Women of ABpoli: Hot Flashes - Issue #2
News
Delta Uniform Hotel
As (some) Albertans are excitedly preparing for the return of the Calgary Stampede, the UCP-feared medical and science professionals are saying one shot just isn't enough - the same goes for live-tweeting a Wildrose Independence Party town hall.
The Nashville North tent is sticking to their guns and will require proof of vaccination (one shot, at least two weeks prior) or a negative covid test to enter.
But we have real problems, too.
"Letting a virus rip through a partially vaccinated population is exactly the experiment I’d do to evolve a virus able to evade immunity," Dr. Steve Paterson, University of Liverpool's co-director at the Centre for Genomic Research tweeted Monday.
The vaccines were made in response to the wild virus, not the Brazilian variant (P1) or the South African (SA) variant, or the UK variant (B.1.17) or the India variant (B.1.172 or Delta). The more the virus mutates, the more likely it is that it will mutate into something that eventually becomes resistant to the original vaccine.
Don't shoot the messenger.
And, if you want to see a timeline of the effects of actual fear-mongering, I highly recommend this utter train wreck of an account on how state-sanctioned propaganda against Western covid responses backfired spectacularly against Russia.
Teaser: the country had thousands of deaths from "a mysterious pneumonia epidemic unrelated to COVID-19," in early 2020 and so far in 2021 has had less than 15% uptake on first shots and under 5% for second due to anti-vax sentiment that is almost double that of the U.S.. Dismal, dumb, and dangerous.
To mask, or not to mask?
Thanks to the massive uptake in second doses (in certain areas of the province) Calgary city council voted to end the blanket mask bylaw on Monday.
The vote passed 10-4 with some councillors taking into account that they don't know what the future holds.
"If we eliminate the mask bylaw too early and a spike occurs after the Calgary Stampede, my council colleagues and I would be at least partly responsible for not exercising caution," Ward 5 councillor George Chahal said, with a recognition of elected official's responsibility not seen often enough lately in Alberta politics.
Prior to Monday's vote, Premier Jason Kenney quipped that he was surprised Calgary "Council had so many epidemiologists".
The Alberta government will maintain mandatory masking in hospitals, long-term care, and public transportation because there are more epidemiologists in the Legislature than Council, obviously.
Who is Mary Simon?
Mary Simon was announced as the newest Governor General of Canada on July 6. She is the first Indigenous Person (let alone woman) to occupy this office.
In 2008, Simon was chosen to respond to then Prime Minister Stephen Harper's apology to Indigenous Peoples for the government of Canada's role in the Indian Residential School system.
"There is much hard work to be done. We need the help and support of all thoughtful Canadians and our governments to rebuild strong and healthy families and communities.
This can be achieved only when dignity, confidence and respect for traditional values and human rights once again become part of our daily lives and are mirrored in our relationships with governments and other Canadians.
I stand here today ready to work with you, as Inuit have always done, to craft new solutions and new arrangements based on mutual respect and mutual responsibility.
Thank you. May wisdom and compassion guide our efforts." ~ Mary Simon, President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, April 2008
Simon also spoke to the draft of the Canadian Constitution of Rights and Freedoms (video in Watts' tweet). As we now know, equal protection on the basis of "sex" was added to the Constitution, but here's some fabulous trivia;
"...there was a catch. The government – anticipating challenges of laws across the country based on the new charter – instituted a three-year waiting period on just section 15. Which is why, while some celebrated the 20th anniversary of the charter coming into effect (in 2001), April 17, 2005, marked the true 20th anniversary of equality protection." from Section15.ca
While it was rumoured that Simon was on the PM's short list to replace Michaelle Jean in 2010, it was not to be.
But not everyone was congratulating the choice.
While Simon speaks both fluent Inuktitut and English, she does not speak the other colonial language of this land, French. It didn't ruffle my feathers much, personally.
But social media is the gift that keeps on giving.
Toronto SUN talking head Anthony Furey pointed out that Simon was the fifth of the last eight Governor Generals who "were former CBC staffers".
That snipe had all the "you have to be 100 times more qualified to be seen as equally competent" vibes to it, especially when you consider Simon worked for CBC over 40 years ago, when she was 22, and has done so much more than what will fit in 280 characters.
For more than 40 years, Mary Simon has been an advocate for Inuit rights and culture in Canada and abroad. She has represented the Inuit to the Government of Canada and the United Nations, and has served in diverse roles throughout her career, including Canadian Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs and Canadian Ambassador to Denmark.
Mary has provided leadership in multiple organizations, serving as President at the Makivik Corporation, the Inuit Circumpolar Council and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK), and as chairperson at the Arctic Children and Youth Foundation and the National Committee on Inuit Education.
Among many other distinctions, Mary is an Officer of the Order of Canada and the National Order of Quebec and a recipient of the Governor General’s Northern Medal, the Gold Order of Greenland, the National Aboriginal Achievement Award, the Gold Order of the Canadian Geographical Society and the Symons Medal. She has been inducted into the International Women’s Forum Hall of Fame, and she is a Fellow of the Arctic Institute of North America and of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
For the record, Furey's bio actually does fit into 280 characters (drops mic, exits to Pink's I'm gonna start a fight).
Flushed or flushing the Alberta Treasury?
The Sturgeon Refinery has cost Alberta a small fortune already but the UCP has decided taxpayers should take on more responsibility for the over-budget, under-performing money pit. Because why not?
Thanks to more crafty forecasting by the bobble heads in power, what began as a "private sector" investment in Alberta oil refining is now a greater liability for the province, to the tune of $26 billion.
This latest deal paid $425 million to Northwest Refining for their 50% share, and $400 million to Canadian Natural Resources in exchange for reduced tolling fees from Albertans for refining Alberta's oil, which will then be sold, over the next ten years.
Such decisions may give the impression the Alberta Treasury has more cash than the UCP knows what to do with, but Travis Toews announced Tuesday that there are still some things we just cannot afford - nurse's wages.
Once again, there's never too much money to throw at male-oriented industries like oil and gas but when it comes to female-dominated industries, it's always too much.
Speaking of the over-stretched Alberta Health budget, don't forget to sign up for your chance at a lotto vaxx prize. You only have to enter once and must have your second shot before the next million dollar draws being held at the end of August '21 and September '21 to qualify.
Somehow, it feels a lot less like "winning" than skimming from the livelihoods of nurses.
Province announces Green Line approval moments before Trudeau goes live in Calgary to do the same
The province sent out a last minute press release at 1:30pm Wednesday to announce it had approved the changes to Calgary's Green Line proposal and the project was awaiting federal approval.
Coincidentally, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was on hand with Mayor Naheed Nenshi at 2:00pm to announce that the federal government had approved the city's revised proposal for the Green Line.
Nenshi said he was surprised to see the release from the Alberta government and it would probably be the last time he would address the Green Line now since they had been the "only unknown".
“Looks like #yyc is getting a Green Line!!! https://t.co/FrBgI7IOKk”
The coincidences don't stop there though. Just three days before the multi-level announcements, Steve Allan, of the Alberta Inquiry, wrote an endorsement for mayoral hopeful Jeff Davison praising Davison's work on getting 17 amendments to the Green Line proposal, and proposing to break the project up into three parts.
The Alberta government's release stated it had "approved the revised business case" for the project, noting two phases: 18km for the South phase and 2km for the second phase - downtown - but did not mention the third.
Allan's endorsement also refers to the northern part of the project being completed "someday".
Amazing foresight into what was apparently a well-kept secret - at least well-kept from the current Mayor.
Laundry List: GoA press releases
Not the Onion
Lacombe-Ponoka MLA Ron Orr is the new Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism, and the Status of Women.
Is an inanimate object of yours a target for “hate and bias-motivated crimes”? The Alberta Security Infrastructure Program is open for emergency grant applications to protect stuff you’re particularly attached to.
The UCP cares deeply about safe consumption – of liquor. Red tape reductions will provide more opportunities to imbibe, including with your next take-out or delivery order.
EMS will now provide transport for “urgent but non-life-threatening situations” to facilities Albertans could have driven themselves for a fraction of the cost.
Tell me the NDP is the worst without telling me the NDP is the worst: “The Order of the Bighorn was first established in 1982. The most recent ceremony was held in 2015.”
Feel the need to offer an opinion on the education system by creating a dialogue with the last people the UCP will ask? Join a Minister’s Parent and Teacher Advisory Council! (But, seriously, someone who isn’t a raving ideologue probably needs to apply as well).
Feeling burned out, unappreciated, waiting for a wage cut, but still looking for more patients? Your government has the answer - adding 6,000 beds for seniors.
The government doesn’t create jobs, except when it does. In addition to taking over public relations for the oil industry, the Government of Alberta will now fund the marketing and promotions arm of Alberta Agriculture.
Less fluff
“Chartered surgical facilities” will assist AHS in reducing the surgery backlog.
National Housing Strategy Plan between the province and federal govt will create space for 35,500 low-income housing spaces between 2019-20 and 2027-28.
$3.6 million for student internships in the new Work-Integrated Learning Industry Voucher pilot program for roles in tech, construction, and life sciences. For some reason this release was in both English and French but there’s no federal tie according to the spokesperson who responds to such random inquiries.
Alberta becoming more agriculturally diverse.
Half empty or half full? 50.7% of eligible Albertans are now fully vaccinated.
Eight new judges have been appointed to Alberta courts.
UCP picks of the week
Winners: Sturgeon Refinery
Losers: nurses