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Edmonton Journal
6 days ago
- Edmonton Journal
'Incorrect information': RCMP commissioner challenges accuracy of Alberta Next policing survey
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Stock photo of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) logo at K-Division headquarters in Edmonton. Photo by Larry Wong / Postmedia In a letter to Premier Danielle Smith earlier this month, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme questioned the accuracy of materials shared through the province's Alberta Next consultation regarding a provincial police service. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. 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 The three-page letter is dated July 16 and challenges assertions made in the preceding video, survey, and other Alberta Next material around bilingualism, policing priorities, and the role of federal policing. 'I would like to take this opportunity to clarify some incorrect information,' Duheme wrote, first disputing an assertion made in the video that the federal government sets provincial policing priorities. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again 'The RCMP is, and has been, proud to deliver policing services that reflect the priorities and needs of communities across Alberta,' he wrote, referencing an article of the Provincial Police Service Agreements which he said leaves establishing the objectives, priorities, and goals up to the provincial minister. He also echoed earlier criticism from the National Police Federation, the union representing RCMP members, of a line in the video ahead of the Alberta Next survey that states, 'because of French-language requirements, English-speaking Alberta officers do not qualify for senior RCMP positions.' Last month, the NPF told Postmedia that claim was 'misinformation,' with Duheme writing that 'all commissioned officer positions in Alberta are designated as English essential and staffed accordingly. The office of Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis disputes that, stating that 'all deputy and assistant commissioner positions in Ottawa are designated bilingual, as are senior positions held by civilians within senior staff,' adding, 'the RCMP is wrong.' Smith used similar language when questioned about the RCMP's bilingualism requirements at last week's Alberta Next townhall in Edmonton. Duheme's letter also disputes the video's statement that officers can be moved 'on a moment's notice,' writing, 'the process to relocate a member includes careful planning to support them and their families should they choose to pursue another opportunity.' Finally, his letter objects to language used in a FAQ portion of the panel's website, which states the RCMP major crimes division would not need to be replaced in the event of a provincial police service, reading, ''K' division would still be doing the Federal Policing around investigative matters that meet their mandate like counter-terrorism and nationwide gang activity.' This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I would like to clarify that in the context of a transition, the RCMP would retain responsibility for investigating criminal activity that poses the highest threat to Canada through its federal policing mandate. The responsibility for major crimes investigations (e.g. homicides) would be retained by the incoming police of jurisdiction.' Ellis' office said in a statement that police staffing remains an issue, with vacancy rates nearing 40 per cent in some municipalities, resulting in gaps in service that undermine public service. 'Alberta's government has raised these concerns repeatedly, and while we appreciate efforts to improve recruitment and retention, the pace of progress has not matched the urgency of the issue.' It also pointed to a March white paper from Public Safety Canada which calls for an evolution of Ottawa's role in supporting provinces in delivery of police services, including a transition away from contract policing when Police Services Agreements expire in seven years time. 'While no final decision has been announced, Alberta's government cannot afford to wait until 2032 to begin planning,' the statement from Ellis' office reads. The Alberta Next survey touts the need to improve local accountability, boost officer recruitment, and heighten safety in rural communities. The survey on policing was one of three altered last week to include more options to express opposition to the ideas pitched by Alberta Next after widespread criticism of the online polls that had already been open since June 24. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
Edmonton Journal
7 days ago
- Climate
- Edmonton Journal
Opinion: Alberta's parks are part of who we are — we must protect them
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Spray Valley Provincial Park was created by former premier Ralph Klein to prevent development there. Photo by Mike Drew / Postmedia The summer is upon us, and for many Albertans, including myself, that means we are maximizing our time outdoors in the endless daylight. Whether it be paddling, hiking, biking, camping or simply a picnic in the park, Albertans love spending their summers outside enjoying nature. Some of my favorite summer memories are those I spent in Alberta's parks and natural areas. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. 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 This summer, the Alberta government is asking us all to weigh in on its draft Plan for Parks. It is more than just a survey; it's an opportunity to determine the future of Alberta's natural spaces. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again When I was around 14 years old, I was on a camping trip with my family in Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park. One night, my family was sitting around the fire, and as people have done for thousands of years, we looked up to the night sky as it started to get dark. The sky was clear and there wasn't a cloud in sight. As the light continued to fade into darkness, for the first time in my life, I was able to see the Milky Way. It was breathtaking. I was enchanted by the stars, and for a moment, I felt small in comparison to the vast universe above. Yet, this feeling of being small only heightened a peaceful connection to the natural spaces around me. This is a feeling I still carry with me today. This connection to nature, from provincial parks like Writing-on-Stone, to recreation areas like Thompson Creek, to urban green spaces like the North Saskatchewan River Valley in Amiskwacîwâskahikan/Edmonton, sticks with us in ways we can't always predict or explain. But for me, it has undeniably shaped me. These places taught me patience, independence, and a fierce love for nature. This is a love that I now channel into protecting and preserving the spaces that were integral to my childhood experiences. I am certain this is not a fringe concern. In fact, according to an opinion poll commissioned by CPAWS in spring 2025, 78 per cent of people support setting aside more land to protect wildlife habitat and 72 per cent support creating more provincial parks focused on recreation and leisure. Alberta's parks are not only scenic backdrops to our summers, they protect crucial ecological functions with wide-ranging benefits. Parks are valuable for their ability to filter air and water, mitigate floods, and store carbon in forests, wetlands, and soil. These ecosystems provide critical habitat for endangered and threatened species and provide refuge for wildlife from habitat fragmentation and human disturbance. Protected areas also create important ecological corridors that facilitate species migration, allowing wildlife to safely move across large geographical areas. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. When conservation is put at the forefront of how these protected areas are managed, entire ecosystems and landscapes can be shielded from the worst of increasing pressures from development and resource extraction. Speaking up for Alberta's parks allows us to envision a future for Alberta's wildlife, waters, and communities with conservation as a central value. Our connections to Alberta parks and their ecological and cultural value are why we must continue to advocate for their protection. Phase 2 of the Plan for Parks public engagement ends on Saturday. Albertans overwhelmingly expressed their support for increased conservation and expansion of the parks network in the first phase of public engagement last summer, which has been incorporated into the draft Plan for Parks. However, the draft plan also uses language that suggests an expansion of commercial development and increased privatization within park boundaries. This directly contradicts the feedback on Phase 1, but also the public outrage towards the All-Seasons Resort Act introduced in November 2024, and the plan to close parks and recreation areas back in 2020 that spurred the Defend Alberta Parks campaign. Parks aren't just places we go; they are part of who we are as Albertans. These natural places have touched all our lives, making it our responsibility to protect them so they can continue to impact the lives of future generations. If we want them to remain and for more parks to be created, we have to speak up now. Fill out the Government of Alberta's Plan for Parks Survey before July 26, 2025. Claire Morrison is a fourth-year student at St. Francis Xavier University pursuing an honours degree in Public Policy and Governance. She is currently the national urban park co-ordinator with the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society Northern Alberta Chapter and has been a North Saskatchewan River guide for three years. We invite you to write letters to the editor. A maximum of 150 words is preferred. Letters must carry a first and last name, or two initials and a last name, and include an address and daytime telephone number. All letters are subject to editing. We don't publish letters addressed to others or sent to other publications. Email: letters@ Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal |The Edmonton Sun.
Edmonton Journal
17-07-2025
- Business
- Edmonton Journal
U.S.-Canada trade talks back underway as Trump's wish list, from oil to DEI, keeps growing
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. U.S. President Donald Trump arriving before speaking at a ceremony to sign the "Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act," in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in Washington. Photo by Evan Vucci / AP Trade talks are reportedly continuing between Canada and the U.S., with formal meetings having taken place since U.S. President Donald Trump revealed more threats and demands last week, a source close to the White House said. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. 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 Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that he expected U.S. tariffs would likely be part of any future deal. 'There is not much evidence at the moment — from the deals, agreements and negotiations with the Americans, for any country or any jurisdiction — to get a deal without tariffs,' Carney said. He also said he expected trade talks to 'intensify' in the next few weeks. Washington and Ottawa have been engaged in tempestuous trade talks for months. Carney's team is desperate to end tariffs imposed by Trump on Canadian steel and aluminum exports and keep tariff exemptions for goods covered by the U.S.-Canada-Mexico trade deal (USMCA). Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump in Alberta for a G7 meeting, June 16, 2025. Photo by Gavin Young/Postmedia Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again After Carney's election in April, things appeared to be going well for awhile: Carney visited the White House, he seemingly got Trump to drop his talk of making Canada a '51st state,' and the prime minister quickly gave in when the president threatened to end talks if Canada didn't scrap its digital services tax (DST) on U.S. tech firms. Carney also pledged last month to increase defence expenditures dramatically to meet a higher NATO spending target by 2035, a priority of Trump's. It looked like negotiations could lead to a new U.S.-Canada deal before the July 21 deadline the two of them had set for themselves. Trump wrote an open letter to the prime minister last week, threatening to impose 35 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods starting Aug. 1, vaguely citing as reasons Ottawa's trade deficit, counter tariffs, dairy trade restrictions, and failure to halt fentanyl from crossing the border. What Trump didn't do — as he had done with the DST — was outline exactly what Carney needed to do to get things back on track. National Post looks at the reasons Trump might have wanted to derail the negotiations — and what other surprises the White House might have in store. Trump 'likes to keep us in suspense,' says Andrew Hale, a senior policy analyst at Heritage Foundation. But there is a timing issue at play here that goes beyond the negotiations. 'Basically, they have a window of time to use these 'Liberation Day' tariffs,' he says, referring to Trump's sweeping new international tariff regime unveiled in April. Hale said there is significant legal pushback facing the administration's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) that ostensibly gives the president power to circumvent Congress to impose tariffs in urgent situations. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. So far, there have been a few court rulings against Trump's use of IEEPA tariffs. Oral arguments in the U.S. Court of Appeals are scheduled to begin for one of those rulings on July 31, with another court set to hear two other tariff-related cases in September. To use IEEPA, a genuine emergency needs to be declared. What Trump did was declare emergencies based on trade deficits, drug trafficking, and immigration. Well, 'we've been running trade deficits for decades,' says Hale. U.S. j udges have ruled that there is no direct connection between the national emergency declared over fentanyl and illegal migration. The court rulings could still go either way. '(Trump's team is) concerned that they will no longer be able to weaponize these (tariffs) in trade negotiations,' Hale adds. 'By simply heaping on the pressure and saying, 'Bam, you get these tariffs, you're getting increased tariffs and the rest of it,' they're trying to get as many concessions as possible whilst they can still use them.' If Trump's emergency tariffs lose in court, he'd be left with the less-powerful weapon to restrict imports deemed a national security threat, under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. 'I do know that Plan B is to use the 232 tariffs as an alternative more aggressively,' Hale said. But he notes that they are product-specific and do not allow for across-the-board tariffs. Tori Smith, a senior vice president at Forbes Tate Partners, a government-relations consultancy in Washington, points out that Trump's Aug. 1 deadline doesn't seem random given the appeal hearing against emergency tariffs set to start on July 31. She also notes that the review scheduled of the USMCA, as part of its original terms, begins in October. Trump's letter, Smith said, was probably meant to 'create leverage for the United States in advance of the USMCA review.' Smith said the 'long-game strategy' for the White House is to put it in the 'strongest position for (the USMCA) negotiations.' There may also be something more personal going on, according to a source close to the administration, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The NAFTA negotiations in Trump's first term that led to the USMCA were headed by United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Robert Lighthizer, who had a cordial relationship with Canada's then-foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland. In the process, Lighthizer reportedly neutralized Peter Navarro, then director of the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy , a fierce protectionist and Trump loyalist, who is now a senior adviser to the president on trade. 'He's never really forgiven Lighthizer for that,' the source said. (Lighthizer has since returned to private life.) Robert Lighthizer speaks during a town-hall style meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, in Braselton. Photo by Mike Stewart While the USMCA was once touted by U.S. officials as the 'gold standard' of trade deals, possibly the reason the administration has talked of ripping it up 'was because Navarro sees that as Lighthizer's golden legacy, and he has reasons … personal bitterness, to rip it up.' David Boling, a former deputy assistant USTR for Japan, said he never witnessed the two men in meetings together and couldn't comment on their working relationship. But they had very different styles, he recalled. 'Lighthizer skillfully renegotiated NAFTA by building up trust with Capitol Hill Democrats. Coalition-building, however, is not Navarro's strong suit,' said Boling, who now works at the political-risk consultancy Eurasia Group. Navarro recently said he didn't like negotiating with Canada, while Mexico's negotiators were a 'pure joy to deal with.' 'You know, they (Mexicans) were tough negotiators, but they were reasonable, fair negotiators. The Canadians were very, very difficult, and they've always been very difficult,' he said in a television interview last week. Little downside for Trump It seems that the more Trump has pushed for concessions from Canada — on defence, on digital taxes, on fentanyl crackdowns — the more he's been able to get. Sources say his senior economic team feels they have to sell the president on deal structures, but that Trump often feels he can press for more. 'I think that this can be demonstrated pretty obviously by the Vietnam announcement,' says Smith, noting how Vietnam's team thought they would be getting a lower tariff rate than 20 per cent, but then Trump 'put out a different rate than had been negotiated or talked about by his team.' Trump mentioned Canada's highly restricted market for dairy in his open letter to Carney. But he might also start pushing for Canada to commit to more things beyond trade, as he has with fentanyl and defence. 'The Trump administration has also leveraged tariffs in matters that go well beyond trade policy with a number of countries,' said Hale. In March, the president warned countries buying Venezuelan oil they would be punished with tariffs on all U.S. exports; in the last two weeks, he's threatened 'severe tariffs' on Russia if it didn't make peace with Ukraine, and tariffs on BRICS-aligned countries (meaning Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa as well as Iran and Indonesia) because he said they wanted to undermine the U.S. dollar. Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks during a press conference at the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on July 7, 2025. Photo by PABLO PORCIUNCULA / AFP So he may want to wield economic pressure to try getting Carney to commit to helping restart a new Canada-U.S. oil pipeline after Keystone XL was killed by the last American president, the source close to the White House said. 'They want the Keystone XL pipeline big time,' the source said. Trump has never stopped wanting that pipeline since he approved it in his first term, and has raised it repeatedly since his re-election, noted Diana Furchtgott-Roth, director of the Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment at the Heritage Foundation. 'Everybody knows that Prime Minister Carney has a focus on the environment, rather than fossil fuel production, so I imagine that it might be a sticking point,' she added. So would the fact that, right now, there is no company proposing that project, since the former proponent, TC Energy, abandoned it. Apparently, the White House also wants Carney to loosen up on Liberal social objectives, like ESG (environment, social and governance) and DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion), that have in recent years complicated regulation in Canada, including for American companies that do business here. Trump has been aggressive about deregulating away from social and climate rules in the U.S. since he took office. But Carney is 'religious' about ESG, said the Washington source, which could be a 'real barrier to these things getting forward.' Yet, if Carney got rid of net-zero targets and environmental impediments, 'I think there'd be a massive love-in,' the source added. How many of these new lines of negotiation — dairy, defence, oil, DEI, ESG or others — the president opens is anyone's guess, but what is almost certain is that current trade wrangling will bleed into October's USMCA review and well into 2026, said Smith. 'The next year is going to continue to be very uncertain and rocky for Canada,' she said. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here.
Mid East Info
12-07-2025
- Mid East Info
LG STRENGTHENS EDTECH LEADERSHIP IN THE MIDDLE EAST WITH EXPANDED LG CREATEBOARD LINEUP - Middle East Business News and Information
The full LG CreateBoard lineup comprises four models, each tailored to various user needs and purposes: LG CreateBoard Pro (TR3PN): Features a high-performance processor optimized for AI-intensive tasks and seamless multitasking. LG CreateBoard Standard (TR3DQ): Equipped with key functions, including wireless screen sharing, writing solutions and Google Android compatibility. LG CreateBoard Core (TR3BQ): A new, cost-effective model delivering essential teaching tools for broader accessibility. LG CreateBoard 105-inch (TR5WP): Boasts a 105-inch display with a 21:9 aspect ratio, optimized for video classes and collaborative learning environments. The LG CreateBoard Standard and Pro models come equipped with user-friendly, AI-powered features that enhance classroom engagement and streamline learning environments: Live Subtitles/Translation: Provides real-time AI-generated subtitles that support multilingual learning. Video Summary: Leverages AI to automatically analyze and summarize key takeaways from video lessons. Ask LG: Powered by a large language model (LLM), it provides AI-driven answers to questions about LG CreateBoard usage and enables AI-powered general information searches during class. Circle to Search: Allows users to circle on-screen content for instant contextual search results. Calculator Pro: Converts handwritten mathematical formulas into solutions using AI. CreateBoard models* also support LG's dedicated educational solutions, such as CreateBoard Share; a wireless screen sharing solution that easily connects with external devices across various operating systems like Windows, Android, and iOS. Capable of sharing up to nine screens at once; ideal for large lectures. Additionally, CreateBoard Lab is an advanced writing solution with an intuitive, streamlined interface that maximizes convenience and ease of use. Utilizing these solutions, teachers can connect their tablet PCs to LG CreateBoard, allowing them to freely move around the classroom while conducting lessons, complemented greater still by, during class, if additional materials are needed, seamlessly adding web-based content and multimedia into lesson notes with a simple touch in real time. And after class, materials can be easily shared with students at the touch of a button. Certified under Google's Enterprise Device Licensing Agreement (EDLA), the LG CreateBoard affords direct access to a wide array of educational apps via the Google Play Store, with the platform also supported by LG ConnectedCare – LG's proprietary remote device management solution – providing real-time monitoring of multiple displays and proactive responses to security or operational issues are effortless. In today's tech-driven world, where the Internet of Things (IoT) is shaping modern classrooms by connecting devices, creating smarter environments, and giving teachers data-driven insights to better tailor their lessons, LG is at the forefront of the transformation. With the CreateBoard, and by integrating IoT technologies into its educational solutions to create connected, responsive classrooms, LG is enhancing the overall learning experience. About LG Electronics Media Entertainment Solution Company : The LG Media Entertainment Solution Company (MS) is a recognized innovator in televisions, audio, displays and smart TV platform. The MS Company enhances the media entertainment experience with its OLED TVs, renowned for perfect black and perfect color, and premium LCD QNED TVs, all powered by the personalized webOS smart TV platform. The MS Company also offers gaming monitors, business monitors, laptops, projectors, cloud devices and medical displays that are designed to maximize customers' work efficiency and deliver strong value.
Edmonton Journal
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Edmonton Journal
Friday's letters: Enforcing speed limits saves lives
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Devin Dreeshen announced changes to photo radar programs in Alberta on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024. Alberta will prohibit the use of photo radar on all numbered provincial highways, with photo radar instead restricted to playgrounds, school zones, and construction sites Photo by Shaughn Butts / Postmedia Speed limits are determined through a combination of engineering studies, traffic analysis, and consideration of safety factors, with the 85th percentile speed often being a key factor. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. 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 This means that speed limits are often set based on the speed at which 85 per cent of drivers naturally travel on a particular road. Local authorities, such as municipalities, then adjust these, based on other factors to ensure safety and traffic flow such as the road's environment, presence of pedestrians, school zones, crash history, and the overall traffic conditions and survival rates if an accident occurs. When you speed on our streets, you are dismissing all of those calculations and determinations to make our streets safe for pedestrians and drivers. In Calgary in 2024, we saw the highest number of fatal road collisions in a decade. The city saw 29 fatal traffic collisions — 13 of which involved pedestrians and many of which involved excess speeds over the posted limits. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again In Edmonton, 13 people were killed in traffic collisions in the first five months of 2025. According to data from EPS, that figure is much higher than previous years. In one weekend alone this spring, three people died in traffic collisions in Edmonton and the police stated that all three involved excess speeds. How many more Albertans have to die before our provincial government does the right thing by reinstating traffic cameras and speed stops that are known deterrents and help police control speeding and dangerous driving? E.M. Meyer and B.L. Milobar's claim that the Alberta government 'slashed funding to health care and education' ('Alberta's Surplus comes at a cost,' Letters, July 10) is laughably wrong. A five-minute or shorter search of the provincial government's most recent audited financial statements shows that health care and education spending rose about 7.7 and 5.1 per cent last year, respectively. Social services spending also rose 5.3 per cent. Another five-minute or shorter search of the Statistics Canada website shows that Alberta's population grew just 4.1 per cent in the same period. So health care and education both rose measured in absolute terms, and also measured per Albertan. I don't know where Meyer and Milobar get their idea that health care and education funding was somehow 'slashed,' but their claim doesn't correspond to any facts. A fully funded AISH recipient receives $1900.65/month ($22,807.80/year) — below the poverty line. Most have to rely on family and friends for shelter. AISH forces recipients to begin withdrawing their pension plans early under the CPPD (CPP Disability) federal program, equalling $812.65/month, 100 per cent of which the province takes, while the recipient's CPP is permanently penalized. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. AISH is now forcing recipients to apply to the CDB federal program, equaling $200/month, 100 per cent of which the province will take. The province is stealing $1012.65/ month from every fully funded, disabled Albertan ($12,151.80/year). Why does such a wealthy province continue to penalize its most vulnerable, while giving subsidies to oil and gas, and tax breaks to the ultra-rich? This is unjustly shameful and should be illegal. We need to fight and speak up for those who cannot defend themselves. Carrie Schrieber, Sherwood Park By Jason Nixon's reasoning, Albertans on AISH will be receiving less than the federal government's recommended allowance of $1804 if they receive the $1,901 base amount from Alberta and they receive $200 from the federal government and then Alberta takes $200 off the Alberta AISH payment. Then the Alberta government is only paying $1,701 now. They are making money off of the marginalized population. A lot of red tape with no benefit for those with disabilities. Even if someone applies and goes through all the process they can still be denied. A lot of time and effort for nothing. Many of the people on AISH require someone to help them through the process as there is a reason they are on AISH. Many of them don't really have a good support system I would like to add to Ms. Cavaliere's recent letter regarding the reduction in benefits to seniors and recipients of AISH. There's a further component to the UCP cuts that is not well known or discussed, and that is eye exams for children. Single mothers or young families who are on a budget now get to make the hard choice between feeding their children or paying for eye exams; guess which they will choose? I know of an optometrist who is forgoing billing his young patients whose families cannot afford preventative eye care — a testament to the moral fibre of a health-care provider and I'm certain one of many. Our stingy provincial government would rather spend finite taxpayer dollars on initiatives and nonsense that caters to a small majority of the electorate, all the while railing against the federal government about inequity. Shame on you, UCP. Canada is finally moving forward. Since the last election, the tone in Parliament has shifted — bipartisan co-operation is getting real work done, and the 'Canada is broken' rhetoric is fading. Mark Carney's economic leadership has been promising, and Canadians are starting to feel momentum again. Meanwhile, Pierre Poilievre, once the face of obstruction and outrage, is watching his numbers slide. Having lost his seat, he's now running in the safest riding in the country — an ironic nod to how little the Conservatives trust everyday Albertans when power is at stake. We've just ended a toxic political relationship. Let's not go back. Poilievre's politics of division and anger may fire up his base, but they won't build the future Canadians want. If the Conservatives bring him back as leader, it won't be the Liberals keeping power — it'll be Poilievre ensuring they do. Canadians deserve better than déjà vu. Let's move on. Why am I not surprised that Carney and his cohorts have taken the summer off. Job done? No emergency here? No need to make those promises of quick action on getting Canada back on track. All under control? Pierre Poilievre had made it clear during his campaign that Canada was broken, vulnerable, in need of quick and efficient renewing of our energy and self-reliance and the Conservatives would work through summer to get the jobs started, and with great haste. Guess the Liberals are super good at getting Canada's economy pumping and growing. How duped the East was in believing these Liberals were different — but, alas, same old gong show going on, sadly. L.G. Anderson, Spruce Grove Wow! There are going to be pickle-flavoured mini-doughnuts at KDays. Now, that is going to draw visitors, isn't it? KDays is indicative of one of the problems with this city, a significant lack of imagination. We got rid of Klondike Days because we didn't have any tie to theGold Rush and instead we have chosen a midway and alleged food options. We could, however, embrace our actual history and create an event that would put us on the map the way the Stampede has done for Calgary. We have a large Indigenous community with a history much longer than ours. With direction from our Indigenous citizens, we should be celebrating that. Most of us are only marginally aware of the cultural history of our Indigenous neighbours. We could change that. We could also become a beacon for Indigenous communities from around the world. They, too, could share their history with us. Creating this kind of event would take a lot of work and money, but it would be of more value to Edmonton and Edmontonians than a mini-doughnut and a ferris wheel ride. Terence Harding, Edmonton We invite you to write letters to the editor. A maximum of 150 words is preferred. Letters must carry a first and last name, or two initials and a last name, and include an address and daytime telephone number. All letters are subject to editing. We don't publish letters addressed to others or sent to other publications. 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