Calgary Rants

Calgary City Council Mediator Session

2012-02-01T21:26:00.001-07:00

I have been lucky to have been a guest on the unconventional panel three times in the past month! This week, the panel talked about the City of Calgary "intervention", where a facilitator was brought into a special meeting on Monday. This caused quite a stir on twitter, as many people were shocked at the thought that council actually needed a psychologist to come in and facilitate a meeting to promote harmony amongst the group.

I had the chance to talk to Mayor Nenshi about this last night and he confirms that it really was blown out of proportion. Like George and Cory state in the panel, these types of meetings go on all of the time and are often used as a team building event or a corporate goal setting session. Mayor Nenshi laughed at the notion that the facilitator ( who is a psychologist by profession) was there to offer his professional services to try and "head shrink" his colleagues. I am sure that when most people heard this story, they imagined the Alderman laying on couches and telling the facilitator "about their mother's".

We had a good debate on the show this morning and we all had some fun with this topic. You have to check out the picture on the CBC website which shows off George Brookman rocking the coolest pair of ladies sunglasses!

Here is a link to the audio podcast!

http://www.cbc.ca/eyeopener/columnists/unconventional/2012/02/01/unconventional-panel---council-mediator/

Do you think that this was blown out of proportion, or does this point to an increasingly dysfunctional council?

Calgary City Council Pay Raises 2012

2012-01-26T08:42:00.000-07:00

There has been quite a stir this week over the 5.35% pay increase for Calgary city council members. Many Calgarians appear frustrated over the increase as it seems out of line with what the average worker will receive in 2012. While these positions do offer pretty good pay, I do not think that it is out of line for the work that they do. Personally, I know that my Alderman often works 60-70 hours a week, which is not unusual in an elected role.

Many have pointed out that the compensation for Calgary alderman is one of the highest in the country, but its also important to note that many other Canadian city councils have "tax free" portions built into their "lower" salaries and do not carry the same constituent level/alderman. No two cities needs are alike, so I find it hard to make the comparison this way.

While these increases are paid by our taxes, I think Calgarians need to put pressure on council to find spending efficiencies across the entire budget.

I had the chance to be a guest again on the CBC Calgary Eyeopener's Unconventional Panel yesterday to discuss this. Here is a link if you are interested.....

http://www.cbc.ca/eyeopener/columnists/unconventional/2012/01/25/debating-pay-raises-at-city-hall/

It definitely is an interesting topic. How do you think they should be paid?

A Day Without Food In Support Of Brown Bagging For Calgary's Kids

2012-01-24T11:22:00.002-07:00

Many of you know that I am a proud kitchen volunteer and board member for Brown Bagging For Calgary's Kids ( BB4CK) and I am humbled every Monday morning that I get to help make lunches for needy Calgary school children. Even though I have been doing this for over two years, I still am moved when I try to imagine that there are kids in our city that go hungry everyday. When I talk to people about what BB4CK does, they are also shocked that there are thousands of kids that go without food in a rich city like Calgary and they always are looking for ways to help.

As part of BB4CK's tenth anniversary, the organization has laid out many different ways the public can get involved. This month, we have challenged Calgarians to "go a day without food" on January 24 and share their thoughts with everyone. While I understand that it may not be feasible to go a whole day with out food, many people have stated that they want to get involved by giving up one meal, their favorite snack or will attempt to go without something that is important to them for the day. What can you give up?

Here are my thoughts this morning....

If you would like to give it a shot, be sure to tweet (@brownbaggingit #bb4ck10for10 ) or share your thoughts on the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BB4CK ( The main website is www.brownbaggingit.org )

Sean Chu To Enter The Calgary North West PC Nomination Race

2012-01-19T15:57:00.000-07:00

I was pretty excited when I heard the news that Calgary Police officer and longtime community volunteer Sean Chu has decided to enter the PCAA nomination for the Calgary North West riding. Many people were surprised last week when sitting MLA Lindsay Blackett announced that he would not seek re-election, prompting this nomination race. I have known Sean for a number of years and consider him a good friend. I have seen his leadership abilities firsthand and know that he would make an excellent MLA.

Here is a little bit about Sean....

Sean Chu arrived to Calgary from Taiwan after 3 years of military service in 1985 speaking not a word of English, and within 7 years he was a sworn officer with the Calgary Police Service. From that point on Sean has worked with the Calgary Police Service as on Officer for over 19 years. Sean took an even more extensive role in contributing to his community by working with many boards and volunteer associations in an effort to be a bridge-builder for the many groups that make Calgary such a diverse neighborhood. The two most important areas that Sean has focused on in his community work is helping new immigrants feel welcome in their new community, while focusing on issues that affect seniors. All while raising two young daughters Jasmine & Sienna.

Here is a brief snapshot of some of his community work:

Member of the Premier's Calgary Advisory Committee.
Member of the Sien Lok Society.
Advisor to the Calgary Chinese Merchant Association.
Volunteer Board member of local PC Constituency Associations.
Homecare support for a person with a disability.
Recipient of Alberta Centennial Medal for outstanding community service.
2 terms as director of Federation of Calgary Communities.
3 terms as director of Foundations for the Future Charter Academy.
Volunteer regularly at his daughters' school.
Recipient of Calgary Police Service Distinguished Service Award.
Volunteers regularly for the Nose Creek Sports and Rec Association (Cardel Place), Sandstone MacEwan Community Association and the Schizophrenia Society of Alberta Calgary Chapter.

The Calgary North West nomination election will take place on February 4th, 2012 at the Tuscany Club ( 212 Tuscany Way N.W. )

Eligible voters shall be:

- a Canadian citizen
- 16 years of age or older
- a resident of Calgary North West, which includes Tuscany, Scenic Acres, Royal Oak, Rocky Ridge and Lynx Ridge
- a 2012 PC party membership (memberships can be purchased on February 4 at the voting station)

To date, there are only two candidates that have formally announced their intention to run for the nomination, with Sandra Jansen being the only other declared candidate. I think this is good for the democratic process as not many people are keen on default acclamations in an open nomination.

I commend Sean for putting his name forward for this nomination and believe he will be an excellent MLA as noted above. This should be an interesting race.

Sean can be reached at seanchu4calgarynw@gmail.com

Sean's Facebook page is here

Alberta "Illegal" Political Donations? Much Ado About Nothing

2012-01-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, it has become clear that the Wildrose Party can sense that all of their hard work over the past few years is looking more and more like it will all be for nothing. In order to try and maintain some sense of publicity, they have been trying to create some controversy over some of the donations received by the PCAA. It seems that every week, the WRP has continued to try and stoke the imaginary fire by feigning outrage over some disputed donations to local PCAA fundraising events, thereby trying to create a false image of PCAA"corruption".

While I take financial contribution laws very seriously, the recent stories that the WRP are questioning do not appear to be the big issue that they would like it to be. ( I guess they subscribe to the old theory that if you throw enough crap at the wall, you hope something sticks....)

I had a great discussion with a reader this week, who pretty much summed up the scenario nicely below....
Here is their basic explanation of how the PC's can accept "illegal donations" without doing anything wrong.

Scenario 1:

"John works for MRU. He gets an emailed invitation from his local MLA (a volunteer working on BEHALF of the MLA, actually), along with 5,000 other constituents who the MLA has email addresses for. John buys a ticket to a local PC golf tournament with his personal credit card. While he's there, he talks about PSE with several cabinet ministers, for a minute or two at a time, over the course of the day. John submits his credit card bill to MRU to be reimbursed, as he feels he was advocating on behalf of his employer. MRU sends John a cheque for his expense. Opposition parties scream bloody murder. PC's are guilty of hosting a fundraiser, and taking John's personal credit card number. Their interaction with John ended there."

Scenario 2:

"Suzy is a local town councillor. She holds a fundraising dinner every year, and every year her PC MLA comes out to support her, paying with his own credit card. The MLA is very popular locally, and Suzy thinks he's likely to cruise to another victory in the next election. She gets a phone call from a volunteer, who has already called 52 people today on the MLA's list of identified supporters, asking if she's interested in coming to the MLA's Silent Auction. She feels she should, since the MLA supports her own fundraiser every year, and she gives the volunteer her credit card. Suzy goes, has a great time, and uses her presence there to advocate for local civic issues with the MLA and his guest, the Minister of Municipal Affairs. Later that month, she submits the expense to the City Clerk's office, who pays her back the amount charged on her personal card. Opposition goes nuts. Those Banana Republic, democracy-hating, corrupt PC's solicited an illegal donation. From someone identified on the MLA's list as "Suzie", who gave her personal credit card number to attend a public event with 500 other local residents. It only became illegal when the clerk paid her back the amount - had the expense been rejected by the City Clerk's office, absolutely nothing would have been done wrong.

This seems pretty straightforward to me and unfortunately for the Wildrose Party, a scandal this does not make.

I also believe that if the donation form clearly states that the party cannot accept funds from town/city councils, school boards and/or unions, then the onus is on the individual donating to ensure that they comply. If they go back and ask for reimbursement after paying for these events in their own name, how can any party verify and check this? If any improper donations do make it through the cracks, then I agree that the funds should be returned immediately. I think that the Alberta government needs to revise and strengthen the rules ( along the guidelines that the federal political parties must follow under Elections Canada rules) to ensure that compliance is followed. The Elections Canada rules are so strict that it makes it very simple to understand what types of donations can be accepted.

While I have a lot of good friends in the Wildrose Party, this desperate attempt to revive a dying PR campaign just appears petty. Show me some willful intent by the PCAA to hide donations or cheat the system, and I will gladly join the outraged crew. Apart from a dynamic leader, a handful of good candidates and some vague policies, the WRP is just showing the citizens of Alberta what really is important to them. Albertans want to see solutions to the issues that matter to them ( health care, the economy etc.) and this frankly is not one of them.

I really hope that this issue will serve to help firm up the political fundraising rules in Alberta going forward.

New Years Resolutions For The City of Calgary

2012-01-04T20:46:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year! I hope that 2012 is starting off well and that it is an amazing year for everyone. I had the opportunity to be a guest on the CBC Calgary Eyeopener's Unconventional Panel again today and it was really a blast. The topic today was "New Years Resolutions for the City of Calgary".

My top new years wishes for the City of Calgary were as follows:

1) Push to get the much needed recreation facilities built in the deep SE!

2) Urge Calgarians to get more involved in local charities through volunteering!

3) To let 98% of Calgary city council know that it is ok to disagree with Mayor Nenshi! ( Why are they so scared of him?....)

Here is a link to the interview:

http://www.cbc.ca/eyeopener/episode/2012/01/04/eyeopener-podcast-for-january-4th/

What are your hopes for the City of Calgary in 2012?

Vlog Post: My Thoughts On The PPP Canada City of Calgary Recreation Funding Decision

2011-11-25T07:19:00.001-07:00

Disappointed. That was my initial reaction when I heard the news that PPP Canada had announced that the City of Calgary's application for the funding of some much needed recreation centres in Calgary would not be approved. As a member of the South East Calgary Recreation Society ( SECRS) for the past few years, I have seen firsthand how hard this committee has worked with the City of Calgary to try and address the recreation facility deficits in our city.

As a parent, I am fully aware of the lack of recreation facilities in our area. And as a volunteer and community association president, I am committed to finding a solution to address these issues.

Here are some of my thoughts on this... ( Note: these are my personal opinions and do not represent any organization that I am involved with.)

While disappointed with the outcome, I am prepared to move on a continue to work with the City to find some alternative funding options. I urge all Calgarians who care about this issue to do the same,

Why I'm Supporting Ric McIver in the Calgary Hays PC Nomination

2011-11-23T09:22:00.001-07:00

As a longtime follower of provincial politics and a resident of Calgary Hays, I am excited about the upcoming nomination contest to see who will be the next PC candidate for our area. Party nomination campaigns are an important example where local residents can really be part of the grassroots democratic process and have their say on who their party candidate will be in the next election.

Due to the provincial electoral boundary changes, Calgary Hays will be split into two separate riding's once the writ is dropped for the next provincial election. The "new" Calgary Hays riding will consist of the following neighborhoods: Douglasdale, Douglasglen, Quarry Park, McKenzie Towne and Mckenzie Lake. Due to the fact that this is a new electoral boundary, the PCAA will be holding a candidate nomination contest to determine who will be the next representative for the PC party in the provincial election.

I have been on the Calgary Hays PCAA board since 2008 and these nomination battles are always tough on the organization, but necessary for transparency and democracy. It is hard to see a group of people split on who they would like to support, but that is a necessary part of the democratic process.

Declared Candidates

Art Johnston

Art Johnston has been the MLA for this area since 2004.

Earlier this spring, Art decided to run for the nomination of the other newly created riding of Calgary Southeast, but narrowly lost that contest to newcomer Rick Fraser. ( See post here... http://www.calgaryrants.com/2011/05/calgary-mla-art-johnson-loses-pc.html )

Ric McIver

Ric had represented this area as the City of Calgary Ward 12 Alderman for nine years. He is a longtime member and volunteer for the PCAA.

Here are some of my thoughts on the nomination race and why I am supporting Ric McIver.....

The nomination vote will take place at the Deerfoot Inn on Monday, December 5, 2011 from 4-8PM.

To be eligible to vote, you must be:

A Canadian citizen, at least 16 Years of age of older.
Ordinarily a resident of Calgary Hays. (Douglasdale, Douglasglen, Quarry Park, McKenzie Towne and McKenzie Lake.)
A valid member of the PCAA. ( 2011 Memberships are available at the door.)
Be sure to bring two pieces of ID, to confirm residence in the area.

If you would like to volunteer with Ric or buy a membership to support him, please contact Ric here.

Best of luck to all of the candidates! This will be an interesting race to watch.

Alberta Blue Committee Launches! Six Questions For Ken Boessenkool

2011-10-20T17:06:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, the media was reporting that a group of young, engaged Alberta conservatives were forming the Alberta Blue Committee to open discussions about uniting the "right of centre" political views. As a PCAA member with a large number of friends that have migrated to the Wildrose Party, I will admit that this concept intrigued me. Today, the Alberta Blue Committee has officially launched.

I had the chance to ask founding member Ken Boessenkool some questions about this group, which he has answered below.

Can you give me some background on the creation of “Blue Committee” concept?

We started thinking about it earlier this year when a number of concerned conservatives with friends on both sides of the PC – Wildrose divide wondered how to continue to contribute to the debate. Many of us had felt that the province had been drifting for some time, and what was needed, beyond new leadership (which was underway for the PCs and was the desire of the Wildrose)was someone to have a conversation about uniting the right in Alberta.

The other motivation for me was that I was part of the Reform Party in the early1990s when we pushed Humpty Dumpty off the wall, and was also part of the Harper team that put him back together and ultimately won a majority government in 2011. While the Reform Party played a critical role in Canada, in my view it took much too long to pull things back together.

Alberta is potentially at the early stages of this long journey. And I thought if we set up something early promoting unity, it might not take quite so long to pull things back together if they start to fall apart.

I also wanted to create a home for folks who had a deep respect for both the PCs and the Wildrose. As I like to say, I really don’t want to chose between my good friend Rob Anderson and my good friend Doug Griffiths.

Is there any precedence for a similar concept/group in Canada?

There was a federal Blue Committee in the late 1990s that operated within the federal PC party. As a group they merged with the Reform Party (along with many Harris and Klein Progressive Conservatives) to create the Canadian Alliance. Before that occurred, they existed to push the federal PC party to the right.

What does the committee membership make up look like?

We are all next generation committed conservatives.

What does the committee hope to achieve?

A single right of centre political alternative is our long run goal. Good right-of-centre policy is our immediate focus.

What are some of the challenges that this committee will have to overcome?

Some people think we are creating another party – but we want one right-of-centre party, not three.

Some people want us to choose, to fish or cut bait. Many of the folks involved are on one side or the other, but have respect and a long term desire to be united.I think creating a “middle ground” where we can have policy discussions and talk about paths to unity will be beneficial in the long run.

How can people get involved?

People can follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or join us on the website.

I'll definitely be watching this group with interest as it is something that I am passionate about also.

For more information, check out their website at http://www.albertabluecommittee.ca/

Goodbye Old Friend....RIP Jason Hatton

2011-10-04T11:21:00.000-06:00

I know that I am usually ranting on here about civic or political issues, but I got some bad news yesterday that really shook me for a loop. I was devastated to hear that an old friend of mine had passed away on the weekend after losing a battle with alcoholism at the age of 34.

I first met Jason in grade 9 at Woodman Jr. High in 1992 and I remember it like it was yesterday. Jason had recently moved from Toronto and was instantly became a good friend. He had a quiet charisma back then and I recall everyone being drawn to his personality. We were pretty close for the next 10 years, literally talking or hanging out every day. Sadly as my life circumstances changed, we grew apart.

Jason always had a quirky personality and you either "got him" or you didn't. We shared the same interests and had hours of laughs doing our favorite SCTV bits. I had the good fortune to reconnect with him over the past few months on facebook & chatted a bit on the phone, and we picked right up where we left off....laughing about the old Woodbine days.

Sadly, Jason's could not shake his inner deamons and alcohol eventually took his life. I know he had fallen on some really hard times over the past few years, but Jason was always keen at keeping his emotions to himself. While I know that his family supported him and did everything that they could for him, I cant help help but feel sorry for this man. I know its likely a classic case of "survivor's guilt", but I just hate myself for not taking the time over the past few months to go see him in person. It is sad to think that he was suffering in silence and while I know that there is nothing any of his friends could have done, I just wish I had known how bad his personal situation was.

I know in this busy world its easy to just focus on your own life, but this tragedy really makes me think about what's important. I'm so sorry that Jason had to suffer in silence and I would urge everyone in memory of Jason, to take some extra time with your family or make that call to an old friend.

I had a good laugh ( and cry) listening to the chorus of this song thinking about Jason last night... ( Warning... this song will likely make you cry.)

My heart goes out to Jason's two daughters and his family, especially his wonderful mother Irene.

I hope Jason is practicing his best SCTV "Five Neat Guys" songs right now....see you when I see you man. RIP Jason.

Is Calgary's Proposed "Penny Tax" A Pound Foolish?

2011-09-29T08:31:00.000-06:00

There has been a heated debate in Calgary this week over a group of local business leaders recommendation to add a 1% "Penny Tax" to the GST. These business leaders ( a group called Transformation Calgary) models this proposal on a similar scheme used in Oklahoma City and suggest that the $350 million raised by this tax every year could be put towards a set of specific projects and be in force for a specific period of time.

While I understand that the City of Calgary only has a finite amount of resources to pay for services and local projects, I am always concerned when "new" taxes are proposed. This "penny tax" sounds like an insignificant amount, but it will likely cost the average Calgarian hundreds of dollars a year in additional taxes.

I also question how the city will be able to fairly designate this tax money to specific projects?  While I personally support addressing the lack of recreation facilities in Calgary, I am not as sold on building extravagant art facilities that will not be used by the majority of Calgarians. How will the city determine what projects get on this list and how do you appease everyones interests? Simply, I think this is an impossible task and will just create a new set of headaches and bellyaching, no matter what projects are included.

Personally, I believe that the City has a hard time managing the budget that they have now and I am a little hard pressed to accept sending more taxes to city hall. I think that if this proposal where to be accepted by Calgarians by a plebiscite vote in 2013, they city will become accustomed to receiving these tax dollars and this cycle will continue on forever. ( We should note that the 1917 Income Tax act was implemented as a "short term measure" to help fund the war effort.....)  Looking at the Oklahoma City MAPS Tax, you will see that city council has come back to the citizens three times now to fund additional projects. It just shows that once you implement a tax, it is almost impossible for the government receiving it to let go of that revenue, even if this "penny tax" is only intended for a specific period of time.

I had the chance to be a guest on the CBC Calgary Eyeopener's "Unconventional Panel" this week to talk about this tax. Here is a link to that show if you are interested.

http://www.cbc.ca/eyeopener/columnists/unconventional/2011/09/28/unconventional-panel---penny-tax/

While I am intrigued by the idea in principal, there are too many unanswered questions at this time. Perhaps we need to look at a voluntary lottery or consider specific user fees that can raise the funds required for these projects, as the money will be directy raised by those who support the cause.   I think we should look at the spending of our city administration before we request more tax dollars from hard working Calgarians..

Gian-Carlo Carra Vs. The Ramsay Community Association

2011-09-26T16:38:00.001-06:00

I was a little dismayed when I read about Ward 9 Alderman Gian-Carlo Carra's announcement that he would no longer be dealing with the Ramsay Community Association board, following a "breakdown in communication" with the volunteer association.  Mr. Carra had confirmed in a hand delivered letter to Ramsay residents that he will no longer deal with the current board executive and will instead work with the citizens directly. ( A copy of the letter can be found here..)
As a community association president myself, I found myself wondering what could have led to such a disasterous stand off to occur in the first place?   Alderman Carra has confirmed to me on Twitter and on the CBC Eyeopener this morning that his position has nothing to do with "development"  yet the letter mentions his dismay at the boards NIMBY-ism and that he is not interested in a "coup", but the letter urges people to come to the AGM to sign up for a Carra led "Ramsey Design Initiative". While I do not believe for a minute that the conflict has to do with Carr's newsletter being rejected due to its length, but if you read the letter it is clear that there is likely more at play here than meets the eye.

I personally think that Gian-Carlo is one of the most intelligent Alderman at City Hall ( and really, who doesn't dig his accent!) but his letter really concerns me. While he confirms his support for community associations, he states that he is working with the Mayors office on a new policy outlining the role that community associations play in the "governance of our neighborhoods". If you read between the lines, perhaps some people in council hate when volunteer citizens restrict their own personal development views.

While I believe that all community associations should be well governed, I would hope that their intent is always to be a "voice" for the residents when it comes to civic matters. These are volunteer organizations made up of passionate, dedicated community members. For Mr.Carra to blindly shove them aside is upsetting as it diminishes the roles that these groups play in our city. Based on the comments that Mr. Carra made, I am sure that the both he and the Mayor's office relishes the day when CA's are relegated to bake sales and BBQ's. This way, they will not have to listen to their citizens concerns ( via those "pesky CA's" regarding development when they do not fit their own personal agenda's.

I will be watching to see what comes of this story as I think there is way more to this than either side is letting on. I hope that they can come to some sort of adult resolution soon.

Alberta PC Leadership Race Vlog..Round Two!

2011-09-23T08:42:00.000-06:00

What a crazy week in the Alberta PC Leadership Race! In my Vlog post below, I just wanted to share my thoughts on the weeks events and highlighted some of the internal issues that seem to dog my party during this race.

While I am disappointed that some of the more conservative candidates did not make the second ballot, I have made my mind up on who I am supporting in the next round.

While I am sure that my comments about the Alison Redford supporter's Twitter Blitzkrieg this week will anger some of them, I believe that I am free to speak my mind. I know its a crazy concept to have a differing view, but I think that is a healthy thing to have.

Regardless of where you stand on the ramaining candidates, I would hope that everyone gets out and votes on October 1!
Best of luck to all of the remaining candidates!

2011 YWCA Walk a Mile In Her Shoes Event! Pink Is The New Black!

2011-09-20T08:11:00.000-06:00

The 2011 YWCA Walk a Mile In Her Shoes event was a huge success! Men from across Calgary strapped on some high heels yesterday to help raise some money and awareness for domestic violence in our city. The event raised an amazing $287,000 yesterday and it was fun to be able to participate again this year.

I was fortunate enough to raise $1950 for this event and I am so thankful for everyone's support. As mentioned in a previous post, most of my donations where obtained from social media contacts ( Twitter and Facebook) along with some of my co-workers. I was also humbled by the fact that so many politicians from all political stripes ( including Wildrose candidates and even party leader Danielle Smith) donated to this loyal PC party hack.

I promised that I would share some pictures and video of the event, so here you go....

I have to admit that my calves are killing me today! I really have no idea how women could possibly walk in these shoes all day long.

Thanks again to everyone for their support of this amazing organization.

Alberta PC Leadership Race Vlog Post

2011-09-15T09:33:00.002-06:00

With only two days left in the Alberta PC Leadership Race, I have finally decided to do a post! Here is a quick ramble about my thoughts on the race.....

This weekend should finally bring some excitement to this race! I am interested to see who will move on to the top three.

Shane

New Webcam! Vlog Posts To Follow...

2011-09-13T13:18:00.002-06:00

Well, I finally got with the times and purchased a webcam! I plan on doing some vlog posts once i figure this camera out! I hope to have some fun with this format, so bear with me as I learn how to do this.

If there are any topics or vlog posts you would like to see, be sure to send me an email or comment.

Shane

YWCA Walk A Mile In Her Shoes 2011! High Heel Time!

2011-09-09T08:36:00.002-06:00

Its that time of year again! I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in the YWCA of Calgary's Walk A Mile In Her Shoes event last year and I am excited to be able to take part again in 2011. This fun event helps raise money and awareness for domestic violence in Calgary and it really is a fun event.

I have been overwhelmed by the support I have received for this walk and would like to thank everyone that has donated and helped spread the word! Amazingly, most of my donations have come from Twitter and Facebook, which goes to show the power that social media has these days. I am also surprised by the response from local politicians of all political stripes that have stepped up and donated to this great cause. My donor list really is a broad reflection of all political parties and I am humbled by their generosity!

The event takes place on Monday, September 19 2011 at 12pm at Olympic Plaza. If you had a chance to see this event last year, it really is quite a scene! Watching hundreds of men strap on these high heels and try to negotiate the course is really quite funny to watch.

I would love to raise as much money as I can for this great cause and appreciate any donations we can raise for the YWCA. If you want to donate, please head over to http://www.walkamile.ca/page.aspx?pid=253&tab=0&frsid=823

I'll be sure to post some pictures and videos once the event is over!

Thanks,

Shane

Hey Dr. Raj Sherman....Stop Calling My House!

2011-08-16T20:47:00.000-06:00

Do you know what annoys this blogger more than telemarketers? Unsolicited phone calls from Alberta Liberal Party leadership candidates. I have received three automated calls from Dr. Raj Sherman in the past few weeks, and it is really starting to get on my nerves.

The call is awkward at best, with Dr. Sherman stuttering about being your leadership choice, yadda yadda yadda. He then prompts you to push button 3 to register as a supporter ( which I wonder if the ALP is using towards their inflated "supporter" numbers.) and goes on and on about how you don't have to really support the party or buy a membership ( to paraphrase) in the party. The only thing missing is a promise that your support will be kept strictly confidential and hey, "no one will ever know." ( Promise the doctor! ) It is simply disgusting. The call is poorly done at best and very annoying.

What makes me laugh is the fact he really is barking up the wrong tree. Either he is using poor PCAA membership lists or a piss poor predictive dialer. I would never vote Liberal, so his computer simply has it all wrong!

If random calls from controversial doctors are your thing, then you will likely enjoy the call. I think Raj is probably a nice enough guy and all, but from now on, this cowboy will be watching the call display from now on.

MP Jason Kenney"s Stampede Breakfast

2011-07-11T21:56:00.003-06:00

Yahoo! I hope that everyone is enjoying Stampede 2011! I thought I would share an invite to Calgary SE MP Jason Kenney's Stampede Breakfast. This is going to be a great event and will become a fun annual Stampede tradition.

In addition to some amazing Stampede Breakfast fare, there will be live music and activities for kids!

I hope to see you all there!

Shane

My First Pair of Cowboy Boots!

2011-07-07T07:57:00.000-06:00

As a born and raised Calgarian, I am ashamed to admit that I have never owned a pair of cowboy boots.   ( Well, that's not entirely true, I did have a pair of cool boots back in 1981 when I was four years old but I doubt that counts!) And as a fiercely proud Calgarian, I have always wanted a pair, especially as the Calgary Stampede approaches each year. Over the past few years, I have often taken a timid look at the boot selection at some of those "stampede" shops along Macleod Trail but never felt comfortable buying a pair. I found boot shopping quite intimidating as I had no clue what to look for and what type/brand of boot offered good quality at a reasonable deal. This year, I knew I had to get some.

Not knowing where to start, I reached out of Twitter for advice! I had a ton of responses with some helpful hints on brands, comfort tips and what price range to look for. Surprisingly, the most positive response was from Lammless Western Wear, which has been a Calgary retail icon since I was a kid. They offered to spend some time with me to show me all of my choices and help me find the right pair of boots.  I took them up on their offer a few weeks ago and had a blast looking! The ladies there were so helpful and showed me probably 10 different styles of boots ( who knew there were so many options?) and I probably tried on 15 pairs.  They also explained exactly what to look for in sizing and comfort and explained the differences between the various styles.

While I liked the look of the Ostrich and Alligator boots, I think that they were a little to flashy for this Cranston Cowboy! I was so impressed with the service and information that they provided that I purchased a pair of Ariat Boots, which many people on Twitter recommended also.  Here is a shot of these awesome boots.

I was also worried about my first pair of boots being so uncomfortable that I would not be able to enjoy them, but I am amazed at how comfortable this pair actually is. In fact, they are more comfortable than my dress shoes. I have worn them about 10 times in the past three weeks ( not a hint of a blister) and would probably sleep with them on if Becky would allow me!

OK, so it took 30 years for me to get my first real pair of boots but at least its done! Now I cant wait to take in a ton of Stampede functions over the next ten days.

Yahoo!

Calgary's Photo Radar Cash Cow

2011-06-30T10:16:00.000-06:00

I had the opportunity to appear on the CBC Calgary Eyeopener yesterday as a guest on the "Unconventional Panel" to chat about Photo Radar and the infamous Red Light/Speed on Green Camera's in our city. This was somewhat of a hot topic in Calgary due to the Calgary Herald's story that the Calgary Police Service had issued close to $40,000,000 in traffic tickets last year!

In my opinion, the Calgary Police Service is sending a mixed message about the use of these camera's. They claim that they are all about promoting "safety" on our roads, but I think that the main reason for using this technology is to raise operating capital. If the real interest is in safety, I would prefer to see the fine revenue put into a special fund dedicated to education and enhancing road safety.

I also believe that photo radar tickets do not have the same deterrent effect as receiving a ticket in person from a police officer. Receiving a fine in the mail does little to correct your behaviour, other than to just piss you off. Having your time impacted on the side of the road, followed by stern lecture from a police officer ( and a real ticket that can affect your insurance rates) probably will go further in correcting your driving behavior!

I am sure everyone has an opinion on this issue, but I still think that these camera's are simply a cash cow for the CPS.

Here is the link to the CBC Radio panel from yesterday!

http://www.cbc.ca/eyeopener/columnists/unconventional/2011/06/29/speed-on-green/

Drive Safe!

Shane

Rob Anderson's Bill 36 Youtube Video Fiasco

2011-06-05T16:26:00.000-06:00

Sometimes things I see on Twitter really make laugh, sometimes they make me shake my head in disbelief. I caught wind of the Youtube video below following Twitter exchange yesterday between Airdrie-Chestermere MLA, Rob Anderson and political strategist Stephen Carter. In this 2009 video, Mr. Anderson repeatedly praises the beauty of Bill 36- The Alberta Land Stewardship Act. This would probably not be such a big deal, except for the small fact that he has been one of the most vocal critics of this legislation since his departure to the WAP.

The fact that Mr.Anderson is always so quick to blast his former colleagues ( see his latest letter to the Calgary Herald here...) while deflecting any responsibility for his past beliefs and actions is quite humorous. Sure, we can change our minds now and then, but given that he was such a cheerleader for this bill in the video makes it really quite funny to watch!

Not sure how he explains this one to landowners in Alberta? ( And I doubt the PC Caucus was hiding off camera, forcing him to make the speech against his will!)

Interesting....

Calgary MLA Art Johnson Loses PC Nomination Battle In Calgary Southeast

2011-05-12T06:14:00.000-06:00

I am sure many people will be surprised to hear the news today that longtime Calgary Hays MLA Art Johnston has lost the nomination vote to run as the Alberta PC candidate for the newly created riding of Calgary Southeast in the next provincial election, to Rick Fraser.

As a member of the Calgary Hays/Calgary Southeast Board of Directors, I had the opportunity to volunteer at last nights nomination vote to see who would become the PC candidate for the newly created riding of Calgary SE. This riding was created during the last electoral boundary commission due to the explosive growth in population in the deep south corridor. It essentially split the existing Calgary Hays riding into two, and includes the neighborhoods of Silverado, Chaparral, Walden, Cranston, Auburn Bay, Mahogany, Copperfield and New Brighton.

Current Hays MLA Art Johnston had decided to run in this part of the split riding and faced a last minute challenge to the nomination by Mr. Fraser. For months, Rick had declared his intentions to run in the existing Calgary Hays riding in the next election and has been actively selling memberships and even pulled a major coup and took control of the Hays board at this springs AGM, ousting the long time riding association president. Many where shocked to learn that Rick then decided to instead run against Art for the Calgary SE nomination.

While it is rare for sitting MLA's to be challenged for a nomination, it is even rarer to see a sitting MLA lose his position as the party candidate in the next election. Due to the short time frame, both parties had worked extremely hard in securing new memberships ( I hear that over 350 new memberships where sold this week between the two candidates) and urging party members to come out and vote. The race was extremely close, with Rick Fraser edging Art by a vote of 78 to 74.

That's democracy.....

Before the vote, Art had jokingly said to me that "I'm not ready to put out on any Ice Floes..." and I believe he still has a lot of work he wants to accomplish in the legislature. I am not sure what the future holds for Art, but I think he should be commended for the work he has done in Calgary Hays, especially in securing new schools for our area.

While I congratulate Rick on his nomination victory, I was a little discouraged to learn of his association with the PGIB ( and its often polarizing founder, Craig Chandler.) following the meeting, as Rick always spoke to me about his desire for change and transparency. Many people will recall that Chandler was disqualified as a PC candidate in 2007 due to some comments made by the by a group also founded by him. I have gotten to know Rick over the past two years and I cannot imagine what these two would have in common at all.

Interesting times...

Rick's website can be found at http://www.frasernation.com/

UPDATE:

I have been getting a lot of emails and a few comments requesting proof of the PGIB affiliation. Please click the link below for a copy of the lit.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=1Dlp8BcDOJKUNVn30DJ3AYry88v1HDmNSoxCEm4C_KAfMiGwgr0rMRLEAu66N&hl=en&authkey=CPLr3J0F

I certaintly hope that Rick posts a followup confirming his association with PGIB and their founders, as it may become a small distraction going forward.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi's Calgary Stampeder Game Face!

2011-05-11T08:17:00.000-06:00

When I first saw this ad on a giant billboard on Blackfoot Trail last week, I had to do a double take! I thought "was that Mayor Naheed Nenshi in the ad for the Calgary Stampeders?" I tried looking online for a copy of the ad without luck, but soon found it in the Calgary Herald.

Personally, I think that this is a really cool ad. I cannot imagine many political figures being able to pull this off the way he did. Can you imagine Al Duerr or Bronco trying to be as cool as this? Me neither.

The fact that Mayor Nenshi allows himself to be shown in a humorous light impresses me.

Go Stamps Go!

Questions About The University of Calgary Students Union Secondary Suite Poll

2011-03-07T17:04:00.001-07:00

Like many Calgarians, I was really surprised when I read through the University of Calgary Secondary Suite poll this week. In this poll, commissioned by the U of C Students Union, the results claim that 79% of Calgarians support the legalization of secondary suites across the city. When I first saw the results, my initial thought was that the favorable result seemed rather high, based on the polarizing nature of this important issue.

These results got me thinking quite a bit about this poll. I understand that this is an important issue, and affordable housing is a serious issue to university students, but I found myself wondering why the students union was so interested in this issue. I also found it amazing that they would spend a reported $40,000 for this poll as it seems like a lot of money for a student group to authorize. I cannot imagine the student body being thrilled that the SU was paying for a poll that affected all Calgarians, not just students that attend the university.

While many people question the 79% approval rate for the legalization of secondary suites, I am also hearing lots of discussion about the source of the poll. While I believe the intent is honorable, the optics of the poll being slightly biased must be discussed.

This link ( from the SU meeting minutes here) the VP External clearly states that " if the initial poll data appears negative, then there is the possibility of stopping the poll prior to completion, which will mean a substantial savings."

Many people online have also questioned why the polling firm, Zinc Communications was chosen, given the close ties between Mayor Nenshi and Zinc's president, Brian F. Singh. In the following link, Mr. Singh is touted as a pollster and strategist for the Nenshi campaign. Mr. Singh is a well respected Calgarian and I assume that many people have no issue with the SU choosing Zinc, but the question is worth discussing.

The poll was not taken across all wards ( as they targeted riding's where the alderman was opposed or undecided) and I think that this leaves out a large percentage of Calgarians.

Regardless of where you stand on the Calgary secondary suite issue, I think its important that you question all sources of information ( including this hack blog) especially when looking at polling results. Especially when the results are used to try and sway the public.

Update: Shortly after this post went live, I had a brief Twitter conversartion with Brian Singh from Zinc regarding the details of the poll. While he understood that I was not questioning his integrity or ethics, as the post was written with the intent of getting people to talk about the poll and its source, he did correct me on a few points.

The online component of the poll ( 900 responses) were from all 14 wards. ( It appears that the phone survey was only done in the disputed wards as noted above.)
Zinc won the contract from the SU through a bid process. ( Brian confirmed they won as Zinc had the best methodology and price.)

Once again Twitter has proven to be a valuable source of real time information. The intent of this post was to get people talking about the issue and at the very least, it has been sucessful on that front. This is what blogging is all about.

Has MLA Raj Sherman Jumped The Shark This Time?

2011-03-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

As I read my copy of the Calgary Herald this morning, I sat in shock and disbelief at the story outlining independent MLA Raj Sherman's accusations about a full scale government cover up regarding patient deaths in Alberta hospitals.

According to Mr. Sherman, he alleged that he has received information that the province has paid millions of dollars to Alberta doctors in an attempt to cover up cancer patient deaths. He goes so far as to claim that the government actually has two sets of accounting books, one that is public and a separate one containing the payout information to local doctors. This story seems absolutely outrageous, as I find it hard to believe that a full fledged mafia style conspiracy of this magnitude could possible be kept quiet for so long. The possibility that hundreds of doctors and medical professionals could possibly take "hush money" to cover up medial information is mind boggling.

I would love to see what concrete proof Mr. Sherman has on this matter and if he will actually bring it forward to share with Albertans. I find it highly unprofessional to make these kind of allegations without proof, especially while hiding behind a thin veil of MLA privilege. This smacks of a weak attempt to stay in the media spotlight he appears to crave lately and it really is a classic case of "Jumping the Shark", and I find it highly offensive.

I actually felt sorry for this man in the fall when it appeared that the PC government was attacking his mental state and credibility. After this latest episode, I think that I will reserve final judgement pending what Mr. Sherman brings forward as solid proof of his accusations. Seeing as he did not share this with the media at the time, I doubt that he has any.

Social Media and the Calgary Secondary Suite Issue

2011-02-27T18:51:00.001-07:00

After a few months of heated debate over the secondary suite issue, Calgary City Council will once again face this issue on March 7, 2011. No matter what side of the issue you are on, many Calgarians are passionate about this issue and how it will affect their communities. The issue really is one of the most polarizing debates that I have seen in a long time.

Without getting into the issue directly, I found it fascinating that many Calgarians are using Social Media to share their views on the issue. A quick Twitter search under #yycsuite or #suiteyyc shows an amazing level of engagement on this issue by average Calgarians who may not otherwise be as vocal on civic issues. It would appear that Mayor Nenshi's plea asking for constituents to let their Aldermen know where they stand on the issue has had some effect. Many groups are quite active on social media sharing their views and engaging some of the Aldermen into the debate online.

Here is an interesting link from Alderman Diane: ( Secondary Suites Survey)

http://www.aldermandiane.ca/files/Mainpage/SecondarySuitesSurveyResultsFeb22.pdf

Will the Twitter debate actually sway the way that certain Alderman vote? I doubt it, but I love the fact that citizens can actually let their representatives know how we feel as individuals on certain issues. I think that smart politicians can use social media to get a sense of where people stand and use this information along with town hall/community meetings to fully engage Calgarians going forward.

Here is a link to a quick interview I did on this issue for the CBC Calgary Eyeopener.

http://www.cbc.ca/eyeopener/episode/2011/02/28/tweeting-texting-and-telephoning/

Newark Mayor Cory Booker Uses Twitter To Help Stranded Motorists!

2010-12-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

In what has to be a social media first, a politician actually used Twitter to come to the rescue of stranded motorists in his city! I was amazed when I saw the Twitter feed from Newark, New Jersey mayor, Cory Booker this morning, in which he uses Twitter to respond various pleas for help from citizens that where stuck in the aftermath of the nasty winter storm that his the Northeast United States this weekend! When I first read this, I could not believe what I was reading and assumed that it was a hoax until I realized that Mr.Booker's has a Twitter "verified" account.

Here is a sample of the bizarre exchange...

Mr. Booker asks one constituent to DM him his phone number so he can help him get his car out of the snow. He also makes a few references that make him seem like Superman, including..." I will get someone to your mom's street...stay put." and "I will dig you out, where are you?" ( he eventually appears to actually make it to the rescue and confirms..."I just dug out your car, all the best!")

In a day and age when most politicians would likely have preferred to stay in the warm confines of City Hall, I find Mr. Booker's amazing use of social media inspiring! The fact that he used Twitter to communicate real time with people and actually was able to physically help them is incredible.

I can just see our fine mayor, Naheed Nenshi harnessing the power of Twitter in a similar manner when Calgarian's are in need in the future.

Stephen Duckett Eating His Cookie!

2010-11-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

In what has become a recurring series of amazing public relations embarrassments for the Alberta government, I had to scratch my head over the latest gaff that occurred this weekend. I know that public officials are human and have bad days, but the reaction in the video below by Alberta Health Services CEO, Stephen Duckett really takes the cake ( or cookie.....) in my opinion.

In case you have not seen the amazing video, which will likely be used in University PR classes for years to come, I have attached it below.

I lost track of how many times Mr. Duckett replies in a measly, high pitched voice "I'm eating my cookie". If he did not want to give an interview at that moment, fine. He could have simply reminded the reporters immediately that there will be an opportunity to chat at the press conference he mentions near the end of this scrum. Instead, he chooses to play cat and mouse with them in what turns out to be the funniest, most embarrassing video he has likely ever made. Seriously, the man is paid over $600,000 to be the public face of the seriously ill Alberta Health Services corporation. You would think that he would have a little more respect for his position and use some common sense.

I wonder if he was humming this old classic while avoiding the reporters?

The sad thing about this whole incident is that it reflects the cocky mentality of our provincial government and their organizations. There never are any repercussions, so some feel they can say and do anything that they want. Its even sadder that the public usually tends to forget about these crazy actions rather quickly.

I guess that's the the way the cookie crumbles in Alberta.

9 Month Old Political Genius Kyron Makes His Daddy Proud!

2010-10-20T09:08:00.000-06:00

I had to share this picture of my nine month old son Kyron doing his political research on the weekend. Like father....like son. I sure was a proud dad to see this!

After a hectic six months of local election coverage, I figured a laid back post was in order!

PS: I am fortunate enough to have made the FINAL ROUND in the Canadian Blog Awards! Can you please vote for me? Our parent blog, Calgarypolitics.com and the Enlightened Savage needs your votes also!

Video Interview With 2010 Calgary Mayoral Candidate Ric McIver

2010-10-15T13:56:00.002-06:00

I had the opportunity to sit down with Ric McIver this morning for a quick blog interview. I was surprised that we were actually able to connect, given the fact that the election is less than 3 days away! Ric had some interesting responses on the importance of the first 60 days in office, what separates him from the other candidates and his views on some major city issues, including the SW Ring Road, airport tunnel and recreation facilities in Calgary.

Here is the video....

I apologize for the shaky hand, but I do not pretend to be a professional at all!

I am impressed that Ric made some time for my blog and for CalgaryPolitics.com given how hectic his schedule must be right now. I know that all of the candidates are looking forward to the vote on Monday!

Also, if you do not have any plans on election night feel free to join CalgaryPolitics.com for our election party!

http://calgarypolitics.com/2010/10/13/the-only-election-night-party-you-should-even-think-of-attending/

Interview With Ward 8 & 9 Calgary Public School Board Trustee Candidate Pat Cochrane

2010-10-14T08:07:00.000-06:00

This is a continuation of a series of interviews that I will post about local candidates that are running in the 2010 Calgary municipal election. I do not endorse any of the candidates necessarily, unless stated otherwise. The intent is to allow the candidates a forum in which they can share some of their views as I feel that the school trustee candidates often do not get the same amount of attention from the mainstream media as the alderman and mayoral candidates.

This interview is with Pat Cochrane who will be running for election as the Public School Trustee in Ward 8 & 9 this term.

Why are you running for the position of school board trustee?

I believe in the power of public education and the power of democracy. I believe that this is a time of major change for publicly funded education in this city and our province and I would like to be a part of that change. I have experience and the ability to innovate. I have many connections in the Calgary community which can help bring the right voices to the table to foster positive changes.

Can you share some of your past volunteer, political and/or Board of Directors experience?

Calgary Board of Education Trustee, Wards 8 & 9 for 11 years, Chair of the Board of Trustees for 8 of those years. Chair of the Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area and in-school mentor. Board member, Child and Family Services Authority of Calgary and Area. Board member, Sage Theatre Society. Board member, EducationMatters, Calgary's Public Education Trust. Member of Governors for Children. Volunteer with the Samaritan Club of Calgary. Volunteer with Downstage Theatre.

What is your future vision of the education system in Calgary?

A future where all of our students complete high school with the skills they need to be successful in the next steps they take. Each student will understand their gifts, strengths and abilities and will take their place in our world and make a difference.

What do you think the future of School Boards are in Alberta. What changes would you make to the school board trustee model?

I think we need to have this conversation as a community - are school boards working? It is a model that has been successful for a hundred years in Calgary but school boards are based on geography. With online learning so readily available, does a geographic school board entity make sense? I believe it is important to have local decision making in regard to public education - the form that decision making takes may need to change.

If you could implement one radical idea to improve the school system, what would it be?

Flexible learning times and places. All learning does not need to take place in a designated school building and it does not need to take place within traditional school hours.

Pat's website is at http://patcochrane.com/

Interview with Ward 12 and 14 Public School Trustee Candidate Malik Amery

2010-10-13T18:00:00.001-06:00

This is a continuation of a series of interviews that I will post about local candidates that are running in the 2010 Calgary municipal election. I do not endorse any of the candidates necessarily, unless stated otherwise. The intent is to allow the candidates a forum in which they can share some of their views as I feel that the school trustee candidates often do not get the same amount of attention from the mainstream media as the alderman and mayoral candidates.

This interview is with Malik Amery who will be running for election as the Public School Trustee in Ward 12 &14 this term.

Why are you running for the position of school board trustee?

I am proud to say that I am a product of the CBE and depiction of its success. My mandate is simply to contribute back to a system which brought me up; resurrect it back to a system which all others are measured against and then safeguard it for future generations. I am running for School Board Trustee to work towards rectifying the numerous deficiencies plaguing the public school system. I believe that the principal stakeholders (i.e. students, parents, educators and community) have been misrepresented for several years. The current Trustees have become disconnected from the principal stakeholders and have failed to recognize who exactly they are representing.

Consequently, I have elected to run for Public School Trustee with the hopes of utilizing my educational background in Economics and Accounting and my professional experience in finance with a focus on operational budgeting and collective bargaining labour analysis, to ensure that limited resources currently available are allocated as fairly and efficiently as possible. I would also immediately work towards re-establishing the medium of exchange necessary to seek the consultation of principal stakeholders and incorporate foresight in how we plan to meet the educational needs of students.

I have spent the majority of my life attaining the skill set necessary to adequately and effectively serve a Public School Trustee. I come from a family who are devoted to the enhancement of public education and who are intimately involved in provincial politics (one is a MLA here in Calgary). Utilizing both the educational and professional experiences in conjunction with the instilled importance of education from my family, allows me understand the important issues of the public school system and their direct impact on the resources of the educators and the student experience.

The quality of public education can only be secured with the continuous engagement of its principal stakeholders; the students, parents, educators, community and government, working in conjunction with strong representation which will listen to their concerns, addresses their issues and deliver on their mandates. To achieve this directive, my priorities will be explicitly aimed at increasing transparency, sustainability and accountability in the decision making process for all parties involved. Working attentively with the community, parents and students; I will demonstrate the leadership, determination, integrity and commitment necessary to ensure long-term financial sustainability and enhancement of the public education system.

I understand that students within the public education system are an extremely diverse group with very individualistic educational needs. It is fundamentally important that educators are provided with the resources to address these needs and to foster our student’s educational growth.

It has become explicitly clear that the current Trustees no longer seek stakeholder consultation; rarely employed a long-term planning perspective and do NOT have the qualifications critically needed to govern the educational system. As such, I have elected to run for School Board Trustee.

Can you share some of your past volunteer, political and/or Board of Directors experience?

I am currently involved in the resurrection of the McKenzie Towne Farmers Market, as I believe this happening promotes family interaction, fosters communication and creates a positive community atmosphere. I have also had the privilege of volunteering on several occasions for Canadian Blood Services and The Mustard Seed. I have extensive educational knowledge in provincial politics. Concurrently, I also come from a family who are advocates of the enhancement and sustainability of public education and who are intimately involved in provincial politics.

What is your future vision of the education system in Calgary?

A public education system which would meet the individualistic learning needs of ALL students and seeks the engagement and participation of all principal stakeholders in the entire education process serves as the foundation of my vision for public education in Calgary. Adequate resources would be made available to ensure that educators have the educational resources, professional development programs and support mechanisms necessary to meet the needs of all types of learners. My vision entails an education system which endorses transparency, sustainability and accountability in the decision making process for all parties involved. It is a system which provides adequate infrastructure in developing communities and maintains infrastructure in mature communities. It is a system which ensures the standardization of educational programs with all students receiving the same quality and accessibility to education no matter where in the city they live. My future vision of Calgary’s education systems comprises the incorporation of more technology in the classroom, not only as an alternative or supplement to traditional teaching mechanism, but more importantly to encourage innovation in today’s students. The digital deficiency plaguing CBE classrooms must be addressed immediately to solidify not only the successful future of today’s learners but also to secure the social and economic prosperity of all Albertans. Finally and most importantly, it is an educational system which not only develops life long learners, but cultivates life long LEADERS.

What do you think the future of School Boards are in Alberta? What changes would you make to the school board trustee model?

I do believe that independent School Boards MUST (and will) continue to exist in order to ensure the individualistic needs of the communities are identified, understood and rectified. Independent School Board sustainability is paramount to ensuring the incorporation of the ideologies, recommendations and suggestions of the principal stakeholders (i.e. students, parents, educators and community). School Boards and the School Board Trustee model MUST incorporate foresight and instil new mechanisms of how we approach education. School Board Trustees must be instilled with the legislative authority necessary to foster the autonomy of the independent school boards, ultimately enhancing their ability to respond to local concerns and address local needs. School boards must be given natural person powers; to ensure decision making authority is equivalent to those enjoyed my municipalities.

To be effective, any revisions to the School Board Trustee model MUST mitigate the barriers plaguing their ability to properly represent their communities. The re-establishment of who the Trustees represent (i.e. the principal stakeholders) is critical. Concurrently, it is fundamentally important that any changes to the current Trustee model allow for autonomy pertaining to the following areas of concern:

• Infrastructure; primarily explicit identification of how a collaborative effort could be established to provide school boards with the resources necessary to ensure adequate spaces for students.

• An unambiguous mandate which identifies the responsibilities of the school boards

• Employment provisions pertaining to the school board’s ability to hire, manage and discipline staff.

• Reinstatement of the schools boards authority to access some portion of the provincial tax base, systematically allowing them to raise funds from their communities to support local priorities and bridge funding shortfalls.

• Removal of the provision dictating school boards seek authorization from the Minister of Education when appointing Superintendents and negotiating their contracts.

If a new School Board Trustee model is to be constructed, it is critical that it provides Trustees with the resources and legislative influences needed to foster and safeguard the collaboratively determined vision, values and principles of the independent School Boards which they represent.

If you could implement one radical idea to improve the school system, what would it be?

A radical (yet realistic) mechanism that I would explore to improve the school system pertains to the consolidation of non-instructional “backstage” organizational departments, (i.e. Human Resources, Payroll, Insurance, Finance, Legal and Accounting) within ALL school districts to capitalize on synergizes and gain economies of scale. What must be made explicitly and unequivocal clear is that the savings achieved via the consolidation would be re-invested into attainment of additional classroom resources; the development of new infrastructure and the maintenance of existing infrastructure. It is a basic business practise which has been successfully employed within other government departments and throughout the private sector. Non-instructional service consolidation MUST occur with open communication and with the consultation from all principal stakeholders; ensuring the shared services achieve a balance between flexibility and accountability.

Plagued by a cyclical economic climate and a myriad of other issues, the provincial governments funding for school boards has become nearsighted and erratic. To fulfill budgetary commitments, the public school board has opted to remove educators and resources from the classroom or “front stage”, rather than to seek organizational efficiencies from within the “backstage” non-instructional service departments via consolidation, certainly a vehicle worth exploring.

Interview with Ward 6 and 7 Calgary Public School Board Trustee Candidate Dr. George Lane

2010-10-13T07:55:00.000-06:00

This is a continuation of a series of interviews that I will post about local candidates that are running in the 2010 Calgary municipal election. I do not endorse any of the candidates necessarily, unless stated otherwise. The intent is to allow the candidates a forum in which they can share some of their views as I feel that the school trustee candidates often do not get the same amount of attention from the mainstream media as the alderman and mayoral candidates.

This interview is with Dr. George Lane, who will be running for election as the Public School Trustee in Ward 6 & 7 this term.

Why are you running for the position of school board trustee?

I want to be re-elected to help ensure that the CBE retains its Mission, Vision, and Values; ‘grabs the inspiring future’; advances from a Good to a Great system and provides each student with a rich and diverse range of choices to prepare themselves to thrive in a rapidly changing and competitive world.

Can you share some of your past volunteer, political and/or Board of Directors experience?

PAST BOARDS - Developmental Disabilities Resources Centre, DDRFoundation, Calgary Chamber of Commerce, The Banff Centre, Banff School of Advanced Management, MS Society, U of C Senate, Management Education Coordinating Council of Alberta, Reform and Canadian Alliance Constituency Associations [Calgary Centre], U of C Emeritus Society

CURRENT BOARDS – Education Matters, imagineCALGARY, Calgary Board of Education

What is your future vision of the education system in Calgary?

To go from Good to Great !

“Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline.”[Jim Collins]

Two major strengths of the CBE that can be the basis for development of a distinctive international reputation are technology, the game-changer of our age, and the high quality of our teaching cadre.

From Technology in the Classroom to Technology as the Classroom -

The CBE is well positioned to move in this direction given its pioneering work with CB e-learn and with the National Sports School which provides for student athletes to be ‘at school’ on their laptops from anywhere in the world.

The advantages of a school system moving toward a LEARNSHIFT model that transfers a significant portion [e.g. 20%-40%] of the work of learning in high schools out of the classroom setting and into the students' technological domain would include the following:

1] Increased Student Satisfaction 2] Increased School Completion Rates 3] Greater Flexibility and Community Engagement 4] Greater Productivity 5] Better Preparation for Post-High School Education, and 6] Infrastructure Cost Savings

Enhance the Status of the CBE Teaching Cadre - Most CBE parents appreciate that the CBE has good teachers who are competent and caring professionals. This is as it should be. Yet it is not clear that Alberta society accords to our teachers the status one would expect given Alberta’s success in the OECD’s Program for International Student Assessments.

The CBE has increasingly high expectations of its teachers. It recruits widely across Canada and abroad to find the best it can. Most CBE teachers engage in life-long learning, and avail themselves of professional development opportunities. Citizens of Calgary should know, and prospective teachers should know, that the CBE is a preferred employer for those teachers wishing to join a collegial community of professional educators each of whom puts students first.

What do you think the future of School Boards are in Alberta. What changes would you make to the school board trustee model?

Change is in the air.

The most significant change in recent years in Canada is probably the merger of Catholic school boards with Public/Protestant boards in Quebec and in Newfoundland and Labrador. There is apparently a sizable lobby for doing something along these lines in Ontario. And I gather a small lobby in Alberta. While it may happen here eventually, I think it will be more of an evolutionary change. For example more flexibility for students to move back and forth from one system to the other.

A more likely change in the short run, I expect may be individuals being appointed as Trustees without being elected. This will be controversial. I expect it will end up in some sort of negotiated settlement between the Government and the ASBA.

If I had my druthers I would ensure that school board boundaries are contiguous with City boundaries at least for the major cities. I also believe that it is probably time to de-link the wards for Trustees from the wards for Aldermen. This would permit the formation of school board Wards that would be more congruent with five administrative areas of the CBE.

If you could implement one radical idea to improve the school system, what would it be?

There was a time when Alberta school boards could levy taxes. The advantage of this system was that it provided a direct link between taxpayers and their local school board. Trustees had to consider carefully their needs and defend their decisions. There was a check and a balance in this arrangement.

I believe our history shows that, while there were great debates the citizens were more involved, more influential in the process and got what they collectively were willing to pay for. In Calgary’s case the public decided in 1903 they wanted ‘the best schools and the best system’. That decision led to the building of Calgary’s great sandstone ‘Cathedrals of Learning’ many of which are still in use today.

In my view, I think it would be very desirable to decentralize some of the taxing power back to the school boards at least to the four Metro Boards in Calgary and Edmonton.

For more information on Dr. Lane, head over to his website at http://www.georgelane.ca/

Interview With Ward 1 and 2 Calgary Public School Trustee Candidate Josh Traptow

2010-10-12T08:32:00.000-06:00

This is a continuation of a series of interviews that I will post about local candidates that are running in the 2010 Calgary municipal election. I do not endorse any of the candidates necessarily, unless stated otherwise. The intent is to allow the candidates a forum in which they can share some of their views as I feel that the school trustee candidates often do not get the same amount of attention from the mainstream media as the alderman and mayoral candidates.

This interview is with Josh Traptow who will be running for election as the Public School Trustee in Ward 1 & 2 this term.

Why are you running for the position of school board trustee?

I'm running because I want to make a difference, as a recent former student I saw areas that worked really well in schools and in the system but areas that could be improved upon as well. This also gives me a chance to give back to my community and to a system that I give credit to who I am today. From an early age my parents instilled in me that being involved and giving back to your community is important and this gives me a chance to do just that.

Can you share some of your past volunteer and/or Board of Directors experience?

Volunteering it very important to me, it allows me to be involved in areas I have an interest in. Throughout my K-12 education I was involved in student leadership positions ranging from a member-at-large to co-president. This experience allowed me to work with the school administration and the parent council on making school an enjoyable place for students and teachers to be. I have also been very involved in politics since 2006. I have worked with many Calgary MLAs and cabinet ministers on membership drives, fundraising and during elections. In February of this year I joined the Calgary Stampede's Next Generation Committee which has a mandate to "engage the next generation of audiences as patrons, supporters and volunteers of the Calgary Stampede."

What is your future vision of the education system in Calgary?

My vision is one of education for all, where everyone who enters the CBE graduates with a grade 12 diploma and we have given them the skills to move on to some sort of post secondary school and to be a member of society. We will accomplish this by working with students and parents to see how best students learn and allowing them to do so.

We need to be fiscally responsible, we need to work and live within our means. The province grants us a certain sum of money each year and we need to the best of our abilities work within that budget, teachers and support staff are the last area which should be cut. They are the bread and butter of our schools so to speak and if we are laying them off class sizes are going to increase simply because we don't have enough teachers.

School need to be a cornerstone of their communities, they are already in a sense but we need to find better ways to incorporate them into every day activities. One example I hear time and time again, Valley Ridge (which is in my wards) doesn't have a community centre or school yet. But one way to solve them is to build them a community school, a gym, library and offices/administration area as a permanent structure for the school and community association to share and then to add portables for the classrooms. This idea was developed by the community association and the local MLA and Alderman and they are currently working with the Government of Alberta, the CBE and the City of Calgary on coming up with a plan that works for everyone.

What do you think the future of School Boards are in Alberta. What changes would you make to the school board trustee model?

Trustees need to have a better defined role I think, we need to work with the province on a model that works on a broad perspective but can still be broken down so that it fits each jurisdiction perfectly. We need to find a way that represents all of our constituents, those with kids in the system and those whose kids have graduate or don't have kids’ period. Everyone pays taxes that go towards the school system and they have to have accountable and effective representation. A super board like the province did for health care would not work for schools; each and every jurisdiction is different.

If you could implement one radical idea to improve the school system, what would it be?

Let kids decide what time they want to start in the day, some kids have a really tough time starting to learn at 8 or 8:30, so if by 10 they are wide awake and ready to learn why not do that, the kids have a better learning span and are able to understand more of the material they are being taught. Perhaps there are some teachers as well who prefer to start later as well so it could be a win win for all!

In practical sense this idea wouldn't work very well but hey the question asked for a radical idea

Please visit my website at www.joshtraptow.ca for more information.

Interview With Ward 11 and 13 Public School Trustee Candidate Catherine Huggerud

2010-10-11T07:30:00.000-06:00

This is a continuation of a series of interviews that I will post about local candidates that are running in the 2010 Calgary municipal election. I do not endorse any of the candidates necessarily, unless stated otherwise. The intent is to allow the candidates a forum in which they can share some of their views as I feel that the school trustee candidates often do not get the same amount of attention from the mainstream media as the alderman and mayoral candidates.

This interview is with Catherine Heggerud, who will be running for election as the Public School Trustee in Ward 11 & 13 this term.

Why are you running for the position of school board trustee?

I am running for public school trustee for two primary reasons:

I believe that public education is a fundamental right for all citizens of a democracy. Education strengthens the citizen; and an engaged citizen strengthens the democracy. All the years I spent at TELUS, I believed it was my responsibility to make the organization the best it could be. With my children in the public school system, I believe my education and experience can contribute to the CBE by building on its strong past and continually improve it. Like all parents, I want the best for my children.

Can you share some of your past volunteer, political and/or Board of Directors experience?

I was active in student government from junior high on. I served one term on an undergraduate student’s club, AIECSEC as Vice President, Special Projects. AIESEC (Association of Students in Economics and Commerce) is the world’s largest run student organization in the world with over 50,000 members and chapters in more than 107 countries. My term as Vice President saw the most successful Careers’ Day at the University of Alberta campus at that time. We connected a significant number of students with potential employers. While a graduate student at the University of Alberta, I served one term as Vice President, Communications of the Graduate Students’ Association. I am an active classroom volunteer with the CBE and find this to be an excellent way of appreciating what happens at the front line of teaching. The most recent significant volunteer project was the cumulation of a thirty year project from my elementary school. In 1980, we buried a time capsule in the school yard to be opened by the class of 2010. I was actively involved in 1980 as the lead of both the fundraising committee and a cultural artifact committee. Recently, this involvement focused on three components, raising funds for the class of 2010, locating a revolutionary teacher who gave up teaching in the early 1980s, and locating 18 classmates now spread around the world.

What is your future vision of the education system in Calgary?

My vision for public education in Calgary rests on four key premises. These are:

• Flexible – the education system needs to be flexible to meet the constantly changing demands of the various stakeholders. The CBE has done an outstanding job ensuring flexible programming for students. We need to ensure our systems and processes are flexible as well to support parents, teachers and students as they navigate public education.

• Fun – the education system needs to engage students to ensure students believe that learning is fun in order to promote life-long learning. When I was a grade three student in the mid-1970s, we still memorized multiplication tables. Now my grade three son comes home every day and informs me of how much math “rocks”. We need to ensure students have this passion for life- long learning.

• Forward looking – the education system need to ensure it is looking down the road and not in the rear-view mirror. Historically the education system was designed for the manufacturing economy. We need to ensure our education system is designed for the information age and the creative economy.

• Fiscally responsible – the education system must remain fiscally responsible. We know funding grants are limited as are opportunities for revenue generation. We need to work with granting agencies to ensure we have a system that meets our needs now and in the future. Once we have funding dollars, we need to ensure we are using those funds prudently.

What do you think the future of School Boards in Alberta is? What changes would you make to the school board trustee model?

I think the future of school boards in Alberta is up for debate under the new Education Act. I suspect there is a movement to create one "superboard" for schools as we have done for healthcare. I believe the incoming trustees are going to need to have a clear position and a strong voice to navigate through the process. I am personally not convinced that a “superboard” model is best for public education in Alberta but I also do not believe the current system is perfect either. For example, across the province the ratio of trustees to schools varies widely. We need to clearly define the role school boards are to play. If trustees are to be elected politicians with constituency responsibilities, we must

ensure they have the resources to engage the community effectively. For example, if an expectation of the community is that the trustee will attend every parent-council meeting for every school (as is the case in St. Albert), it would be impossible to do in the wards I am running in. Wards 11 & 13 have over thirty schools, so with one parent-council meeting per night, I would need to be at a school every night of the week including the weekends. Therefore, we need to work out a community engagement model that meets the needs of the community.

If you could implement one radical idea to improve the school system, what would it be?

I believe one of the greatest challenges facing public education is the soon to be shortage of

teaching professionals. We are faced with increased programming options beyond the traditional core subjects and we are faced with the retirement of many boomer teachers. In order to address these issues, I would like to work with Alberta Advanced Education to ensure

we have professional programs available to certify new teachers. It is unrealistic to expect a mid-career professional automotive mechanic to take five years out of his or her career to become a teacher, yet we desperately require these skill sets in our high schools. Therefore, my

radical idea is to change the way we certify teaching professionals at mid-career points. This should allow us to open up the teaching profession to those professionals whose skill sets we require and allow us to address the baby-boom retirement challenge when it occurs.

Interview With Ward 11 and 12 Catholic School Board Trustee Kim VanKosh

2010-10-10T18:00:00.001-06:00

This is a continuation of a series of interviews that I will post about local candidates that are running in the 2010 Calgary municipal election. I do not endorse any of the candidates necessarily, unless stated otherwise. The intent is to allow the candidates a forum in which they can share some of their views as I feel that the school trustee candidates often do not get the same amount of attention from the mainstream media as the alderman and mayoral candidates.

This interview is with Kim VanKosh, who will be running for election as the Catholic School Board Trustee in Ward 11 & 12 this term.

Why are your running for the position of school board trustee?

I am passionate about Catholic Education and want to be involved in the decisions that shape our school systems. About 18 months ago, I attended one of the initial sessions for the Inspiring Education Initiative and that involvement reinforced my decision to run as a candidate for School Trustee.

I believe that the Board of Trustees needs more diversity and that the Board needs someone with a new perspective. I have children that are in elementary school and have a different perspective than a Trustee whose children have graduated out of the school system. None of the current Trustees have children in elementary school.

Can you share some of your past volunteer, political and/or Board of Directors experience?

Nearly all of my past volunteer experience has been with youth and children. I have volunteered for Junior Achievement, Street Teams and sat on the Board of Directors for Interfaith Youth and Family Services. I have also sat on a condominium Board of Directors in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

I was Vice-Chair for one year and Chair for two years on Cardinal Newman School Council and Cardinal Newman Education Society. I also volunteer regularly at the school that my sons attend.

What is your future vision of the education system in Calgary?

A Catholic education system that provides support for all students, prepares students for the 21st century, results in students being life long learners and where all students graduate high school and have positive experience along the way.

What do you think the future of School Boards are in Alberta. What changes would you make to the school board trustee model?

I am assuming that this question is inquiring about the governance model for school boards. At this time I would not make any changes to the school board trustee model.

If you could implement one radical idea to improve the school system, what would it be?

Improvement of our school systems comes best from our stakeholders. This means that we obtain the input of School Councils, parents, parishes, students and other community members. This is not a radical idea but rather a practical and likely an effective idea. The Calgary Catholic School Board has made some strides here, which can be further built upon.

Kim's website is at http://www.kimvankosh.ca/Kim_VanKosh_for_School_Trustee/About_Me.html

Interview With Ward 11 and 13 Public School Board Trustee Julie Kearns

2010-10-10T07:30:00.001-06:00

This interview is with Julie Kearns, who will be running for election as the Public School Trustee in Ward 11 & 13 this term.

Why are you running for the position of school board trustee?

I care about education. I care about democracy and the crucial role of local communities to govern their affairs. I am known as a visionary leader, and I have experience as an educator; community volunteer; parent & grandparent; knowledge of best practices in educational governance; expertise in measuring outcomes; sensitivity to the political dimensions of education; and belief in our capacity to change and adapt to the future.

My commitment, as the Public School Board Trustee for Wards 11 & 13 is to advance the vision of Inspiring Education, and I commit to:

• lead strategically

• modernize the role of trustees

• provide effective stewardship of resources

• respect teachers’ professional role as a key to a successful system

• seek new ways to engage the community in educational governance

Can you share some of your past volunteer, political and/or Board of Directors experience?
I recently retired from the University of Calgary as “Senior Instructor Emeritus” where I was Director of the Student Resource Centre, Academic Development Coordinator for the Faculty of Continuing Education, Director of Continuing Professional Education for the Faculty of Social Work, and senior instructor teaching courses in Program Evaluation, Human Performance Technology, Organizational Behaviour, Leadership, E-learning, and Adult Education.

Living in the Oakridge community for my adult life, I am an active community volunteer and I have volunteered with the: Calgary Girls’ School, Calgary Glenmore Liberal Association, University of Calgary Faculty Association, Centre for Non-Profit Management, Chinook Educational Consortium, YWCA, Calgary Community Adult Learning Association, Calgary Birth Control Association, Delta West Advisory Committee, John Ware Junior High School Technology Committee, Central Memorial High School Committee for Healthy Living, Nellie McClung Parent Advisory Committee, University of Calgary Senate and CUSO. I worked on parent advisory councils during my children’s education journeys and have several years experience as a school board trustee through my involvement with the Calgary Girls’ School which is a charter school. As a Director, I participated in strategic planning, policy development, financial management, community relations and accountability processes.

What is your future vision of the education system in Calgary?

I share the vision of education to 2030 as expressed by Albertans and captured in the document “Inspiring Education: a dialogue with Albertan’s 2010.” http://www.inspiringeducation.alberta.ca

Education must move from an industrial model of education toward a 21st century learning model that includes: helping students learn to take control of their own learning; shifting our focus from schools to education; centering on the learner; moving from content to building competencies; and using technology to support the creation of and sharing of knowledge.

However, the call for educational transformation has dominated educational literature for the last 25 years, and the record of substantive change has been poor. Education is by its nature “political” and educational institutions are bureaucratic - resistant to change. The quality of a school system rests on the quality of teachers and instructional innovation. Teachers are typically isolated in their classrooms, and research reveals that school-wide improvements in student learning accrue in schools whose work cultures are collaborative. I believe the key to realizing the vision of “inspiring educations” is to stimulate and support innovation throughout the system by encouraging collaborative action research.

What do you think the future of School Boards are in Alberta. What changes would you make to the school board trustee model?

School board roles are defined by the Education Act but in recent years government actions along with public apathy have eroded the relevance of school boards. Indeed, on page 10 of the Inspiring Education document hints at doing away with elected school boards and says “governors could be elected, appointed, or recruited from the community.”

The current School Act is under review, and it has been deeply criticized as being highly prescriptive and prescriptive. I (and presumably most citizens) was unaware of the review, and I believe the new Act must establish an enabling framework that will provide:

• natural person powers to school boards

• local-decision-making

• financial flexibility to boards

• responsibility and accountability for results to local boards

At the local level, I would seek opportunities to modernize the roles of Trustee in the following ways:

• shift the governance model from a rules based or policy governance model to a “principles based” approach.

• shift accountability for learning excellence away from accountability to bureaucracy.• seek new ways to engage the community in educational governance.

If you could implement one radical idea to improve the school system, what would it be?
Closing schools due to low enrollment is a poor option, and instead I would advocate for changing the use of schools to become School-Community Hubs or Full Service Schools. Community Hubs exist within a number of municipalities in Canada, US, Australia and Europe

When a neighbourhood school closes, a hub is lost, and the community suffers, especially a disadvantaged one. More and more families cannot fully meet their children’s multiple needs critical to their academic success. Schools alone cannot overcome all of the barriers to learning. A School-Community Hub is both a place and a partnership approach that mobilizes an array of resources, services, supports and opportunities, leading to improved student learning, stronger families, and healthier communities. More efficient use of tax dollars is realized through the co-location of services into one publicly funded facility. As an example within 5 kilometers of the Oakridge/Palliser communities, there are offices for Alberta Child & Family Services, Family Resource Centre, Primary Care Network and numerous day care centres, fitness centres, senior citizen residences, and a Library. School-Community Hubs require school-level and municipal level of governance and decision-making, along with inter-governmental and intra-governmental co-operation. The recent revisions to the Municipal Government Act may facilitate this vision. For more information go to:

http://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/ourselves/docs/OSOS_Summer10_Preview.pdf

Julie Kearns, MEd,

Seeking election as Public School Trustee in Wards 11 & 13

www.juliekearns.ca

Interview With Ward 8 & 9 Public School Trustee Candidate Laura Shutiak

2010-10-09T08:30:00.002-06:00

This is a continuation of a series of interviews that I will post about local candidates that are running in the 2010 Calgary municipal election. I do not endorse any of the candidates necessarily, unless stated otherwise. The intent is to allow the candidates a forum in which they can share some of their views as I feel that the school trustee candidates often do not get the same amount of attention from the mainstream media as the alderman and mayoral candidates.

This interview is with Laura Shutiak, who will be running for election as the Public School Trustee in Ward 8 &9 this term.

Why are you running for the position of school board trustee?

I watched with interest the budget debate in June. Trustees were presented with a budget that had a $29 million deficit and the loss of 292 school-based positions. Only 5 trustees had questions, and most of them, only had one question. Then, when they "debated" the budget all but one trustee just blamed the province for not giving them enough money. There was no oversight. No one asking really tough questions. I felt that the board was falling down in their duty as governors of the system.

The $285 million Education Centre Lease, which was approved by trustees months after the deal was signed, is just the most outrageous example of spending on administration that is out of control. We must put our priority on schools and children. We need trustees who represent parents and voters, engage in a meaningful dialog with the community and act as governors of our $1 billion investment in education.

Can you share some of your past volunteer, political and/or Board of Directors experience?

Since my oldest child started school eight years ago, I've been an active member of two school councils and constant volunteer on a range of school committees, from fundraising, to events to traffic safety. I've also been involved on the executive of the Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils, the last three as president. As CAPSC president, I helped introduce a new website and online newsletter and organized opportunities for parents to connect with key decision-makers, including a January meeting with the Minister of Education and a dozen Calgary MLAs.

What is your future vision of the education system in Calgary.

I dream of a system where every child loves school and learning and feels they are part of a school community, where parents and communities are welcomed into schools and have a vital say in the decision-making that impacts their children.

What do you think the future of School Boards are in Alberta. What changes would you make to the school board trustee model?

Public input is the foundation of a strong public education system. The link from the public to the board is through the trustee. I'd argue that in Calgary, that link is broken. Our trustees are so tied to administration that you can't tell the difference. (When the Education Centre Lease was reported, our elected trustees deflected all questions to Administration. The Chief Superintendent was on the radio this morning defending the lease.) Where are our elected officials.? That is who we task with overseeing the system. They must be held accountable for their actions. I think we need to look strongly at the governance model to ensure trustees are empowered to oversee the system and budgets, and can plan for the long and short term, and have the ability to do the generative, system changing work that is needed to improve our schools moving forward.

If you could implement one radical idea to improve the school system, what would it be.

Let's take away curriculum, so kids could learn about what interests them. But since curriculum is a provincial matter. I'd better go another way. Let's get kids/parents to be able to pick the teachers they want. (Now, I know this could cause problems, because everyone may want the same teacher . . .but wouldn't that shake things up at schools and make teachers think a bit differently about what they do? ) My other idea would be to give first year teachers smaller class sizes - it's not very radical, but it hasn't been done yet.

Laura's website is at http://www.laurashutiak.ca/

Interview With Ward 12 & 14 Public School Trustee Candidate Carol Bazinet

2010-10-08T07:05:00.002-06:00

This is a continuation of a series of interviews that I will post about local candidates that are running in the 2010 Calgary municipal election. I do not endorse any of the candidates necessarily, unless stated otherwise. The intent is to allow the candidates a forum in which they can share some of their views as I feel that the school trustee candidates often do not get the same amount of attention from the mainstream media as the alderman and mayoral candidates.

This interview is with Carol Bazinet, who will be running fro re-election as the Public School Trustee in Ward 12/14 this term.

Why are you running for the position of school board trustee?

CB: The important role that trustees play in public education is based on their representation of the public. Since all of the public can not be “at the table” for debate, trustees must do their best to represent as many views as possible. I really enjoy talking to members of the public about their education system and what their hopes and dreams are for their children. That is why I would want to be a trustee.

Can you share some of your past volunteer, political and/or Board of Directors experience?

CB: Serving as trustee for Calgary Board of Education since 2003, President of Calgary Association of Parents and School Councils for 3 years, Board of Directors for Alberta School Boards Association 3 years, member of Board for Alberta School Employee Benefit Plan (continuing) 2 years, Vice-Chair Calgary Board of Education, 3 years, member and currently Chair of CBE Audit committee – 7 years.

What is your future vision of the education system in Calgary?

CB: Vision for education system is that 100% of students complete high school. By the time students complete high school they have some understanding of their direction for the future.

What do you think the future of School Boards are in Alberta. What changes would you make to the school board trustee model?

CB: I believe school boards will continue to exist but we must recognize some of the recent changes to our education funding and delivery model in order to make the current role of boards more relevant. Per pupil funding implies a different model for school boards in that in order to be successful they must provide services that parents/students want in order to maintain student numbers. We need to ask serious questions about who school boards represent when many constituents in Calgary send their children to schools run by school authorities other than CBE or Calgary Separate and yet those are the only two boards they can vote for on election day.

If you could implement one radical idea to improve the school system, what would it be?

CB: One radical idea would be to base our system on outputs not on inputs. So if a student knows the information in a course, can they write an exam and get credit? Do all students need exactly the same number of hours of instruction before they write a test or produce a document? If a student wants to work independently (or students working in a group) and they can produce great representation of their knowledge and skills, do we have to ask them to conform to certain rules? How can we change our system to better measure what students know, what they want to explore, what their thinking abilities are, how they are preparing themselves for the future? Our goal is to have lifelong learners.

Carol's website is at http://www.carolbazinet.ca/

Interview With Ward 12 & 14 Public School Board Trustee Wendi Moore

2010-10-07T07:55:00.000-06:00

This is a continuation of a series of interviews that I will post about local candidates that are running in the 2010 Calgary municipal election. I do not endorse any of the candidates necessarily, unless stated otherwise. The intent is to allow the candidates a forum in which they can share some of their views as I feel that the school trustee candidates often do not get the same amount of attention from the mainstream media as the alderman and mayoral candidates.

This interview is with Wendi Moore, who will be running for Public School Trustee in Ward 12/14 this term.

Why are you running for the position of school board trustee?

WM: The reason I am running for Public School Trustee in Ward 12 and 14 is to get back to involving the “public” in public education. We have too many instances of the current Board looking out for their interests and not for the interests of the public (parents/students) at large. We have instances of designated schools not properly aligned with new communities where, for instance, many students will take a bus past a school on their way to their designated school. We have children in the K-4 age group that are boarding buses in Ward 12 at 7:20 a.m. to reach school for 8:00 a.m. and then leaving school at 2:45 p.m. only to arrive home to an after school dayhome or go to an after school program if the parents are not lucky enough to be able to leave their work early enough to be home for their children. We are moving from a community based school system to a system that is not thinking of the students and parents when they assign communities to what they feel should be their designated schools. I am passionate about the fight for new schools to be built in the SE communities in Ward 12 and built as K-9 schools and not the current K-4 and 5-9 situation we currently have.

Can you share some of your past volunteer, political and/or Board of Directors experience?

WM: I am currently the President of the New Brighton Community Association and have been involved on many volunteer Boards, including the Seton Society, SECRS (South East Recreational Society), FCC (Federation of Calgary Communities), Trico Centre for Wellness (formerly Family Leisure Centre) and the Partners in Planning program with the FCC. I am also involved with the Calgary Police Services and the Calgary Block Watch program working to make New Brighton one of the safest communities.

What is your future vision of the education system in Calgary

WM: Well, that is a tough one. My vision may not be everyone’s vision, but, with the help of other Trustees and the stakeholder’s such as parents/children, we can work toward a vision that is inclusive of what an education system should be like. This is part of putting the “public” back into public education. We need to put a plan in place similar to PlanIT Calgary to ensure we follow a guided path based on what our current level of standards are for education and strive to make that better and surpass those levels through a proper plan of action.

What do you think the future of School Boards are in Alberta. What changes would you make to the school board trustee model?

WM: It is important to keep hold of the current model of what exists in Alberta now, but expand upon this model. We need to further break down the trustee model by having one ward per Trustee. There is nothing but growth in place for the City of Calgary, which means more communities and more schools to look after. One Trustee for two Wards only creates frustration and burn-out for Trustees as well as the problem of not engaging the community properly or being able to give the same amount of time each school deserves with respect to interaction.

If you could implement one radical idea to improve the school system, what would it be?

WM: If I could implement one radical idea it would be to hold community meetings on a monthly basis to gain feedback from parents as to what they feel are being done right or wrong within the schools their children attend. This would include having community based committees to provide a “scoring system” on how well the community, the students and the schools themselves feel their elected Trustee is doing. There is, as far as I know, no performance evaluation system in place to guide both the Trustee and the community at large on how they are doing with their respect to what they are hired for.

Thank you Shane for the opportunity to answer your questions and please visit my site at www.wendi4trustee.com to gain more insight into my background and platform.

Is Calgary Ward 14 Alderman Candidate CandMong Getting Desperate? Mystery Of The Missing Signs!

2010-10-06T07:38:00.002-06:00

Desperate times call for desperate measures? In what appears to be a standard campaign tactic, Peter Demong's campaign manager Craig Chandler has once again woven himself into the spotlight, which may be causing a distraction for Mr. Demong's campaign heading into the final two weeks of the Ward 14 election. Due to the way that Chandler has integrated himself into this campaign, ( which it is sometimes hard for the public to tell who the actual candidate is) I have decided to affectionately refer to this uni-candidate as ChandMong. ( Seeing that Chandler sometimes gets my sense of humour, I hope to avoid a govern yourself accordingly letter. )

In what I can only describe as a desperate attempt to garner some media attention, Ward 14 alderman candidate Peter Demong did a strange interview on CBC radio yesterday. In this interview, Mr. Demong claimed that close to 400 of his campaign lawn signs have "mysteriously" disappeared from both public and private property in the area. His campaign manager also sent out an email to the other candidates which was shared to the media outlet, in which he attacks competitor Richard Dur's age and "immaturity", leading some to belive that they where potentially hinting that Dur's campaign was behind the sign removals.

At first glance, the story looks like it has potential to be a serious accusation. If you look closer though, I feel that it really is a silly attempt to gain some much needed attention for the Demong team. Richard's response on the CBC, in which he classifies the statement as a "diversionary tactic" and "desperate attempt by Craig Chandler to revive a dying campaign", may be spot on. Chandler also tried a similar tactic last fall, in a last ditch effort to try and deliver some sympathy ( and votes) to his last candidate, Mark Dyrholm, during the Wildrose Alliance leadership campaign last fall.

I want to be clear that I think that anyone that removes or damages a candidates campaign sign is disgusting and there is absolutely no room for that type of politics in my world. These candidates spend a lot of money and time in ordering and placing these signs, and I really find it frustrating to imagine this vandalism/theft happening. That said, I am having a hard time imaging how ChandMong's claim that 400 signs are missing and an even harder time imagining that it was another candidate that did it.
Logistically, how is it possible for any group to stalk through the night and remove 400 signs from private and public property without warranting a police call? Perhaps ChandMong's opponents hired a few stealth ninjas and leprechauns to pull off this dastardly deed! So if the signs went missing....( and now ruling out the ninjas) what could the reason possible be for these signs to disappear?

Here are some of my thoughts on what happened....

1) Perhaps some of Craig Chandler's recent comments attacking Calgary Southeast MP, the Hon. Jason Kenney have turned some of Chandmong's potential supporters away, casing them to remove their signs in protest?

Last week, Chandler posted the following tweet..... ( which was promptly removed, but see a copy of it below.) " I find it interesting that Jason Kenney is once again picking a fight with me. It might be time to take him out in a nomination. "

The fact that Chandler would attack one of the hardest working, most respected and popular politicians in Canada is shocking. It is even stranger given the fact that ChandMong position themselves as the Conservative Candidate in ward 14. Perhaps these attacks on Jason Kenney have caused some supporters to pull their signs in protest of Chandler's questionable comments?

2) Perhaps many homeowners removed the ChandMong signs from their lawns, as they were placed there in error?

I have spoken to a few of my friends that live in the ward and many have noticed that their neighbors had Demong signs placed on their property without their knowledge, which were promptly removed by the homeowner. The fact that ChandMong seem to have strategically locked up ever corner house with a sign seems rather odd ( or statistically magical?) to me, but perhaps some of the ChandMong team had the wrong addresses or placed them on private property incorrectly? Craig has offered to show me the sign database that they have, which I have not yet seen though. I would assume error would be the cause of misplaced signs, rather than willful incorrect placement.

3) Perhaps most of the information from Criag's Calgary Egmont and/or Mark Dyrholm nomination database is out of date? Maybe the past supporters have moved and no longer want signs on their lawn?

On another note, I had also heard some disturbing news from a resident of Ward 14 about some potential questionable membership list use by the ChandMong campaign. I was told of a call from the Demong office trying to drum up support of the resident. When they asked where they got their name/address, the volunteer claimed that they got it from a Wildrose Alliance membership list. When told that it was illegal to do so, they backtracked and said that the resident must have completed a Demong survey or met them at the door, to which the resident claims never happened. I wonder how the Wildrose would respond to such a claim as I can imagine that they would prefer that their private membership list is not being used for unauthorized purposes. If this tactic is being used ( and I would hope that it is not) this just reeks of desperation.

I do believe that the voters of Ward 14 will see through these tactics and not be influenced by these actions. This is going to be a really interesting race to watch and I hope that it stays clean the rest of the way.

Shane

Calgary Ward 12 Alderman Sign Review

2010-10-01T09:31:00.000-06:00

Signs, Signs....everywhere there's signs!

With The 2010 Calgary municipal election in full swing, I thought I would take a look at some of the signs that the Ward 12 candidates are using this campaign. Since September 20, the signs have popped up like uncontrolled weeds, which I find distracting while driving. I understand that they are a huge component of local campaigns, but I find the mass placements a little tacky at times.

I thought I would share what the Ward 12 candidates signs look like, as of September 27, 2010 when I took these pictures anyway.....

Al Browne

Al's signs are big and bright. Driving through the ward, I see hundreds of signs on private lawns. They are professional and well made.

Shane Keating

Like Al Browne, Shane's large signs are big and bright but with a "hokey, down home" kind of feel to them. Shane's little signs are hard to read with their green on white design, but they too are scattered throughout the ward, mostly in strategic public places.

Roger Crowe

This is probably the most creative campaign sign in Calgary right now. I have not seen many of them, but they definitely stand out. Although I had to laugh when my wife said to me, "doesn't a black crow symbolize death?"....

Ben Sim

Ben's signs were honestly hard for me to track down. I have not found any on residential lawns yet, and they are sporadically placed ( eg. one per main road) in the ward.

Rory Rotzoll

When I took these pictures on Monday, I could not find a single Vote Rory sign in the ward. I took this one at the Mayoral forum ( and in doing so, dropped my video camera, which Rory found and returned to me!) as there were none up in the neighborhood. Rory has since been placing small lawn signs in and around the ward.

Shane

Interview With Ward 12 Aldermanic Candidate Benjamin Sim

2010-09-29T15:59:00.000-06:00

I am a resident of Ward 12 and a potential voter. What do you think is the biggest issue facing the voters of this ward?

BS:   Biggest issue – Transportation. Ward 12 has only one real outlet and that is Deerfoot Trail. Any problems on Deerfoot and residents have little options. I would work to have 24 st to Glenmore completed, complete 52 street to Glenmore. ( down to one lane in both directions and no overpass over rail line) and work with provincial government to improve the roadway after the bridge over the Bow River on Deerfoot Trail. Reduces down to 2 lanes causing major traffic delays. Also we must get LRT to the S.E.

Many people feel that there is a lot of dysfunction with the current council. If elected, what would you do to rectify this?

BS:    I would work to have council control spending in all city departments. I believe this can be done without cutting services. Have an independent audit for all departments and act on their recommendations.

Tell me why you would make a better Alderman than your opponents? What candidate will be the hardest to beat in Ward 12?

BS:     I have lived in Calgary all my life and have seen this City grow into the vibrant City it is today. I have worked for the citizens of Calgary for over 30 years. During that time I feel I have been a strong leader and have learned to make educated decisions. I have also learned to delegate duties to those around me who are most qualified to get the job done correctly. I would actually read city department budgets and act on areas where I feel we need to to best serve the residents of ward 12 and all of Calgary. Control spending and renew trust in our elected officials. “Honesty”

In your opinion, what is the biggest mistake that Alderman McIver has made as Ward 12 Alderman?

BS: The transportation issues in ward 12 and safe voting.

Did the decision of Ward 12 Alderman Ric McIver to run Mayor have any impact on your decision to run in this election? Would you have run against Ric McIver if he was still on the ballot?

BS: Yes. Calgary has a record of not voting out incumbents.

With no incumbent in the riding, are you finding it easy to fund raise and find volunteers? Is every candidate on a level playing field?

BS:    My stand is that I have taken no donations. Perhaps this will hurt my chances of getting elected but that is my stand and I will live with it. I feel that we all start on a level playing field but those that spend the most do get an advantage which does not always mean the best person getting elected. Unfortunate but true.

On your website, you highlight that you would like to "Work to pass legislation to ban the use of all cell phones while operating a motor vehicle and 2) Promote mandatory sentences for major criminal offences." How do you plan do to this on City Council?

BS:    Cell phone legislation – I would work with the provincial government to pass legislation for all of Alberta. If this doesn’t work I will work to pass a city by-law to ban the use of cell phones while operating a motor vehicle within the city limits but feel it should be a provincial law if not a federal law. Minimum sentences. I will admit I will have to educate myself on how to go about this as a member of city council but I am sure that we as council members can exert pressure on provincial and federal law makers to make this happen.

For more information on Ben, check out his website at http://www.bensim.ca/

Shane

My Thoughts On The VoteCalgary.ca Mayoralty Forum

2010-09-28T17:36:00.000-06:00

I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend the VoteCalgary.ca Mayoralty Forum held today at Stampede Park, along with fellow CalgaryPolitics.com blogger DJ Kelly. The forum was attended by a packed house made up of representatives from Calgary's building and development industry and it was a well run affair.

The eight mayoralty candidates in attendance were: Ric McIver, Joe Connelly, Jon Lord, Barb Higgins, Craig Burrows, Naheed Nenshi, Wayne Stewart and Bob Hawkesworth. Perennial candidate ( and party crasher) Oscar Fech was also in attendance and while he tried to squeeze in on the forum, he was not part of the proceedings. ( Moderator Ken King explained that these eight candidates were invited as they completed a pre-forum questionnaire.)

While the forum was well run and went by rather quickly, there really was no "earth shattering" quotes. Most of the candidates stuck to their positions and the central theme centered around such buzzwords as "getting it right", "creating a level playing field", "streamlining the approval process" and "supporting consumers choice in having the options to purchase a single family, detached dwelling". There seemed to be a lot of generic answers given and all candidates tended to stay on script.

There were a few good lines at the forum, including the following:

1) Burrows tried to trip Barb Higgins up by asking her to give a specific answer where council can work with the development industry in solving some inner city growth. Barb used a potential development in Manchester as an example, and fared well with the unexpected shot.

2) Jon Lord asked Naheed Nenshi if he was mayor, does he believe that the inner city homes in Kensington and Cliff Bungalow should be replaced with high rise towers? Nenshi jokingly responded "wouldn't it be nice if I said yes!" to a roaring laughter. He then explained his position and took away any points that Jon Lord was trying to steal.

3) Barb Higgins took a shot at McIver when she said that with 25 years experience as a journalist, she knows what questions need to be asked, and then took a shot at McIver by asking him why he never asked the "tough questions" when he was on the audit committee? Ric candidly responded by stating that he is not "applying to run a TV station, but that he is running for Mayor of Calgary and that he has been asking tough questions for over nine years on council!

I had a great time at the forum and was glad that I was invited to attend. I was amazed at the speed in which DK Kelly was doing his live tweeting from the event, as the answers were fast and furious.

Here is a classic shot of a media scrum following the event. Ric McIver is on the right....poor Bob Hawkesworth is on the left.

Interview with Calgary Ward 12 Alderman Candidate Rory Rotzoll

2010-09-24T08:14:00.001-06:00

This is a continuation of a series of interviews that I will post about local candidates that are running in the 2010 Calgary municipal election. I do not endorse any of the candidates necessarily, unless stated otherwise. The intent is to allow the candidates a forum in which they can share some of their views.

This interview is with Rory Rotzoll, who will be running for Alderman in Ward 12 this term. Rory actually moved into the house next to me a few months ago, but we have not had the chance to talk politics at all. After taking a look at the responses below, I find it refreshing that someone finally answers some of these questions without sidestepping them! These are pretty bold and honest responses in my opinion.

I am a resident of Ward 12 and a potential voter. What do you think is the biggest issue facing the voters of this ward?

RR; The issues that face this Ward are as diverse and complex as the Ward itself. Primarily the people that I have talked to regard Transportation, Schools and Recreation of the utmost importance. specifically Access or lack of access to these. Transportation (public and commuter) for many working people in this Ward means a lengthy commute or a difficult and lengthy ride on a bus to the LRT. School boards haven't got enough resources to build the quantity of schools necessary for the children in this Ward which then means an early rise and long commute for many young kids in order to get them to school.

Even with the Seton Recreation facility being built our Ward is still sorely lacking in quality facilities for family recreation.

Many people feel that there is a lot of dysfunction with the current council. If elected, what would you do to rectify this?

RR: I believe that in order to get things done any group of people must learn to work together. the last 3 years specifically have seen so much posturing and backstabbing at city hall it is a wonder anything was completed. I would work with my fellow aldermen to bring forth ideas as a group. Ideas that benefit all of Calgary as well as my Ward. I would work to sell my ideas to other aldermen so that I knew I had support or could change things before bringing it up for a lengthy debate.

Tell me why you would make a better Alderman than your opponents? What candidate will be the hardest to beat in Ward 12?

RR: I am the best choice for this Ward because I don't bring baggage to the job. My experience as a Realtor and in the building supply industry gives me specific insights into our Ward's issues, uniquely qualifying me to help rectify these at City Hall. My Age also gives me a perspective that no other candidate has. I also am raising a family in this Ward, this is where my wife and I chose to raise our newborn twins, This also gives me a viewpoint that no other candidate has. There are some candidates in this ward that certainly have more money and have made a show of that but I would like to believe that I will be the hardest to beat.

In your opinion, what is the biggest mistake that Alderman McIver has made as Ward 12 Alderman?

RR: Alderman McIver has been a force to reckon with in council. This certainly put him in the public eye, however, issues in ward 12 such as the Shepard Area, Race City, the landfill, Ring road, and lack of
adequate infrastructure (primarily Public Transportation ) are issues that seem very neglected if not forgotten about altogether.

Did the decision of Ward 12 Alderman Ric McIver to run Mayor have any impact on your decision to run in this election? Would you have run against Ric McIver if he was still on the ballot?

RR: It was apparent to me that Ric McIver should run for Mayor especially after Dave Bronconnier decided not to, so that certainly created an opportunity that wasn't their before. If Mr. McIver had chosen not to
run I still would have run in this election against him.

With no incumbent in the riding, are you finding it easy to fundraise and find volunteers? Is every candidate on a level playing field?

RR: Fundraising and finding volunteers is difficult for anyone not established in the political scene.

Thank you

Rory Rotzoll

"Uncommon Sense"

Ralph Klein's Bar Shrine in San Francisco

2010-09-22T08:58:00.000-06:00

While on holidays in San Francisco last week, I was tipped off on twitter by Ward 11 Alderman candidate Wayne Frisch to check out a very unusual wall shrine in a local pub. The pub in question, The Gold Dust, has been around since the 1930's and is on the corner of Geary and Powell Streets in Union Square. This old watering hole is popular and looks like it has not changed since the 1960's. As this bar was right on the corner of my hotel, and being a huge fan of Ralph, I thought I would check out the tip and see what this place had in store.

I could not believe my eyes!

A plaque from the Premier's Grey Cup Luncheon 1993 1989 Stanley Cup Rally

The "Klein Shrine" is located in a booth at the back of the building in a prime location! The Americans that were at the table were laughing at my stories about Ralph and wished they had such a colourful character as Governor or Mayor. Most Albertans have heard different stories about the Honorable former Premier and his legendary pub stories, but this takes the cake for me. The fact that Ralph has a shrine set up in a foreign pub is totally unreal!

Shane

This Blogger Had A Blast In High Heels! YWCA Walk A Mile In Her Shoes Event

2010-09-21T09:15:00.000-06:00

Most people realize that I love to try and give back to local charities in any way that I can. That said, I often find myself in interesting events and circumstances and yesterday's YWCA Walk A Mile In Her Shoes event definitely took me out of my comfort zone, so to speak!

This event was amazing fun and over 200 men participated in the walk to raise money and awareness for domestic violence issues in Calgary. I was fortunate enough to take part in this walk and I must say, I really do knot understand how some women wear these shoes every day! I had a super sexy "wedge" shoe on, and while I hear I got off lucky compared to a 6 inch stiletto heel, my feet were killing me by the end of the walk!

Here is some video....

My goal was to raise $750 for the YWCA and I was also very fortunate to be able to raise close to $1100 for this great charity and I want to thank everyone that donated. My co-workers, friends and family were a great support and I was also amazed by the response on Twitter where I did most of my fundraising! I received some interesting donations from local politicians including:

MLA Art Johnston
MLA Jonathon Denis
Mayoral candidate Barb Higgins
Ward 7 Alderman candidate Kevin Taylor
Ward 11 Alderman candidate, Brian Pincott
Ward 14 Alderman candidate, Shawn Kao

Thanks again to everyone that donated and came to cheer me on! I look forward to doing this again next year. Hopefully my feet will have healed by then!

How Many Calgary Municipal Election Candidates Will Get The Nomination Day Blues?

2010-09-06T09:03:00.002-06:00

Anyone that is actively following the 2010 Calgary Municipal Election scene should be getting excited that the races for Alderman, Mayor and School Board Trustee are about to become official! With nomination day fast approaching, the race is also on for some of the candidates to get their paperwork in order in advance of the September 20, 2010 deadline.

The 2010 election is expected to include the most candidates that Calgary has ever seen and some of the races are becoming more and more crowded every day, which is a good thing for local democracy. While I believe that everyone has a democratic right to run for office and respect those who put their names forward for this election, I wonder how many of these candidates will actually be on the ballots after nomination day. I took a look at the City of Calgary website for more information on the nomination requirements, which I have summarized below:

Required Signatures

All candidates must be nominated by eligible electors. The required number of signatures are:

Mayor - 100 Signatures

Alderman - 100 Signatures

School Trustee - 25 Signatures

If running for Alderman, and/or Public or Separate School Trustee the eligible electors, signing your nomination papers, must live in the ward in which you are running . If running for Mayor the signators must be eligible electors living within the boundaries of the City of Calgary.

Nomination Papers must be accompanied by a deposit of:

Mayor - $500.00

Alderman - $100.00

School Trustee - $100.00

In my opinion, these requirements are not overly restrictive and are necessary to keep the election somewhat orderly. That said, I do wonder how many candidates will actually be willing and able to obtain the required signatures and deposit money! Seriously though, if any candidate finds themselves having a hard time raising the money and finding 100 people to sign your papers, perhaps they may reconsider their run for office?

So why would some candidates declare early in the year and then decide to back out in September? The answers ( or excuses) are varied, but will likely include the standard " I need to spend more time with my family", "I do not have the financial support to run the campaign" or " the timing just was not right for me". To me, I hope that none of the candidates would consider pulling out early. I find it frustrating that some people would make light of this process and use the media and public to further their own agendas for months leading up to the election, only to pull out when their ego's have been satisfied. I think it would be awful to consider that many people abuse the system for personal gain and have no intent on actually following through with the election campaign. But again, this is their democratic right.

Anyways, I hope that all of the declared candidates ensure that they get their paperwork in order to ensure that they do not have a close call like Madeleine King did in 2007, when she filled out her paperwork incorrectly and almost disqualified herself from running.

Shane

Want To See Me Walk A Mile In High Heel's for Charity?

2010-09-04T16:14:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone! Want to see me walk in high heels?

I am proud to participate in Walk A Mile In Her Shoes in support of the YWCA of Calgary as they help women and their children take steps to walk away from domestic violence. I know that my participation in this event will help to make a difference in the lives of these people.

I hope to raise $750 towards the YWCA of Calgary's goal of $200,000. Please make a donation if you can. Any amount helps, $5, $10 or more! Donations of $20 or more will receive a tax receipt!

Thank you to my family, friends readers and co-workers for your support!!
Please cheer me on September 20 at Olympic Plaza as I walk in High Heels and try not to break my leg!
And no, I will not practice with Becky's shoes before the event!
To Donate online automatically, follow the link here http://community.ywcaofcalgary.com/calgaryrants
To Donate offline, please print the form from the link here.
http://www.walkamile.ca/Document.Doc?id=434
I will be away on vacation until 09/15/2010 so I hope I can get enough donations by the time I return!
Becky promises to get video of my High Heel Adventure to share with everyone!

Thanks again!

Shane

Interview with Calgary 2010 Ward 4 Alderman Candidate Sean Chu

2010-09-02T10:03:00.000-06:00

This is a continuation of a series of interviews that I will post about local candidates that are running in the 2010 Calgary municipal election. I do not endorse any of the candidates necessarily, unless stated otherwise. The intent is to allow the candidates a forum in which they can share some of their views.
This interview is with Sean Chu, who will be running for Alderman in Ward 4 this term. As noted in a previous post, I know Sean personally and have worked with him on a local board over the past few years. Ward 4 will be a highly contested race and the number of candidates running seems to expand each day!

1) Some of your opponents will make a big issue of the fact that you do not live in the ward. How do you respond to these concerns?

SC: I recognize that this would be an issue when I decided to run for Ward 4, but with my roots, and connections all tied to Ward 4, I felt right putting my name forward for the October election.
When I came to Calgary decades ago, Ward 4 was my first home. However, now I live in the south in order to be closer to my two daughters, but my extended family, and all my friends still live in Ward 4.
It is just not the simple aspect of living, or not living in the Ward that should be the issue that defines an individual’s campaign. The issues that affect Ward 4 are issues that also affect all Calgarians to some degree. The issues that I see in Ward 4: congested traffic on Center Street and McKnight, to the need of more police officers to lower crime, and residents desire to see City Council become more financially responsible, go beyond simply Ward 4. My goal in running for office is to create workable solutions to those challenges for the community that is truly my home.

2) Each Ward has its own unique issues. What do you think is the biggest issue facing the voters of Ward 4 that is totally unique to that part of Calgary?

SC: One of the major issues that affect residents in Ward 4 is traffic congestion, because the Ward is one of the oldest in Calgary it lacks the main thoroughfares and LRT that new neighbourhoods in the SW (Deerfoot) and NW (Crowchild) have access to, along with the new ring road, all of which help residents of those communities move faster around the City.

Granted, in the West Ward 4 has Shaganappi and John Laurie Blvd to help facilitate traffic, but in the East, with Center Street running down the middle, when rush hour comes it can be a long process to get home. That is why I advocate for City Council to help make Center Street, and McKnight Blvd more efficient in getting residents home faster. Council should look at removing some intersections, and placing walls similar to what we see on Crowchild Trail. Traffic can move faster, and residents along Center Street will have a sound barrier. But we must view this as a long term project, and one that will takes years to accomplish, if the City Council votes in favour, and if its cost is acceptable.

There are a few issues that are not entirely unique to Ward 4. When I go door knocking, I hear some recurring concerns that need to be addressed. The most critical to everyone is crime levels in the community, from petty theft, to vandalism. This must stop. In fact, one of my key priorities is to ensure that the Calgary police service receives the necessary funding, so that it is able to function properly in carrying out its day-to-day responsibilities. Residents of Ward 4 should not have to fear for their family’s safety and the protection of their property.

I still participate actively in Ward 4, by volunteering extensively in the community. I was also the liaison for most of the Ward 4 communities when I was a director of the Federation of Calgary Communities, as well as when I was a director at the Foundations for the Future Charter Academy; we were responsible for the Greenview Middle school which resides in Ward 4. One of the highlights of my life was when I received the Alberta Centennial Medal for Outstanding Community Involvement because of such volunteering in Ward 4.
It is those community connections past and present, that made me decide to run for Ward 4. I hope that when people go to the polls on October 18th that they choose who they want to be their Alderman, based on their policy goals, their community involvement, but also their character. To see real change on City Council we need Alderman who have the passion for the job, but are going in for the right reasons. My passion has always been for Ward 4, and my desire to put my name forward is because of that passion.

3) As a long time member of the Calgary Police Service, can you share some thoughts on what you would do to make Calgary a safer city?

SC: Crime levels is one of the chief concerns I hear from residents when I go door knocking, and is a issue that I know can be reduced if the Calgary police service are adequately funded. One of my key priorities is for safer communities. As I have often said, you as Calgarian’s deserve to be free from the fear of crime. Your families should be safe, your property should be protected from theft and vandalism, and the police should never be too far away when you need them.

I will advocate for more police on the ground, both on bikes and foot, downtown, and in the more popular areas like 17th Avenue and Kensington, to more car patrols in the outer communities, all so that the police can respond faster. This cannot occur without adequate police funding.

But safer communities go beyond the simple funding of the Calgary Police Service. It also involves the proper funding of firefighters, and in pushing the province to review how it manages EMS services in cooperation with the City. This will help improve communication between all first responders.

The benefit for every Calgarian is quicker response times for Police and EMS, but will also send a signal to criminals and gangs that the City of Calgary takes crime seriously.

4) In your opinion, what is the biggest mistake that Bob Hawkesworth has made as Alderman?

SC: I do not wish to criticize Bob because I know that what he tried to do for Ward 4 he believed was in the best interest of Ward 4 residents. I believe that the residents would rather hear what I can, and will do, to make Ward 4 an even better place for their families to live in, rather than attack someone that has stepped down. Criticism will not solve any of the challenges that face Ward 4.

My focus during the campaign will be door knocking, so that I can understand and learn the issues that affect Ward 4 from residents themselves, so I can incorporate them into my priorities. This is how a democracy is supposed to function – issues facing Ward 4 are given a solution from residents themselves.
5) It seems that Snow Removal budget and service seems to be a big issue every winter in this city! Do you have any idea's to help improve the City snow removal program?

SC: Snow removal is definitely a huge issue in this election for the simple fact that Calgarian’s are tired of driving on poorly cleaned roads. I understood that there had to be a change to this policy when I was told by a friend a few months ago that she was stuck in a bus on John Laurie Blvd for nearly 10 Hours! And, the woman behind her was luckily driving a camper, and allowed other people who were stuck as well to use her bathroom. This story obviously made me frustrated, especially when the downtown core is scraped clean of snow.

The excuse that the City does not have the money for basic snow removal of main thoroughfares is not acceptable, when one considers the basic loss to businesses from their employees not showing up on time, or at all, and the loss to Calgarian’s who get into accidents and have to shell out thousands to fix their vehicles. Waiting for a Chinook is not an option, and Calgarian’s have obviously had enough. That is why I will push for a comprehensive snow policy. A policy that would allow communities to hire private contractors to remove snow, if they want a more thorough cleaning, a process that the City can help facilitate. As well, the City should put more money into snow removal, so that main drags are cleaned often. Finally, the City should invest in more tow trucks in order to keep traffic moving, since we all know that the wait for tow trucks in the winter can be very long. We as Calgarian’s have seen the benefits of the city funding of tow trucks on Deerfoot Trail, such a successful idea should be extended to all main drags in Calgary.

Sean's Website is at http://www.seanchu.ca/

This is cross-posted at http://www.calgarypolitics.com/

The CalgaryPolitics.com Charity Bowling Event Was A Blast!

2010-08-31T10:09:00.002-06:00

Thanks again to everyone that supported the CalgaryPolitics.com Charity Bowling Event that we hosted last night! The event was completely sold out and we had over 150 people in attendance, including over 20 candidates in the upcoming Calgary Municipal Election!

Everyone seemed to have a great time and we raised $2800 for Brown Bagging For Calgary's Kids Society , which is pretty amazing! This amount will supply nearly 2800 lunches for needy school kids in the Calgary area!

Some of the candidates in attendance were:

Richard Dur              Ernest McCrutcheon ( 2 Lanes)     Shane Keating ( 2 Lanes) Jane Morgan

Al Bowne     Sean Chu         Ric Lockhart     Malik Amery    Kevin Taylor

Chris Harper       Roger Crowe      Gian-Carlo Carra       Shawn Kao ( the Get Kao Girls!)

Zak Pashak        Andrew Rodych     Judi Vandenbrink    Josh Traptow    Rory Rotzoll

Robert Guizzo

From the Mayoralty race, we had Craig Burrows and Paul Hughes in attendance. Ric McIver had donated a lane sponsorship for the event, but was unable to attend.

We also had some support from the business community, with Carma Developers, BiFrost Development, Canada Brokerlink Inc. and Principia Communications sponsoring the charity event!

And finally a big thanks to the media personalities that supported us, including CTV Calgary, Global Calgary, Metro Calgary ( Darren Krause) AMP Radio ( Buzz and Blake) FFWD Magazine ( Trevor Scott Howell) Calgary Herald ( Jason Markusoff, Colette Derworiz and Kelly Doody!) and QR77's Mike Blanchard!

Here are some shots from the event...

Our very own... DJ Kelly ( with Darren Krause )

And The Enlightened Savage himself....

Ward 1 Alderman candidate Chris Harper

Ward 14 candidate Richard Dur with Ward 12 candidate, Al Browne

Ward 13 Candidate Andrew Rodych...

The Ward 14, Get Kao Girls!

Ric Lockhart ( Ward 1)

Ward 12 hopeful, Shane Keating!

Ward 11 Ernest McCutcheon

Brown Bagging It Executive Director, Bob McInnis with yours truly!

We had an anonymous donor make a really large donation to the event, on the condition that we would display this wicked sign. ( No, it was not from DJ's family!) Thanks again for your huge donation and for DJ Kelly for going along with the sign!

And some of the CalgaryPolitics.com Chaps! ( DJ, Joey O, Kirk and Jeremy Z and myself)

What a blast! I hope we can definitely do this type of event again!

Shane

Coffee With Calgary Mayoral Candidate Barb Higgins

2010-08-30T09:44:00.001-06:00

I was shocked and surprised at the online response and reaction to a post that I did last week about Barb Higgins lack of social media use! This post ( link here if you want to read it) turned out to be one of my most read links ever. It really must be a testament to the candidates popularity or the demand that the public has to learn more about her political views. Either way, I was really shocked when I saw that Ms. Higgins left a comment and a Tweet ( yes...a Tweet!) asking to go for coffee to chat about this post.

After some buzz on twitter about this potential meeting, I set up a coffee with Barb on Saturday morning in my neighborhood. I was not sure why someone of Barb's stature would take the time to meet with a nobody blogger, but I was impressed with her initiative. Many candidates do not even read the Calgary political blogs ( at their peril....lol) and it is pretty rare to get a direct response from one of them, let alone a request to meet in person to discuss the blog post in question. I joked with Barb on Saturday that my wife said I should text her to make sure everything is OK, in case Barb was setting me up for a good old fashioned beat down for the comments I made in my previous post, which she thought was hilarious!

I must admit that in person Barb is quite easy to talk to and her looks are very deceiving. She is known for her bubbly personality and is quite upbeat, but in my opinion she really is one tough lady! Barb politely called me out on some of the comments on my post as she had a few issues with some of the things I had said, and wanted to make sure that she was able to tell me in person. Barb understood after meeting me that I am not some negative cave dweller that just slanders people and is cranky 24/7! I explained that most of my posts are sarcastic and that most of my regular readers ( all twelve of them, thank you....) do understand this. She figured as much, but still thought it was important that she set the record straight on some of the things in my post.

Barb really took issue with the fact that I hinted that she belongs to the "Mount Royal/Rideau Park" Elite, ( which in all truth, I was sarcastically referring to the area where most of her financial backers are rumoured to live.) Barb confirmed that she in fact lives in the Beltline and comes from a modest, middle class background. She humbly made sure that I understood that any success she has had was gained through hard work and the support of her friends, family and co-workers over the years. We even joked about her car when we left, as I complimented her on her Convertible, which she jokingly made sure I knew was a used model that is over 8 years old. I do believe that Barb is quite humble so I can understand why she was frustrated with my "Elite" comments.

Barb also confirmed that her Twitter use is in fact a work in progress. She explained that once she quit her job at CTV, a post she held for over 20 years, she needed some time to get organized after jumping head first into the campaign. She said that she wants to "do it right" and has been easing into the social media minefield, which really is a new medium for her. I can respect that as you want to ensure that you learn to use Twitter properly to its full potential. Again, I explained that the "great communicator" blurbs were aimed at sarcasm.

She confirmed again that she will be releasing all of her platform and ideas after Labour Day, which she really is sticking to. After this date, she anticipates a more interactive Twitter account ( although she is now following 43 people on Twitter, up from just 2 last week.) which is good news for Calgarians that want to learn about her ideas. I was impressed that Barb also asked me about my personal views on certain issues and she explained some of her vision and she seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. I am hoping to set up a video interview with her next month to chat more.

I am glad that I survived the coffee with my legs intact and that based on Barb's follow up tweet, she realized that I am "not a cranky pants in person"!

Barb Higgings For Mayor? Communications Failure! ( aka...Tea Over Twitter)

2010-08-26T07:45:00.002-06:00

Ever since TV Anchor Barb Higgins entered the race for mayor I have lost track of how many times I have heard people say, " She is a great communicator"! While I am sure she was very popular with many Calgarian's for her skills as a news presenter, I am not sure that being able to read a teleprompter and change the pitch of your voice when instructed qualifies anyone as a "great communicator"? I was having a brief discussion on Twitter last night about Ms. Higgins lack of actual communication, at least on Twitter, and thought I would share my thoughts.

Twitter is a pretty unique communications medium. It allows you the ability to interact with other people on a real time basis, on pretty much any topic you can imagine. Some candidates in the upcoming Calgary Municipal Election use Twitter quite well, often engaging potential voters in policy discussions and debate. Other candidates feel that they should use Twitter as a 140 Character Press Release, letting everyone know where they will be and what they had for dinner. Barb Higgins, the "great communicator" falls into the latter category. Here is a sample of her Twitter page...

As you can see, the "great communicator" only follows two people on twitter, yet of the 692 people following her, she does not see the need to interact with them. It looks like Barb has taken the SOCIAL, out of SOCIAL MEDIA!!

I am not sure why the "great communicator" does not want to interact with Calgarian's on Twitter, but perhaps some of the following ideas apply?

Barb does not want to waste time talking with the "dirty, common Twittering Calgarian's". Unless we belong to the Mount Royal/Rideau Park Elite, of course? Tea over Twitter?

Barb still has not got a grasp on the issues facing Calgarian's and what is really going in this city once you leave Signal Hill. ( Is that City Hall? I recognize it from the teleprompter view....)

Barb is not sure of what to do, as there is no Teleprompter app for Twitter.

Barb's handlers do not want her to discuss any issues with the public at all and hope to ride her good name recognition into the election night sunset. ( Barb? I know her...no, no, not from Twitter. From the TV!)

After repeating that she has both "Respect for Money" and "A Social Heart", there are too many characters left in the 140 maximum for her to complete a tweet on twitter. What to say....what to say?

Rod Love told her... "Ralph Didn't need no stinking internets....we didn't even have an internets back in 1980. We had an old motor home and dimes for the payphone. "

And it is not a generational issue either. Paul Hughes and Ric McIver are over the 25-44 age range, and seem to understand twitter and use it well. Not as well as some of the younger candidates, (Nenshi is a pro at Twitter) but I give the older candidates kudos for trying!

With two followers ( one being Calgarydemocracy.ca, which is an excellent site headed by fellow CalgaryPolitics.com blogger Grant Nuefeld) and no interaction with the Calgary voters, I give Barb "the great communicator" a failing grade.

** Update** Here is a link to my post about my follow up coffee with Barb Higgins... http://www.calgaryrants.com/2010/08/coffee-with-calgary-mayoral-candidate.html

Interview with Calgary 2010 Ward 12 Alderman Candidate Al Browne

2010-08-24T08:52:00.002-06:00

I had the opportunity to do this interview with Al this week and talk to him about some of his views. I sit on a local board with Al, but have not had the opportunity to get to know him well. Looking at his resume/CV, I was amazed at the depth of his community volunteer work and business background. Al's philthanthropy is legendary and I am impressed when business people give back to their communities.

Taking a look at Al's website, http://www.albrowne.ca/, I noticed he received a glowing endorsement from Calgary SE MP, The Honourable Jason Kenney! This endorsement is pretty powerful as it is usually rare for a candidate to received such a high profile supporter.

Here is a short video interview: ( Sorry for the two videos...YouTube has a maximum 10 Minute length!)

And Part 2....

I got a real chuckle out of the fact that Al is actually door knocking on crutches, when some candidates in this election have yet to hit the doors!

Brett Wilson Would Love To Be Mayor of Calgary! Hmmmm....

2010-08-17T08:05:00.001-06:00

Brett Wilson would love to be mayor of Calgary.... he's just to busy this fall to run for the top job!

Check out Brett's twitter response to a recent article in the Calgary Metro by Mike Morrision!

Interesting. I recall last year that there was some talk on Twitter about people encouraging Mr. Wilson to run for the leadership of the PC Party of Alberta should it ever come available. It would appear that there are many people in Calgary that think Brett would make an excellent leader and these rumours really should not surprise anyone. Brett is a very successful businessman, renowned philanthropist and kind hearted TV star. ( Kind of sounds like Barb Higgins, without the Business background.) These factors alone would probably put Brett as a front runner if he were to run for Mayor of Calgary.

Unfortunately, Brett confirmed he is just to busy this fall to run! Good thing for Barb though, as they would likely split the uninformed/casual vote amongst themselves. All kidding aside, I think Brett could make a good mayor based on his business and charity background. I am not sure what his political beliefs are but he just may have the ability to spread over the political spectrum and reach out to many different voters in this city. Brett's name on the ballot would be a serious "game changer" for any of the other candidates.

Personally, I am curious to see who the candidates are that Brett will be endorsing. I wonder if this would have anything to do with his decision to not run in 2010?

There have been rumours that there is yet another "Big Name" candidate waiting in the wings to run for Mayor in October, but it looks like Brett is not one of them.

Shane

Oh...It looks like Brett has the support of Jon Lord and Alnoor Kassam who are both apparently running for Mayor. Its nice to see candidates endorse others for the job they are after!

According to Alnoor, Brett=Mayor=Excellent!

Interview with Calgary 2010 Ward 12 Alderman Candidate Shane Keating

2010-08-13T08:31:00.000-06:00

1) I am a resident of Ward 12 and a potential voter. What do you think is the biggest issue facing the voters of this ward?
SK: With the change in Ward 12 boundaries during this election and the removal of five communities from Ward 12 (Willow Park, Maple Ridge, Haysboro, Acacia, and Riverbend), a clearer sense of the biggest issue facing the voters is the inability to remain current with city infrastructure. The lack of infrastructure can be divided into three main components.
First and most noticeable deficit is in transportation. Simply increasing the width and number of lanes does not alleviate the congestion that riddles the city's roadways, it merely delays the crisis while Calgary grows and again becomes too large for the existing traffic.

Council must rethink traffic patterns to allow for flow in both directions not just to the city's core and consider a less centralized approach to how businesses are situated in the city. Quarry Park is a perfect example of this concept.

Quarry Park is a good mix of business and residential where residents are able to live close to their employment without affecting the "suburban lifestyle" that the community appreciates. Quarry Park is nestled between Riverbend and Douglas Glen, as well as close to many different communities, and offers employment for (an estimated) 2000 individuals. Many of these people who were required to drive to work now have the privilege of walking, biking or taking a short ride on transit. Part of the deficit in transportation is the Southeast LRT which must proceed as soon as possible.
The number of employees from Ward 12 who live and work in other areas of the city need easy access to transit, not a long bus routes with multiple transfers.

Calgary must be fiscally responsible in their budgeting, not just for the three years before the next election but in the long term. The interest paid on monies borrowed to complete the Southeast LRT leg is far less than the increase in costs to build it later, plus the added benefit of the users over the next few years instead of waiting. It has been stated that now is the perfect time to build such an expensive project, the economy is low therefore builders are readily available. Quality companies are able to build at a reasonable amount rather than when the economy is booming and all costs are a premium.
The second deficit that I see in Ward 12 is a lack of recreational facilities in the Southeast. As a member at large of SECRS (South East Calgary Recreation Society) whose goal is to develop the Southeast Regional Recreation Strategy and advise the City of Calgary on how to spend $80 million on recreation facilities, there is a significant need to look at the Southeast as a whole to develop recreational facilities and to do this ASAP.

Finally the third deficit is within our school system. The drastic number of students being bussed (in some cases great distance) is appalling. Although education is funded by the provincial government and governed by local school boards, the city council must take an active role in securing the desperately needed schools in Ward 12. As a school principal I have worked with all levels of government within the education realm and my background would be a great benefit in this area.

2) Many people feel that there is a lot of dysfunction with the current council. If elected what would you do to rectify this?

An Alderman's job is to support the ward in my case Ward 12, but not at a detriment to the rest of Calgary. An Alderman should not worry about being re-elected the day after they are voted in. The present council may have forgotten that working for the complete city does, in fact, support their ward.
It almost appears that that often some members of council find themselves with a single minded focus of trying to leave their mark, for example with the "Peace Bridge", rather than leave their legacy.
I also think that many aldermen have not stayed current after many years in office. Dysfunction may have simply become protectionism (only looking after their own ward), enabling the concept of teamwork to disappear.
Let us not forget the role the City administration has played in the last number of years. A feeling of entitlement seems to have crept into the many aspects of City Hall as described by one senior manager "we're not here to solve problems but managed the corporate entity of Calgary." Once we ignore the "big picture" and focus only on one aspect of our organization all other components suffer. The city of Calgary is not a private entity that has only one focus, Calgary is a corporation as well as a corporate citizen with specific managerial objectives. Public organizations are here to serve as well as manage. The city of Calgary must become a great corporation as well as a great problem solver for the benefit of all the residents.
I wish I had a simple answer to this question. During my career in education working as a team player became my goal. I believe I have developed many skills in organizational management. I would, and have, expressed views, opinions, and strategies to make individuals focus on all sides of any issue, not just the easiest way out.
The new council must be creative and not single minded. It can not simply not accept the status quo and must be willing to do what is in the best interests for all the residents of Calgary and not just what is best for the Corporation of the City of Calgary or what is best for their own interests as Alderman. We must understand that this election we will have a new Mayor and a significant number of new Alderman, therefore, change is going to happen. It will be upon us the new elected Alderman to set the tone for a new atmosphere of teamwork and a service oriented city.

3) Tell me why you would make a better Alderman than your opponents? What candidate will be the hardest to beat in Ward 12?

Convincing a voter that I am more qualified than another candidate has never been my 'cup of tea'. I believe that by comparing the differences, the ideals and the platforms of all candidates, voters will discover that I am their best choice as their Alderman, and will do as I promise.

Since I was a teenager I have given back to the community in many ways, starting with my desire to work with some of the physically challenged members of my community, volunteering during community cleanups and holding the position of President of a youth club while I attended high school. My dedication to the community and helping others in need has not altered during my adult years and has remained just as strong as of today. I am currently a member of five different community committees and founder of a national non-profit society.

As a school Principal I have dealt with bureaucracy and all levels of government. Success while working with a large organizations and individuals who have their own agenda can be a tiresome task. Honesty and integrity must always play a part in an Alderman's character, but you must also be confident in your decisions. Asking the right questions of city administration is something I am not shy in doing. For example the first question regarding the Peace Bridge is "do we need it", and not questions which deter the simple fact of necessity and fiscal responsibility.

Looking beyond issues and digging deeper is a talent I have while keeping everything into perspective. An individual once told me that "the job of Alderman should not be the best job you've ever had" with respect to pay and benefits and prestige. The "job" can then become more important than the job that you were elected to do. I believe that it would be my privilege to be your Alderman not your privilege to have me as your Alderman.
My experience has led me to deal with city bureaucrats, provincial levels of government, municipal levels of government and the public in general all with great success. I am confident that the talents and skills I have gained over 31 years as an educator are well suited to leading Calgary into a service harmonious oriented city council.

4) In your opinion what is a biggest mistake that Alderman McIver has made the as Ward 12 Alderman?
Alderman McIver was an excellent representative for Ward 12 and the city of Calgary. He has shown his supporters the path and we need to continue and improve on his leadership. If I was to offer constructive criticism it would be to contradict the "Mr No" label that others have placed on him. A focused and well understood policy does not allow for the opposition to pigeonhole an Alderman. Alderman McIver has supported issues (when they were worth supporting) but may not have received the recognition for doing so. The city of Calgary must be fiscally responsible all the while supporting areas that require need.

5) Did the decision in Ward 12 Alderman McIver to run for Mayor have any impact on your decision to run in the selection? Would you have run against Ric McIver if he was still on the ballot?
In all honesty yes of course it did. My entrance into politics was not because I had any issues with Ric McIver. As far back as two years ago I suggested to Ric that he should run for Mayor and that I would then run in his position. At that time my Community Association was having great difficulty working with the City of Calgary. I am running for your Alderman as I saw then, as I clearly see now, the need for policies, procedures and methods within the City of Calgary and City Hall to be changed.
I would have only ran against Ric if I had issues with how he was representing me as a resident of Ward 12, I had no issues with Ric.

6) With no incumbent in the riding, are you finding it easy to fund raise and find volunteers? Is every candidate on a level playing field?
This question is yes and no. With no incumbent all supporters are forced to find a new candidate. I have been very fortunate in finding some individuals who believe I am the right candidate, therefore, I am not on a shoestring budget. Yet my campaign is not fluid with donations as I believe many supporters are not making up their minds until later in the campaign before deciding on financial contributions.
I'm extremely fortunate to have assembled a core of excellent members of my campaign team. I am very grateful that after all the volunteer hours I have donated over the last 40 years, my view of a better Calgary is the focus of others who are volunteering their time.
It is both humbling and greatly appreciated for others residents Ward 12 who believe I am the right candidate for their Alderman. I must thank the following individuals as they are my support, think tank, motivation, management, and conscience. Thank you to Merviana, Kate, Larry, Tammy, Jason P, Marilyn, Succan, Kelly, Richard, and Jason L (in order of signing on). It is through great volunteers that great goals are achieved.

The task is also great and there is a need for many more volunteers to have a successful campaign. Many talented hands and minds are needed to distribute and manage lawn and window signs, to visit each resident within Ward 12, volunteer at upcoming events and a host of other invaluable ways to help. Please consider helping me to help make Calgary an even better place to live, work, learn and raise a family in any way possible. Visit my website and sign up as a volunteer, make a donation to the campaign, and to follow me on Twitter, Facebook and on my blog site.
Thank you
Shane Keating
Aspiring to be your Alderman in Ward 12

CalgaryPolitics.com Presents: Charity Bowling Event for Brown Bagging It For Calgary's Kids Society!

2010-08-11T08:22:00.000-06:00

Charity Bowling Event!

Many of you know that I am a regular volunteer and a huge supporter of Brown Bagging it for Calgary's Kids Society ( BB4CK). The gents over at calgarypolitics.com and I have decided to organize a Charity Bowling Event to help raise awareness and some money for this amazing group! With the 2010 Calgary Election less than two months away, we thought it would be fun to mix Bowling and Politics for a good cause!

Join in as local Bloggers, Media and Candidates for the 2010 Calgary Municipal Election help to "Strike Out" Hunger This fun event will take place on Monday August 30, 2010 at 6:30-9pm. The response so far has been amazing and tickets/lanes are selling quickly, with many candidates already booking lanes!

All proceeds will go to support BB4CK! Brown Bagging It For Calgary's Kids Society is a local organization that provides nutritious lunches to almost 1600 needy children a day! Their website is http://www.makeityourproblem.ca/

I have attached a copy of the invitation and registration form! We hope to see you there!

Shane

Invitation Form Link is Here

Registration Form is Here

Facebook Page
...

Interview With Calgary 2010 Ward 1 Alderman Candidate Ric Lockhart

2010-08-03T09:05:00.000-06:00

This interview is with Ric Lockhart, who will be running for Alderman in Ward 1 this term.

Question #1: What do you think is the biggest issue facing the voters of Ward 1 that is totally unique to that part of Calgary?

RL: As an aldermanic candidate, trying to identify a "single biggest issue" among 90,000 people in 11 distinct communities, composed of every age, race and religion, would be as daunting as trying to attain world peace. I think you might have better luck with world peace.

The beauty of Ward 1 is its diversity. Some of its neighbourhoods are established and some are very new, some are bustling and some quiet. The ward also includes business and residential sectors, each with its own agenda and concerns. There is just about something for everyone, including issues. We did, however, find a somewhat common theme that would apply to many of our communities. It's not exciting or contentious, or even unique. It's a life style, recreationally based concern. In many cases the older and established communities are looking for reliable sources of income to sustain and improve their facilities and programs, so people don't have to leave their community in order to stay active. Tied tightly to this issue is the much-needed Northwest Recreation Centre. When will it be built? Furthermore, where is it going to go? We need this facility yesterday, for people of all generations.

Question #2: The incumbent, Dale Hodges, has been the Alderman since 1983. What will it take to beat him this year?

RL: The constituents in Ward 1 need to know and trust the winning candidate. They have to be assured the person that gets their vote will work for the people, not merely themselves. To put it simply, the only way to win this race is to meet the people, one by one, face to face. People in this area are not looking for lofty goals of progress and change. The majority of people I've talked with like the steady pace of progress they've enjoyed for many years and want their alderman to take a common-sense approach to maintain and enrich our strong communities.

It's going to take a ton of work to get the job done, and I’m willing to make the effort. I can offer the “fresh start” people are looking for.

Question #3: Can you share some of your past community/volunteer work over the past few years?

RL: For many years I’ve canvassed for the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Cancer Foundation. I ran to raise money for Prostate Cancer Canada, worked to raise funds for the BCA (Bowness Community Association), and helped with Tuscany’s soccer field maintenance/development. I’ve also devoted a ton of time to the Bow River Minor Hockey Association. One charity I would walk over broken glass to help is The Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation. They do incredible things for families all over Alberta.

I also love working Stampede breakfasts, and I have for many years -- just ask the residents of Varsity (Market Mall), Scenic Acres, Bowness, and Tuscany. This year I brought a special guest to the Tuscany breakfast, my horse Leah.

Question #4 : In your opinion, what is the biggest mistake that Dale Hodges has made as Alderman?

RL: Alderman Hodges has been a solid steward to Ward 1; he has served for almost 30 years. Some may say he has made mistakes, but I am not inclined to criticize. The basis of my candidacy is not to say Dale Hodges has done a poor job, it's simply to say, "Pass the torch; I've got the energy, endurance and work ethic to take care of the of the folks in Ward 1, and to make a difference.’

I think it's time for a new ambassador and I know I won't disappoint.

Question #5: While the election is just under three months away, do you feel you are at a disadvantage by coming into the race at this time? Do you think it will be difficult to find volunteers and to fundraise?

RL: A disadvantage? I grew up here! I guess you could say I've been knocking on doors for 30 years due to my constant exposure to the public in my present career, involvement in minor sports and volunteerism. I have a great network of people who can attest to my character and ethics. If someone in this ward doesn’t know me personally, there's a good possibility they know someone who does. I've managed to meet and get to know many of people in this big city; the six degrees of separation is often reduced to three degrees when you've grown up here. Every day, my team and supporters are growing, as more people find out I'm running. The energy and enthusiasm is pleasantly overwhelming. It's very humbling to know so many people believe in you. Although I haven’t formally announced, please know I've been doing my homework. I’ve attended many city council meetings, been out there talking with businesses and community leaders for months. Is this going to be the race to watch? You bet!

For more information on Ric, you can visit his website at http://www.riclockhart.com/

Shane

New Website Takes Aim At Craig Chandler.

2010-07-26T13:01:00.000-06:00

I love Twitter. It has the ability to allow people to reach out and share information so quickly, that there really is nothing quite like it. I was really intrigued when I saw that a new twitter account called " Chandler's List" ( aka "Chandler Watcher") started following me, so I had to check it out. I was quite alarmed when I saw what the site was actually about!

The site, ( http://site.chandlerslist.info/) is basically a Chandler bashing brochure designed to highlight his affiliations and political involvements. They even go as far as to publicly name ( with pictures) each of his supporters and past campaign candidates, which they call The Chandlerites! There are even some people listed that are only there because Craig recently praised them in an interview with the Calgary Beacon. While I am not sure who is behind the website ( it would probably be pretty easy to figure it out by the domain I assume?) it would appear that a lot of the conversation has spilled over from recent Twitter/Facebook blowouts between Chandler and local citizens. Check the site for details.

While Craig and I have had a few "disagreements" over comments that I have made about his candidates, I could never imagine taking it this far. In fact, I had the most wonderful comment sent to me that included Chandler's Image imprinted on a certain piece of women's clothing, but I found it too offensive to publish. Truth be told, that I am often worried about lawsuits that may be brought against me for content on this blog, especially from Anonymous posters.

The people behind the Chandler's List website are in fact using public information, so I cannot see any direct libel issues, but I would assume it may not sit well with those candidates whose names and image are being posted on the site. I can almost hear a "Govern Yourself Accordingly" letter being typed as we speak.

I would love to hear your thoughts...

Shane

Get Your Peter Demong Trucker Hats and Maternity T-Shirts...Going Fast!!

2010-07-21T08:09:00.000-06:00

I came across this site the other day and literally spit my coffee out from the laughter! In what can only be described as another of Craig C's brilliant (?) campaign branding ideas, the Peter Demong for Ward 14 alderman team has linked up with CafePress.com to offer the average Calgarian a piece of the Peter Demong Campaign. Personally, people have been stopping me on the street asking where they can get a Peter D T-Shirt...it really is all the rage!

The website has an array of products with the Demong logo and slogan and these items would make a wonderful gift for that special someone on your list. Christmas is still 5 months away, but I would get your order in today, as these items will not last! I even think that sales of these products may rival the excitement generated by the release of Tickle Me Elmo and the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. My personal favorites include:

The styling Peter Demong Trucker Hat! ( Comes with a breathable vent backing!)

The Peter Demong Maternity T-Shirt.... ( A Future Voter is a Future Voter I guess!)

For a full list of products, head on over to http://www.cafepress.ca/peterdemong and pick your propaganda up today!

Not to be outdone, I have decided to open up my own cafepress shop! It can be found at http://www.cafepress.ca/calgaryrants I did not want the Demong team to have a monopoly on the ugliest shirt store in town! And if anyone is silly enough to buy anything from the calgaryrants site, I will donate the profits to a local children's charity!

Shane

Interview with Calgary Ward 7 Alderman Candidate Kevin Taylor

2010-07-19T09:36:00.001-06:00

1) What do you think is the biggest issue facing the voters of Ward 7 that is totally unique to that part of Calgary?

Kevin: I think the biggest issue facing the voters of Ward 7 that is totally unique to that part of Calgary is the dramatic diversity of issues within the Ward. Ward 7 stretches from The Calgary Drop In Centre in downtown East, all the way up into the suburbs of Dalhousie in the Northwest. Finding ways to handle such a range of needs requires one critical thing: Two-way communication between the Alderman and the communities within the Ward.That means attending community meetings, and listening to and responding to calls from residents to make sure their issues can be addressed. Ultimately, it is the voters themselves who know best what challenges are going on in their communities, and better communication is the way to utilize this knowledge.

2) It appears that in Calgary Municipal politics, the incumbent always seems to have a huge advantage with fundraising and volunteer support. Is this true in Ward 7 this year?

Kevin: Very true.

3) In your opinion, what is the biggest mistake that Druh Farrell has made as Alderman?

Kevin: Shane, I will not answer that one. I will let the voters decide at election time.

4) Every winter, Calgarians are always dismayed by the lack of snow removal service in this City. Do you have any ideas that would improve this essential service?

Kevin: Shane, we do not have snow removal. We have snow pushing in Calgary! When the budget shows you are over budget 17 of the last 20 years, as it is at city hall, there must be a flaw in the system. I support contract snow removal and proper snow removal. This is one item that the new council needs to address right away.

5) Can you share some of your volunteer history in Ward 7 and/or in the rest of Calgary? What groups have you been involved with in the past?

Kevin: I am on the Sport Chek Mother's Day Walk & Run Committee, I am a Calgary Stampede Volunteer, and a sponsor of The Make a Wish Foundation. I have taught disabled skiing, and I also support Jose Neto, the young Brazillian student who was blinded by a gang's stray bullet in September 2008 on a daily basis.

Not only am I involved in the volunteer community myself, but I also engage my staff to help out. For some of my younger staff, this is their first job working for me. They understand our corporate philosophy of giving back to the community and become involved right from the start.

Kevin's website can be found at http://www.http//www.kevintaylorward7.com/

2010 Calgary Southeast Garden Tour Fundraiser

2010-07-06T12:54:00.000-06:00

I had the opportunity to attend this event last summer and I will be volunteering again this year! I had a blast at this event even though I do not have the slightest "green thumb", so I thought I would share it again this year with everyone. I hope to see you there!

The Calgary South East

Conservative Association

and

Hon. Jason Kenney, MP

Are pleased to invite you to the

South Calgary Garden Tour

Sunday, July 18, 2010

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Passports $20 per person

Enjoy a relaxing afternoon visiting eight of the best gardens in Calgary S.E./S.W. All of the gardens are award winning gardens and/or have been featured in gardening magazines. This is a self-guided tour and a unique opportunity to see how other gardeners have developed their space and to talk to those who share their passion for gardening. A map and list of homes will be provided with the passport. Buy your Passports now as only a limited quantity will be available.

Tickets may be purchased online at Ticketweb.ca

http://www.ticketweb.ca/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=2105345

Guest Services, Trico Centre

11150 Bonaventure DR SE (across from Southcentre Mall)

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Alnoor Kassam is Running for Mayor of Calgary...Part Two! ( Warning: Creepy Colouring Picture Attached)

2010-06-27T21:35:00.000-06:00

Alnoor Kassam will announce on Monday June 28, 2010 that he will be running for Mayor in the Calgary 2010 Municipal Election. Many people remember Alnoor's name and face from the 2007 ( Go Alnoor!) election, in which he placed a distant, distant second to Dave Bronconnier. Alnoor was a newcomer to the City and its politics then, and he shocked the public by spending an estimated $1,000,000 of his own money. ( Yes...his own money.)

Alnoor's press release appears to lack any vision or idea's. In fact, there is so much attention to explaining the issues that have added to his bad press image over the past 3 years that you really have to wonder why so much attention is focused on this? I am not an expert, but I cannot understand why his group does not focus on Alnoor's ideas and what he will do when he "take's back the City" as opposed to cleansing his media image on a campaign release?

Here are some snippets of the release...

And in a funny ( creepy?....) last page....

I thought colouring pages were standard on all Mayoraly Campaign press releases? Is that a Bra or a pair of glasses? Please confirm....

Good Luck Alnoor! The more the merrier....

Shane

Alderman Diane Colley-Urquhart Is Running for Re-Election in Ward 13

2010-06-22T22:36:00.001-06:00

Over the past few months, there has been a lot of speculation that Diane Colley-Urquhart would take a run at the Mayor's chair after 10 years as the Alderman for Ward 13. The following press release confirms that Diane will not be running for Mayor after all and has opted to run for re-election in her current ward.

Diane has had a ton of success in this Ward and many people feel she will be tough to beat this October. This is likely why there have been no credible challengers announce that they will be running against her. I imagine a few "tire kickers" in Ward 13 just realized that 2010 is not their year!

Shane

Richard Dur Enters Ward 14 Aldermanic Race

2010-06-20T12:51:00.001-06:00

I personally think that Ward 14 will be the most interesting race to watch in the Calgary 2010 Civic Election. Anyone who reads this blog knows that I am not a fan of the incumbent, do nothing alderman, Linda "Ghost"-Mellway. After seeing the Facebook Page go live this week and the Calgary Herald Interview online, I was so excited to see that Richard Dur is officially in the race for Ward 14 Alderman.

I know Richard personally and think he would make an excellent Alderman. He has an amazing political mind for his age ( he managed the successful campaign of WAP Candidate Paul Hinman in last fall's provincial by-election) and after having coffee with him a few weeks ago, I was quite blown away by his idea's and values. He truly is a man of principals, which is often lacking in Calgary Politics. I have also seen his dedication to the community first hand through our involvement together with the Calgary Southeast Conservative Party riding association.

There is some controversy brewing about "Vote-Splitting" in this ward, by one of the other candidates. I will be doing a blog post about this soon, which reinforces my theory that this will be an interesting ward to watch!

Richard has been hard at work knocking on doors in his ward and I wish him well! I hope to do a blog interview with Richard soon, so if you have any questions you would like to ask, be sure to email me.

Shane

2010 Calgary Stampede Parade Marshals...Jet and Cord? Who's Next...?

2010-06-15T13:57:00.000-06:00

Remember when the Stampede Parade Marshal was someone relevant and/or important? Me neither.....its been so long since Calgary has had a high profile person to lead the parade. It seems that the list of parade marshals chosen just keeps getting stranger and more obscure each year. I mean seriously, is the parade so low profile now that no famous people want to accept the position? What happened to the prestige of the Calgary Stampede Parade Marshal?

Some of the past dignitaries and marshals include the following:

Robert Kennedy
Roy Rogers
Prince Charles and Prince Andrew
Walt Disney
Bob Hope and Bing Crosby
Mickey Mouse.

Some of the recent picks have been so disappointing, that I think that the Stampede Parade brand has been tarnished. And as a proud Calgarian, I am embarrassed to say it.

This years selection, Amazing Race contestants, Jet and Cord McCoy, continue the tradition of poor choices. I watched the Amazing Race this season and these gentleman seem like genuine great cowboys and nice guys. But being a cowboy and appearing on reality TV should not get you on a Calgary Stampede parade float, never mind becoming the Marshal.

I think the Parade committee should consider the following people for the shortlist for Parade Marshal 2011...

1) Bob from Accounting?
2) An extra from episode 12 of Little House On The Prairie?
3) My friend Joe, who likes Alberta Beef.
4) Balki Bartokomous from TV's Perfect Strangers
5) Dora the Explorer.
6) The Littlest Hobo's great great great great great grandpuppy.

Thank god we get the parade morning off because I cannot wait to watch Jet and Cord lead the parade. I will be the one on my couch with the paper bag over my head.

Who are your picks for next year?

Shane

Friday Fun! Insert Your Own Druh Farrell Caption!

2010-06-11T07:09:00.000-06:00

I came across this photo of Calgary Ward 7 Alderman Druh Farrell and could not help but laugh. The picture really is priceless! Apart from both of them spending most of their time in space, they have both proven to really be irrelevant over the past few years. Poor Spock. The only thing worse would be a pic with Bronco.

I cant help but imagine the endless "insert caption here" possibilities!

Mine would be.... " Druh, you remind me of a Klingon gal I used to know...."

Feel free to share your own!

Happy Friday!

Shane

Calgary Rants

Calgary City Council Mediator Session

Calgary City Council Pay Raises 2012

A Day Without Food In Support Of Brown Bagging For Calgary's Kids

Sean Chu To Enter The Calgary North West PC Nomination Race

Alberta "Illegal" Political Donations? Much Ado About Nothing

New Years Resolutions For The City of Calgary

Vlog Post: My Thoughts On The PPP Canada City of Calgary Recreation Funding Decision

Why I'm Supporting Ric McIver in the Calgary Hays PC Nomination

Alberta Blue Committee Launches! Six Questions For Ken Boessenkool

More Problems In The Wildrose Nomination Process?

Goodbye Old Friend....RIP Jason Hatton

Is Calgary's Proposed "Penny Tax" A Pound Foolish?

Gian-Carlo Carra Vs. The Ramsay Community Association

Alberta PC Leadership Race Vlog..Round Two!

2011 YWCA Walk a Mile In Her Shoes Event! Pink Is The New Black!

Alberta PC Leadership Race Vlog Post

New Webcam! Vlog Posts To Follow...

YWCA Walk A Mile In Her Shoes 2011! High Heel Time!

Hey Dr. Raj Sherman....Stop Calling My House!

MP Jason Kenney"s Stampede Breakfast

My First Pair of Cowboy Boots!

Calgary's Photo Radar Cash Cow

Rob Anderson's Bill 36 Youtube Video Fiasco

Calgary MLA Art Johnson Loses PC Nomination Battle In Calgary Southeast

Mayor Naheed Nenshi's Calgary Stampeder Game Face!

Questions About The University of Calgary Students Union Secondary Suite Poll

Has MLA Raj Sherman Jumped The Shark This Time?

Social Media and the Calgary Secondary Suite Issue

Newark Mayor Cory Booker Uses Twitter To Help Stranded Motorists!

Stephen Duckett Eating His Cookie!

9 Month Old Political Genius Kyron Makes His Daddy Proud!

Video Interview With 2010 Calgary Mayoral Candidate Ric McIver

Interview With Ward 8 & 9 Calgary Public School Board Trustee Candidate Pat Cochrane

Interview with Ward 12 and 14 Public School Trustee Candidate Malik Amery

Interview with Ward 6 and 7 Calgary Public School Board Trustee Candidate Dr. George Lane

Interview With Ward 1 and 2 Calgary Public School Trustee Candidate Josh Traptow

Interview With Ward 11 and 13 Public School Trustee Candidate Catherine Huggerud

Interview With Ward 11 and 12 Catholic School Board Trustee Kim VanKosh

Interview With Ward 11 and 13 Public School Board Trustee Julie Kearns

Interview With Ward 8 & 9 Public School Trustee Candidate Laura Shutiak

Interview With Ward 12 & 14 Public School Trustee Candidate Carol Bazinet

Interview With Ward 12 & 14 Public School Board Trustee Wendi Moore

Is Calgary Ward 14 Alderman Candidate CandMong Getting Desperate? Mystery Of The Missing Signs!

Calgary Ward 12 Alderman Sign Review

Interview With Ward 12 Aldermanic Candidate Benjamin Sim

My Thoughts On The VoteCalgary.ca Mayoralty Forum

Interview with Calgary Ward 12 Alderman Candidate Rory Rotzoll

Ralph Klein's Bar Shrine in San Francisco

This Blogger Had A Blast In High Heels! YWCA Walk A Mile In Her Shoes Event

How Many Calgary Municipal Election Candidates Will Get The Nomination Day Blues?

Want To See Me Walk A Mile In High Heel's for Charity?

Interview with Calgary 2010 Ward 4 Alderman Candidate Sean Chu

The CalgaryPolitics.com Charity Bowling Event Was A Blast!

Coffee With Calgary Mayoral Candidate Barb Higgins

Barb Higgings For Mayor? Communications Failure! ( aka...Tea Over Twitter)

Interview with Calgary 2010 Ward 12 Alderman Candidate Al Browne

Brett Wilson Would Love To Be Mayor of Calgary! Hmmmm....

Interview with Calgary 2010 Ward 12 Alderman Candidate Shane Keating

CalgaryPolitics.com Presents: Charity Bowling Event for Brown Bagging It For Calgary's Kids Society!

Interview With Calgary 2010 Ward 1 Alderman Candidate Ric Lockhart

New Website Takes Aim At Craig Chandler.

Get Your Peter Demong Trucker Hats and Maternity T-Shirts...Going Fast!!

Interview with Calgary Ward 7 Alderman Candidate Kevin Taylor

2010 Calgary Southeast Garden Tour Fundraiser

Alnoor Kassam is Running for Mayor of Calgary...Part Two! ( Warning: Creepy Colouring Picture Attached)

Alderman Diane Colley-Urquhart Is Running for Re-Election in Ward 13

Richard Dur Enters Ward 14 Aldermanic Race

2010 Calgary Stampede Parade Marshals...Jet and Cord? Who's Next...?

Friday Fun! Insert Your Own Druh Farrell Caption!