The 905 ridings the Conservatives need to win in the election
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Calgary Herald
an hour ago
- Calgary Herald
Poilievre's high-profile rural Alberta byelection puts the 'right to repair' in the spotlight
A tractor bails hay. Photo by Tom Bateman OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's bid for a seat in Battle River—Crowfoot is shining a light on the growing fight among rural and remote Canadians for the right to fix the things they own. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Calgary Herald ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors With tractors and other specialized farm equipment increasingly reliant on proprietary software, manufacturers are using a variety of digital methods to lock out third-party repairs — effectively requiring farms and other businesses to deal exclusively with manufacturer-authorized service providers. It's a problem that's bedevilling area farmers who are already reckoning with razor-thin profit margins. Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again 'I can tell you it's no fun ringing the manufacturer for after-hours service, and having them charge you $50 to $100 a pop for a call-out fee,' said Rick Strankman, a grain farmer who lives in the eastern part of the Alberta riding. Strankman's family-run farm is two hours away from the nearest service hub in Lloydminster, Alta. He says that he's sought to minimize his dependence on costly manufacturer servicing by using older, analog equipment but doesn't know how much longer he can keep it going. 'Our combines are 2011 model year and will be 15 years old come Christmas-time … the simple depreciation on those things is more than the farm can bear,' said Strankman. Battle River—Crowfoot, a sprawling riding of more than 52,000 square kilometres, is home to some 4,000 farms like Strankman's. Far flung, agrarian areas like Battle River—Crowfoot are at the forefront of the growing right to repair movement, which calls for an end to manufacturer-imposed barriers to fixing consumer appliances, such as digital locks that keep third-parties out of embedded software. 'Pretty much anyone you meet in the rural parts of the riding will talk your ear off about (right to repair),' said Libertarian candidate Michael Harris. Harris said that several farmers he's canvassed have identified the right to repair as their top issue in next week's byelection. Independent candidate Bonnie Critchley says she'll make fighting for right to repair legislation her top priority if elected. 'As an Independent in such a tight minority government, I intend on using that position to push for a private member's bill that limits how much corporations can continue to squeeze money out of us, after we've already purchased their product,' wrote Critchley in a recent blog post.
National Post
an hour ago
- National Post
Poilievre's high-profile rural Alberta byelection puts the 'right to repair' in the spotlight
OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's bid for a seat in Battle River—Crowfoot is shining a light on the growing fight among rural and remote Canadians for the right to fix the things they own. Article content With tractors and other specialized farm equipment increasingly reliant on proprietary software, manufacturers are using a variety of digital methods to lock out third-party repairs — effectively requiring farms and other businesses to deal exclusively with manufacturer-authorized service providers. Article content Article content Article content It's a problem that's bedevilling area farmers who are already reckoning with razor-thin profit margins. Article content 'I can tell you it's no fun ringing the manufacturer for after-hours service, and having them charge you $50 to $100 a pop for a call-out fee,' said Rick Strankman, a grain farmer who lives in the eastern part of the riding. Article content Strankman's family-run farm is two hours away from the nearest service hub in Lloydminster, Alta. Article content He says that he's sought to minimize his dependence on costly manufacturer servicing by using older, analog equipment but doesn't know how much longer he can keep this up. Article content 'Our combines are 2011 model year and will be 15 years old come Christmas-time … the simple depreciation on those things is more than the farm can bear,' said Strankman. Article content Battle River—Crowfoot, a sprawling riding of more than 52,000 square kilometres, is home to some 4,000 farms like Strankman's. Article content Far flung, agrarian areas like Battle River—Crowfoot are at the forefront of the growing right to repair movement, which calls for an end to manufacturer-imposed barriers to fixing consumer appliances, such as digital locks that keep third-parties out of embedded software. Article content 'Pretty much anyone you meet in the rural parts of the riding will talk your ear off about (right to repair),' said Libertarian candidate Michael Harris. Article content Harris said that several farmers he's canvassed have identified the right to repair as their top byelection issue. Article content Independent candidate Bonnie Critchley says she'll make fighting for right to repair legislation her top priority if elected. Article content 'As an Independent in such a tight minority government, I intend on using that position to push for a private member's bill that limits how much corporations can continue to squeeze money out of us, after we've already purchased their product,' wrote Critchley in a recent blog post. Article content Critchley called a pair of federal right to repair laws enacted last year 'complicated, bureaucratic, and ultimately toothless' in an email to the National Post. Article content '(T)hese bills make circumventing digital locks in devices legal, but continue to prohibit the manufacture, import, or sale of the tools used to circumvent those protection measures, making repairing personal property — be it a modern combine or a cellphone — infeasible in practice,' wrote Critchley.
Calgary Herald
2 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he's campaigning in Battle River-Crowfoot like he's 'one vote behind'
With his political future on the line, Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre says he's leaving nothing to chance while campaigning in the rural Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot. Article content Poilievre, who lost the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy in the April's federal election, has been given a second chance at winning a seat in the House of Commons, this time in Battle River-Crowfoot. Former MP Damien Kurek resigned in June to allow Poilievre to run in a byelection in the Alberta riding, where a record 214 candidates are running. Article content Article content Article content In the spring election, Kurek won the safe Conservative seat with 83 per cent support, and a pollster has said the Conservative leader will easily win Battle River-Crowfoot, where advance polling wrapped up Monday ahead of the Aug. 18 general vote. Article content Article content Poilievre, reached Tuesday morning in the Oyen area, said he doesn't make predictions about election results and he campaigns like he's 'one vote behind.' Article content 'I believe in humility and earning people's support,' said Poilievre, who on Monday attended a town hall meeting, did some door knocking and met with Oyen Mayor Doug Jones for dinner at a local restaurant. Article content Poilievre said Kurek, the Conservatives' campaign chair, has been a 'great help' during the byelection campaign, 'advising, door knocking, speaking, endorsing and directing our efforts.' Article content The Conservative leader confirmed Kurek offered to resign his seat so he could run in Battle River-Crowfoot. Article content Article content 'He said, 'Look, Battle River-Crowfoot has a lot of important local issues that require national leadership, like supporting oil and gas, protecting firearms rights, giving people the freedom to drive their gas trucks and cars, and you're the national leader that will do that. We need you back in the House of Commons.'' Article content Article content Article content Kurek, now working for government relations and lobbying firm Upstream Strategy Group, will stay active and keep him informed of 'all the things that are happening on the ground in the region,' said Poilievre. Article content 'I plan to keep working with him and the local mayors and local representatives to be a strong voice for the people here,' said the Conservative leader, who still plans to run in a different seat in the House of Commons during the next federal election.
