Opinion

Lorne Fitch, P. Biol. — Lethbridge

A rank smell permeates the Alberta air these days. It reminds me of manure-spreading time on the farm. The smell is from the UCP’s bad public policy wheeled out without adequate (or any) time for public review, engagement or consultation.

It takes the form of suspect motives, incestuous lobbying, perverse ideologies and badly written scripts. It’s sometimes hard to discern where the “public” is in policy.

Like the material from the end of a manure spreader, these policy initiatives fly at us thick and fast, with little time to dodge the inevitable feeling we’re going to wear some of it whether we like it or not. The strategy is to overwhelm our senses, dulling our ability to smell the content.

Examples include: Privatizing public land for four-season resort development. Breathing life into a dead coal project with a confused policy interpretation in spite of a federal-provincial panel decision. Reversing a moratorium on coal development to “protect” Albertans from legal claims. Wildlife policy development seems to be in the hands of commercial sector insiders.

It required four years of public engagement to complete the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan. With the recent perfunctory 10-year review, participants were barely able to scratch the surface to detail the issues that have arisen in the intervening decade, let alone provide advice for the future.

In putting the manure spreader before the horse, the Alberta government is funding dam studies, endorsing irrigation expansion, while hosting forums to hear how to use more of the province’s declining water supply. These are all flowing forward before we fully understand what the effects of climate change will be on water availability.

This doesn’t include the “go fast and break things” strategy in health, education, social services, pensions and who knows what else. It might be evident the UCP have succeeded in breaking things.

All this frantic activity seems designed to thwart much, or any, public review. Premier Danielle Smith said as much in an address to the Canadian Club of Canada recently.

In a better Alberta, we would have a level playing field for policy development where vested interests do not strongly influence “public” policy. There would be timely, fulsome public engagement and consultation.

Feedback to participants would assure them they were heard and how those concerns were incorporated (or not) in policy. Lastly, there would be robust monitoring and reporting so the public could easily discern progress (or not).

If we don’t influence policy, it will surely influence us, one way or another. The welter of bad policy decisions coming out of the UCP government has the potential to take Alberta to an unfortunate place. These policy initiatives range from absurd to cruel to dangerous.

On so many, coal being an example, the UCP have thrown off the long-term tradition of objective advice in favour of some giddy, adolescent romp through the wild woods of distorted ideology, economic fantasy and fidelity to foreign corporations.

It’s time Albertans ask of the policies delivered — are they fair, equitable, honest and do they serve the needs of all, or the interests of a few. Since much policy is economically inspired, ask if it also respects the environmental underpinnings of the economy.

Irrespective of your political stripe, look closely at the policies and decide whether you can support the direction Alberta is headed. It may not be the destination you envisioned or voted for.

Tommy Douglas once had to stand on a manure spreader to give a speech. Always the consummate humorist, he quipped he was standing on the Opposition’s platform. Unfortunately this isn’t a joke in Alberta anymore as this is the current government’s platform.

As Oscar Wilde might have put it, one bad piece of policy could be overlooked as misfortune, but dozens quickly foisted on us begin to smell like the manure of malfeasance.

Shootin’ the Breeze welcomes submissions about local issues and activities. Personal views expressed in Mailbox items are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Shootin’ the Breeze ownership and staff. Mailbox articles include letters to the editor, op-eds, news releases and notes from our readers.

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Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she has seen no evidence of wrongdoing at Alberta Health Services amid allegations of conflicts of interest within the provincial health authority. 

Local stories, news, obituaries, jobs, notices and events in Pincher Creek and Crowsnest Pass in the Feb. 12, 2025, issue of Shootin’ the Breeze.

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Canada's auto theft rate for private passenger vehicles dropped by almost 19 per cent in 2024 compared to the previous year — but the non-profit that collected the data says the number of stolen vehicles is still "unreasonably" high.

Five more CUPE locals representing over 2,000 education support workers have voted in favour of a strike.

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The Edmonton Public School division has reintroduced its School Resource Officer program into six high schools.

As a growing number of seniors and their families wait for an Edmonton property developer to repay the money it owes under life-lease contracts, the company says provincial regulations are a new stumbling block.

Katrina Hillyer's living room is packed to the ceiling with camping gear, but not the equipment she uses on a summer weekend. Instead, these tents and camping chairs have minor manufacturing defects, and Hillyer will cut them up and turn them into tote bags and wood carriers.

Hillyer, the founder of Earth Warrior Lifestyle, had been doing corporate upcycling for a few years when she met Kuma Outdoor Gear founder Rob Gomme at a mutual friend's Christmas party in 2023. "I told him I was a local upcycler, and he told me, 'I just learned about textile waste at a summit I was at, and I think I want to create a program in (my company) — would you be open to something like that?'" Hillyer said.

"It just aligned so perfectly with my personal life, because when I'm not working I'm outdoors, and so it worked perfect."

Kuma is among the first outdoor gear companies to give a second life to camping gear through the ReDiscover Project, Hillyer said. Industry leaders Patagonia and Arc'teryx are well-known for their programs that offer repairs on clothing and backpacks, but Hillyer doesn't know of a company other than Kuma that's doing the same for larger gear like tents and chairs.

When Gomme first thought of starting an upcycling program, the Kuma team was small and didn't know how to transform returned items into new products, said Kuma's marketing manager Deanne Ferguson.

"We just want these products to have a second life in a different way. The items that we get back, some of them are sun damaged, or there is damage to the frame, but the fabric is still good, and we just didn't want all this textile waste going into the landfill," Ferguson said.

Currently, most of the gear that Kuma upcycles has manufacturing defects and never made it to a customer, but the company also accepts returns from customers who want to extend the life of their gear. Edmonton-based customers can return their gear to Breathe Outdoors or Lordco Auto Parts.

Although the upcycled products are only available on Kuma's website for now, the company aims to offer them in stores soon. "Our focus right now with this program is to also get it into our retailers's stores, just because they are such a one-of-a-kind item that (Hillyer is) creating, it's hard to sell online and it doesn't really translate very easily," Ferguson said.

Hillyer started Earth Warrior Lifestyle in 2013 after working in the fashion industry for many years. "I saw how much waste was made in manufacturing, and when the company I worked for went under, I decided to leave the industry because it just didn't sit well with me," she said. Her first corporate upcycling contract was with the Edmonton Convention Centre when it was rebranding from the Shaw Conference Centre. "They had all these vinyl signs that were going to go to the landfill, but they … wanted to find a way to upcycle them instead. So we took their signs and we turned them into bags."

Another contract Hillyer has aims to address single-use lanyards at networking events and conferences. Hillyer is working with non-profits, Green Drinks, and Sustain YEG to create a lanyard library. Hillyer sews two branded lanyards together, logos facing in, to create reusable lanyards, and the groups share among themselves instead of making new ones for each event.

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With Donald Trump once again promising to hit Canada with steep tariffs on Canada's steel and aluminum imports, much of the national focus is on the effect it could have on the massive industry in central Canada. But even in Alberta, steel exports are worth a billion dollars to the provincial economy. 

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Feed the Soul YEG is presenting the Callaloo + Chow: Trini-Chinese Culinary Pop-up from Feb. 19 to 23 at Fu's Repair Shop in lieu of its annual dining week with Black-owned businesses as the organization enters a new era.

"I really wanted to showcase (not only) the Black community, but also our stories of migration, adaptation, of resilience, and (to tell) this unique story of the Chinese community's influence in Trinidad," Feed the Soul founder, Rochelle Ignacio, told Taproot. "We're using food to unite the Chinese and the Trinidadian communities."

The pop-up pairs chefs Nadine Lewis and Pat Ross of Cafe Caribbean with Winnie Chen from Fu's. Its title comes from its signature offering — a combination of one of Trinidad's national dishes, a stew called callaloo, and chow mein.

"(Callaloo) is a staple on a Sunday," Ross told Taproot. "When we say Sunday food, it's a big thing for us. Maybe during the week, if you're poor, you might not eat well, but on Sunday, you'll always have a really good meal. That is like the crown jewel — you're not going to get callaloo all week."

The cultural mix on offer at the pop-up reflects a longstanding tradition for Trinidad food, Lewis told Taproot. She said Chinese food enjoys a similar popularity to doubles, a famous street food that pairs spiced chickpeas with flatbread. "Trinidad is really a melting pot of many different cultures, and it's really good for us to be able to showcase that," Lewis said. "Chinese food, for example, is just the same as if you were to buy roti or doubles (in Trinidad). So why not bring it to the forefront?"

The callaloo and chow mein dish is one of the items on a small menu that's being whittled down from what's on deck for a ticketed opening reception on Feb. 19. (Aside from the event, reservations can be made for the pop-up on OpenTable.) That night, guests can also expect chicken wings and green onion cakes made with Chinese five spice, geera-style pork or tofu served on bao, "Trini-fried" rice, and more. A margarita and a non-alcoholic drink option, both made using a syrup derived from sorrel, a flower similar to hibiscus, will be on offer.

Ignacio, who is also the director of equity, diversity, and inclusion for the Tamarack Institute, said food can build connections between people through learning. For example, one of Feed the Soul's volunteers made a video about the history of Chinese migration to Trinidad and Tobago that played on a loop during a media preview Taproot attended on Feb. 5. It detailed how the first large group of Chinese people moved to Trinidad and Tobago in 1806, when British colonizers wanted a workforce to preempt the abolition of enslaved African labour.

"These small, intimate gatherings are really important for building our brand, because it's not about the big, flashy thing," Ignacio said. "We want to be telling stories of resilience, we want to be using food as that cultural text, and we want to be bringing the community and getting them involved."

To that end, Feed the Soul co-hosts a food and mural tour with blogger and influencer Linda Hoang on Feb. 21. Guests will stop at the pop-up, at Ayco Bakery, and at LOCHI AFRO NIJA to meet restaurant owners and eat, plus visit artworks by Jamelle Davis, Macha Abdallah, Keon Courtney, and Rust Magic.

"We will also be talking about Edmonton and Canada's Black history," Ignacio said.

Speaking of history, Feed the Soul's eponymous dining week is changing. Launched in 2023 as a volunteer effort, the dining week connects hungry Edmontonians with specials at Black-owned restaurants. Next year the February feast will go by the name Black Futures Dining Week. The name aligns with the growing number of people referring to February as Black Futures Month, something that's even making news with kids. The federal government included the word "future" in its Black History Month theme for this year, with the title "Black Legacy and Leadership: Celebrating Canadian History and Uplifting Future Generations."

Ignacio said adding futures to the mix puts more optimism into the conversation on Black cultures.

"I'm an anti-racism practitioner, and I'm migrating into my futurist era," Ignacio said. "My projects are always about Black economic mobility, and that is to secure the future of the Black community. Having a futurist mindset and celebrating Black futures allows us to look at Black History Month in just a little bit more of a positive way. But (to) also think about, 'What are the legacies? What's the ancestral and the cultural knowledge that we're leaving behind for a future generation?'"

The Feed the Soul banner will now be used mostly for collaborations and to pursue new events that interest the organization's volunteers. Ignacio also said Feed the Soul may work on additional dining weeks in response to demand for collaboration from restaurateurs who are racialized and/or Indigenous.

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Coun. Tim Cartmell's claim that Mayor Amarjeet Sohi does not believe drugs are a problem in Edmonton is unfounded and at odds with the mayoral hopeful's own voting record, the co-hosts of Episode 294 of Speaking Municipally said.

On Feb. 3, Kevin Hassett, a member of United States President Donald Trump's economic team, claimed he witnessed fentanyl-linked social disorder during a visit to Edmonton, and suggested it was further evidence Canada has a drug crisis that's "spilling over the border into the U.S." Trump has claimed his intention with tariffs is partly to address Canada's role in the U.S.'s own fentanyl problems, and recently claimed he granted a tariff reprieve until March 1 because Canada has created a fentanyl "czar" to combat the issue.

Cartmell posted a response to Hassett's claims about Edmonton on Feb. 3 on X: "How is it a foreign guest is able to see and draw such attention to this tragedy that the Mayor and his followers would have us believe is not a problem," he wrote.

The hosts of Speaking Municipally were not convinced.

"It is absolutely ridiculous to suggest that the mayor doesn't think that this is a problem," co-host Stephanie Swensrude said. "(Cartmell) knows that Mayor Sohi is always talking about how bad the drug crisis is in Edmonton. He knows this, and it's just such a blatant misrepresentation. He's in campaign mode, you know?"

Coun. Andrew Knack asked Cartmell when Sohi ever said drugs weren't a problem in a post on X.

Co-host Mack Male reviewed council votes on measures to combat the crisis. Cartmell, he said, opposed additional funds for the municipal drug poisoning response integrated service package in November 2022, after voting in favour of asking the province for help with the drug crisis in April of that year. Cartmell also voted in favour of a later motion to convene stakeholders to reduce drug poisoning injuries, Male said. "It's just that when we got to the funding, (Cartmell) voted against it, and now conveniently has forgotten this when he's trying to call out the mayor and his council colleagues," he said.

Sohi most recently discussed the drug crisis on Feb. 4, when he told CBC he has been asking for action from Ottawa and the province for the last three years.

The co-hosts also discussed city manager Eddie Robar's presentation to council on the aforementioned tariffs. Robar was joined by Malcolm Bruce, the CEO of Edmonton Global, and Doug Griffiths, the president and CEO of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce. The group discussed how tariffs could affect the price of municipal projects, the benefits of supporting local businesses (including those that carry American products), and Edmonton Global's efforts to work with foreign trade partners beyond the U.S. Another update on tariffs will come to council on Feb. 19.

The hosts of the Feb. 7 episode of Taproot's civic affairs podcast also discussed potential changes with the Edmonton Design Committee, and a potential way to expedite construction of the Valley Line West. The episode also featured another segment with the creators of Edmonton Food Faves We Crave, and an update from the Taproot newsroom from managing editor, Tim Querengesser. Speaking Municipally comes out on Fridays. Listening and subscription options are all right here.

This week, council committees will meet to discuss the proposed public spaces bylaw, an accelerated construction timeline for the Valley Line West LRT, and tax forgiveness.

There is a community and public services committee meeting on Feb. 10, an urban planning committee meeting on Feb. 11, and an executive committee meeting on Feb. 12.

Here are key items on this week's agenda:

• Council's community and public services committee is scheduled to review the proposed public spaces bylaw. Council sent the bylaw back to administration at a meeting in February 2024, asking it to review how the proposed bylaw could disproportionately impact equity-deserving groups. In the new version of the bylaw, the fine for panhandling, open drug use, and living in a tent has been lowered from $250 to $25. Loitering in transit facilities, littering, or spitting comes with a $250 fine, and urinating, defecating, lighting a fire, or leaving a fire comes with a $500 fine. The hosts of Speaking Municipally, Taproot's civic affairs podcast, said in Episode 293 that it's unlikely council will pass the bylaw, despite the decreased fines. "It is a bit about, like, we're just writing down expected behaviours, and if that's the case, then does it matter if the fine is $250 or $25? We don't have people walking around ready to hand out $250 fines anyway," co-host Mack Male said. Committee could make a recommendation on the bylaw and send it to council for a vote at a future meeting.
• The company building the Valley Line West LRT has developed an accelerated construction plan that would create more significant traffic restrictions but over less time. Marigold Infrastructure Partners worked with the city on an "ambitious" plan that would see the majority of roadwork in key areas be completed in 2025, so that construction could focus on track work and systems infrastructure in 2026. Unless council's urban planning committee intervenes at a meeting on Feb. 11, the city will use the accelerated plan this year. Marigold has created a new construction plan for nine portions of the LRT route. One change under the new plan is that the city will fully close the intersection of 124 Street NW and Stony Plain Road NW. While this will result in a more significant disruption to traffic, businesses, residents, and pedestrians, it means that that portion of roadwork will be finished in six to eight weeks rather than being partially closed for 48 weeks over two construction seasons. Overall, the accelerated plan would reduce the total time traffic is restricted at key intersections by more than half, a report detailing the new plan said. It adds that commuters, residents, and business owners have expressed frustration with construction, traffic restrictions, and associated delays, and that Marigold and the city are equally motivated to accelerate construction. The Valley Line West LRT is scheduled to be completed in 2028. The report does not say whether this accelerated plan would decrease the project's overall timeline.
• Administration recommends cancelling $94,264 in unpaid business improvement area taxes. Council's executive committee is scheduled to discuss the issue at a meeting on Feb. 12, and may recommend council vote to cancel the sum at a future meeting.
• Council's urban planning committee is scheduled to review environmental impact assessment reports for the planned 18 Street over Horsehills Creek Bridge replacement and the Gariepy neighbourhood renewal project. The Gariepy renewal project would add accessible ravine crossings and a shared pathway at the top of the riverbank.

Meetings stream live on YouTube on the Chamber channel and River Valley Room channel.

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