogs to ensure police are not abusing their power. We have watchdogs to keep politicians from padding their expenses. We even have watchdogs to determine if private utilities should be allowed to raise their rates.
To the provincial government, which has ordered Alberta Transportation to remove signs in the Peace River area opposing the development of nuclear power in Alberta.
The City of Red Deer’s ambitious operations review will require a deft touch.
As much as most of us embrace the small-town values that typify the best of city services, we know that continued quality, consistency and growth will require astute planning and vision. And that means the kind of planning that is consistent with a more corporate, big-city view.
