December 23, 2025

Floor crossing is not a new concept in Canadian politics. I see the trickling of Conservative MPs crossing the floor to join the Liberals. March 6, 2015, the Edmonton Journal reported the largest floor crossing by any opposition party in Canadian politics. Danielle Smith, along with eight MLAs, joined Jim Prentice for exchange of key roles in his government and enforcement of candidates in certain ridings. Now, in the election of that year, the NDP won crushing Jim Prentice’s Conservatives.

Now, if history does repeat itself, I wonder if the Liberals will be crushed by another party to win government. I am thinking of the Federal NDP party. This might sound impossible but it was impossible for the NDP to win here in Alberta but because of floor crossing allowed by the government, they just sealed their fate. Just wondering.

Lorne Vanderwoude,
Camrose

December 16, 2025

For the last few years we’ve been constantly hearing about the cost of housing and how it needs to be more affordable. The funny part about this is that the same people who caused the spike in housing valuations are the same people who say they have the solution. What a joke!

Think about it. The homeowner doesn’t want the value of his house to go down. He’s seen a 200 to 300 per cent increase  in value just since Covid started. The realtor doesn’t want the price to go down, because then so does their commission. The bank and CMC don’t want the house prices to go down because they would get less interest on the loans. The realtor blames the appraiser for the rise, but they’re both guilty of the inflationary rise in prices.

Since common sense says prices won’t come down, how do you make house prices affordable? When I was in the housing business in B.C., we convinced then Premier Bill Bennett to offer a one-time grant for new housing starts to first-time buyers, seniors and divorced people. CMHC then came out with a grant as well for the same people allowed to get it. It didn’t lower prices necessarily, although it did in the modular home industry. What it did was reduce the amount of money a purchaser needed to buy a house. It was a limited time offer, but it saw a huge amount of home purchases in a very short period of time.

In today’s market, if you use $350,000 as an average condo price in Camrose or Edmonton, and eliminated the GST for the purchasers and did a $5,000 provincial grant and a $5,000 federal grant, the estimated payment at 4.69 per cent would be approximately $1,920 per month according to the TD Bank mortgage calculator.

This amount is roughly what people are now paying in rent. The difference is, with the $10,000 federal and provincial grants, the down payment is cut in half.

What would be the biggest hurdles, you ask? Well, having both levels of government work together would be the first miracle required. Where would the funds come from? Start by cutting the cost of government via a reduction at both levels of government in the number of civil servants employed. Next would be to cut immigration and use those savings to provide the grant money at the federal level. There are many easy ways to fund this money. B.C. proved it during the Bill Bennett years. I’m sure to some this seems a fantasy, but nothing else is working and what I have stated has a proven track record and did work. What have we got to lose?

Ron Harder,
Camrose

December 16, 2025

The Liberal Minister of industry, Melanie Joly finally is agreeing to release the contract which the Federal government has with Giant Auto Stellantis.
In front of the special committee who was made up of members of parliament of different political parties, Joly claimed that Stellantis blocked certain parts of the contract to be released to the committee by their request.

Stellantis first of all refused to attend this special committee meeting but later wrote a letter stating that they never restricted anything from the committee. The question was asked what was the Liberal government hiding?

Now Melanie Joly has agreed to release the full document since it was clear that the contractor did not block anything from being released.

This certainly does question how honest this government is and whether Canadians should trust this government to lead our country.

Lorne Vanderwoude,
Camrose
 

December 16, 2025

Thank you, Canada Post Camrose, for making the Letters to Santa program extra special this year. My children were delighted to receive a response from Santa at record speed this year. When they opened their personalized envelops, there was glitter, snowflakes and stickers. Wow! Each letter had a fun little write up and a personalized PS message referring to their individual letters they sent in. They were blown away! Thank you for spreading a little extra Christmas magic this year.

Jane Beck,
Camrose

December 9, 2025

By signing the latest Memorandum of Understanding, Premier Smith has committed Alberta to a net-zero emissions target. Let’s look at some facts: Global CO2 emissions are approximately 40,000 megatonnes annually and they continue to increase. Since 1992, politicians have met and pledged to reduce carbon emissions but none of these promises have borne fruit. Countries, including Canada, have not met their targets and will probably not meet them in future. So Canada’s net-zero policy means we are trying to lead the world to a place it’s not going, and Canadians are being made to pay a price with nothing in return. In 2023, oil and gas production released 200 megatonnes of carbon, which is only 0.5 per cent of global emissions. So, even if we shut down all oil and gas activity (and freeze in the dark), we would have no real impact on global emissions. Believe it or not, the US leads the world in absolute CO2 emission reduction, and they are not focused on net-zero.

So with the MOU, let’s just look at one example and that’s the Pathways carbon capture project. This is a $16.5 billion (up to 60 per cent taxpayer money right now, but wait for the final numbers) project that will capture up to 12 megatonnes of CO2 that will be injected because CO2 has no commercial value other than as tax. That is only 0.04 per cent of global emissions, so it’s basically nothing. What else could $16.5 billion buy?  It could build housing, hospitals, schools and infrastructure. The average Canadian family spends about $17,500 annually on food so it could feed nearly a million families for a year.

So what should we do? Our politicians should set aside their ideology and grandstanding and do what is best for Canadians, and that is to stop trying to impress the rest of the world and to build a strong and resilient economy. We should look at the transition to alternate energy as an opportunity and not a punishment.  Impoverishing ourselves will not help - just look at the failure of British and German economies, our friends in net-zero. That said, when countries make realistic commitments that they meet, we should do our part. But we should not be leaders on the road to poverty.

Tony Hladun,
Camrose

December 9, 2025

This is a response to Jackie Lovely’s “Recall Petitions” column. I feel compelled to respond to this article and have lots to say but will contain it to two points.

Jackie states, “Recall legislation was introduced to remove elected officials for serious proven misconduct or sustained failure to represent local constituents” (emphasis added). I am curious if Ms. Lovely considers stripping Canadian citizens of their Charter rights an example of “serious proven misconduct” because forcing teachers back to work did just that-teachers do not have full Charter rights for five years thanks to the UCP legislation.

These are rights that are supposedly guaranteed by our constitution. To very poorly paraphrase Martin Niemöller, it doesn’t typically matter to people what happens until they come for YOU and impacts YOU directly.And it appears they are prepared to trample the rights of anyone if needed. Just watch.

She also states, “Misusing recalls risks undermining our democratic institutions and distracting from what matters most to Albertans” (emphasis added). At the recent UCP annual meeting they spent a lot of time talking about separation from Canada, taking more rights from vulnerable people like trans kids or people using AISH, a provincial police force, and banning third trimester abortions. My favourite was trumping up the MOU Danielle Smith signed with Ottawa to build a pipeline most people believe will never be built. Or travelling to Mar-a-Lago to hang out with the American version of themselves.

None of these things seem to be pressing issues for most Albertans when the cost of living is still most people’s priority. The problem the UCP will continue to face is an educated and vocal public. When the only weapon you legally have left is recall petitions, guess what?  You’re going to get recall petitions. I guess the other option would be to actually listen to your constituents instead of following a radical on the right.

Bob Jonson,
Camrose

December 9, 2025

The assessment that Premier Danielle Smith cannot possibly “win” all her simultaneous “culture wars” is a sound one, rooted in the political reality that she simply does not have enough political capital–public support, resources, or political goodwill–to fight every battle against every opponent she has created.

A government engaging in multiple, divisive conflicts–from federal relations, firearms legislation, and healthcare to social policies–strains its bandwidth and invites broad opposition. The list of groups arrayed against various UCP policies is extensive and includes:

The separatist wing: a unique and challenging “culture war” exists internally, where the UCP faces pressure from hardline separatist groups (like the Alberta Prosperity Project) and members within its own party. This faction views recent negotiations with Ottawa as concessions, creating an impossible dynamic of simultaneously fighting federal overreach and internal demands for outright separation. The Government of Canada, NDP, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Amnesty International, legal experts and constitutional scholars, First Nations, such as the Onion Lake Cree Nation, gun control advocacy groups (PolySeSouvient, Coalition for Gun Control), healthcare advocates, doctors, and nurses, the education sector (teachers, parents, support workers), LGBTQ2S+ communities and advocates and various public interest and disability advocacy groups.

This broad coalition is fueled by a strategy that prioritizes ideological conflict over stable, inclusive governance. While a culture war energizes a political base, it alienates the moderate majority and drains necessary political capital for sustained success.

Ultimately, governance requires tangible outcomes that benefit all citizens. The current strategy risks voter fatigue and diverts attention from essential provincial responsibilities. When facing such widespread opposition across a spectrum of issues, a political victory on all fronts is an impossibility. Albertans deserve governance grounded in reality, not perpetual conflict.

Darlene Jacobsen,
New Norway

December 2, 2025

The Operation Christmas Child (OCC) Shoeboxes have been filled, and our hearts are full as well!  A BIG THANK YOU to each and everyone of you who helped pack over 1,800 shoeboxes in Camrose and area (that’s over 200 more shipped to Calgary than last year). That does not include shoeboxes shipped online because you still can order a box at packabox.ca until December 31.

Glenda Strauss and the OCC Team,
Camrose

December 2, 2025

Primary and Preventative Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange said recently that the Alberta government is committed to “ensuring that under no circumstances will any Albertan ever have to pay out-of-pocket to see their family doctor or to get the medical treatment they need.”

How can she say that?!  Right now, (some) Albertans are paying out-of-pocket for medical treatments they need. If a second tier of private health care comes into existence, her claim won’t be true then, either. Insurance companies are (figuratively speaking) drooling over the possibility of providing coverage for health care.  Who will pay those insurance premiums? Albertans (those who can afford to buy insurance) will be paying those premiums out of pocket.

I am bamboozled by the government’s plan for staffing a private health-care system! The plan would allow medical staff in the public system, under certain circumstances, to practise in the private system. The public-system medical staff are already overworked (and underpaid, and under appreciated by the government)! How can a second health-care system be staffed by poaching from the first, which is already understaffed?!

A properly funded, competently administered, adequately staffed public health-care system does not need “help” from private health care. Let’s fix the problems with the public system and forget this whole private business.   Last I heard, the majority of Canadians/Albertans do not want privatized health care.

John Olson,
Camrose

December 2, 2025

What is happening to the United Conservatives when it comes to their recall legislation is in fact a repeat of what happened to the Social Credit in 1937. Bible Bill (William Aberhart) had become so unpopular that in his riding his fellow voters had collected enough signatures, which was 66.6 per cent of the voters, to force a by-election.

That was the number Aberhart had come up with. Before this could take place, the Social Credit Party quickly reversed the recall legislation so that the Premier would not be embarrassed. If that by-election would have gone ahead, the Premier would have lost that election. I do wonder if Danielle Smith will take a page out of William Aberhart’s play book on how to deal with a recall legislation going against their party, with 14 recall MLAs? Will this be another repeat of 1937?

Lorne Vanderwoude,
Camrose

November 25, 2025

Julie Girard is correct that mindless division helps no one, but history shows that peaceful border changes and political realignments – like the breakup of the Soviet Union – have often allowed like-minded people to govern themselves and live more peaceably with their neighbours than before.

Quebec’s decades of separation threats did create economic uncertainty, yet the ultimate result was simple: more federal money flowing from Alberta and the West into Quebec than ever before. Quebec never had the resource base to make good on its threats; Alberta does. That is the difference.

Canada’s federal system was designed in 1867 by and for Eastern Canada, and it still tilts eastward. What upsets Albertans is not that we send billions in net fiscal transfers every year (though we do), but that Ottawa and Quebec actively block the pipelines, plants, and resource projects that create the wealth we are then expected to share. It is one thing to ask for help; it is another to sabotage the helper.

No Alberta government  – Conservative, NDP or otherwise – has been blameless. Past leaders have sometimes spent recklessly or failed to diversify quickly enough. Fair criticism.

It remains unclear why Ms. Girard implied that more educational funding would quiet Alberta’s sovereignty concerns. Albertans of every educational background, from tradespeople to PhDs, can be found on both sides of the independence debate. The desire for a fair deal is not limited to any one level of formal schooling.

Independence would not “magically” boost pensions or slash taxes – it would do so directly, because $20–27 billion a year would stay home instead of vanishing into federal coffers. Pipelines would not appear overnight, but without Ottawa’s deliberate delays they could be approved and built years faster.

Finally, separation would not mean isolation. It would mean replacing a one-sided relationship with mutually respectful trade and energy agreements with provinces, states, and countries that want what we produce.

Real unity is built on fairness and respect, not perpetual subsidy plus sabotage. Until we get that inside Confederation, Albertans have every right to consider an alternate future.

Paul McKinstry
Kingman 

November 25, 2025

Paul McKinstry’s recent letter to the editor prompted a fact check on his rationale for Alberta separation. First, federal transfer payments are based on federal taxes that fund three major transfer programs: the Canada Health Transfer, Canada Social Transfer, and Equalization.

These programs support health care, social, education, and other programs under provincial control, and not “Vancouver condos”. Alberta received $8.649 billion from the first two programs this year alone, based on federal data. Separation would require Albertans to replace that funding from a smaller population.

Alberta doesn’t receive equalization payments because our average provincial tax revenue is higher than the national average, which reflects our higher per capita income. Equalization tops up provinces below the national average. As Trevor Tombe explained in The Globe and Mail (December 18, 2018), our tax revenue from income tax and petroleum royalties puts us above the national average.

In fact, Alberta now has the highest average individual income in Canada according to Alberta’s Economic Dashboard, and income has increased steadily since 2021. On average, Albertans are benefiting under the existing system, but we’re experiencing cost-of-living increases that affect all Canadians.

Lastly, declines in petroleum employment link mostly to industry automation, not federal policy (https://www.pembina.org/media-release/more-oil-gas-production-fewer-workers). Alberta’s oil production has increased from 2011, as have export sales (https://www.oilsandsmagazine.com/energy-statistics/alberta), helped by federal support for the TransMountain pipeline. Decarbonization, which the current federal budget supports, could add jobs. In contrast, provincial renewable energy policies have driven away investment. Times are changing at a global level, which affects the federal and provincial realities. Cooperation and innovation by all Canadians, not separation, are needed to build our future.

Dee Patriquin
Camrose 

November 18, 2025

We wanted to win tickets to see Scott Woods. We are seniors and find the price of entertainment is getting very expensive!

Thank you, Camrose Booster, so much for “drawing” our name to attend the show. It was an awesome show that we truly enjoyed! Thank you so much.

Michael and Judy Syvensky,
Camrose

November 18, 2025

I’m writing to share the story of a man many in our community may know–Shane Scarff–and to ask for compassion and action as he faces a heartbreaking housing challenge here in Camrose.

Shane has lived in Camrose for his entire life. As a single father for many years–he raised his now 19th year–old son in this community, working hard to provide stability, love, and a sense of belonging. He’s someone who has weathered life’s storms quietly and with determination–the kind of neighbor who shows what strength and perseverance truly look like.

Today, Shane is facing a reality no one should have to endure. Living as a paraplegic–with a permanent physical disability and using a wheelchair, he has been unable to find an accessible and affordable home in Camrose. His current housing is through Rose City Residential Support Services, a local organization that assists individuals with disabilities; however, his housing situation remains uncertain at the end of his current lease term. Without help, he could soon have nowhere safe to go.

This isn’t just Shane’s story–it’s a reflection of a growing need in our city. Camrose has always been known as a caring, inclusive community. But right now, we are facing a shortage of accessible housing that leaves residents with much uncertainty.

Shane deserves to remain in the city where he raised his son and built his life–close to his family, his supports, his medical care, and his sense of belonging. With modest financial or community assistance, a safe, permanent and accessible home could be found or adapted to meet his needs.

Camrose has a proud history of coming together for those in need. I believe we can do that again–for Shane, and for others who deserve the same sense of home and dignity we all hope for.

I sincerely urge our local leaders, landlords, and fellow residents to come together and find a solution. Let’s ensure Camrose continues to stand for compassion, dignity, and inclusion–and that no one is left without a safe place to call home.

Deiann Simpson,
Former Camrose resident

November 18, 2025

Paul McKinstry’s recent letter argues that Alberta’s future lies in separation. I disagree–strongly–and not because of nostalgia, but because history and evidence show that division has never improved the lives of ordinary people. Strong communities do that. Cooperation does that. Separation has repeatedly done the opposite.

We don’t need to speculate about the economic consequences of secession talk; Canada already lived through it. Decades of uncertainty around Quebec’s political future led to capital flight, stalled investment, downgraded credit ratings, and tens of thousands of jobs relocating to Ontario. Even talk of separation can destabilize a provincial economy, and economists across the spectrum agree that business investment depends on stability, predictability, and confidence in long-term rules–not constitutional brinkmanship.

Much of the anger in the separation discussion comes from misunderstandings about equalization. Equalization is not a punishment; it is a constitutionally established program (Constitution Act, 1982, s.36) designed to ensure all Canadians can access reasonably comparable public services no matter where they live. Payments go to people–not provinces–and revenue differences are calculated every year based on national economic data. The last major review of the formula was indeed undertaken by a Conservative federal government under Stephen Harper. Alberta does not “write a cheque” to Ottawa; Albertans simply pay federal taxes at the same rate as every Canadian, and the federal government redistributes based on relative fiscal capacity, not political favouritism.

If we are looking for the true sources of Alberta’s economic challenges, we should be honest: Alberta governments–of all political stripes–made long-term policy choices that allowed multinational energy corporations to extract tremendous wealth while leaving Albertans with limited savings, low royalties, and a Heritage Fund that never lived up to its promise. None of this was caused by Ottawa.

We should also acknowledge the profound harm caused by years of cuts and political hostility toward education. Strong educational institutions help citizens understand how Canada works, how policy is made, and how to engage constructively in national decisions. Undermining education makes it easier to blame Ottawa for every challenge and harder to build practical solutions here at home.
The idea that separation would magically boost pensions, slash taxes, build pipelines overnight, or solve structural economic issues ignores constitutional law, international trade realities, the complexity of disentangling a federation, and the decades of disruption Alberta would face. Independence movements elsewhere—from Quebec to Scotland to Catalonia—show that the cost of separation is far higher, the benefits far smaller, and the uncertainty far more destabilizing than advocates admit.

Alberta’s strength has never come from turning inward or cutting ourselves off. It has come from building communities, educating citizens, welcoming new ideas, and working collaboratively–even when we disagree.

Division won’t secure a future for our children. Building a resilient, educated, forward-looking Alberta within a stable Canada will.

Julie Girard,
Camrose

 

November 11, 2025

Alberta’s separation from Canada is not just prudent–it is a moral imperative for our children’s future. Yet too many of us remain shackled to a dying dream: the “old Canada”, where Ottawa seemed fair. That Canada is gone, replaced by a regime that bleeds us dry while mocking our values.

We still transfer $25 billion net annually to a federation that uses our money to buy Quebec’s votes and Vancouver’s condos.

Ottawa’s net-zero fanaticism has shuttered refineries, killed nearly 200,000 energy jobs since 2015, and turned Calgary skyscrapers into ghost towers. Our youth flee to Texas and Tennessee, where taxes are low and opportunity real. Here, they inherit waiting lists, tuition debt, and a carbon-taxed future.

The saddest sight? Retirees clutching their meager CPP/OAS cheques, terrified of change, willing to mortgage their grandchildren’s birthright for a few “secure” dollars today.  There is no reason why these deserved monies could not be increased in an independent and prosperous Alberta. The current pension cheques were built on Alberta oil, yet they vote to keep the boot on our neck.
Independence means keeping every dollar we earn, slashing income taxes 40 per cent, building pipelines in short order, not decades, and creating a $500-billion Heritage Fund that actually grows. We have the resources and the grit.

To the comfortable pensioner clutching yesterday: your nostalgia is betrayal. Alberta’s children deserve a country that fights for them–not one that sells them out.

It’s time to choose: a proud, prosperous Alberta, or a slow death in Carney’s (Trudeau’s) Canada.

Paul McKinstry
Kingman

November 11, 2025

Well, after a few days to recover from a heartbreaking Toronto Blue Jays World Series loss, I am now trying to conceptualize why I can become so invested in my favourite professional teams’ wins and losses (don’t get me started on the
Oilers). I am well aware that it is “just a game” and that my “life will go on” no matter what happens, but for some reason this playoff run felt different for me. As a child, by the time the Blue Jays had won in 1993, I had seen them win two World Series along with my Oilers winning five Stanley Cups. The Edmonton Eskimos were winning Grey Cups and I thought it was normal for “my team” to always win.  Fast forward over 30 years and I am sadly reminded on a yearly basis just how hard it is to win and the mental anguish that comes with being a sports fan.

This playoff run was different as I shared it with my children in a way that brought back memories of my own childhood. It is hard to describe the relationship that a father has with their children in sports. You watch them play the sports that they love and see the passion grow as they turn into young adults. You know it’s just a baseball game, but the hours spent together along the way are what are so memorable and special.  Core memories (Inside Out Disney reference) are often described by parents these days as being instrumental to a child’s development and reflecting on my own life, I can recall so many of those core memories with my family around sports (sitting on my Papa’s lap when Gretzky’s slap shot went over Vernon’s shoulder, or watching the Jays beat the Braves with my mom in 1992 and so on).

I wanted the Jays to win so badly–not for me but for my son who shed real tears of sadness and grief.  However, the memories and moments shared over the past few months that led to those tears are what made this season so special.  Here’s to next year and more core memories being made (or a disappointing last place finish all the same).

Chris Zarski,
Camrose

November 11, 2025

This year we were thrilled to welcome the biggest crowd yet to our Hallo-ween Haunted House–1,251 trick-or-treaters! It’s been an incredible five years of spooky fun and, after much thought, we’ve decided that this year was the last for us.

Creating eerie scenes, hearing the screams and laughter, and seeing the smiles of kids (and parents!) each Halloween has been an absolute blast. While we’ll still be around next year to hand out candy, we’ll be scaling things back and retiring the Haunted House.

We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has helped make this community tradition such a success, the amazing volunteers who helped bring our spooky visions to life, those who donated props and candy, those who made sure our volunteers were well fed and supported and those who donated to the food bank.

It’s been a frightfully fun ride, and we’re so grateful for the community’s enthusiasm and support year after year. Happy Halloween and thank you for the memories!

Tamara and Kim Kelly,
Camrose

November 11, 2025

Remembrance Day ceremonies will have a special meaning this year. I look forward to standing with my fellow Canadians in remembrance and with a thankful heart for our brave soldiers who have stood up and fought for freedom, democracy and peace.

I will listen with renewed attention to the poem “In Flanders Field” which places responsibility on citizens to take up the torch and hold it high. I always thought of this as a plea, but now I see it as a warning. We ignore this responsibility to take care of our democracy at our own peril.

The UCP government led by Danielle Smith has ignored their promises, along with the needs of citizens since their election. However, the most shocking and reprehensible action was the UCP decision to enact the notwithstanding clause in order to avoid negotiation with workers and, in addition, deny those workers the right to strike. Additionally, they impose extreme penalties for those who would proceed with a strike in protest. This abuse of charter rights is a warning to all Albertans that the UCP government is willing to step on our democratic rights when convenient.
This is the time that we need to heed the words John McRae wrote so long ago.

Arlene Hendrickson,
Camrose

October 21, 2025

In my recent letter to The Camrose Booster, I was wrong when I stated that the Government of Alberta fully funds students in Charter schools. I have since learned that they fund 70 per cent of what they provide to public schools, which is the highest in Canada, and is, in my view, outrageous. Some other provinces provide 35 to 50 per cent funding while Ontario and Atlantic Canada provide none. Charter schools are a business and selective in their students while also charging fees. This makes them above the reach of the average Alberta family.  We need quality education for all Alberta youth, which means more money spent on public education.

Peter Lougheed’s Conservative government believed that Albertans deserved world class public education, publicly funded health care and a natural environment protected for future generations. They believed in a commitment to the province’s welfare, integrity in public service, and that the wealth of Alberta’s oil and gas sector, through increased royalties and the Heritage Trust Fund, should sustain this quality of life for future generations. How far we have fallen.

Today’s UCP government, as evidenced by their actions, does not care about public education, public healthcare or protecting our natural environment. They do not care about the welfare of ALL Albertans and they certainly have not shown transparency or integrity in their conduct. Why are our MLAs not speaking out about the disrespect we see of constituents, teachers and support staff, healthcare workers, our youth and those moving to Alberta in the recent years?

While our Premier beats the drum for the oil and gas sector, companies are increasing production, yet there is a long-term decline in employment and further job loses in the near future. What happened to the idea of diversification of our economy? Instead of promoting pipelines, fighting with other provinces and blaming the feds while stoking separatist sentiment, perhaps the government should look at their responsibility to farmers, ranchers, manufacturing and the tourism industry. And it is people who power an economy.

Delphine J. Doerksen,
Ferintosh

October 21, 2025

The City of Camrose Council has recently stated that they have three areas of concern regarding the administration utility accounts:

a) Staff Safety, b) delinquency, and c) cost of dealing with b).

Some people are being rude and displaying inappropriate behaviour, which is totally unacceptable. However, the actual facts  to support a) and b) have not been made public.

To resolve the above, City council passed a motion to take all business and residential utility accounts and put them in the name of your landlord.

Basically, the City is blaming everyone who is a Tenant/Renter for this bad behaviour by treating everyone unfairly. You lose the independence of having your utility account in your name. You aren’t responsible anymore – your City of Camrose utility account has to be in the name of your landlord. How do you feel about not having the confidence or trust from City Hall to have a utility account in your own name?

Is the City council implying that all utility account delinquency and poor behaviour comes from Tenants/Renters only? Haven’t business and homeowners run into tough times periodically and gotten behind?

The transfer of utility accounts to landlords is simply because the City doesn’t have the procedures/policies or the personnel to carry them out. For once and for all, deal with this issue –City Hall can shut water off if it exceeds the deposit, City employees can hang up the phone if someone is rude, City employees can call the Police, or senior City employees can step up to help out at the counter if the situation warrants.

All people who object to being treated and grouped  with troublemakers should demand from City Council to pass a new motion to reinstate utility accounts for those who qualify.

Granted, the City has said account transfers will be done over time, they shouldn’t be done at all. To treat Tenants/Renters as second class citizens isn’t acceptable and is simply lazy irresponsible governance.

Perhaps greater savings could be achieved by eliminating the positions of those responsible for not having the ability and or the motivation to hold the wrong doers accountable rather than the entire Tenant/Renter population.

City Council, do the right thing – pass a new motion reinstating utility accounts and deal with your internal issue of periodic resurrection of this issue and the lack of will or ability to enforce your policy/procedure regarding the administration of utility accounts.

Mickey Mohan,
Camrose

October 14

Time to replace the Mayor and Council of City of Camrose with some better choices.

I attended Council meetings both in person and some online in the past four years. I have served on Committees of Camrose Council including Assessment Review Board, (Local and Composite), Camrose Transit Advisory, Subdivision and Development Appeal, and Council Remuneration Committee. I have a strong interest in the operation of municipalities having served as auditor, accounting advisor, and consultant to Alberta municipalities for over 30 years.

This Mayor and Council chose to not record their votes on council motions and thus the Council minutes available for the taxpayer do not have this information. I made a “promise” earlier this year, in a previous letter to The Booster, to bring this decision up during Council elections. The Councillors who supported to record voting were councillors Broker, Francoeur, and Rosland, and they deserve your vote as they represent you the taxpayer. Councillors Banack, Hoveland, Murphy voted against accountability and most definitely do not deserve your vote, as they are “hiding” all their votes. Mayor Stasko voted against the motion, and he should not have your vote.

When confronted by taxpayers, the Mayor and Council explain that it was “Council” that made the decision. With no written record of the voting, the Mayor and Councillors avoid their responsibility to explain their position to the electors. In this manner, the “administration” largely controls the discussion even before the council meeting.

Secondly, and most importantly, when you are voting, please do not be trapped into voting for the mayor and all the eight members of council and thus voting on names you only vote for based on name recognition. In my view, some members of this council are not deserving of your continuing votes (they are fine and decent people, but not suited for the roles of Council) and any new persons running could be an improvement. Please only vote for persons you know you support.

This Mayor and Council, in my opinion, have a “low” understanding of the finances and readily were maneuvered into excessive user fees, utility rates and taxes. We need better representation.

Make your votes count.

David W. Kotyk,
Camrose

October 14

On October 7, my wife and I went to the City Candidates Meet and Greet.   This is so important that we as residents of Camrose make sure that we vote in the right people for our City. I was able to have conversations with the previous and new City council members and, because of this meet and greet, which was held at the Library, I was able to have my list of whom I plan to vote for.

On October 20, please make sure to get out either to the Field House or the Mirror Lake Centre to make your vote count on who you want to see on City council and who you want as our mayor. This does affect everyone here in this City. Please take the time to vote.

Lorne Vanderwoude,
Camrose

October 14

After reading The Camrose Booster of September 30, I was disheartened to read that the City of Camrose is again resurrecting the issue of utility accounts and mistreatment of their staff. In this article, management has also tossed revenue into the mix.
Tenants/renters? Landlords? This is what the City is doing. The City is going to transfer your account for utilities into your landlord’s name. Why? Because the City has identified inappropriate behaviour towards staff that staff, at times, have found threatening and unsafe. So the City’s response is to lump all tenants/renters in the same group and label them as ones who are responsible for inappropriate behaviour.
It doesn’t matter how long you have had utilities in your name, you are one of those “tenant/renters” and are being grouped in with the troublemakers.  Tenants/renters are not second class citizens and should not be treated as such by lumping them into a group that has very negative connotations.
This same topic has come up in prior years and it is quite clear that City Hall doesn’t have an effective policy or people in place to ensure the staff are treated respectfully and to deal with those who display inappropriate behaviour.
The councillors who voted for this amendment have enacted unjustly and unfairly to the citizens who pay their utilities promptly and with respect.
This new policy applies to business as well as residential, so you are no longer good enough or responsible enough to have utilities in your name. Doesn’t matter how much pride you take in paying on time or for how long–you are now under the wing of your landlord, unless of course you own your own home–you can have utilities, however, if that same homeowner rented space for their business the landlord would have utilities in their name.
In summation, mayor and council, the citizens expect leadership, downloading the problems of some by carving out a segment of the population and labelling them the same as troublemakers is irresponsible.
The way to convey to the City that you are responsible for yourself is to make your voices heard to the mayor, councillors and City management. The City staff who have endured inappropriate behaviour have been failed miserably by everyone involved which is why we are still discussing this topic. Enough, fix it once and for all. Take responsibility.
Hold those who cause the trouble accountable. Put staff in place who are capable of enforcing policy/procedures to protect staff.

Mickey Mohan,
Camrose

October 7

A teachers’ strike seems inevitable now because of the skewed priorities, the financial incompetence and lack of integrity of our current government.

The government will pay parents $150 per student per week, and hundreds of thousands on ad campaigns instead of negotiating in good faith with the people tasked to educate our children. They fully fund students in charter schools, even though they can charge significant fees and decide which students can attend (eliminating special needs kids), something no other province does, and they don’t have money to properly fund public education? ALL Alberta children deserve a good education.

The government wasted millions of dollars on an unusable Tylenol substitute (much of it never delivered), questionable private healthcare contracts and set up a costly, top-heavy bureaucratic structure and they can’t pay for Covid vaccines? They spend millions of dollars in legal fees to fight a lawsuit alleging fraud by government insiders instead of calling a public inquiry to find out if there is substance to this challenge.
Our Premier spent millions on travel to the USA to attend the inauguration of a president who is trying to annex Canada, attending right-wing policy think tanks and her Ministers met with American politicians that have no sway in trade policy and came away with no deliverables. Then they claw back federal disability benefits and increase rents for AISH recipients.

They spent millions on an “Alberta is Calling” advertising campaign in 2022. In March of 2024, Premier Smith argued with the Federal government for a higher allotment of immigrants to help grow Alberta’s economy, yet by October, she was fighting with them once again, complaining that immigrants were putting a strain on provincial resources and housing. They are now vilifying immigrants and threatening to cut services for them.

This government has spent millions touring the province with their agenda of promoting an Alberta Pension Plan (rejected in a 2023 provincial survey), a provincial Police Force, an Alberta Tax Agency and an Alberta Immigration Agency. They have passed a law to lower the threshold for provincial referendums. The Premier declares that she wants sovereignty within a united Canada yet spends taxpayer dollars on legal fees for the separatist APP challenging Elections Alberta’s decision to have the court adjudicate the constitutionality of their referendum question. All of this sounds a lot like supporting Alberta Separation.

Delphine Doerksen,
Camrose

October 7 

The Camrose Bike Bus has been running for the last school years and it has been amazing seeing kids get excited about riding their bikes to school with friends and classmates. For those unaware of the Bike Bus, it starts at one family’s house and then rides past other kids’ houses, picking up other riders along the way to St. Pat’s. There are adults leading, often some fun music and the “vibes are immaculate.” However, the number of Camrosians in vehicles who have shown impatience or general disdain towards the riders is unbelievable.

Bikes are an incredible tool and relatively inexpensive form of accessible transportation. The Bike Bus provides a fun and engaging way to empower kids to get out and exercise while getting themselves to school. We hear too much about how “kids these days” can’t, won’t or don’t do any number of things, yet when provided an option of transportation that has been available for generations, we honk at these kids and wave them to hurry up. Drivers are able to sit in climate controlled bubbles with music and a morning coffee yet are unable to appreciate kids having safe, fun transportation because they cost us two minutes on a commute.

So the next time you’re angry at kids having fun getting to school, take a deep breath, maybe sip that coffee and offer a friendly smile and wave. Next time you too could ride your bike to work and have as much fun as they are. The kids are all right.

Cole Boyd,
Camrose

October 7 

I do wonder if all those 55,000 workers of Canada Post who voted for the Liberals to save their jobs from being axed are regretting voting for this government.

The Liberals have decided to end door-to-door delivery which will take a decade to put into action.   This caused the union to have their 55,000 workers go on a complete national walkout. I personally do not send letters, but instead write emails. I do not get my government cheques by mail and most bills for are paid online.

I do understand that there has to have something done to stop the financial losses which this Crown corporation has suffered. There has to be a better way to do this – restructuring?

The way the Liberals are going is causing a lot of people to lose their jobs.   Our unemployment numbers are going to climb by thousands of claims. This will be very expensive so I do wonder how the tax payers are going to afford to pay for the thousands of dollars per month in claims. This is just something for all of you to think about.

Lorne Vanderwoude,
Camrose